Around 1469, a wealthy money changer commissioned a young painter named Sandro Botticelli to paint an altar piece.
大约在1469年时，有位富裕的货币兑换商雇了一位名叫桑德罗·波提切利的年轻画家来画一幅圣坛画像。
Botticelli would, of course, become known as one of the greatest painters of the High Renaissance,
当然波提切利之后会成名，成为文艺复兴的伟大画家之一，
producing works like "La Primavera" and "The Birth of Venus."
创作出《春》以及《维纳斯的诞生》等作品。
But, in 1469, he had not yet earned this reputation.
但在1469年，他尚未赢得此声誉。
The scene this young artist set out to paint was well-known:
众所周知，这位年轻画家要画的主题是：
the Three Wise Men, or Magi, arriving at the birth place of Jesus Christ.
三博士，又称贤士，到耶稣诞生处朝拜的故事。
Botticelli would aspire to take this common theme and produce an entirely original work,
波提切利渴望借此常见的主题画出全新的原创作品，
while asserting himself among the most important citizens of Florence.
使他自己能在佛罗伦萨重要人物中获得名声。
Many earlier paintings illustrate the Magi arriving at a stable, stately manger, fitting for the son of God.
很多早期的画作，都呈现了三贤士来到一座马厩，华丽的马槽朝圣，很符合神子的身份。
The young Botticelli, however, chose to place the scene in the dilapidated Roman ruin.
而年轻的波提切利却选择把场景放在残旧的罗马废墟。
At the center of this structure, he placed a sturdy rock for Mary and Jesus to sit high above their visitors.
他在构图的中心，置放了一块坚固的磐石，让圣母玛利亚和耶稣高坐在访客之上。
With this decision, Botticelli seemed to say Christianity will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome.
波提切利的这个决定似乎在陈述基督教建立在比罗马更稳固的基础上。
Botticelli then populated the space with important men from his city.
然后，波提切利把空间填上几位来自他城市的重要人物。
On the right side, he paints the man who paid for this work, Gaspare del Lama,
他在右边画了资助这幅作品的人，加斯帕累·德拉玛，
looking out at the viewer and confidently pointing at himself
面朝外看着观画人，并很有自信地指着自己，
so that there is no question who is responsible for this masterpiece.
所以毫无疑问是谁负责这幅杰作。
Though born the son of a barber, del Lama amassed a good sum of money through currency exchange in his lifetime.
虽然德拉玛只是理发师之子，但他一生从货币汇兑的行当，积聚了很大一笔财富。
He earned enough money to buy a burial chapel and decorate it with a pretty painting.
他的钱够他买一座坟堂并以美丽的壁画装饰。

The Three Wise Men appear at the center of this painting, kneeling to Mary and Jesus.
那三位贤士出现在画作中央，跪在玛利亚和耶稣脚前。
As models for these important figures, Botticelli used members of the important Medici family.
至于这些重要人物的模板，波提切利使用的是重要的梅第奇家族成员。
Del Lama's career as a money changer would not have been possible without the help of the powerful Medici family,
作为货币汇兑商，若没有强大的梅第奇家族的帮助，德拉玛是不可能成功的，
in particular Cosimo de' Medici, who appears prominently at Mary's feet.
特别是科西莫·德·梅第奇，他出现在玛利亚脚前显眼的位置。
The other wise men can be identified as Piero and Giovanni de' Medici, Cosimo's two sons.
其他的贤士的身份是科西莫德的两个儿子，分别为皮耶罗和乔瓦尼·梅第奇。
The business of money exchange had dubious ethical and legal associations, so the friendship of this powerful family was important.
货币汇兑这行当游走在道德和法律的边缘，所以与权势家族交朋友是很重要的。
And the young heir to Medici power, Lorenzo, could not be omitted from this painting's composition.
而年轻的梅第奇权势继承人罗伦佐，也不能从这幅画的构图中省略。
He appears to the left of the manger.
他就出现在马厩的左边。
This painting seems to say the Medici legacy, with its many healthy heirs, will be built on sturdier stuff than Rome.
这幅画似乎在说，由于拥有多位健康的继承人，梅第奇家族的传统会建立在比罗马更坚固的东西上。
Botticelli then filled the rest of the space with other friends and powerful figures from Florence.
接着，波提切利把其余的空间用其他佛罗伦萨的朋友和有权的人填满。
And, among the Florentine elite, the young, confident artist painted himself looking directly at the viewer.
而在佛罗伦萨精英中，这位年轻自信的艺术家还画了他自己，直直的朝着观画人看。
Botticelli's presence in this painting illustrates a radical shift in the perception of artists during this time period.
波提切利在这幅画的存在，描绘出这段时期人们对艺术家观感的剧烈改变。
Botticelli did not view himself as a common craftsman hired for a simple job.
波提切利并不视自己为普通工匠，被雇来做简单工作。
He viewed himself as a friend to the powerful families of Florence.
他视自己为佛罗伦萨权势家族的一个朋友。
Paintings like "The Adoration of the Magi" reveal much more than a simple retelling of a biblical story.
画作如《三博士朝圣》所透露出的意义，比单纯复述一段圣经故事还要多。
They can tell the story of, among other things,
这些画作可以说是在讲述
a modestly-born money changer attempting to spend his money virtuously by making a local chapel more beautiful,
一位平凡出身的货币兑换商试图把钱花在良心事上，使地方教堂更美的故事，
or the story of an ambitious young painter, elevating the reputation of his craft to stand among the wealthy elite of his city.
或是在讲述一位有野心的年轻画家，将自己的艺术声誉提高，最终使他与城市中的财富精英齐名。