cóng shí xí kāi shǐ dāi zài dūn huáng yǐ jīng wǔ shí qī nián

从实习开始（呆在敦煌已经）五十七年

I’ve been in Dunhuang for 57 years since I was an intern

wǒ cóng lái méi yǒu shuō guò háo yán zhuàng yǔ

我从来没有说过豪言壮语

I’ve never said any grandiloquence

wǒ yào wèi dūn huáng gòng xiàn yī bèi zi

我要为敦煌贡献一辈子

Like I’m determined to devote my life to Dunhuang

dàn shì xiàn zài zǎi xì xiǎng xiǎng

但是现在仔细想想

But now if I think carefully

zhè yī shēng guò dé tǐng chōng shí de

这一生过得挺充实的

I’ve been living a full life

shì jiè dú yī wú èr de wén huà yí chǎn

世界独一无二的文化遗产

The one and only cultural heritage in the world

wǒ men hái gěi tā zuò le yī diǎn shì

我们还给它做了一点事

We did something for it

dūn huáng de nǚ ér fán jǐn shī

敦煌的女儿 樊锦诗

The Daughter of Dunhuang Fan Jinshi

nián lián hé guó jiào kē wén zǔ zhī tōng guò le yī gè gōng yuē

1972年联合国教科文组织通过了一个公约

In 1972, the UNESCO adopted a convention

jiào bǎo hù shì jiè wén huà hé zì rán yí chǎn gōng yuē

叫《保护世界文化和自然遗产公约》

Which was the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage

dì yī pī jiù yǒu mò gāo kū

第一批就有莫高窟

And the Mogao Caves were among the first

mò gāo kū jiù shì liǎng gè hé shàng kāi shǐ kāi kū

莫高窟就是两个和尚开始开窟

Mogao caves were carved by two monks at the beginning

hòu miàn shì jiā dà zú huáng zú bāo kuò yī xiē píng mín bǎi xìng

后面世家大族、皇族，包括一些平民百姓

Later prominent families, royal families and ordinary folks

jiē lián zài zhè ér bù duàn dì kāi jiù méi tíng guò

接连在这儿不断地开，就没停过

Continued to carve here

lián xù kāi dào shì jì

连续开到14世纪

The work didn’t stop until the 14th century

shí jiān shì yī qiān nián

时间是一千年

It lasted for a thousand years

tā fēn chéng nán běi liǎng qū

它分成南北两区

The caves are divided into the southern area and the northern area

nán qū shì lǐ fú de dì fāng yǒu gè dòng

南区是礼佛的地方，有492个洞

The southern area, with 492 caves, is the place of worshipping the Buddha

běi qū shì hé shàng xiū xíng de dòng gēn shēng huó de dòng

北区是和尚修行的洞、跟生活的洞

The northern area is where the monks practice and live

běi qū yǒu gè jiā qǐ lái gè

北区有243个，加起来753个

There’re 243 caves in the northern area and 753 caves in total

wǒ dì yī cì dào dūn huáng shì nián shí xí

我第一次（到敦煌）是1962年实习

The first time I went to Dunhuang was in 1962 as an intern

kàn shí kū lǐ miàn zhēn de shì jiào nǐ táo zuì zhèn hàn

看石窟里面，真的是叫你陶醉、震撼

It was really enchanting and shocking to look inside the caves

hǎo xiàng wǒ men yě jiù zài tiān guó lǐ tóu

好像我们也就在天国里头

It was like we were in the heaven

yǒu de zhēn shì jiào nǐ liú lián wàng fǎn

有的真是叫你流连忘返

I was indeed attracted by some caves and forgot to leave

kě shì lí kāi dòng dào xiàn shí shēng huó zhōng jiān wán quán shì xiāng fǎn de

可是离开洞到现实生活中间，完全是相反的

But when you went out of the caves into the real life, things were totally different

méi yǒu diàn méi yǒu kě yǐ hē de shuǐ

没有电，没有可以喝的水

There was no electricity and no drinking water

yī xiē lǎo qián bèi zhù zhù tǔ fáng zi

一些老前辈住著土房子

Some predecessors lived in mud huts

shuì zhù tǔ kàng yòng de shì tǔ zhuō zi tǔ dèng zi

睡著土炕，用的是土桌子土凳子

Slept in mud beds and used mud tables and chairs

dào chù dōu shì tǔ dōu shì shā

到处都是土，都是沙

Earth and dust were everywhere

tā men zěn me néng dài dé zhù a

他们怎么能待得住啊？

How could they stay there

wǒ dāng shí bù néng lǐ jiě

我当时不能理解

I couldn’t understand then

zǒu le wǒ yě yuàn yì wǒ jué dé zhè gè dì fāng wǒ yǐ jīng kàn guò le

走了我也愿意，我觉得这个地方我已经看过了

I would leave because I thought I had seen this place

méi xiǎng dào dì èr nián bì yè fēn pèi yòu qù le

没想到第二年毕业分配又去了

Surprisingly I was assigned there the next year

màn màn shú xī tā jiù dài xià lái le

慢慢熟悉它，就待下来了

I slowly got familiar with it and thus stayed

mò gāo kū de bǎo hù jiù kāi shǐ gàn zhè gè shì

莫高窟的保护，就开始干这个事

And I started to work on the protection of Mogao caves

xiū fù bì huà yán jiū tā zhè gè cái liào

修复壁画，研究它这个材料

Restoring murals and studying materials

mò gāo kū dào jīn nián nián de lì shǐ

莫高窟到今年1653年（的历史）

Mogao caves have a history of 1653 years by now

tā shuāi lǎo le fēi cháng fēi cháng ruò

它衰老了，非常非常弱

It’s old and extremely vulnerable

yī diǎn yī diǎn yī tiān xiū bù le duō dà de qiǎng jiù xiū fù

一点一点，一天修不了多大的，抢救修复

Bit by bit. We can’t repair too much one day. We restore and save it

zài yī gè jiù shì zuò kē xué dàng àn

再一个就是做科学档案

And we create scientific archives

shù zì dàng àn měi gè dòng dōu yào zuò

数字档案，每个洞都要做

Digital archives for every cave

yán sè wán quán kě yǐ gēn dòng lǐ yī mó yī yàng

颜色完全可以跟洞里一模一样

The colors can be totally the same with those in the caves

kě yǐ bù biàn xíng bù biàn sè gāo bǎo zhēn

可以不变形、不变色、高保真

We’re able to achieve non-distortion, non-discoloring and high fidelity

shù zì diàn yǐng yě zuò chū lái le

数字电影也做出来了

We’ve also made the digital film

guān zhòng shuō kàn zhè gè bǐ kàn dòng hái qīng chǔ

观众说看这个比看洞还清楚

Audience comment that they see clearer through the film than in the caves

nián jié hūn fēn jū le nián

1967年结婚，分居了19年

We got married in 1967 and lived separately for 19 years

xiàn zài xiǎng qǐ lái wǒ jīng cháng shuō

现在想起来我经常说

Now when I think of it

wǒ zhè gè rén zhēn bù shì yī gè hǎo qī zi

我这个人真不是一个好妻子

I often say I’m not a good wife

yě bù huì zěn me huì zuò jiā wù

也不会怎么会做家务

I’m not good at housekeeping

yě bù shì hǎo mǔ qīn

也不是好母亲

And I’m not a good mother

yǐng xiǎng le hái zi de xué xí

影响了孩子的学习

I didn’t help with our child’s learning

méi yǒu lǎo péng jiù bù huì yǒu xiàn zài zhè gè jiā de ān níng

没有老彭就不会有现在这个家的安宁

Without old Peng, our family wouldn’t be so peaceful

wǒ de shēng huó hěn jiǎn dān chī fàn yě jiǎn dān

我的生活很简单，吃饭也简单

I live in a simple way and eat in a simple way

yě méi yǒu shén me kě dǎ bàn

也没有什么可打扮

I don’t dress myself up

yǒu hěn duō nǚ tóng zhì yào hù fū wǒ bù cā de

有很多女同志要（护肤），我不擦的

A lot of females use skin-care products. I don’t

jiù shì dào dōng tiān tè bié gàn le

就是到冬天，特别干了

Only in winter when it’s very dry

wǒ yòng diǎn fán shì lín nòng diǎn shuǐ bù yào liè ma

我用点凡士林，弄点水，不要裂嘛

I would apply some Vaseline and water to protect them from chapping

wǒ xiàn zài yī gè hěn dà de yí hàn

我现在一个很大的遗憾

Now what I’m most regretful about is that

wǒ xiǎng duō kàn yī xiē fú jīng kàn yī xiē yè wù de shū

我想多看一些佛经，看一些业务的书

I want to read more Buddhist sutras and professional books

wǒ xī wàng néng zài bǔ chōng yī diǎn yíng yǎng ma

我希望能再补充一点营养嘛

I wish for some additional nutrition

wǒ gǎo mò gāo kū bǎo hù gēn kǎo gǔ

我搞（莫高窟）保护跟考古

I work on the protection of Mogao caves and archeology

wǒ mìng gāi rú cǐ

我命该如此

It’s my fate

suǒ wèi mò gāo jīng shén bù shì shuō de wǒ shì shuō de qián bèi

所谓“莫高精神”不是说的我，是说的前辈

The so-called Mogao Spirit isn’t about me but my predecessors

tā men bù zǒu zuì hòu chéng le shēng huó de yī gè bù fēn

他们不走，最后成了生活的一个部分

They didn’t leave and the work became part of their life

wǒ xiàn zài yě shì tā chéng le wǒ shēng huó de yī bù fēn

我现在也是，它成了我生活的一部分

Now it’s the same with me. It has become part of my life

yī gè jiē lì bàng jiē yī gè jiē lì bàng

一个接力棒接一个接力棒

The baton is passed from one to another

wǒ bù guò shì zhōng jiān de yī bàng

我不过是中间的一棒

I’m just one of the players

xī wàng yī xiē nián qīng rén néng wèi tā jì xù zuò fèng xiàn

希望一些年轻人能为它继续做奉献

I hope young people continue to contribute to it