Artisconsideredbymanypeopletobenomorethanadecorative（装饰）meansofgiving
pleasure.Thisisnotalwaysthecasehowever;attimesartmaybeseentohaveapurelyfunctionalsideaswell.SuchcouldbesaidofthesandpaintingsoftheNavahoIndiansoftheAmericanSouthwest;thesehaveamedicinalaswellasanartisticpurpose.
AccordingtoNavahotraditionsonewhosuffersfromeitheramentaloraphysicalillnesshasinsomewaydisturbedorgetintouchwiththesupernatural-perhapsacertainanimalaghostorthedead.Tobreakawayfromthisthesickpersonoroneofhisrelativeswillemployamedicalmancalleda“singer”toperformacuringceremonywhichwillattractapowerfulsupernaturalbeing.Duringtheceremonywhichmaylastfrom2to9daysthe“singer”willproduceasandpaintingonthefloor.Onthelastdayoftheceremonythepatientwillsitonthissandpaintingandthe“singer”willrub（按摩）the.sickorinjuredpartsofthepatient’sbodywithsandfromaspecificfigureinthesandpainting.Inthiswaythepatientabsorbsthepowerofthatparticularsupernaturalbeingandbecomesstrong.Aftertheceremonythesandpaintingisdestroyedsoitspowerwon’tharmanyone.
Theartofsandpaintingishandeddownfromold“singers”.ThematerialsusedareeasilyfoundwheretheNavahosettle:brownredyellowandwhitesandstonewhichisground（研磨）muchascornismadeintoflour.The“singer”holdsasmallamountofthissandinhishandandletsitflowbetweenhisfingersontoacleanflatsurfaceonthefloorwithasteadyhandandgreatpatience.HeisthusabletocreatedesignsofstylizedpeoplesnakesandothercreaturesthathavepowerintheNavahobeliefsystem.ThetraditionalNavahodoesn’tallowcopyingsandpaintingssincehebelievesthesupernaturalpowersthattaughthimthecraft（技艺）haveforbiddenthis;howeversuchreproductionscaninfactbepurchasedtodayintouristshopsinArizonaandNewMexico.ThesearedonebyeitherNavahoIndiansorbyotherpeoplewhowishtopreservethiscraft.
1．Whichofthefollowingwouldbethebesttitleforthepassage?
A．TheNavahoIndians B．TheAncient“Singer”
C．FunctionsofArt D．TheNavahoSandpaintings
2．Howdidthe“sing
