And quiet can be unnerving.

對許多人而言， 此時生活比往常更安靜。

It can make you feel lonely,

而安靜會讓人緊張不安。

or just all too aware of the things you're missing out on.

安靜會讓你感到孤獨，

I think about sound all the time.

或是讓你太清楚意識到 你所錯失的種種。

I'm a sound designer,

我時時刻刻都在想著聲音。

and I host the podcast "Twenty Thousand Hertz."

我是音效設計師，也是播客節目 《兩萬赫茲》的主持人。

It's all about the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds.

談的都是世界上 最引人注意和有趣的聲音。

But I think this is the perfect time to talk about silence.

但，我想，此時最適合談論寂靜。

Because what I've come to understand

因為，我漸漸了解，

is that there is no such thing as silence.

並沒有所謂的「寂靜」存在。

And the person who opened my mind to this idea

啟發我產生此想法的人，

is one of the most influential composers in history.

是史上最有影響力的作曲家之一。

(Piano music)

（鋼琴音樂）

John Cage has made an impact on artists in many genres,

約翰凱吉影響了許多領域的藝術家，

from avant-garde musicians, to modern dance, to pop music.

從前衛音樂家， 到現代舞，到流行音樂。

Right now, we're listening to his 1948 piece

現在我們聽的是他在 1948 年的作品《在天地之間》，

called "In a Landscape."

這個版本在 1994 年錄製， 由史蒂芬杜瑞演奏。

This version was recorded in 1994 by Stephen Drury.

（鋼琴音樂）

(Piano music)

這件作品並不是約翰凱吉典型的風格。

This piece is actually not very typical of John Cage's writing.

他更為人所知的是 他的創新以及前衛技術。

He's more known for his innovations and avant-garde techniques.

儘管有這樣的名聲，

But despite his reputation,

沒有人料到他在 1952 年的舉動，

no one was prepared for what he did in 1952,

那時，他創作出職涯中最大膽的作品。

when he created the most daring piece of his career.

叫做《四分三十三秒》，

It was called "4'33'',"

有些評論家甚至拒絕稱之為「音樂」，

and it was a piece that some critics even refused to call "music,"

因為在這件作品中，從頭到尾，

because for the entire duration of the piece,

演奏者什麼都沒有彈奏。

the performer plays

技術上來說，演奏者演奏的是休止符。

nothing at all.

但對觀眾來說，什麼都沒有發生。

Well, to be technical, the performer is actually playing rest.

1952 年夏天，約翰凱吉的

But to the audience, it looks like nothing is happening.

《四分三十三秒》首次演出，

John Cage's "4'33''" was performed for the first time

由知名鋼琴家大衛圖多爾演奏。

in the summer of 1952,

地點在紐約伍德斯托克的 梅福瑞克音樂廳。

by renowned pianist David Tudor.

這是棟漂亮的木製建築物， 空間對外大大敞開，十分開闊。

It was at the Maverick Concert hall in Woodstock, New York.

大衛圖多爾走上台，

This is a beautiful wooden building with huge openings to the outdoors.

坐在鋼琴前，

So, David Tudor walked out on stage,

關上了琴蓋。

sat down at the piano,

接著，他靜靜地坐著，

then closed the piano lid.

唯一的動作就是在三個樂章之間

He then sat in silence,

將琴蓋打開和關上。

only moving to open and close the piano lid

時間到了之後，

between each of the three movements.

他站起來，

After the time was up,

走下台。

he got up

（鋼琴音樂）

and walked off the stage.

觀眾不知道該如何看待這個表演。

(Piano music)

有人甚至懷疑凱吉 是否認真看待他的職涯。

The audience had no idea what to think.

一位密友甚至寫信給他，

It made people wonder if Cage is even taking his career seriously.

求他不要把他的職涯變成笑話。

A close friend even wrote to him,

約翰凱吉的這件作品，

begging that he not turn his career into a joke.

若能稱之為音樂作品的話，

John Cage had, well, if you could call it,

真正挑戰了音樂作品的基本觀念。

composed a piece of music

音樂家至今都還會為此辯論。

that really challenged some very established ideas

若要了解約翰凱吉在想什麼，

about music composition.

我們得回到 1940 年代。那時，

It's something that musicians still debate today.

約翰凱吉為預置鋼琴譜曲而成名。

To understand just what John Cage was thinking,

（鋼琴音樂）

let's back up to the 1940s.

要創作出這樣的音樂，約翰凱吉 得把物體放入到鋼琴中，

Back then,

放在弦與弦之間。

John Cage was making a name for himself composing for the prepared piano.

放的是隨手可得的東西，如螺絲、

(Piano music)

膠帶、橡皮擦。

To make music like this,

這麼一來，就會把鋼琴

John Cage would put objects inside the piano,

從有高低音的音調樂器

between the strings.

轉變成為一系列獨特的聲音。

Things you just find lying around,

各位現在聽到的 是凱吉的《奏鳴曲 V》，

like screws, tape and rubber erasers.

出自《預置鋼琴奏鳴曲及間奏》。

So now, you've transformed the piano

除了《四分三十三秒》， 這可能是他最有名的作品。

from a tonal instrument with high and low pitches

這個版本由鮑里斯貝爾曼演奏。

into a collection of unique sounds.

約翰凱吉寫了非常細節的指示，

The music you're hearing is Cage's "Sonata V,"

說明每個物體要放在 鋼琴中的什麼地方。

from "Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano."

但不可能每位表演者 都能取得完全一樣的物體，

Probably his most famous work outside of "4'33''."

所以得到的聲音總是會有所不同。

This version was performed by Boris Berman.

基本上，這會涉及隨機偶然。

John Cage wrote incredibly detailed instructions

就大部分作曲家和音樂家 所學的做法來說，

about where to place each object in the piano.

這一招相當瘋狂且另類。

But it's impossible for every performer to get the exact same objects,

約翰凱吉變得對

so the sound you get is always different.

偶然及隨機性越來越感興趣，

Basically, it comes down to random chance.

希望讓宇宙來提供這個問題的答案：

This was pretty bananas and pretty alien

「我接下來要彈奏哪個音符？」

to the way most composers and musicians are taught to do things.

但，若要聽見這個問題的答案，

John Cage was becoming increasingly interested

首先，你得要傾聽。

in chance and randomness

在 1940 年代，

and letting the universe provide the answer to the question

傾聽宇宙變得越來越困難。

"What note should I play next?"

（電梯音樂）

But to hear the answer to the question,

穆扎克公司於 1930 年代成立。

first, you have to listen.

它一飛衝天，很快的，

And in the 1940s,

幾乎到處都聽得到背景音樂。

listening to the universe was getting harder to do.

根本想逃也逃不掉。

(Elevator music)

約翰凱吉發現大家沒有選擇，

The Muzak company was founded in the '30s.

無法將世界上的背景音樂關掉。

It really took off,

他擔心穆扎克會讓大家 再也無法聽見「寂靜」。

and soon, there was constant background music nearly everywhere.

1948 年，他創作出 《四分三十三秒》的四年前，

It was almost impossible to escape.

約翰凱吉提到，他想要創作 一首四分半鐘的「寂靜」，

John Cage realized that people were losing the option

賣給穆扎克公司。

to shut out the background music of the world.

一開始，這是種政治宣言，

He worried that Muzak would prevent people from hearing silence altogether.

或者非正式的評論，

In 1948,

但這個想法點到痛處，並很快地演化。

four years before he wrote "4'33'',"

約翰凱吉開始深入思考寂靜。

John Cage mentioned that he wanted to write

當他去造訪一個真正寧靜的地方，

a four-and-a-half-minute-long piece of silence

他有了驚人的發現。

and sell it to the Muzak company.

約翰凱吉造訪了 哈佛大學的無回聲室。

It started as something of a political statement

無回聲室做過聲音處理，

or an offhand comment,

能將聲音降到最低，接近零。

but this idea struck a nerve and quickly evolved.

在這種房間內沒有聲音，

John Cage was starting to think deeply about silence.

所以約翰凱吉並沒有 預期會聽見什麼。

And when he visited a truly quiet place,

但他卻聽見了自己的血液循環。

he made a startling discovery.

（脈動聲）

John Cage visited an anechoic chamber at Harvard University.

我自己體驗過無回聲室，

Anechoic chambers are rooms that are acoustically treated

那是種非凡的體驗，

to minimize sound to almost zero.

會顛覆你對聲音和寂靜的認知。

There are no sounds in these rooms,

感覺就像我的大腦打開了擴大器，

so John Cage didn't expect to hear anything at all.

急切地想聽見一丁點什麼。

But he actually heard his own blood circulating.

就像約翰凱吉，

(Pulse)

我也能非常清楚聽見 血液在我體內流動。

I've personally experienced an anechoic chamber,

在那一刻，約翰凱吉知道，

and it's a really wild experience

不論我們在那裡，

that can completely change your perceptions

就連我們的身體也在製造聲音。

about sound and silence.

基本上，沒有所謂的真正寂靜存在。

It really felt like my brain just turning up an amplifier,

只要你還活著，

grasping for anything to hear.

你就一定會聽到點什麼。

Just like John Cage,

約翰凱吉對偶然隨機和寂靜的興趣，

I could very clearly hear my blood pushing through my body.

在此產生了交集。

John Cage realized, in that moment,

他了解到，要創造出 一個不會分心的環境，

that no matter where we are, even our bodies are making sound.

重點並不在於創造寂靜。

There's basically no such thing as true silence.

重點甚至不在於控制噪音。

As long as you are in your body,

重點是：一直都存在的聲音，

you're always hearing something.

你突然初次能聽見它，

This is where John Cage's interest in chance and randomness

唯有當你準備好去仔細聆聽時。

met his interest in silence.

這就是《四分三十三秒》 經常被誤解之處。

He realized that creating an environment with no distractions

大家會以為它是個玩笑，

wasn't about creating silence.

但那實在和真相差太遠了。

It wasn't even about controlling noise.

在任何地方演奏它， 聽起來都會不同。

It was about the sounds that were already there,

那正是重點。

but you suddenly hear for the first time

約翰凱吉真正希望我們聽見的，

when you're really ready to listen.

是我們週遭的聲音世界之美。

That's what's so often misunderstood about "4'33''."

（多種鳥叫聲、水聲）

People assume it's a joke,

（人聲、推車聲、機台按鍵聲）

but that couldn't be further from the truth.

（教堂鐘聲、車聲）

It sounds different everywhere you play it.

（蟋蟀叫、貓頭鷹叫）

And that's the point.

《四分三十三秒》 應該是個深切的體驗，

What John Cage really wanted us to hear

協助你專注在接受事物真正的樣貌。

is the beauty of the sonic world around us.

這不是其他人可以告訴你， 你對此應該要有什麼感受。

(Birds chirping)

這是高度因人而異的。

(Overlapping voices)

這也帶出了一些關於 聲音世界的大哉問。

(Church bell ringing)

《四分三十三秒》算是音樂嗎？ 是聲音嗎？聲音是音樂嗎？

(Crickets chirping and owl hooting)

有差別嗎？

"4'33''" should be a mindful experience

約翰凱吉提醒我們，

that helps you focus on accepting things just the way they are.

值得聆聽的聲音不只有音樂而已。

It's not something that anyone else can tell you how you're supposed to feel.

所有聲音都值得我們去思考。

It's deeply personal.

我們有個難能可貴的機會，

It also brings up some pretty big questions

可以重新設定我們的耳朵。

about our sonic world.

如果我們更能意識到聽見了什麼，

Is "4'33''" music, is it sound,

我們自然就會讓世界聽起來更美好。

is sound music?

「安靜」並不是我們 關閉大腦不去聽聲音，

Is there even a difference?

而是要能夠真正開始聆聽，

John Cage reminds us

聽見世界上所有的聲音之美。

that music isn't the only kind of sound worth listening to.

本著這種精神，

All sounds are worth thinking about.

讓我們一起來演奏 《四分三十三秒》，

We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

不論你身在何處。

to reset our ears.

有三個樂章，我會告訴你何時開始。

And if we become more conscious of what we hear,

聆聽你現在周圍聲音的質感和節奏。

we'll inherently make our world sound better.

聆聽那些大聲的、溫和的、 和諧的、不和諧的聲音，

Quietness is not when we turn off our minds to sound,

以及讓每個聲音獨特的所有小細節。

but when we can really start to listen

在這真實人生中的聲音時刻， 試著留心、專注。

and hear the world in all of its sonic beauty.

享受聽見和聆聽的美妙。

So in this spirit,

第一個樂章來了。

let's perform "4'33''" together,

現在……開始。

wherever you are.

〔一、休止符〕

It's three movements,

（沒有聲音）

and I'll let you know when they start.

接著是第二樂章。

Listen to the texture and rhythm of the sounds around you right now.

長度是兩分二十三秒。

Listen for the loud and soft,

〔二、休止符〕

the harmonic, the dissonant,

（沒有聲音）

and all the small details that make every sound unique.

接著是最後樂章。

Spend this time as mindful and focused in this real-life sonic moment.

長度是一分四十秒。

Enjoy the magnificence of hearing and listening.

〔三、休止符〕

So here comes the first movement.

（沒有聲音）

Starting ...

就這樣。我們完成了。

now.

感謝聆聽。

[I. Tacet]

(No audio)

And here's movement two.

It will be two minutes and 23 seconds.

[II. Tacet]

(No audio)

And here is the final movement.

It will be one minute and 40 seconds.

[III. Tacet]

(No audio)

And that's it.

We did it.

Thanks for listening.