Sri Lankan Buddhists believe that the tooth relic was brought to their country around 300 BC.
斯里兰卡的佛教徒相信佛牙舍利是大约公元前300年被带到这里的。
Safeguarding the relic became the responsibility of kings and over the years, the custodianship of the relic came to symbolize the right to rule.
守卫舍利成为历任国王的责任。多年以后，对佛牙的守护权成为王权的象征。
The Buddha is said to have given two legacies to future generations:
据说佛陀对后人有两大遗赠。
The body of his teachings, the Dharma, and also relics of his physical body itself, which are now scattered in shrines right across the globe.
他的教诲本身，即“法”。还有他自己的肉体遗骸（舍利），现在分散在全球各处，供奉在各地的神坛庙宇中。
And one of the most precious is kept in here, in the Temple of the Tooth.
其中最为宝贵的一件，就保存在这佛牙寺里。
That relic makes the presence of the Buddha more graphic to people, so it gives them a power.
舍利使佛陀在世人面前的形象更加生动，因此它能给人们带来力量。
Actually, many Buddhist temples around the world have relics, a piece of bone or something.
实际上，世界上许多佛寺都供奉有舍利，譬如遗骨或是别的东西。
Just as in Europe, you have relics of saints, so it's a way of making the person's presence feel more immediate.
就像在欧洲，也保有圣徒的遗骨。由此看出，这是使一个人的存在显现得更直接的方式。
That gives the temple more power, as a magnet to draw the worshipper.
舍利的存在给予寺庙更多的神圣感，宛如磁石一般吸引朝圣者。
The shrine stands right at the centre of a paved courtyard.
神庙矗立在一座铺砖庭院的正中央。
The ceiling is decorated with moonstones and floral designs.
天花板缀饰着月长石以及花卉图案。
There are ivory reliefs on the doorways.
门径两侧是象牙浮雕。
The inner chamber contains the tooth relic and other sacred objects and all around there is a brightly painted corridor.
内厅中供奉着佛牙舍利及其他圣物，环绕四周的则是涂上鲜亮色彩的走廊。
Monks conduct daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple.
僧侣们在内厅进行日常的敬拜。
Rituals are performed at dawn, at noon and in the evening.
仪式在每天黎明、正午和晚上举行。
The tooth is in this upper chamber in a casket of gold and is only revealed to a chosen few.
佛牙就供奉在这个金盒子的上层里，只有有限的几个人才有幸目睹真容。
The sacred relic is symbolically bathed with an herbal preparation made from scented water and fragrant flowers.
僧侣们用花草香水和芳香花朵配制的药草制剂，用它来清洁这件圣物，颇具象征意义。
This holy water is believed to contain healing properties and is distributed among those present.
人们相信这圣水有治愈疾病的功效，圣水会和其它贡品一起分发给在场的信徒。
Once a week, mothers gather at the temple with their babies.
每个星期，母亲们都会带着孩子到庙里聚会一次。
All these little babies are waiting to be taken in to be blessed by the priests so that they have Buddha's power with them for the rest of their lives.
所有这些小婴儿都在等待接受僧人的加持，这样佛陀的法力就会护持他们的一生。
They're given a white piece of string to wrap around their wrist which shows that the Buddha is with them from now until they die.
他们的手腕上会被系上一条白绳，这表示从现在起，佛陀会伴随他们一生。
And It's thought incredibly important that they get the blessing at this early stage.
人们认为在婴儿时期就得到祝福极其重要。
Because everything that they do from now on, all their intentional actions, what they think, what they say and what they do, their karma,
因为从此以后，他们所作的任何事，他们所有有意的行为，他们的想法，他们的言行，他们的“业”，
will affect how they are then reborn in the next life.
都将影响到他们将以何种方式进入来世。
