美文欣赏：印度奇趣录

2012-03-31 00:00:00来源：可可英语

　　传统文化是一个国家或民族赖以生存和发展的精神土壤。虽说印度文化中包含的种姓制度、狂热的偶像崇拜和宗教迷信等，与现代文明存在巨大差异和冲突，但却保留着人类最原始、最虔诚的生活态度。

　　India is a country rich in culture and tradition. And although India is changing, one thing remains the same: the cow is sacred. And believe it or not, the cow is so revered here that men and women actually coat their heads and faces…with cow urine.

印度是个文化传统很丰富的国度。虽然印度的变化日新月异，但有一样传统是不变的——牛是神圣的。信不信由你，这里的牛备受敬重，以致男男女女都往自己的头和脸上涂——牛尿。

　　For the Hindus of northern India, the cow is not a typical farm animal. These bovine represent motherhood, and their milk sustains and nourishes them. But in this case it's not the milk these men and women are waiting for: it's the urine. Known as a sacred gift from the cow, the urine is commonly sprinkled in the home to protect the surroundings.

对印度北部的印度教徒来说，牛不是典型的农耕动物。这些牛代表母亲，牛奶能养活并滋养他们。但在这里，这些男男女女等的不是牛奶，而是牛尿。牛尿被视为牛的神圣礼物，常常被洒在家里以祈求护佑。

　　Woman: These sprinkles beautify our house and keep away evil.

女：洒牛尿为的是净化家居，并驱赶邪魔。

　　But this unusual practice doesn't stop there. These men actually rub cow urine into their hair. Some even splash it right on their face.

但这离奇的做法不仅限于此，这些男人还把牛尿擦到头发上，有些人更拍撒在脸上。

　　Man: I begin my day with splashing some of it in my eye my head, and consuming a little. It i you know, one of the finest things one can have.

男：我每天早上都拍撒些牛尿到眼里和头上，并喝少许。你知道，那是你能享有的极品之一。

　　And this extreme form of worshipping is not a passing fad: it's been around for centuries.

这种极端膜拜并不是一时的狂热，而是有着几百年历史的。

　　Man: I have been consuming the cow urine for many, many years today.

男：我喝牛尿许多年了。

　　Surprisingly, cow urine is even used by residents as a form of medical treatment. Locals believe it cures anything from liver disease to obesity and cancer. Believe it.

令人感到惊奇的是，居民甚至用牛尿作医药用途。当地人相信它能治百病，肝病、肥胖症甚至癌症都不是问题。不可不信！

　　Hindi believers demonstrate their humility and devotion by making an offering of hair.

印度教信徒以献出头发来展示其谦恭和虔诚。

　　Incredibly, 12,000 heads are shaved every day. That means the city is constantly full of hairless worshippers. One local man has even trained his elephant to bestow blessings on the freshly shaven. Often waiting for 10 hours or more, worshippers finally enter the shaving area. Using straight-edged razor the temple's 1,600 barbers are so efficient, they average over 15 heads an hour. The temple then sells the mounds of freshly-shorn hair to local wigmakers. The money is used to help the area's poor and ensure the amazing hair temple of India keeps going at a steadyclip. Believe it.

难以置信，每天该庙剃头数达一万两千个。那意味着该市满是秃头信众。当地一名男子更训练其大象给予刚剃头的人施予祝福（用象鼻敲光头）。信众通常要轮候十小时或以上，才最终进入到剃头的场地。利用直缘剃刀，庙内的一千六百个理发师极具效率，平均每人每小时剃超过15个头。寺庙把刚剃下的堆积如山的头发卖给当地假发店，卖得的钱用来协助当地的穷人，并确保印度这座神奇的剃头庙能正常运作。不可不信！

本文关键字: 奇趣