Bronze Statue of Horse Head Finally back to Yuanmingyuan
愛國企業家捐圓明園馬首 百年迴歸之路畫上圓滿句號
One of the most discussed cultural relics lost in the 1860s during the Second Opium War is finally home。 Macau billionaire and philanthropist Stanley Ho purchased one of the famous cultural relics from an auction house in Hong Kong in 2007 and donated it to Yuanmingyuan before celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Macau’s return to China。
1860年第二次鴉片戰爭期間流失海外、備受關注的獸首文物終於回家了。澳門愛國企業家何鴻燊於2007年在香港出資從拍賣行購回，值此澳門迴歸祖國20週年之際，馬首被捐贈迴歸圓明園。
英語原文
The bronze statue of horse head in Yuanmingyuan， an imperial garden in Beijing，was looted by the allied forces of eight countries including the UK and France。
Designed by Italian Giuseppe Castiglione， the statue is a combination of eastern and western art concepts and design styles。
It was cast and shaped by the lost-wax method by the palace craftsman in the 18th century。
There were originally 12 bronze statues in Yu-anmingyuan。 Together they comprised of a water fountain in the gar-den。
The bronze statues re-appeared in public sight starting the 1980s in various auction events。 Since then Chinese philanthropists and patriots have been buying them back。
Currently seven of the animal heads have returned to China and the horse head is the first one to have been re-turned to Yuanmingyuan。
漢語對照
坐落於北京的清代皇家園林圓明園馬首銅像，當時慘遭包括英法在內的八國聯軍劫掠焚燬。馬首由義大利人郎世寧設計，融合了東西方藝術理念與設計風格，由17世紀時期的宮廷匠師精工製作，以精煉紅銅為材、色彩深沉厚重。當時一共建造了12座獸首銅像，每一座銅像代表了中國十二生肖中的一個動物，分別坐落於圓明園的噴水池旁。20世紀80年代以來，圓明園獸首流失文物陸續現身海外，中國愛國企業家相繼出資購回。至此，圓明園7尊獸首已經迴歸祖國，馬首銅像是首尊回到圓明園收藏的獸首。
青少年英語資訊欄目《陽光新少年》（ID：XSphere）版權所有
《陽光新少年》上海教育電視臺每週六晚6：30首播——發掘上海最新各類活動 | 對話各行業頂級人物 | 播報最有趣的國內外資訊