Day 22 | Daily Note | The Gay Genius

YOGA AND ALCHEMY 瑜伽与炼丹 | Chapter 17
2017年12月25日, 星期一

carcass

Physical and spiritual immortality could not be distinguished from one another because the body was a carcass anyway, however he looked at it.

carcass 有三个意思，一是动物尸体，二是建筑残骸，三是戏称人的身体：

1. vultures picking at a lion's carcass
   啄食狮子尸体的秃鹫
2. the carcass of a once glorious empire
   一度显赫的帝国遗骸
3. Shift your carcass!
   别死呆在这儿，躲开！

提到 尸体 carcass，想起昨天正好在A站上看奥雷僵尸电影解说，香港电影总有那么一点潮流又晦暗的气味
链接：【奥雷】僵尸也会法术 林正英系列之《僵尸家族》

《僵尸家族》是由刘观伟执导，林正英，元彪联合主演的一部恐怖片，于1986年8月15日在香港上映

《僵尸家族》电影英文名为 Mr. Vampire II，这里vampire意思是 a dead person who leaves his or her grave at night to suck the blood of living people 指的是吸血鬼，或者夜间走出坟墓吸吮活人血的游魂。

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Physically it aimed to achieve a glow of physical health, the strengthening of one's constitution and vitality and consequent disappearance of longstanding ailments; mentally it aimed at establishing stability of mind and emotions and release of psychic energies.

名词 glow 在这里意为脸上的红光，红晕，红润：A glow is a pink colour on a person's face, usually because they are healthy or have been exercising；也可以作为动词，表示皮肤由于健康、激动或运动发红，泛红晕，容光焕发；If someone's skin glows, it looks pink because they are healthy or excited, or have been doing physical exercise.

glow和health搭配，可以是像原文中的 a glow of health，或者 a healthy glow，以及动词的搭配 glow with health，glow healthily 等。

• It is a great delight to see the glow of health about you.

• They came back from their week by the sea, glowing with health. 他们在海边渡假一周，回来时个个都容光焕发。

• As a result, his skin glowed more healthily and his halo of hair gleamed like the outer circle of the sun.

• The fresh air had brought a healthy glow to her cheeks. 新鲜空气使她两颊红润、精神焕发。

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Su Tungpo's brother was ahead of him in following yoga practice, having begun it, according to Tseyu's own testimony, as far back as 1069.

testimony在这里的意思是 evidence in support of sth （对某事物的）见证或证明， 也可以用于表示法庭上的证词。取”见证“之意时，是一个很好用的单词：

• This book is testimony to a very individual kind of courage.
  这本书显示了个人非凡的勇气。

• His thick, swollen fingers bore testimony to a lifetime of toil.
  他粗壮肿大的手指是一生劳作的证据。

• This increase in exports bears testimony to the successes of industry.
  出口增长证明了工业的成功。

• The pyramids are (a) testimony to the Ancient Egyptians' engineering skills.
  金字塔是古埃及人工程技术精湛的丰碑。

far 在牛津七中有这个词条：~ (back/ ahead) | ~ (into sth) a long time from the present; for a large part of a particular period of time 久；远；意思上 far back 相当于long ago，as far back as 就是 早在，远在… 的意思：

• The band made their first record as far back as 1990.
  这个乐队早在 1990 年就录制了他们的第一张唱片。

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Salvation, or the knowledge of buddhahood, begins with mental self-discipline.

本章涉及到道教佛学，涉及到长生不老丹药和印度瑜伽，以及养生的种种，这些yoga（在两个中文版里都写作”瑜珈“，现在更常见的或者是”瑜伽“），虽然有点飘渺，却在这些书写中体现了苏东坡self-discipline的一面，从内在到外在对自我的一种追问，一种近乎哲学的不懈探求。

或者，中年养生，未必不是一种好的寄托。

以上。

保温。