塔尔寺酥油灯娘 | The Butter Lamp Keeper of Xining
"西宁塔尔寺的殿堂里，一位丰满的藏族女信徒用酥油灯照亮信仰和爱情... In the halls of Tar Monastery in Xining, a curvaceous Tibetan devotee illuminates faith and love with butter lamps..."
塔尔寺酥油灯娘 | The Butter Lamp Keeper of Xining
第一章 | Chapter One: 高原明珠 (Pearl of the Plateau)
青海西宁的塔尔寺，是藏传佛教格鲁派的圣地。
Tar Monastery in Xining, Qinghai, is a sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism's Gelug school.
寺中负责酥油灯殿的女信徒叫格桑卓玛，四十八岁，身材丰满，每天点燃成千上万盏酥油灯。
The female devotee in charge of the butter lamp hall was named Gesang Zhuoma, forty-eight, with a full figure, lighting thousands of butter lamps every day.
"每一盏灯，" 她常说，"都是一个愿望。"
"Every lamp," she often said, "is a wish."
第二章 | Chapter Two: 寻光者 (The Light Seeker)
那年藏历新年前，一位失去妻子的北京商人来塔尔寺祈福。
Before Tibetan New Year that year, a Beijing businessman who lost his wife came to Tar Monastery to pray.
"我想点一盏长明灯，" 他说，"为我的亡妻。"
"I want to light an eternal lamp," he said, "for my late wife."
卓玛看着他悲伤的眼神，丰满的脸上带着慈悲："来，我教你怎么点。"
Zhuoma looked at his sorrowful eyes, compassion on her full face: "Come, I'll teach you how to light it."
她引导他的手点燃酥油灯，灯光照亮了他泪湿的脸庞。
She guided his hand to light the butter lamp, the lamplight illuminating his tear-stained face.
第三章 | Chapter Three: 灯火长明 (Lamps Burning Bright)
"你愿意留下来帮忙吗？" 她问他，"寺里缺人手。"
"Would you like to stay and help?" she asked. "The monastery needs hands."
他留下了，每天和她一起点灯、添油、擦拭佛像。
He stayed, lighting lamps, adding oil, and polishing Buddha statues with her every day.
一个月后的深夜，她带他去看寺院最神圣的酥油花。
One month later, late at night, she took him to see the monastery's most sacred butter sculptures.
"这些都是僧人用冰水搓着酥油做的，" 她说，丰腴的身躯在酥油灯的光芒中格外神圣，"为了不让酥油融化。"
"Monks make these by kneading butter in ice water," she said, her full figure especially sacred in the butter lamp glow, "to keep the butter from melting."
"你呢？" 他问，"你不会融化吗？"
"What about you?" he asked. "Won't you melt?"
她微笑着，将他的手放在自己心口："我的心，是热的。"
She smiled, placing his hand on her heart: "My heart is warm."
第四章 | Chapter Four: 新的愿望 (A New Wish)
藏历新年那天，他们一起点燃了十万盏酥油灯。
On Tibetan New Year, they lit a hundred thousand butter lamps together.
"你的愿望是什么？" 她问。
"What's your wish?" she asked.
"我许了三个，" 他说，"第一个是亡妻安息，第二个是父母健康，第三个..."
"I made three," he said. "First, that my late wife rests in peace. Second, that my parents stay healthy. Third..."
"第三个是什么？"
"What's the third?"
"第三个是和你一起，守护这些灯火。"
"Third, to guard these flames with you."
她的眼中闪着泪光："愿望会实现的。因为佛祖在看着。"
Tears glistened in her eyes: "Wishes will come true. Because Buddha is watching."
在塔尔寺的酥油灯下，有些光明比信仰更温暖...
Under Tar Monastery's butter lamps, some light is warmer than faith...