The Tree of Life《生命之树》

The Tree of Life is an important symbol used by many theologies， philosophies and mythologies. It signifies the connection between heaven and earth and the underworld， and the same concept is illustrated by Gustav Klimt’s famous mural， The Tree of Life. For Klimt’s admirers， the mural also has another significance， being the only landscape created by the artist during his golden period. Klimt used oil painting techniques with gold paint， to create luxurious art pieces， during that time.

“生命之树”是许多神学思想、哲学理论和神话体系中提及的重要象征。它象征天地与冥界之间的联系，古斯塔夫·克里姆特的著名壁画《生命之树》就阐释了这一概念。对克里姆特的仰慕者来说，这幅壁画还有另一个意义：它是克里姆特在黄金时期创作的唯一一幅风景画。那个时期，克里姆特用黄金颜料绘制油画，创制奢华的艺术作品。

The swirling branches create myth-ical symbolism， suggesting the per-petuity of life. The branches twist， twirl， turn， spiral and undulate， creating a tangle of strong branches， long vines and fragile threads， an expression of life’s complexity. With its branches reaching for the sky， the tree of life roots into the earth beneath， creating the connection between heaven and earth. The tree of life illustrated by Klimt also creates another connection， with the underworld， signifying the final determinism governing over any living thing， that is born， grows， and then returns back into the earth.

旋涡状树枝体现出神秘的象征意义，暗示生命的永恒。根根枝条扭曲、旋转、翻转、盘旋和起伏，形成一系列壮实树枝、长长藤蔓和纤细线条的组合，表现了生命的复杂性。生命之树的树枝伸向天空，树根下扎土地，构建了天与地的联系。克里姆特画笔下的生命之树还创设了另一种联系——与冥界的联系，代表主宰一切生灵的终极决定论：出生—成长—归尘。

While many talk about the symbol of unity in Klimt’ The Tree of Life， there are others that consider it an expression of masculine and feminine. The feminine expressed in the painting symbolizes sustenance， care and growth， while the masculine is expressed through the use of phallic representations. From this different union， life is born， and the tree of life， as well.

许多人认为克里姆特的《生命之树》象征统一状态，但也有人认为此画是在表现男女两性。画中的女性形象代表供养、关怀和成长，而男性则通过性器符号来呈现。经由这种与众不同的结合，生命得以诞生，生命之树也得以产生。

Others say that the painting symbolizes the union between man’s greatest virtues， which are strength， wisdom and beauty. The tree reaching for the sky is a symbol of man’s perpetual yearning for becoming higher， yet his roots are still bound to the earth.

还有人认为，这幅画象征人类几大长处——力量、智慧和美丽——之间的结合。大树伸向天空，象征人类永远渴望长得更高，但根仍深扎大地。

One of the important qualities of this painting is that it challenges the viewer to spend more time admiring the painting， while gauging all its meanings. While the artist uses a richness of symbols， gold for paint and other lux-urious techniques to illustrate a magical world， the presence of a single black bird draws the viewer towards the central part of the painting. The black bird is a reminder that everything that has a beginning also has an end， as black birds have been used as a symbol of death by many cultures.

此画有一个重要特质：它会激发观者花费更多时间欣赏画作，思考作品的所有含义。画家采用丰富的象征符号、黄金颜料和其他耀目的技巧描绘一个神奇的世界，而画面上的一只黑鸟将观者的注意力吸引到画作中心部分。这只黑鸟是在提醒世人，万事万物有始有终，因为许多文化将黑鸟视为死亡的象征。

The Tree of Life is among the most recognisable from Gustav Klimt’s car-eer.

《生命之树》是古斯塔夫·克里姆特绘画生涯中最知名的作品之一。

《论语》英译选登

食不厌精，脍不厌细。

（The Master） did not indulge in refined cereal or delicious meat.

食不语，寝不言。

When dining， the Master did not talk. When in bed， he did not speak.

厩焚。子退朝，曰：“伤人乎？”不问马。

The stable was burned down. When the Master returned from the court， he asked， “Was anyone hurt？” He did not ask about the horses.

朋友死，无所归，曰：“于我殡。”

When a friend of his died and no relations were to bury him， the Master would say， “Let me see to the burial.”

（《〈论语〉最新英文全译全注本》，吴国珍，福建教育出版社，2012）