it feels extremely tricky and dangerous

這對於品味差的人士們

to accuse anyone of having bad taste,

或者，對自己品味感覺良好的人來說

or to pride oneself on having good taste.

要留意眉眉角角，是有風險的

The official story is that anything goes

大眾的說法是，任何東西都有它自己的個性

and no one knows what is good or bad anyway.

沒有人能說是好是壞

But that seems too easy, and lacking in ambition.

但是，這樣說又太隨便了，不是很有志氣的說法

Progress can in fact be made on this important issue

事實上，品味這個問題是能有所精進的

if we try to understand what psychological mechanisms govern the business of taste in the first place.

只要一開始，我們先了解是甚麼樣的心理機制主導我們的品味

Why do we have the taste that we have?

為什麼我們有這樣的品味呢?

Why are we attracted or repelled by certain sorts of styles?

為何我們被某種風格吸引住或有所排斥呢?

The best way to interpret this is via a theory of compensation.

最好的說法是來自於「補償機制」

We're all a bit unbalanced inside,

我們的心理其實是不平衡的

and get attracted to styles in the world

我們被外在的事物吸引

that promise to compensate us for the things that we're lacking within.

透過這些以彌補我們空虛的心理

so for example, people who feel chaotic, undisciplined, and cluttered inside,

例如，內心感到紊亂、不自律的人們

are liable to be very drawn to interiors that are serene, pure, and poised.

傾向於肅穆、素面與祥和的室內設計

Equally, people who are very exposed to

同樣地，時常處在

and oppressed by the brutal tempo of modern life,

熙來攘往的的大都會

with its excessive brutality, precision, and technological war

充斥著冷血無情、零差錯與科技的戰爭

are likely to be drawn to styles that speak of the rustic, the natural, and the cozily shabby.

傾向於這種純樸、自然與舒適感

Now that might be an explanation for taste, but what about bad taste?

至於品味又是甚麼呢?品味差又是怎麼一回事?

What singles out instances of bad taste is excess in some direction or another.

品味差的的例子，可以從某些方面的物極必反來看

Bad taste is a massive overcompensation,

品味差是一種大量且過度的補償作用

which has been generated by a sharp shortfall in some area or another;

某些方面心理嚴重地不滿足

it's a response to a psychological or physical trauma.

是生心理的創傷所造成

So for example, the Russians and the Saudis have, over the years,

例如，好幾年來俄羅斯與沙烏地阿拉伯

developed a reputation for spectacularly bad, as in gaudy, over-the-top taste,

有著他們不佳的品譽，例如:華而不實與浮誇的品味

a pumped up version of Versailles in Riyadh or Moscow.

像是利雅德(沙烏地阿拉伯城市)與莫斯科版的巴黎凡爾賽宮

This isn't, in a sense, surprising; a century of extreme deprivation under communism,

這並不令人驚訝。早在一世紀以前極端共產主義的剝削下

and an eternity of eking out a living in the barren deserts of Saudi Arabia

以及在一個貧瘠的沙烏地阿拉伯沙漠中，為了餬口求生存

have created, understandably, desperate desires for compensation,

造成了極渴望的的心理補償

which have evidently, rather, overshot their mark.

更確切地說是高調不能再高調

Or, think of sentimental bad taste, the kind where there are gnomes in the front gardens

想想這種玻璃心的差品味，像是自家前園的侏儒像

and gaudy, and sickly sweet trinkets inside.

庸俗、倒胃的稚嫩裝飾

This is a style frequently favored by the less well-off in society

這樣的風格常常受中低產階級所喜愛

people whose woking lives are humiliating back-breaking and

他們的工作多半是不光彩的且大量付出勞力

the very opposite of welcoming tender.

完全是我們社會期待的另一面

it should be no wonder that these unfortunates might therefore be in the mood

之所以這樣的不幸才會反映在

for something counter-balancingly sweet at home

他們家中那些慰藉玩物的心境上

in every instance of bad taste, we're looking at the overeager embracing of a good quality

在每件差品味的例子上，我們可以看到過於「闡釋好品質」的現象

like sweetness, freedom, fun or prosperity that was once in a very short supply

例如，甜美色彩、無拘束的設計、趣味建築或是曇花一現的崢嶸

bad taste often sickens people but once one understands its origins

品味差常常令不知情的人們作嘔，不過一旦我們了解其緣由

it starts to seem unduly harsh to judge like this

就能了解到，對此不友善是不對的

we can all understand that if a person is starving, they might eagerly eat things which

我們可以了解到，飢餓難耐之時，我們可能會狼吞虎嚥

in less desperate situations they'd obviously reject and that in their desperation

飢不擇食

their manners might take a back seat

或是沒有吃相

it's not at all pretty but we never blame them because we know why they're stuffing themselves with such haste

雖然不怎麼好看，但也不淪為詬病，因為我們知道為何他們會這樣狼吞虎嚥

We should apply similar tact when confronted with unfortunate taste in design

當我們看到不幸的品味落在設計上時，也能用同樣的道理去理解

What's bad in bad taste isn't the person but the prior trauma which

品味差錯不在人，而是創傷使然

they're seeking to compensate for, through their déco.

他們只是尋求外在的裝飾，以彌補空缺的心靈

There is no point in mocking or offering lectures about art history

我們無權模仿或評判過去的歷史

the problem isn't a lack of information. It's a trauma created by a badly broken and unbalanced world

問題不在於資訊的不足，而在於這破碎與失衡的世界所帶來的創傷

the solution to bad taste is therefore, political

解決辦法仍然存在著爭議性

good taste comes about when people feel appreciated. When there is enough to go around

好品味來自於人們感到自重，心有餘而力又足

and when there's an economy which doesn't routinely humiliate in a base its workers

國家經濟並不拖累自國的勞動子民

to make good taste more widespread. What matters above all are efforts to diminish

讓好的品味觸及老百姓。重要的是消弭

the desperate lives in which lapses of taste invariably have their origins.

來自於絕望的人生。我們生活品味流失的原因不疑有他。