Chinese Stone Lions

时间：2011-04-26 02:00:57

（单词翻译:单击）

Lion is a special animal to Chinese people. A pair of stone lions, a male and a female, can often be seen in front of the gates of traditional buildings. The male lion is on the left with his right paw resting on a ball, and the female on the right with her left paw fondling（爱抚） a cub1.

The lion was regarded as the king in the animal world so its imagines represented power and prestige（威望） . The ball played by the male lion symbolized2 the unity3 of the empire, and the cub with the female thriving offspring.

The stone lions were also used to indicate the ranks of officials by the number of lumps representing the curly hair on the head of the lion. The houses of first grade officials had lions with 13 lumps and the number of lumps decreased by one as the rank of the official went down each grade. Officials below the seventh grade were not allowed to have stone lions in front of their houses.

It is interesting to note that China had no lions originally. It is believed that when Emperor Zhang of the Eastern Han reigned4 in AD 87, the King of Parthia presented a lion to him. Another lion was given by a Central Asian country known as Yuezhi in the next year. The earliest stone lions were sculpted5 at the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD) with the introduction of Buddhism6 into ancient China. It is said, Sakyamuni（释迦牟尼） , the founder7 of Buddhism, was seen after birth "to point to Heaven with one hand and to Earth with another, roaring like an lion." In the Buddhist8 faith, the lion is considered a divine animal of nobleness and dignity, which can protect the Truth and keep off evils.

It was also popular to decorate bridges with sculpted-stone lions for the same reason. The best known of this is the Lugouqiao (also as Marco Polo Bridge), built from 1189 to 1192. The stone lions on the posts of the bridge are most famous. It is said there are 485 lions in all, but there may be 498 or 501. A famous proverb says "the lions on the Lugouqiao are uncountable."


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1 cub ny5xt     
n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人
参考例句：
  • The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
  • The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。
2 symbolized 789161b92774c43aefa7cbb79126c6c6     
v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • For Tigress, Joy symbolized the best a woman could expect from life. 在她看，小福子就足代表女人所应有的享受。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
  • A car symbolized distinction and achievement, and he was proud. 汽车象征着荣誉和成功，所以他很自豪。 来自辞典例句
3 unity 4kQwT     
n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调
参考例句：
  • When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
  • We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。
4 reigned d99f19ecce82a94e1b24a320d3629de5     
vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）
参考例句：
  • Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
5 sculpted da5be298460bb9f4b0690c2dc86da0af     
adj.经雕塑的
参考例句：
  • a display of animals sculpted in ice 冰雕动物展
  • The ladies had their hair sculpted by the leading coiffeur of the day. 女士们的发型都是当代有名的理发师做的。
6 Buddhism 8SZy6     
n.佛教（教义）
参考例句：
  • Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
  • Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。
7 Founder wigxF     
n.创始者，缔造者
参考例句：
  • He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
  • According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。
8 Buddhist USLy6     
adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒
参考例句：
  • The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
  • In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

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