牛津大学-谢尔登剧院之谜

Celebrating the Sheldonian

Ten things you didn’t know about the Sheldonian Theatre to celebrate its 350th anniversary.

By Hannah Hiles

Nervous freshers all go to the Sheldonian Theatre to matriculate – and probably return a changed person for graduation. But with emotions running high at the ceremonies, many of the Grade I listed building’s secrets stay hidden. On July 26, it will be 350 years since the foundation stones were laid so in honour of the anniversary, here are 10 things you didn’t know about the Sheldonian Theatre.

1. The Sheldonian Theatre was purpose-built for the University’s degree-giving ceremonies, which had previously been held in the churchofSt Marythe Virgin. Known as “the Act”, the ceremony included two sets of debates in which students proved they were ready to be admitted as members of the University, as well as musical works and a satirical – sometimes scandalous – speech by an anonymous speaker known as Terrae Filius, or Son of the Earth.

2. Christopher Wren (1632-1723), designer of the Theatre, was Savilian Professor of Astronomy atOxfordthroughout the construction of the building. His first architectural project in the city was a sundial at All Souls.

3. The theatre is named after Gilbert Sheldon (1598–1677), then Archbishop ofCanterburyand later Chancellor of the University. He initially donated £1,000 towards the project in June 1664 but, according to accounts in the Bodleian, ended up shouldering the whole cost of £14,470 11s 11d – around £1.9million today.

4. Only two of Wren’s designs for the Theatre still exist: a preliminary plan, which included a stage, and a drawing showing an organ case over an internal side door. A wooden model of Wren’s early design was sent to Charles II for his approval and was exhibited at the Royal Society.

5. The Sheldonian Theatre is credited with leading a renaissance in architecture and public building in seventeenth-centuryOxford. It is often described as being inspired by the Roman Theatre of Marcellus and shares features in common with chateau Vaux le Vicomte in Seine-et-Marne.

6. The ceiling painting by Charles II’s court painter Robert Streater (1621-79), represents “Truth descending on the Arts and Sciences to expel Ignorance from the University”. The 32 oil-on-canvas panels were transported toOxfordfromLondonby canal. It was restored between 2004 and 2008.

7. A row took place at the building’s official inauguration on July 9, 1669, when University orator Robert South launched a blistering attack on the Royal Society in front of a packed audience.

8. The Theatre was designed with a printing house underneath as a home for the developing Oxford University Press. This use came to an end in 1713 with the opening of theClarendonBuilding, which was purpose-built for the Press.

9. Architectural historian John Summerson drew attention to the Theatre’s unusual design in an oration delivered to commemorate its restoration on November 16, 1963. He said: “So here we have the top and bottom parts of a classical façade brought together by the omission of the middle storey. It is very curious. It is rather like a man with his trousers pulled up to his chin and his hat pulled over his nose […] It is odd. It had never, so far as I can make out, been done before. And I should perhaps add that Wren never did it again.”

10. Wren used his extensive knowledge of mathematics and science to construct the roof, which used a lattice of timber trusses and beams, supported only by braces and screws, to span the 70ft by 80ft auditorium.  The original roof was re-built in 1802, and the cupola was redesigned and enlarged in 1838.

谢尔登剧院350周年庆

十件关于谢尔登剧院你所不知道的事

紧张的新生都要去谢尔登剧院进行录取仪式-毕业之后可能会成为一个改变过的人。但是随着情绪高涨的仪式，许多我列出的秘密依旧保持神秘。7月26日，这将是奠定基石350年的周年纪念日，所以为了纪念这个周年庆，以下是十件关于谢尔登剧院你所不知道的事。

1.      谢尔登剧院是为大学学位授予仪式所建立的，先前是在圣玛丽教堂举行。被称为“the Act”，该仪式包括了两组关于学生已经准备好成为大学承认的成员的辩论，以及音乐作品和被称为大地之子或者Terrae Filius的匿名演讲者带来的讽刺性有时诽谤性的演说。

2.      剧院的设计者克里斯多佛·雷恩（1632-1723），是贯穿了整个建筑的建设的牛津天文学教授。 他在这个城市的第一个建筑作品是在万灵学院的日规。

3.      这个剧院是以吉尔伯特谢尔登（1598-1677）命名，然后是坎特伯雷大主教，最后是大学的校长。他最初在1664年6月对这个项目捐赠￡1,000，但是根据牛津图书馆的账目，最终承担了所有花费£14,470 11s 11d-现在的￡190万左右。

4.      这个剧院只有两个雷恩的设计还存在：一个初步的计划，其中包括一个舞台和在门里面的一个管风琴的图纸陈列。雷恩早期设计的木质模型被送往查理二世并在皇家学会展出。

5.      谢尔登剧院被记载其在17世纪的牛津领导了一场建筑学和公共建筑的复兴。它被描述为受到马塞勒斯罗马剧院的启发，并与在塞纳-马恩省的Vaux le Vicomte城堡有共同的特征。

6.      天顶画是由查尔斯二世的宫廷画家Robert Streater（1621-1679）创作的，描绘了“真理在艺术科学中齐聚从大学中驱逐无知。”The 32 oil-on-canvas画板通过运河从伦敦被运到牛津。在2004年和2008年间被修复。

7.      当演说家Robert South在皇家学会的拥挤的观众面前发起了猛烈的抨击的那一天1669年7月9日，也就是建筑正式的落成仪式的日子。

8.      该剧院在下方设计了一个印刷房，是作为牛津大学出版社的所在地。这个作用在1713年随着克拉伦登楼的开放而结束，该建筑是专门为出版社而建造的。

9.      建筑历史学家John Summerson被剧院独特的设计所吸引，在1963年11月16日在纪念其恢复的演说中，他提到：“所以在这里我们经典的顶部和底部外观通过省略了中间层而汇聚在一起。这令人很好奇。这很像一个人把他的裤子拉到了他的下巴，把他的帽子压到了他的鼻子。这很奇怪。现在我可以做出来，但是我并没有做过。也许我应该加上雷恩也没有再做过。”

10.   雷恩用了大量的数学和科学知识来建造使用点阵的木绗架梁的屋顶，只用支架和螺丝来支撑跨度为70到80英尺的礼堂。最初的屋顶在1802年被重建，圆顶在1838年被重新设计和放大。

越扬教育（越扬留学）

www.i-ydc.org

上海总部

地址：上海市徐汇区宜山路425号光启楼1301室(200235)


电话：+86 (0) 21 6029 3320


Fax:    +86 (0) 21 6029 3321

邮箱：info@i-ydc.com

中山分部

地址：中山市石岐区龙凤街8号众智商务大厦A幢202室(528401)


电话：+86 (0) 760 8878 2397

          邮箱：info_zs@i-ydc.com