石頭里的“自拍”

Dalya Alberge

12世紀時，一些默默無聞的石匠在加利西亞的圣地亞哥-德孔波斯特拉古城修建了舉世聞名的大教堂。約900年后的今日，英國藝術學者詹妮弗·亞歷山大發現了教堂中雕刻著落葉的柱子，而落葉后掩映著一位調皮石匠的“自拍”。

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He is a a male figure carved in the early 12th century for one of the world's greatest cathedrals （教堂）, but no one has known of his existence until now. His figure has gone unnoticed by millions of people who have made the long pilgrimage （朝 圣 之 旅） to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia over the centuries. He has looked down on them from the top of one of the many pillars that soar upwards, each carved with fallen leaves, among which he is concealed.

Now he has been discovered by a British art scholar Jennifer Alexander who believes that he was actually never meant to be seen because he is a self-portrait of a stonemason （石匠） who worked on the cathedral in the 12th century.Despite the incomparable talent of such craftsmen, these stonemasons were completely unknown with their names lost to history. This is the closest chance when the mason got to signing his work.

Alexander, a reader in art history at the University of Warwick, is a specialist in the architectural history of the great churches and cathedrals of the medieval period. She discovered the figure in conducting a survey of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, a UNESCO world heritage site. It was when she was studying the capitals （柱 頂）, about 13 metres above the pavement, that “this little figure appeared before her”, she recalled.

“He's got a nice little smile. He's pleased with himself. He's splendidly carved with a strongly characterized face.”

Medieval stonemasons learned their craft through apprenticeships （學 徒） that trained them in the back-breaking trade. Alexander said, “These masters had to master many skills since they were also responsible for engineering,supply of materials, and hiring the workforce.”She added that such craftsmen have remained anonymous throughout the centuries even into more recent times, “So these are the unsung geniuses.”

Reading Check

1. What does “He” underlined in Para. 1 refer to according to the following paragraphs?

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2. Who discovered the male figure? How did he/she discover it?

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