异曲同声盼和平福音 Different Sign Equal Values
美式发音 适合精读
The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world. Think about how we greet people. In some languages, the phrases for greetings contain the word for peace. In some cultures we greet people by shaking hands or with another gesture to show that we are not carrying weapons—that we come in peace. And there are certain symbols that people in very different cultures recognize as representing peace. Let’s look at the origins of a few of them.
和平的概念在全世界所有文化中都很重要。想一想我们向他人问候的样子吧。在一些语言中,问候语包含了和平的字眼。在有些文化里,人们用握手或者做其他手势来表示问候,以显示我们没有携带武器——我们是为和平而来。不同文化的人们有各自独特的代表和平的象征,让我们来看看其中几个和平象征的起源。
The Dove鸽子
The dove has been a symbol of peace and innocence for thousands of years in many different cultures. In ancient Greek mythology it was a symbol of love and the renewal of life. In ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword symbolised the end of war.
There was a tradition in Europe that if a dove flew around a house where someone was dying then their soul would be at peace. And there are legends that say that the devil can turn himself into any bird except a dove. In Christian art, the dove was used to symbolise the Holy Ghost and was often painted above Christ’s head.
But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the 1)World Peace Congress in 1949.
在许多不同的文化中,将鸽子作为和平及清白的象征已有数千年的历史。在古希腊神话中,它象征着爱及生命的重生。在古代日本,佩剑的鸽子则象征战争的结束。
在欧洲有一种传说:如果鸽子在临终者的屋子上空盘旋,则表示他们的灵魂将会得到安息。在一些民间传说里,恶魔可以将自己变成任何一种鸟,但鸽子除外。在基督教艺术中,鸽子被用作圣灵的象征,常常被画在耶稣头像的上方。
但使鸽子成为现代和平象征的人是毕加索,他于1949年将鸽子画在了世界和平大会的海报上。
2)Mistletoe 槲寄生枝
This plant was sacred in many cultures, generally representing peace and love. Most people know of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas time, which probably comes from Scandinavian mythology. The goddess 3)Freya’s son was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, so, in honour of him, she declared that it would always be a symbol of peace. It was often hung in doorways as a sign of friendship.
这种植物在很多文化中都是神圣的,通常代表着和平及关爱。大多数人都知道圣诞节时在槲寄生枝下亲吻的传统,这个风俗可能来自斯堪的纳维亚神话。女神弗蕾娅的儿子被一支用槲寄生枝制成的箭杀死。于是,为了纪念他,女神宣布槲寄生枝将永远作为和平的象征。人们常将它挂在门道以表示友谊。
The Olive Branch 橄榄枝
The olive tree has always been a valuable source of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athene gave the olive tree to the people of Athens, who showed their 4)gratitude by naming the city after her. But no one knows for sure when or why it began to symbolise peace. There is probably a connection with ancient Greece. Wars between states were 5)suspended during the Olympic Games, and the winners were given crowns of olive branches. The symbolism may come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long time to produce fruit, so olives could be cultivated successfully only in long periods of peace. Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of many modern flags symbolising peace and unity. One well-known example is the United Nations symbol.
橄榄树历来都是食物和油的宝贵来源。在古希腊神话中,女神雅典娜将橄榄树送给雅典人,那里的人为了表示感谢,便以女神的名字来命名他们的城市。但无人确切知道在什么时候、或者是什么原因橄榄枝成了和平的象征,这有可能与古代希腊有关系。在奥运会期间,国家之间的战争会暂停,比赛获胜者会得到用橄榄树枝编成的桂冠。橄榄树的和平象征意义又或者是由于其结果的时间很长,这样,唯有在一个长期的和平环境,人们才能成功地培育橄榄树。不管是何种历史原因,橄榄枝当今是很多旗帜上图案的一部分,象征着和平及团结。其中一个众所周知的例子就是联合国的符号。
The 6)Ankh 十字章
The ankh is an ancient symbol that was adopted by 7)the Hippie Movement in the 1960s to represent peace and love. It was found in many Asian cultures, but is generally associated with ancient Egypt. It represented life and 8)immortality. Egyptians were buried with an ankh, so that they could continue to live in the “afterworld.” The symbol was also found along the sides of the Nile, which gave life to the people. They believed that the ankh could control the flow of the river and make sure that there was always enough water.
十字章是一个古老的符号, 它在上世纪60年代曾被嬉皮士运动用作和平与爱情的象征。这个符号在亚洲的很多文化里都可以见到, 但人们通常把它与古代埃及联系起来,象征着生命及永生。古埃及人死后与十字章一起埋葬,他们相信这样就能在“阴间”继续生活。尼罗河孕育了两岸的民族,你会在沿岸地区见到这个符号,因为人们相信十字章能够控制水流量,确保河中总是有足够的水量。
