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There are butterflies and birds.
這上面繡著蝴蝶和飛鳥
A leopard pounces on a goat.
撲向山羊的豹子
Fish swim in the four legendary watercourses which meet in a central pool.
游動在四條匯聚于中心的水渠里的魚
The garden carpet was more than an oasis of super-abundance.
這張花園地毯不僅僅描繪了一個豐饒的綠洲
Any Muslim who sat upon it,
任何坐在其上的穆斯林
whether emperor or humble tribesman,
無論是帝王還是部落平凡的一員
found themselves in that most uplifting of all places,the heart of heaven.
都感到他們仿佛置身于那塵世之上的天國的中心
In Christian Medieval Europe,
在基督教主導下的中世紀歐洲
paradise gardens came with a health warning.
天國花園總讓人擔心自身的安危
After all, the whole mental world of Christendom turned on a single,
畢竟 基督教傳說中整個世界都在伊甸園
fateful moment back in Eden.
那命運的一刻發生了轉折
That moment when the serpent tempted Eve and set in motion
在那條蛇誘惑夏娃,并付諸行動的一刻
the great epic of sin and salvation,
整個關于罪與贖的史詩
culminating in the crucifixion of Christ.
以基督被釘死在十字架上達到高潮
But, in 14th-century Siena,
但在十四世紀的錫耶納
anxieties about dangers lurking in the vegetation gave way to an exercise
對植物中隱藏危險的恐慌讓位于
in the self-congratulation of urban rulers
城市統治者的謳歌自己的舉措
who, in this fresco by Ambrogio Lorenzetti,
安布羅焦.洛倫采蒂這幅壁畫中的統治者
ride out to enjoy the fruits of wise government.
騎馬出城去欣賞賢明政府的治理成果
The satisfying sight of the contadini, Italian peasants,
也就是和平豐收年景里意大利鄉間
sewing and harvesting in peace and fruitfulness.
農夫播種與豐收的愉悅圖景
Two seasons in one painting.
一幅畫囊括了兩個季節
In the Renaissance, this rural test of urban leadership
文藝復興時期 城市統治者的鄉村治理實驗
found its vindication in the rediscovery
為非宗教性風景畫的
of pagan classical writings about the landscape.
經典篇章的重新解讀提供了條件
Rusticating townsmen turned to their favourite Latin author, Virgil,
鄉鎮居民們則轉向他們最愛的拉丁作家 維吉爾
whose nature poem, The Georgics,written for urbanites, of course,
他的一篇無疑寫給都市人的名為《農事詩》的自然詩作
extolled the pleasures of country life and labour.
贊頌了鄉間生活與勞作的愉悅
