評論
打印
Ashoka had pillars like this put up across the whole of his empire.
阿育王的整個帝國境內都樹立著這樣的石柱。
They're great feats of architecture, and they would stand either alone by the side of the highways or in the city centres-much as public sculpture does in our city squares today.
它們是偉大的建筑物，通常樹立在主干道旁或城市中心，如同今日樹在城市廣場上的大型公共雕塑。
These pillars are different from the classical columns that most of us in Europe are familiar with:
但這些石柱與我們在歐洲常見的古典石柱不同，
they've got no base, and they're crowned with a capital in the shape of lotus petals.
它們沒有底座, 卻有蓮花座的柱頂。
And on top of the most famous of all Ashoka's pillars are the four lions facing outward - the lions that are still one of the emblems of India today.
最有名的一種阿育王石柱頂端有四只向外蹲踞的獅子，獅子至今仍是印度的象征之一。
The pillar that our fragment comes from was originally erected in Meerut, a city just north of Delhi, and that pillar was destroyed in an explosion in the early eighteenth century at the palace of a Mughal ruler.
本文中碎片所屬的石柱原樹立于德里北邊的密拉特城，在十八世紀早期莫臥兒王朝的一次宮殿爆炸中被毀壞。
But many pillars have survived, and they range across Ashoka's empire, which covered the great bulk of the sub-continent.
但很多類似的石柱仍得以留存。阿育王的帝國覆蓋了幾乎整個印度次大陸，而石柱遍布整個帝國。
These pillars were in fact a sort of public address system:
石柱是一種廣播系統，阿育王的公告或法令雕刻其上，
their purpose was to carry, carved on them, proclamations or edicts from Ashoka, which could then be promulgated all over India and beyond.
通過這種方式傳播到整個印度，甚至印度之外。
We now know that there are seven major edicts that were carved on pillars, and our fragment is from what's known as the "sixth pillar edict";
我們現在知道，石柱上有七條主要法敕，本文的碎片屬于第六條，
it declares the Emperor Ashoka's benevolent policy towards every sect and every class in his empire:
意在宣示阿育王的仁政惠及國內的各個宗派與各個階級：
"I consider how I may bring happiness to the people, not only to relatives of mine or residents of my capital city, but also to those who are far removed from me. I act in the same manner with respect to all.
朕思慮如何造福百姓，不唯朕之親屬及首都居民，要邊疆百姓亦能蒙受恩澤。
I am concerned similarly with all classes.
朕對全體臣民一視同仁，
Moreover, I have honoured all religious sects with various offerings.
對各個階層同等關懷，并為諸教敬奉祭品。
But I consider it my principal duty to visit the people personally."
但朕仍以親身探訪百姓疾苦為首要責任。
