Thirdly, art can reflect a culture's religious beliefs.
第三，艺术可以反映一种文化的宗教信仰。
For hundreds of years in Europe, religious art was almost the only type of art that existed.
在欧洲，数百年中，宗教艺术几乎是唯一存在的艺术形式。
Churches and other religious buildings were filled with paintings that showed people and stories from the Bible.
描绘《圣经》人物和故事的绘画出现在教堂和其他宗教建筑中。
By contrast, one of the main characteristics of art in the Middle East was (and still is), its absence of human and animal images.
相反，中东艺术的主要特征之一是（现在仍然是），没有人类和动物形象。
This reflects the Islamic belief that these images are unholy.
这反映出，伊斯兰教认为这些形象是不神圣的。
Thus, on palaces, mosques and other buildings, Islamic artists have created unique decoration of great beauty with images of flowers of geometric forms, for example, circles, squares and triangles.
因此，在宫殿、清真寺和其他建筑中，伊斯兰艺术家们用圆形、正方形和三角形等几何形状的花朵图案，创造出了独特的美丽装饰。
The same is true of other places, like Africa and Pacific Islands. Art also reflects the religious beliefs of traditional cultures in these places.
其他地方也一样，比如非洲和太平洋岛屿。艺术也反映了这些地方传统文化的宗教信仰。
As a matter of fact, religion is the purpose for this art and it's, therefore, absolutely essential to it.
事实上，宗教是艺术的目的，因此，宗教是艺术不可分割的一部分。
Traditional art in Africa and Pacific Islands is different from Christian art. Christian art influences people's religious feelings towards God.
非洲和太平洋岛屿的传统艺术与基督教艺术不同。基督教艺术影响人们对上帝的宗教感情。
But the goal of traditional art in Africa and Pacific Islands is the influence of spiritual powers, that is gods to enter people's lives.
但在非洲和太平洋岛屿上，传统艺术的目标是发挥超自然力量的影响，即神进入人们的生活。
Each tribe or village there had special ceremonies with songs and dances to make sure that crops, animals and people are healthy and increasing in number.
每一个部落或村庄都举行特殊的仪式，载歌载舞，以求庄稼、动物和人健康生长，繁衍生息。
The dancers in the ceremonies wear masks, head dresses and costumes that they believe are necessary to influence gods.
仪式上的舞蹈演员戴着面具和头饰，穿着特殊服装，他们相信只有这样才能感动神灵。
So these masks, head dresses themselves, are revelry part of the art.
所以这些面具和头饰本身都是艺术狂欢的一部分。
As we said, art depends on culture, different forms of art result from different cultures.
正如我们所说，艺术取决于文化，不同的艺术形式来源于不同的文化。