譯/愛藝
Coinciding with the Millennium Jubilee of the Czech patron saint St. Wenceslas (Duke of Bohemia), the Gothic reconstruction work for St. Vitas Cathedral in Prague was completed in 1929. The new stained glass window,designed by Mucha, was installed in the north nave in 1931.
1929年,恰逢捷克守護神圣溫塞斯拉斯(波希米亞公爵)千禧紀念,位于布拉格的哥特式圣維特大教堂的重建于當年完工。穆夏設計的新的彩繪玻璃于1931年安裝在了教堂北中殿。
[2] This stunning stained glass window casts brilliant light into the cathedral. It creates incredible bursting light,color, and activity—with the central fl aming gold and red colors fading into the cool blues and greens on the outer scenes. At the center is the boy Saint Wenceslas with his grandmother, Saint Ludmila. They are in prayer, the red hues around them perhaps foreshadowing the martyrdom to come. 36 episodes from the lives of the ninth Century Saints Cyril and Methodius, famous for baptizing the Slavs into Christianity,surround the central scene.
[2]這面彩繪玻璃炫目絕倫,光線透過玻璃投射入教堂,創(chuàng)造出不可思議的效果,光、色和畫面都呈爆裂狀分布——中心部位耀眼奪目的金色和紅色逐漸變成周邊外緣場景中冷色基調(diào)的各種藍色和綠色。玻璃中央畫面描繪的是少年圣溫塞斯拉斯及其祖母圣盧德米拉。他倆正在祈禱,周圍的紅色或許預示殉難即將到來。四周環(huán)繞的36幀畫面描繪了9世紀圣西里爾和圣美多德的生平故事,這兄弟倆因在斯拉夫人中傳播基督教而聞名于世。
[3] Wenceslas personifies the free Czechoslovakian nation. Christ looks down from above, while the “Mucha women”1穆夏筆下的女性形象具有多個典型特征:年輕貌美,體態(tài)豐腴,柔媚動人,端莊圣潔。此彩繪玻璃作品中也繪有若干這樣的女子。represent the young people of the new nation. The secular world intrudes into this religious scene, as the window bears the logo of the new Slavia Bank who had funded the project.
[4] Not only is Mucha’s window an achievement for its colorful exuberance and dynamic design, but it is also emotionally and psychologically deep.The profound humanity and emotion of the fi gures comes through in their facial expressions and body language. ■
[3] 溫塞斯拉斯是自由的捷克斯洛伐克的化身。頂端的基督向下俯視,畫面中幾位“穆夏女性”則代表這個新國家的年輕人。這個宗教場景中還有俗世信息強行插入——窗戶上帶有資助該項目的新斯拉夫銀行的標識。
[4]穆夏之窗因其豐富色彩和活力設計而成為佳作,不僅如此,它在情感和心理層面也具有一定深度。人物的面部表情和身體語言都傳遞出他們深刻的人性和情感。 □
Recommended Books for Preschoolers
Are You My Mother?
This story of a lost baby bird looking for his mother will resonate with preschoolers. The central conf l ict—losing your mother—is very relatable, and the humor is geared perfectly for this age group. As the little bird asks cats, dogs,and even giant excavators if they are his mother, children will be drawn in by the simple illustrations and the silliness of the baby bird. This book is also designed as a beginning reader: the easy vocabulary and matching illustrations help children begin to recognize words and their meanings.