I thank the saints that preserve nation's 'pantheon'

I thank the saints that preserve nation's 'pantheon'

如何用英文聊莫高窟?

In the center of Rome stands the Pantheon - a temple dedicated to all gods. A mere 6, 611 kilometers away, China has its own " pantheon" - the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu province.

罗马的中心矗立一座供奉众神的万神庙。而就在6611公里之外，中国也有自己的“万神庙”-位于中国西北部甘肃省敦煌市的莫高窟。

Mogao is a complex of caves chiseled out of the side of a sandstone and sedimentary rock cliff that stretches almost 2 km beside a dry riverbed in the Gobi Desert.

莫高窟是从砂岩和沉积岩断崖的一侧凿出来的洞穴群，该断崖位于戈壁沙漠干涸的河床旁，南北长约近2公里。

Another name for the site is the Thousand-Buddha Caves. This is apt because in the caves are a vast wealth of Buddhist artworks, murals, statues, meditation chambers, burial sites and living quarters dating back as far as the Eastern Jin Dynasty(317-420).

莫高窟又名“千佛洞”，这个名字非常贴切，因为窟里有大量最早可以追溯到东晋时期(317-420年)的佛教艺术品、壁画、雕塑、禅窟、瘞窟和生活区。

The city of Dunhuang has, for centuries, been a key outpost on the ancient Silk Road, providing shelter and respite for weary traders along the route east to west or vice versa. And it is because of its location that the Mogao Caves can also be called a pantheon. It is not just Buddhist art that adorns its walls.

几个世纪以来，敦煌一直是古丝绸之路上的一个重要前哨，供在东西方奔波的疲惫商人沿途寄宿、休息。莫高窟之所以也可以称为“万神庙”，正是因为它的地理位置。莫高窟的岩壁上装饰的不仅仅是佛教艺术。

There are Taoist artworks, traditional Chinese mythological characters depicted, as well as influences from Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

这里有道教艺术作品，有中国古代神话人物形象，还有来自中亚、中东和欧洲的元素。