It's a church. It's a mosque. It's Hagia Sophia. - Kelly Wall

它是教堂，也是清真寺 － 它叫圣索菲亚大教堂。 － 凯莉·华尔

翻译人员: Denise Tso 校对人员: Zhiting Chen

They say that if walls could talk, each building would have a story to tell,

听说，如果墙壁会讲话， 每一栋建筑物都会诉说自己的故事,

but few would tell so many fascinating stories in so many different voices

但是，能用各式各样的声音 讲述不同故事的

as the Hagia Sophia, or holy wisdom.

恐怕非圣索菲亚大教堂 （史称君士坦丁堡）莫属。

Perched at the crossroads of continents and cultures,

站在州与州、文化与文化的交界，

it has seen massive changes from the name of the city where it stands,

她见证了很多重大改变， 从她身处城市的名字，

to its own structure and purpose.

到本身建筑结构和用途。

And today, the elements from each era stand

成就她的每一个特点，今天，

ready to tell their tales to any visitor who will listen.

都准备好跟愿意倾听的来访者 诉说自己的故事了。

Even before you arrive at the Hagia Sophia, the ancient fortifications

即便你还没踏进君士坦丁堡， 她周边古老的防御工事

hint at the strategic importance of the surrounding city,

已暗示了她所在的城市 在军事上曾是那么重要。

founded as Byzantium by Greek colonists in 657 BCE.

希腊人于公元前657年在这里定居， 并把这片土地叫做拜占庭，

And successfully renamed as Augusta Antonia, New Rome and Constantinople

在往后几百年里，她的名字也从奥古斯塔安东尼亚 变成新罗马，再变成康斯坦丁堡，

as it was conquered, reconquered, destroyed and rebuilt

那是因为她经过了希腊、波斯 以及罗马统治者

by various Greek, Persian and Roman rulers over the following centuries.

接连几个世纪不断的侵占、破坏 以及重建所致。

And it was within these walls that the first Megale Ekklesia, or great church,

就是在这重重围墙里，第一所马格拉阿拉斯亚， 即“大教堂”

was built in the fourth century.

于四世纪建成了。

Though it was soon burned to the ground in riots,

尽管不久后，她在暴乱中夷为平地，

it established the location for the region's main religious structure

“大教堂”的位置成为未来几百年

for centuries to come.

该地兴建主要宗教建筑的地点。

Near the entrance, the marble stones with reliefs

在入口附近，刻有浮雕的大理石

are the last reminders of the second church.

是第二间教堂的遗迹。

Built in 415 CE, it was destroyed during the Nika Riots of 532

这座教堂于公元415年兴建， 于532年的尼卡暴动中毁于一旦。

when angry crowds at a chariot race

当时，愤怒的群众 在一场双轮马车竞技中

nearly overthrew the emperor, Justinian the First.

几乎推翻了皇帝查士丁尼一世。

Having barely managed to retain power,

好不容易保住皇位的他，

he resolved to rebuild the church on a grander scale,

决定把教堂建造得更加辉煌宏大，

and five years later, the edifice you see before you was completed.

五年后，我们眼前这建筑奇迹终于完工。

As you step inside, the stones of the foundation and walls

当我们走进里面， 堆砌地基和墙壁的石头

murmur tales from their homelands of Egypt and Syria,

向我们轻诉家乡埃及和叙利亚的传说；

while columns taken from the Temple of Artemis recall a more ancient past.

而取自阿尔忒弥斯神庙的石柱 则在回忆更古老的过去；

Runic inscriptions carved by the Vikings of the emperor's elite guard

皇帝的菁英守卫刻下那些神秘的维京语铭文

carry the lore of distant northern lands.

为我们传递那遥远北岸的传说。

But your attention is caught by the grand dome, representing the heavens.

但是，我们的目光总会停留在 那代表天堂的壮丽穹顶。

Reaching over 50 meters high and over 30 meters in diameter

穹顶高50米，直径30米以上，

and ringed by windows around its base,

有多扇窗户环绕基底，

the golden dome appears suspended from heaven,

金黄的圆顶像从天堂悬挂下来，

light reflecting through its interior.

穿插进来的光线在教堂内部反射。

Beneath its grandiose symbolism, the sturdy reinforcing Corinthian columns,

在这浮华的象征底下， 坚实的科林斯支柱(古典建筑的一种柱式)

brought from Lebanon after the original dome was partially destroyed

在公元558年的一次地震后， 从黎巴嫩运来，用以加固圆顶，

by an earthquake in 558 CE,

因为当时，原来的穹顶 有一部分被地震损坏，

quietly remind you of its fragility

这些柱子的存在轻轻地提醒我们 它的脆弱，

and the engineering skills such a marvel requires.

以及建造这建筑奇迹背后 所需的工程技术。

If a picture is worth a thousand words,

如果一幅画胜过千言万语，

the mosaics from the next several centuries have the most to say

那么这里晚几个世纪出现的 镶嵌画可说的就更多了，

not only about their Biblical themes,

这些画不但有圣经主题，

but also the Byzantine emperors who commissioned them,

还有委托制作这些作品的拜占庭皇帝，

often depicted along with Christ.

这些皇帝都伴随基督出现在画中。

But beneath their loud and clear voices,

不过在他们嘹亮的声音背后，

one hears the haunting echoes of the damaged and missing mosaics and icons,

我们听到损毁或遗失的镶嵌画和画里圣像 在第四次十字军东征的拉丁侵占时

desecrated and looted during the Latin Occupation in the Fourth Crusade.

被亵渎、被掠夺所回响的 萦绕心头、令人神伤的声音。

Within the floor, the tomb inscription of Enrico Dandolo,

地板之下，是刻上恩里科·丹多洛 名字的坟墓，

the Venetian ruler who commanded the campaign,

即负责指挥这次战役的威尼斯指挥官，

is a stark reminder of those 57 years that Hagia Sophia spent as a Roman Catholic church

它的存在鲜明的提醒访客 在那57年间君士坦丁堡被用作罗马天主教堂，

before returning to its orthodox roots upon the Byzantine Reconquest.

后来才在拜占庭重夺该地后 回归原本东正教的根。

But it would not remain a church for long.

但是，它作为教堂的日子没有很久。

Weakened by the Crusades, Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453

几次十字军东征削弱了它所在的城市康斯坦丁堡， 1453年，该地最后败在奥斯曼帝国的手上，

and would be known as Istanbul thereafter.

并从此名为伊斯坦堡。

After allowing his soldiers three days of pillage,

在允许士兵三日三夜的洗劫后，

Sultan Mehmed the Second entered the building.

苏丹穆罕默德二世进入君士坦丁堡教堂。

Though heavily damaged, its grandeur was not lost

尽管教堂被严重损坏，但在这位年轻苏丹的眼中， 它气势犹存，

on the young sultan who immediately rededicated it to Allah,

于是他就立刻把教堂重新献给阿拉，

proclaiming that it would be the new imperial mosque.

宣布它将是新的御用清真寺。

The four minarets built over the next century

四座宣礼塔在之后一个世纪建成，

are the most obvious sign of this era,

他们成为该世纪最明显的印记，

serving as architectural supports in addition to their religious purpose.

不但拥有宗教作用（召唤信众礼拜）， 还在建筑上起了承托的功效。

But there are many others.

不过君士坦丁堡里 属于这个时期的特色还有很多，

Ornate candle holders relate Suleiman's conquest of Hungary,

譬如华丽的烛台诉说 苏莱曼一世攻占匈牙利的故事，

while giant caligraphy discs hung from the ceiling

从教堂顶部悬挂下来的 伊斯兰书法巨盘

remind visitors for the first four caliphs who followed Muhammad.

提醒人们继承穆罕默德的 最初四位统治者。

Though the building you see today still looks like a mosque, it is now a museum,

虽然今天我们所见的君士坦丁堡仍然像一座清真寺， 它现在已经变为博物馆了，

a decision made in 1935 by Kemal Ataturk,

在1935年做出这个决定的是凯末而·阿塔蒂而克，

the modernizing first president of Turkey

他是在奥斯曼帝国倒下后

following the Ottoman Empire's collapse.

现代土耳其的第一任总统。

It was this secularization that allowed for removal

正因为这样的转变 使得宗教影响在当地降低，

of the carpets hiding the marble floor decorations

人们能收起铺在大理石地板上的 装饰地毯以及

and the plaster covering the Christian mosaics.

移除遮盖基督教鑲嵌画的石膏。

Ongoing restoration work has allowed the multiplicity of voices

持续不断的修复 让君士坦丁堡长远的历史里

in Hagia Sophia's long history

各种各样的声音

to be heard again after centuries of silence.

在好几世纪的沉默后得以被人们听见。

But conflict remains.

但是，冲突依然继续。

Hidden mosaics cry out from beneath Islamic calligraphy,

隐藏在伊斯兰书法下的鑲嵌画大声呼喊，

valuable pieces of history that cannot be uncovered without destroying others.

历史珍贵的片段无法在 不毁灭彼此的情况下得以发掘。

Meanwhile, calls sound from both Muslim and Christian communities

同时，伊斯兰和基督教组织都要求

to return the building to its former religious purposes.

把建筑还原到它原来的宗教用途。

The story of the divine wisdom may be far from over,

这个天赐的智慧的故事 可能离总结还有一段路，

but one can only hope that the many voices residing there

不过我们只能祈求 常驻那儿的许多声音

will be able to tell their part for years to come.

都能在未来的日子里 讲述自己的故事。