In the face of all the debates and prohibitions on images,
面对各种关于图像的争论和封禁
Islamic calligraphy evolved to
伊斯兰书法逐渐演化
redefine what an image of God could be.
重新定义了神的形象
No single religion has ever managed completely to resolve
没有任何一种宗教曾完全解决
the tension between word and image,
文字与图像之间的矛盾
but there are some moments when it might just seem possible.
但有些时候 这似乎是可能的
These wonderfully appealing images were made over 500 years ago
这些惊艳的图案绘于五百多年前
and they're from the pages of a Jewish Bible.
出自一本犹太圣经
What's so remarkable is that they dance around a text
引人注目的是 被它们环绕的段落
that is dense with warnings about idols and images.
写满了对神像和图案的警告
And, yet, they flout them in the most charming and beautiful way.
然而 它们以最美丽迷人的方式无视了它们
I've got this extraordinary book
我把这本非凡的书
open on the page of the second commandment,
翻到了第二戒律
the one that prohibits idols.
这里说要禁止神像
Now, there have been centuries of debate and disagreement
关于这禁令意义的争论
about what that prohibition actually meant.
已经持续了几个世纪
But, in this case,
不过 在这种情况下
unless there's an appallingly flagrant contradiction going on,
除非矛盾明显激化
it is not taken to forbid a quite extravagant set of images,
这些奢华的图像是不会被禁的
even on the same opening as the second commandment,
甚至在第二戒律的同一页面
you get these two little chaps, little big bums there.
你也能看到这样两个光着屁股的小伙子
And, throughout the book, you find really lavish pictures.
在整本书里你都能看见华丽的图画

Here is a full page of the menorah.
这里画着一整页的光明节灯台
And the rather lovely narrative scenes,
还有颇为美丽的叙事场景
like Jonah and his encounter with the whale.
比如约拿和鲸鱼的故事
But what makes the Bible so precious
不过 让这本圣经如此珍贵的原因
is that it's a testament
是因为它见证了
to a brief but extraordinary moment in Spanish history
西班牙一段短暂却非凡的历史
when Muslim, Christian, and Jewish traditions came together
那时 穆斯林 基督徒和犹太教徒的信仰
in a really productive and imaginative way.
以一种创新而有效的方式融合到了一起