painter Mark Rothko, the high priest of grief and loss who spent the latter part of his

畫家馬克-羅斯科（Mark Rothko），這位悲痛和損失的大祭司，在他的後半生中

career turning out a succession of sublime and sombre canvases that spoke, as he put

在他的職業生涯中，他創作了一連串崇高而沉鬱的畫作，正如他所說的那樣，這些畫作講述了

it, of the ‘tragedy of being human’.

它，"作為人類的悲劇"。

Born in Dvinsk, Russia, Rothko emigrated to the United States at the age of ten and immediately

羅斯科出生於俄羅斯的德文斯克，10歲時移民美國，並立即被派往美國。

grew to despise the aggressive good cheer and steely optimism of his adopted land.

漸漸地，他開始鄙視他收養的土地上咄咄逼人的好心情和堅定的樂觀主義。

Appalled by the sentimentality around him, he learnt to make art that was insular, unrelenting,

他對周圍的多愁善感感到震驚，學會了做與世隔絕、毫不留情的藝術。

sombre and oriented towards pain.

憂鬱和麵向痛苦。

Rothko’s favourite colours were a burnt burgundy, dark grey, pitch black and blood

羅斯科最喜歡的顏色是燒焦的酒紅色、深灰色、漆黑和血色。

red, occasionally, alleviated by a sliver of yellow.

紅色，偶爾，被一絲黃色所緩解。

In 1958, Rothko was offered a large sum to paint some murals for a soon to be opened

1958年，羅斯科得到一筆鉅款，要他為一個即將開業的博物館畫幾幅壁畫。

opulent New York restaurant, the Four Seasons on Park Avenue.

奢華的紐約餐廳，公園大道上的四季酒店。

It was, as he put it, ‘a place where the richest bastards of New York will come to

正如他所說，這是一個 "紐約最富有的混蛋們會來的地方"。

feed and show off.’

'餵養和炫耀。

His intentions for them soon became clear: ‘I hope to ruin the appetite of every son

他對他們的意圖很快就清楚了："我希望毀掉每個兒子的胃口。

of a bitch who ever eats in that room,’ and to that end, he set to work on some large

在那個房間裡吃飯的婊子，"為此，他開始在一些大的

black and maroon colour fields expressing a mood of terror and archaic anguish.

黑色和栗色的色塊表達了一種恐怖和古老的痛苦的情緒。

However, shortly before the paintings were due to go on display, Rothko called up his

然而，在這些畫作即將展出前不久，羅斯科打電話給他的

patrons, explained his feelings - and sent back the money.

資助者，解釋了他的感受--並把錢送了回來。

He then gave his paintings to London’s Tate Gallery, where they were hung in a quiet airy

然後，他把他的畫作交給了倫敦的泰特畫廊，在那裡，他們被懸掛在一個安靜的空氣中。

contemplative, religious-seeming space, that enclosed the viewer in an atmosphere of meditative

一個沉思的、看起來像宗教的空間，將觀眾包圍在一個冥想的氛圍中。

mortification.

喪心病狂。

The paintings remain ideal companions for visitors who drift into the gallery at their

這些畫作仍然是遊客們的理想伴侶，他們以自己的方式漂流到畫廊。

wits’ end, who might be working through the loss of a partner or the ruin of their

一籌莫展的人，可能正在為失去伴侶或毀掉自己的生活而努力。

career - and who need more than anything else to know that they are not alone.

他們更需要知道，他們並不孤單。

Rothko’s canvases - though focused on the darkness - are never themselves depressing

羅斯科的畫作--雖然集中在黑暗中--本身卻從不令人感到壓抑

to look at because they lend our difficulties dignity and legitimacy.

因為它們賦予我們的困難以尊嚴和合法性。

To bathe in their atmosphere is to gain a distinct sense of comfort, like lying in a

沐浴在他們的氛圍中，就會獲得一種明顯的舒適感，就像躺在一個

tender person’s arms who says little other than a modest ‘I know’ in response to

他在接受記者採訪時，除了謙虛地說 "我知道 "之外，幾乎不說其他話。

our dejection and loss.

我們的沮喪和失落。

With Rothko as our guide, our pain and sorrow matters a little less.

有羅斯科作為我們的嚮導，我們的痛苦和悲傷就會少一點。

.We can start to rediscover a taste for life when we see that we’re not alone in finding

.當我們看到我們並不孤單地發現，我們可以開始重新發現生活的樂趣。

it hard; that it is acceptable, even necessary, sometimes to hate the smiling ‘bastards’

這很難；有時恨那些微笑的'混蛋'是可以接受的，甚至是必要的。

who so annoyed Rothko.

他是如此惹惱了羅斯科。

We can build friendships - imaginative or real - around shared honesty about dark things.

我們可以圍繞對黑暗事物的共同誠實建立友誼--想象的或真實的。

Unhappiness is just - as wise artists have always liked to remind us, and despite the

不快樂只是--正如明智的藝術家總是喜歡提醒我們，儘管

suggestions of all those confident-seeming people congratulating themselves in the world’s

所有那些看起來很有信心的人在世界範圍內自鳴得意的建議

fancy restaurants - very normal indeed.

花哨的餐廳--確實非常正常。