杭州 塔 杭州六和塔英语简介

Chapter One

1 Six Harmonies Pagoda

Six Harmonies Pagoda, highly erected by the Qiantang River and to the south of the West Lake, is a perfect symbol of pick-and-wood structure built in the ancient China. It is first built in 970 AD in the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), in a way to press down the evil of the river tidal bore in Qiantang River. The name of the pagoda is related to six codes of Buddhism. Six harmonies mean the harmonies of body, mind speech, opinion, wealth and abstinence from temptation. When you climb to the first floor, you will attain the harmony of body; the second floor, the harmony of mind; and so on. Another explanation goes that The "six harmonies" comes from the six Buddhist ordinances, meaning "harmonies of the heaven, earth, east, west, south and north". The pagoda has fallen into ruins and gone through reconstruction many times. The original pagoda is nine storied with a light on the tip, serving as a navigation tower in the river. The present tower was the restoration in 1156. Seen from outside, the tower, with a height of 59.89 meters, have 13 stories while in fact only seven stories inside. The core of the present pagoda was built with the picks left over from the Southern Song dynasty. The upturned wooden multi-eaves and wrapping structure were first built in the ending years of the Qing dynasty and have been refurbished many times. Commanding a spectacular view of the surging Qiantang River, the pagoda presents a quiet image of age-old majesty. Looking out from the top of the pagoda, sightseers can see as far as the misty horizon, enjoying an unforgettable, peathtaking experience.

The Six Harmonies Pagoda has been under the state protection since 1961 as a state-level cultural site.

Words and Expressions

Six harmonies mean the harmonies of body, mind speech, opinion, wealth and abstinence from temptation.

出自佛经“生和同住， 口和无争，意和同乐， 戒和同修， 见和同解， 利和同均” navigation n. 航海, 航空, 导航, 领航, 航行a navigation tower 航标塔

refurbish vt. 再磨光, 刷新 refurbish an old car整修一辆旧车 refurbish an old legend故事新编

Commanding a view of 鸟瞰 a image of age-old majesty. 古代权威的象征

2 Qiantang River Bridges

Pagoda of six harmonies commands a poad views of the Qiantang river, the rural scene on its south bank. And more attractively, the double-decked pidge---the famous Qiantang river pidge, a newly added national monument. The Chinese are proud of the pidge, for it was designed by Mao Yisheng, a great Chinese engineer at a time when a number of foreign engineers dismissed its construction as an impossibility on account of the swift current and quicksand in the river. Further more, the pidge was the first such pidge ever built by the Chinese.

3 Ancient Chinese Pagodas

China boasts over three thousand ancient pagodas of various sizes and types. More than one hundred of them have a long history ranging from seven hundred to over a thousand years. Scattered on the vast expanse of the country, they reflect the pilliant achievements in Chinese architectures in the past age.

The pagoda, especially called stupa, originated from India. Since its introduction into China along with Buddhism in 68 AD, it has become the most sublime construction in monasteries. In India, the pagoda is exclusively for preserving the Buddhist relics, that is, the Buddhist bones, hair and teeth. After Sakyamuni passed away, many pagodas were erected for his relics. In China, however, pagodas were dedicated to some eminent monks whose remains were buried underneath.

In integrating the traditional architectural features, the Chinese craftsmen have created various forms of pagodas. The pagodas of earlier ages were mostly built of wood which was corrodible and easily destructible by fire or thunder and lightning. With the passage of time wood was gradually replaced with pick, stone, copper, iron, glass, and even pearl or gold. Words and Expressions

Integratevt .使成整体, 使一体化, v.结合In integrating the traditional architectural features, 融合传统建筑特色为一体

corrodible adj. 会腐蚀的, 易侵蚀的

the passage of time 时光的流逝

pagodas of storied-pavilion type, 多层式 close-eaves type, 密檐式 Ajra throne type, 金刚宝座式

Chapter Two

1 Liuhe Keeping Down The River Tide

The story goes that in ancient times there was the ferocious dragon king in the Qingtang river. He set winds blowing and waves rolling so often as to capsize fishing boats and inundate farmland. The father of a boy called Liuhe (six harmonies) was drowned by the tidal waves and his mother swept away. He was filled with grief and indignation. To keep down the river tide, he threw stones into the river everyday, shaking the dragon palace violently. The dragon king tried to make peace with Liuhe by presenting him with gold, silver and other precious things. But Liuhe refused and demanded that the dragon king should release his mother and prevent the tidal waves from damaging the people any more. The dragon king had no choice but to agree. From then on, the river tide had been under control.

2 King Qian Shooting The Tide

During the reign of king Qian liu of the five dynasties’ Wuyue kingdom with Hangzhou as its capital, the dykes along the Qingtang river were said to collapse after repeated repair efforts. Having learned that it was the god of tides who poke down the dykes, king Qian decided to subdue him. On the 18th day of the 8th lunar month, the birthday of the god of tides, who would gallop about on the waves, riding a white horse, the king and ten thousand archers gathered beside the river. At the sight of the waves coming, he ordered the archers to let ten thousand arrows fly, shooting the god dead. After that, the dykes were repaired completely.

3 Lu Passed Away

Along with the troops of song Jiang (one of the leading characters of the navel and the top leader of the northern song dynasty 108 greenwood heroes ), Lu zhishen marched into Hangzhou, where they stationed themselves around Liuhe pagoda. One night, lu suddenly heard the battle drums beating. Right away he grabbed his staff and rushed out of the temple. A monk told him that it was not the beating of the battle drums, but the roaring of the Qiantang river tidal waves. These words made Lu suddenly see the light and call to mind his master’s hymn: when you hear the tide, pass,

when you see the tide, away. “听潮而圆，见信而寂” Then, he bathed himself in scented water before seating himself in a chair in the preaching hall. By the time song arrived, he had already been motionless. His body was buried in the courtyard of Liuhe temple.

4 Wu’s Adoption Of A Monastic Life

After Lu zhishen passed away, song Jiang and his men paid a special visit to Wu song, another greenwood hero. Song requested Wu to go with him for an audience with the emperor. But Wu said to song, “i don’t want to see him. Even riches and rewards can’t make me go. I’d feel rather satisfied to be a free and easy monk”. Song’s repeated persuasion failed to shake Wu’s faith. Then, he adopted a monastic life at Liuhe temple.

Qiantang Bridge

Now we are driving on the Xixing Bridge. Built in 1993, it is called the No.3 Qiangtang Bridge by the local people as it is the third pidge in this part of the river. Its total length is 5700 meters and it is 29.5meters’ wide. Did you still remember the No1 Qiangtang Bridge we saw yesterday at the Six Harmonies Pagoda? Yes, it is somewhere about 10 km to our right upstream. Built in the 1930s, the No1 pidge is the first modern pidge for both trucks and trains in China. However, by the year 2010, there will be altogether 10 modern pidges across Qiangtang River in Hangzhou area and 2 tunnels going under the river for vehicles and subway.