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哥特式建筑是西方建筑艺术史上最著名的潮流与样式之一，从十二世纪产生到二十世纪仍有余波。不懂哥特式，几乎就可以不用去欧美旅行了。  本篇选取美国以建筑专业出名的阿肯色大学费·琼斯建筑学院（Fay Jones School of Architecture, University of Arkansas）的 Ethel Goodstein- Murphree 教授指导的哥特式建筑艺术教育视频，与大家一起听纯正美语，学建筑艺术。 What is Gothic architecture and what makes it unique? 什么是哥特建筑？它有什么独特之处？ Gothic architecture came out of the Middle Ages with the first truly Gothic building appearing around 1140 AD and no it wasn't built by Goths. Whatever! It was built by the French. Contrary to modern day Goths who embrace the dark, Gothic architecture was considered uplifting for its time. 哥特式建筑起源于中世纪。第一座真正的哥特式建筑出现在公元1140年左右，但它不是哥特人建造的。“随便啦！”它是法国人建造的。与喜欢黑暗的现代“哥特”一族相反，哥特式建筑在当时被认为是令人激动振奋的。 Gothic cathedrals are partly recognizable because of their large walls of stained-glass windows which allowed light for large open spaces and create a heavenly environment. To construct these open spaces and walls of glass, they had to be creative. Builders of the Middle Ages took traditional methods of construction from around Europe and the Near East and modified them to reduce the need for load-bearing walls, bulky columns and built higher than ever before. Here's how they did it. 哥特式大教堂辨识度比较高一部分是因为它们的彩色玻璃窗。这些窗户可以大面积地让光线透进来，创造了天国般的氛围效果。要建造这些大开口的空间和玻璃墙，建造者必须具有创造性。中世纪的建筑工人采用欧洲与近东地区的传统建筑方法，并对其进行了改进，以减少对承重墙、笨重的柱子的需求，并且建造得比以往任何时候都要高。他们是这样做的。 The most important element of Gothic architecture is the pointed arch. Arches provide a method for opening space while maintaining the strength of the walls. They allow for things such as doors and windows. While these guys knew about the rounded arch, the pointed arch is something they imported from the Near East and can be seen in early Islamic architecture such as the Al-Aqsa mosque. Architects of the Middle Ages borrowed the idea of the pointed arch, knowing it would let them build vertically higher than what was previously possible. This is because the pointed arch was more efficient at distributing the weight of the walls and roof. 哥特式建筑最重要的元素是尖顶拱。拱是一种给墙开口的方法，同时又保持墙的强度。拱可以是门和窗之类的东西。虽然当时的欧洲人知道圆拱，但尖顶拱是他们从近东引进的，可以在早期的伊斯兰建筑中看到，比如阿克萨清真寺（耶路撒冷）。中世纪的欧洲建筑师们借用了尖顶拱的设计，因为他们知道尖顶拱可以让他们建造比以前可能更高的建筑。这是因为尖顶拱更有效地分配墙和屋顶的重量。 Remember, these buildings are made primarily of brick and stone and were very heavy. Managing and distributing the weight was really important and the pointed arch was key and managing it at all. Especially when these arches were crossed to create a ribbed-vaulted ceiling. Vaulted ceilings weren't a new idea either. But because the pointed arch was more effective so was the ribbed vault. This resulted in a need for fewer columns and those that were used were taller, thinner and provided another distinguishing characteristic of Gothic architecture. 记住，中世纪的大教堂主要是由砖和石头建造的，非常重。管理和分配建筑的重量是非常重要的，而尖顶拱很好地实现了这一功能，尤其是当这些拱交叉形成一个带肋的肋架拱顶时。肋架拱顶也不是什么新发明。但是因为尖顶拱更有效，连带的肋架拱顶也更有效地解决承重问题。其结果就是对柱子的需求减少，使得柱子更高、更细，形成哥特式建筑的另一个显著特征。 Hoping to disperse the weight carried by the pointed arches was the flying buttress and something that gives Gothic architecture its unique silhouette. While the regular buttress butted up against the wall and kind of blended in with the masonry, a flying buttress was much more elegant and much more obvious. You see them mostly on the outside of the building as they move the lateral forces across one or more arches. Despite supporting so much weight the flying buttress disguises the load with an almost magical design. 飞扶壁达到了分散尖顶拱承重的作用，并使哥特式建筑产生一种独特的轮廓。普通的扶壁靠墙支起，并与砖石融合在一起，飞扶壁则更优雅，外观上更明显。飞扶壁大部分在建筑物的外面，因为它们通过一个或多个拱将建筑物横向的力移走。尽管支撑了这么大的重量，飞扶壁通过一个几乎不可思议的设计掩盖了负荷。 When you combine the flying buttress, pointed arches, slender columns and ribbed vaulting you give buildings a look unlike anything seen before. You have a building that's no longer supported by walls and has a more open interior environment. With the weight of the building taken off the walls, you also have an opportunity to fill them with something other than brick and mortar, resulting in those large windows of stained glass that help define Gothic cathedrals. 当你把飞扶壁、尖顶拱，细长的柱子与肋架拱顶结合在一起时，你会让建筑获得一种前所未有的外观。你的建筑不再由墙壁支撑，室内环境更加开放。随着建筑物的重量从墙壁上卸下，你也有机会用砖和砂浆以外的东西填充它们，从而就有了彩色玻璃的大窗户，帮助定义了哥特式大教堂。 Another distinguishing trait of Gothic architecture is the ornamentation. The Rose window usually above the West door is one of the most obvious examples. It depicts the final judgment ofman and is part of the Gothic tradition in which biblical and historical stories were portrayed in stained glass and sculpture throughout the Cathedral. This wasn't done just for decoration. At a time when most of the population was illiterate, these embellishments made Scripture and history available to everyone. 哥特式建筑的另一个特点是独特的装饰。通常位于西门上的玫瑰花窗就是最明显的例子之一。玫瑰花窗装饰有《最后审判》，也是哥特式传统的一部分。在哥特式传统中，整个大教堂的彩色玻璃和雕塑都用来描绘圣经和历史故事。这不仅仅是为了装饰。中世纪的欧洲大多数人都是文盲，这些装饰使每个人都可以了解圣经与历史。 And of course the Gothic cathedral wouldn't be complete without gargoyles. On a practical level they were spouts that moved rainwater off the roof. On a spiritual level they scared people into going to church. 当然，没有石像鬼（滴水嘴兽）的大教堂是不完整的。从实用角度来讲，它们是将雨水从屋顶排出的喷口。在精神层面上，他们“恐吓”人们进到教堂里去。 Gothic architecture started in France but the style quickly caught on and became the standard for cathedrals and churches throughout Europe. There are some local variations like in England where the design is more horizontal and Italy, which embraced a more colorful ornamentation. But they all share the same basic design and engineering elements. 哥特式建筑始于法国，但这种风格很快就流行起来，成为整个欧洲大教堂和教堂的建造标准。当然欧洲各个地方又略有不同，比如在英国，哥特式教堂的设计更考虑水平面，在意大利则包含了更丰富多彩的装饰。但它们都有相同的基本设计和工程元素。 Gothic architecture lasted until the late 1500s around the beginning of the Renaissance when it was gradually replaced. But the Gothic style would reappear again at different times and places in history for its association with religion or morality. And the term Gothic architecture wasn't used back in the Middle Ages when the style first emerged. It was during the Renaissance. Using Goth as a derogatory term. What? No! Not that kind of Goth. Goth is an eastern Germanic people of medieval Europe. Basically they were calling it barbaric. Hey! Not fair! Sorry! But it's okay because we love it now even if we sometimes forget where it came from. 哥特式建筑一直延续到16世纪末，大约在文艺复兴初期，逐渐被取代。但由于哥特式风格与宗教或道德的联系，它会在不同的时间和地点再次出现。哥特式建筑在中世纪首次出现时并不是用“哥特”命名，而是在文艺复兴时期才出现。“哥特”一词当时是贬义词。“什么？不！”其实不是哥特人。哥特人是中世纪欧洲的东日耳曼人。基本上他们称之为野蛮。“嘿！不公平！”对不起！但没关系，因为我们现在爱哥特式，即使我们有时忘记它来自哪里。 And remember next time you look at a church, a Gothic cathedral can be identified by the pointed arches, slender columns, ribbed-vaulted ceilings, flying buttresses, rose windows, gargoyles and ornamentation. 记住，下一次你看教堂的时候，哥特式大教堂可以通过尖顶拱、细长的柱子、肋架拱顶天花板、飞扶壁、玫瑰花窗、石像鬼和独特的装饰来辨认。 |
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