真實的武則天原來長這樣大綱

The TV drama The Empress of China is hot among audiences recently. Actress Fan Bingbing, who plays the role of Empress Wu Zetian, is a fabulous beauty. What did Wu Zetian, China`s only female monarch, look like in real life? Let`s explore the possibilities.
電視劇《武媚娘傳奇》成了觀衆們的新寵。扮演武媚孃的范冰冰可謂美若天仙。而現實中，這位中國唯一的女皇帝到底容貌如何？且讓我們一探究竟。

The famous Chinese scholar Guo Moruo researched this, and he thinks that a plump empress portrayed in a painting by Tang Dynasty painter Zhang Xuan is Wu Zetian. Zhang left many famous paintings, such as Paintings of Lady of Guoguo on a Spring Outing of the Tang Dynasty, Court Ladies Preparing Newly-Woven Silk and Lady of Wei.
我國著名學者郭沫若曾對此做過考證，他認爲唐朝畫家張懸筆下（《唐後行從圖》）體態豐滿的“皇后”正是武則天。張懸曾留下了許多著名畫作，包括《虢國夫人遊春圖》、《搗練圖》、《衛夫人像》等。

It is guessed that Zhang Xuan was a court painter and had met Wu Zetian before, so the portrait by him is quite reliable.
（由於多繪宮中仕女）有猜測認爲張懸曾作爲宮廷畫家見到過武則天本人，因此，他畫中的武則天應較爲可信。

Another frequently seen image of Wu Zetian is the block-painted edition of Images of Ancient People in History, created in 1498, during the reign of Emperor Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty. However, as the painting was recreated by Ming people, it is not very reliable and possibly a portrait born out of imagination.
另一個版本的武則天出現頻率很高，它出自明弘治十一年(1498年)的刻本《歷代古人像贊》。由於是明人的再創作，所以這個版本的可信度不高，很可能是後人根據想象所畫。

There are also many stone statues of Empress Wu Zetian, and the most ancient one is now at her birthplace, Guangyuan in Sichuan province. The statue is said to be vey close to the real appearance of Wu Zetian.
除了畫像，還有很多武則天的雕像（可做參考），比如位於武則天出生地四川廣元皇澤寺的武則天石刻像，它是最早的武則天石像，也被認爲是最接近武則天真實形象的一座。

When Empress Wu Zetian ascended the throne, she built many temples and Buddha statues. Many Buddha statues in the Longmen Grottoes in today`s Luoyang in Henan province were constructed during her reign. Among them, a large Vairocana Buddha in Fengxian Temple is considered to be a "portrait" of Wu Zetian at 44 years old.
武則天稱帝后，曾大興佛寺、廣鑿佛像，洛陽龍門石窟中有許多佛像都完成於武則天時代。而龍門石窟奉先寺中的“盧舍那佛”，則被不少學者認爲是武則天44歲時的“寫真”。

The Buddha has characteristics of an oriental beauty`s face and is honored as the most beautiful Buddha in the world. At 17.14 meters high, the face of the Buddha looks elegant, pretty and plump, and has a mysterious smile.
盧舍那佛的面部特徵具有東方女性之美，被譽爲“世上最美麗的佛陀”。它身高17.14米，面容豐腴飽滿、秀麗端莊、露出一絲神祕微笑。

Wu Zetian funded the statue`s construction and took part in the consecration ceremony when it was completed. Ancient people assumed that the statue was an embodiment of Empress Wu Zetian.
（據《造像銘》記載）時爲皇后的武則天曾爲奉先寺的修建“助脂粉錢兩萬貫”，同時親自參加了盧舍那佛的開光儀式。因此古人推測盧舍那佛正是武則天的化身。

According to ancient records, Wu Zetian had big eyes, a long neck, a big face and a square forehead. Anyway, Wu Zetian would not look like Fan Bingbing, who has the little face of a modern beauty. Moreover, maybe Wu Zetian was a woman who had a face similar to a man`s, as the Tang Dynasty regarded chubbiness as a standard of beauty and feminine temperament was not popular then.
而據古書記載，武則天有着“龍睛鳳頸”，眼大而有神、脖頸細長；“方額廣頤”，額頭較方、臉頰較大。反正一定不會是范冰冰那樣符合現代審美的小臉美女。說不定武則天其實生了一副男子面相，不過，這倒與唐代以胖爲美，陰柔委婉不受青睞的女子審美標準十分相符。