哥特式建筑是西方建筑藝術(shù)史上最著名的潮流與樣式之一，從十二世紀(jì)產(chǎn)生到二十世紀(jì)仍有余波。不懂哥特式，幾乎就可以不用去歐美旅行了。

本篇選取美國(guó)以建筑專業(yè)出名的阿肯色大學(xué)費(fèi)·瓊斯建筑學(xué)院（Fay Jones School of Architecture, University of Arkansas）的 Ethel Goodstein- Murphree 教授指導(dǎo)的哥特式建筑藝術(shù)教育視頻，與大家一起聽純正美語(yǔ)，學(xué)建筑藝術(shù)。

What is Gothic architecture and what makes it unique?

什么是哥特建筑？它有什么獨(dú)特之處？

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紀(jì)。第一座真正的哥特式建筑出現(xiàn)在公元1140年左右，但它不是哥特人建造的?！半S便啦！”它是法國(guó)人建造的。與喜歡黑暗的現(xiàn)代“哥特”一族相反，哥特式建筑在當(dāng)時(shí)被認(rèn)為是令人激動(dòng)振奮的。

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.

哥特式大教堂辨識(shí)度比較高一部分是因?yàn)樗鼈兊牟噬ＡТ?。這些窗戶可以大面積地讓光線透進(jìn)來，創(chuàng)造了天國(guó)般的氛圍效果。要建造這些大開口的空間和玻璃墻，建造者必須具有創(chuàng)造性。中世紀(jì)的建筑工人采用歐洲與近東地區(qū)的傳統(tǒng)建筑方法，并對(duì)其進(jìn)行了改進(jìn)，以減少對(duì)承重墻、笨重的柱子的需求，并且建造得比以往任何時(shí)候都要高。他們是這樣做的。

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頂拱。拱是一種給墻開口的方法，同時(shí)又保持墻的強(qiáng)度。拱可以是門和窗之類的東西。雖然當(dāng)時(shí)的歐洲人知道圓拱，但尖頂拱是他們從近東引進(jìn)的，可以在早期的伊斯蘭建筑中看到，比如阿克薩清真寺（耶路撒冷）。中世紀(jì)的歐洲建筑師們借用了尖頂拱的設(shè)計(jì)，因?yàn)樗麄冎兰忭敼翱梢宰屗麄兘ㄔ毂纫郧翱赡芨叩慕ㄖ?。這是因?yàn)榧忭敼案行У胤峙鋲臀蓓數(shù)闹亓俊?/span>

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.

記住，中世紀(jì)的大教堂主要是由磚和石頭建造的，非常重。管理和分配建筑的重量是非常重要的，而尖頂拱很好地實(shí)現(xiàn)了這一功能，尤其是當(dāng)這些拱交叉形成一個(gè)帶肋的肋架拱頂時(shí)。肋架拱頂也不是什么新發(fā)明。但是因?yàn)榧忭敼案行?，連帶的肋架拱頂也更有效地解決承重問題。其結(jié)果就是對(duì)柱子的需求減少，使得柱子更高、更細(xì)，形成哥特式建筑的另一個(gè)顯著特征。

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.

飛扶壁達(dá)到了分散尖頂拱承重的作用，并使哥特式建筑產(chǎn)生一種獨(dú)特的輪廓。普通的扶壁靠墻支起，并與磚石融合在一起，飛扶壁則更優(yōu)雅，外觀上更明顯。飛扶壁大部分在建筑物的外面，因?yàn)樗鼈兺ㄟ^一個(gè)或多個(gè)拱將建筑物橫向的力移走。盡管支撐了這么大的重量，飛扶壁通過一個(gè)幾乎不可思議的設(shè)計(jì)掩蓋了負(fù)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.

當(dāng)你把飛扶壁、尖頂拱，細(xì)長(zhǎng)的柱子與肋架拱頂結(jié)合在一起時(shí)，你會(huì)讓建筑獲得一種前所未有的外觀。你的建筑不再由墻壁支撐，室內(nèi)環(huán)境更加開放。隨著建筑物的重量從墻壁上卸下，你也有機(jī)會(huì)用磚和砂漿以外的東西填充它們，從而就有了彩色玻璃的大窗戶，幫助定義了哥特式大教堂。

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.

哥特式建筑的另一個(gè)特點(diǎn)是獨(dú)特的裝飾。通常位于西門上的玫瑰花窗就是最明顯的例子之一。玫瑰花窗裝飾有《最后審判》，也是哥特式傳統(tǒng)的一部分。在哥特式傳統(tǒng)中，整個(gè)大教堂的彩色玻璃和雕塑都用來描繪圣經(jīng)和歷史故事。這不僅僅是為了裝飾。中世紀(jì)的歐洲大多數(shù)人都是文盲，這些裝飾使每個(gè)人都可以了解圣經(jīng)與歷史。

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.

當(dāng)然，沒有石像鬼（滴水嘴獸）的大教堂是不完整的。從實(shí)用角度來講，它們是將雨水從屋頂排出的噴口。在精神層面上，他們“恐嚇”人們進(jìn)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.

哥特式建筑始于法國(guó)，但這種風(fēng)格很快就流行起來，成為整個(gè)歐洲大教堂和教堂的建造標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。當(dāng)然歐洲各個(gè)地方又略有不同，比如在英國(guó)，哥特式教堂的設(shè)計(jì)更考慮水平面，在意大利則包含了更豐富多彩的裝飾。但它們都有相同的基本設(shè)計(jì)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.

哥特式建筑一直延續(xù)到16世紀(jì)末，大約在文藝復(fù)興初期，逐漸被取代。但由于哥特式風(fēng)格與宗教或道德的聯(lián)系，它會(huì)在不同的時(shí)間和地點(diǎn)再次出現(xiàn)。哥特式建筑在中世紀(jì)首次出現(xiàn)時(shí)并不是用“哥特”命名，而是在文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期才出現(xiàn)。“哥特”一詞當(dāng)時(shí)是貶義詞。“什么？不！”其實(shí)不是哥特人。哥特人是中世紀(jì)歐洲的東日耳曼人?；旧纤麄兎Q之為野蠻。“嘿！不公平！”對(duì)不起！但沒關(guān)系，因?yàn)槲覀儸F(xiàn)在愛哥特式，即使我們有時(shí)忘記它來自哪里。

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.

記住，下一次你看教堂的時(shí)候，哥特式大教堂可以通過尖頂拱、細(xì)長(zhǎng)的柱子、肋架拱頂天花板、飛扶壁、玫瑰花窗、石像鬼和獨(dú)特的裝飾來辨認(rèn)。