日本神社的“鳥居”是什么？

Each week, The Times’s crossword column, Wordplay, highlights the answer to one of the most difficult clues from the previous week’s puzzles.

每一周，時報的字謎專欄“詞玩”(Wordplay)都會呈現(xiàn)前一周字謎難度最高的線索的答案。

This week’s word: torii.

本周的詞是：“torii”(鳥居)。

Torii (pronounced TOR-ee-ee) are familiar as a symbol of Japan, but many solvers were unsure of the word when it appeared in the March 20 puzzle with the clue “Traditional Japanese gate.” It has appeared 63 times in Times crosswords.

“Torii”(發(fā)音為TOR-ee-ee)是日本一個為人所熟悉的象征，但當它在3月20日的填字謎中，以“傳統(tǒng)日本大門”的線索出現(xiàn)時，許多解謎者都不確定這個詞。它已經(jīng)在時報的字謎游戲中出現(xiàn)過63次。

These gates, which have a traditional shape and structure, are closely related to the Shinto religion. Typically located at the entrance of Shinto shrines or in spots that hold special religious significance, they signal to worshipers a transition from the profane world to the sacred. By walking through the torii, one has entered the world of the Kami, or Shinto gods.

這些有著傳統(tǒng)外觀和結(jié)構(gòu)的大門，與日本的神道教緊密相關。它們通常位于神道教神社的入口處，或是具有特殊宗教意義的地方，向朝拜者表明這里是世俗世界到圣潔世界的過渡。穿過去，你就進入了神道教眾神的世界。

The earliest documentation of the torii in Japan dates to 922 A.D., during the Heian period.

日本對“Torii”的最早記錄可追溯至日本平安時代的公元922年。

The structure of the torii varies, but the most important parts are the pillars (hashira), the lintel placed on the two pillars (kasagi), and a tie-beam that keeps the structure together (nuki).

“Torii”的構(gòu)造各有不一，但其中最為重要的部位是大柱，門楣置于兩個門柱上，還有將該構(gòu)造維系在一起的系梁。

For the easier puzzles at the beginning of the week, the word might also appear with the clue: “Shinto temple gateway” or “Shinto gateway.”

周初簡單一些的字謎中，這個詞可能會以這樣的線索出現(xiàn)：“神道教廟宇大門口”或“神道教大門口”。

Later in the week, it might be referred to as: “Shinto shrine entrance,” “Traditional Japantown feature,” “Decorative gateway in Japan” or “Japanese portal.”

在晚些時候較難的字謎中，這個詞可能會被指代為：“神道教神社入口”、“傳統(tǒng)日本街的特色”、“日本裝飾性的通道口”或是“日式入口”。