Totem Poles

Totem Pulse, written by Barbara A. Donovan.

《图腾之韵》，作者：芭芭拉·A·多诺万。

Monuments of Cedar. Carving a bird from a block of wood is hard work, but imagine carving animals on a piece of wood as long as a tree trunk. Native peoples living along the Pacific coast of Alaska and Canada have been doing just that for hundreds of years. These carvings are called totem poles.

雪松打造的纪念碑。 用一块木头雕出小鸟已经很费劲了， 那你能想象要在木头上雕刻动物吗，而且这块木头和树干一样长哦。 住在阿拉斯加和加拿大太平洋沿岸的原住民，几百年来一直在做这件事哦。 这些雕刻作品就叫做图腾柱。

Totem poles speak. Totem poles are carved in different styles and for different reasons. The figures carved on the poles have special meanings and help tell stories. Memorial poles describe someone's life or a special event. Other totem poles tell the history of a clan or family group, and still others welcome visitors.

图腾柱会说话哦。 n图腾柱的雕刻风格各不相同，雕刻的目的也不一样。 刻在柱子上的形象都有特殊的含义，还能帮忙讲故事呢。 纪念柱记录的是某个人的生平或者一件特别的事。 还有的图腾柱会讲述一个氏族的历史，或者家族的过往， 另外还有一些是用来欢迎访客的。

Many houses have totem poles that are part of the house itself. House poles are carved into the doorways, on the outside corners, or on poles that support the roof. These poles show the wealth and status of the family.

很多房屋的本身就包含图腾柱的设计。 房屋柱会刻在门口、 外墙拐角， 或者刻在支撑屋顶的柱子上。 这些柱子能彰显这户人家的财富和地位。

Mortuary poles are like gravestones. The carvings on the pole honor the life of a person who has died. They tell about important events and family relationships in the dead person's life. Some totem poles welcome visitors to a village. These are typically single human figures. They are put near a beach to show visitors that they are welcome.

丧葬柱就相当于墓碑。 柱子上的雕刻是为了纪念逝去的人的生平。 它们记录了逝者人生中的重要事件和亲属关系。 有些图腾柱是用来欢迎来到村庄的访客的。 这类图腾柱通常是单独的人形形象。 它们会被安放在海滩边，告诉访客大家很欢迎他们来。

This totem pole tells the legend of how Killer Whale clan took Black Bear for its crest, or special symbol.

这个图腾柱讲的是虎鲸氏族如何把黑熊作为自己族徽的传说， 也就是专属标志的故事。