The theme of my talk today is,

今天我的演講主題是

"Be an artist, right now."

現在就當個藝術家吧

Most people, when this subject is brought up,

大多數人，在聽到這個話題時

get tense and resist it:

總是很緊張很抗拒

"Art doesn't feed me, and right now I'm busy.

「藝術不是我的菜，而且我現在很忙。

I have to go to school, get a job,

我得上學，找工作

send my kids to lessons ... "

送我的孩子去補習⋯」

You think, "I'm too busy. I don't have time for art."

你想著 「我太忙了，我沒時間搞藝術。」

There are hundreds of reasons why we can't be artists right now.

我們有數百種 現在不能當藝術家的理由

Don't they just pop into your head?

你現在是不是已經想到了幾個了？

There are so many reasons why we can't be,

我們有太多不能當藝術家的理由

indeed, we're not sure why we should be.

當然，其實我們也不知道為什麼要當個藝術家

We don't know why we should be artists,

我們不知道 為什麼應該當藝術家

but we have many reasons why we can't be.

但我們有很多不能當的理由

Why do people instantly resist the idea of associating themselves with art?

為什麼人們總是立刻抗拒 把自己與藝術相連的想法？

Perhaps you think art is for the greatly gifted

或許你認為藝術 是給那些大有天分的人

or for the thoroughly and professionally trained.

或那些受過完整專業訓練的人

And some of you may think you've strayed too far from art.

有些人可能認為自己離藝術太遠了

Well you might have, but I don't think so.

你或許這麼想，但我並不這麼認為

This is the theme of my talk today.

這就是我今天演講的主題

We are all born artists.

我們生來就是藝術家

If you have kids, you know what I mean.

如果你有小孩，你就知道我的意思

Almost everything kids do is art.

幾乎孩子做的每件事都是藝術

They draw with crayons on the wall.

他們拿蠟筆在牆上塗鴉

They dance to Son Dam Bi's dance on TV,

他們隨著電視上的孫丹菲跳舞

but you can't even call it Son Dam Bi's dance -- it becomes the kids' own dance.

但那真的稱不上是孫丹菲的舞蹈 那是孩子自己的創作

So they dance a strange dance and inflict their singing on everyone.

所以他們跳著奇怪的舞 唱著讓大家痛苦的歌

Perhaps their art is something only their parents can bear,

或許只有他們的父母 能忍受他們的藝術

and because they practice such art all day long,

且因為他們一整天 都在練習這樣的藝術

people honestly get a little tired around kids.

說真的，大家對孩子會覺得有點煩

Kids will sometimes perform monodramas --

孩子有時候還會表演獨角戲

playing house is indeed a monodrama or a play.

玩扮家家酒就是一種獨角戲 或說是一場戲劇

And some kids, when they get a bit older,

某些孩子在長大一點後

start to lie.

開始說謊

Usually parents remember the very first time their kid lies.

通常父母都記得他們孩子 第一次說謊的時候

They're shocked.

他們很震驚

"Now you're showing your true colors," Mom says. She thinks, "Why does he take after his dad?"

「現在你的本性露出來了！」媽媽說。 她心想，「為什麼跟他老爸一個樣呢？」

She questions him, "What kind of a person are you going to be?"

她質問他，「你知道你會變成什麼樣嗎？」

But you shouldn't worry.

但你不需要擔心

The moment kids start to lie is the moment storytelling begins.

孩子開始說謊的剎那 就是說故事的開始

They are talking about things they didn't see.

他們在說他們沒看到的事

It's amazing. It's a wonderful moment.

這很奇妙。這是非常奇妙的時刻

Parents should celebrate.

父母應該慶祝

"Hurray! My boy finally started to lie!"

「萬歲！我的兒子終於會說謊了！」

All right! It calls for celebration.

是吧！是該慶祝的

For example, a kid says, "Mom, guess what? I met an alien on my way home."

舉個例，一個小孩說，「媽，你猜怎樣， 我今天回家時碰到一個外星人！」

Then a typical mom responds, "Stop that nonsense."

然後普通媽媽的回答是 「不要胡說八道！」

Now, an ideal parent is someone who responds like this:

那麼，理想的爸媽是這樣回應的：

"Really? An alien, huh? What did it look like? Did it say anything?

「真的嗎？外星人啊？長什麼樣子？ 他跟你說了什麼嗎？」

Where did you meet it?" "Um, in front of the supermarket."

「你在哪裡看到的？」「嗯，在超市前。」

When you have a conversation like this,

當你們像這樣對話

the kid has to come up with the next thing to say to be responsible for what he started.

這個小孩就得為他起了頭的事情 想想接下來該怎麼回答

Soon, a story develops.

很快地，一個故事就這麼展開了

Of course this is an infantile story,

當然，這是小兒講的幼稚故事

but thinking up one sentence after the next

但是他們能一句接著一句說

is the same thing a professional writer like me does.

這跟像我這樣的專業作家 做的事是一樣的

In essence, they are not different.

他們在本質上沒有不同

Roland Barthes once said of Flaubert's novels,

羅蘭·巴特有一次提到 福樓拜的小說

"Flaubert did not write a novel.

「福樓拜並不是寫小說。

He merely connected one sentence after another.

他只是把句子接起來。

The eros between sentences, that is the essence of Flaubert's novel."

字句間奇妙的愛，成就了福樓拜小說的本質。」

That's right -- a novel, basically, is writing one sentence,

沒錯，小說基本上就是寫一句話

then, without violating the scope of the first one,

然後在不違反第一句的情境下

writing the next sentence.

寫出下一句

And you continue to make connections.

然後你繼續連接句子

Take a look at this sentence:

看看這句話：

"One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in his bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug."

「一天早上，葛雷戈·桑姆薩從不安的 睡夢中醒來，發現自己在床上變成了 一隻大得嚇人的甲蟲。」

Yes, it's the first sentence of Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis."

是的，這是卡夫卡《變形記》的第一句話

Writing such an unjustifiable sentence

他寫下這句不合理的句子

and continuing in order to justify it,

還要繼續寫下去使其合理化

Kafka's work became the masterpiece of contemporary literature.

卡夫卡的作品成為現代文學的名作

Kafka did not show his work to his father.

卡夫卡沒有把作品拿給父親看

He was not on good terms with his father.

他與他父親的關係並不好

On his own, he wrote these sentences.

他自己寫下這些句子

Had he shown his father, "My boy has finally lost it," he would've thought.

如果他讓他父親看過，他可能會想， 「我的孩子終於瘋了。」

And that's right. Art is about going a little nuts

沒錯！藝術就是有一點瘋狂

and justifying the next sentence,

並且還要使下一個句子合理化

which is not much different from what a kid does.

這與一個孩子做的事也沒太多差別

A kid who has just started to lie

一個剛剛開始說謊的小孩

is taking the first step as a storyteller.

正邁出講故事的第一步

Kids do art.

孩子們會做藝術

They don't get tired and they have fun doing it.

他們不會累，他們樂在其中

I was in Jeju Island a few days ago.

幾天前我在濟州島

When kids are on the beach, most of them love playing in the water.

孩子在海邊時，大都喜歡玩水

But some of them spend a lot of time in the sand,

但有一些孩子會花很長時間在海灘

making mountains and seas -- well, not seas,

用沙堆積出山川和大海——啊，堆不出大海

but different things -- people and dogs, etc.

不過有很多不同的東西——人啊狗之類的

But parents tell them,

但父母對他們說

"It will all be washed away by the waves."

「這些會被海浪沖掉。」

In other words, it's useless.

換句話說，這些是沒用的

There's no need.

沒有用處

But kids don't mind.

但孩子不在乎

They have fun in the moment

他們在那時刻玩得很開心

and they keep playing in the sand.

而且他們還會繼續玩沙

Kids don't do it because someone told them to.

孩子並不是因為有人要求而做

They aren't told by their boss

他們不是被老闆要求

or anyone, they just do it.

或被任何人要求，他們就是玩

When you were little, I bet you spent time enjoying the pleasure of primitive art.

當你還小，我打賭，你一定花過時間 享受過單純藝術的樂趣

When I ask my students to write about their happiest moment,

當我要求我的學生 寫下他們最快樂的時刻

many write about an early artistic experience they had as a kid.

很多都會寫他們還是孩子時 非常早期的藝術經驗

Learning to play piano for the first time and playing four hands with a friend,

第一次學鋼琴的時候 第一次與朋友四手聯彈

or performing a ridiculous skit with friends looking like idiots -- things like that.

或與朋友表演一段可笑的小短劇 使自己看來像蠢蛋，諸如此類

Or the moment you developed the first film you shot with an old camera.

或是你洗出用老相機 拍的第一張相片的時刻

They talk about these kinds of experiences.

他們談到這樣的經驗

You must have had such a moment.

你一定也有這樣的時刻

In that moment, art makes you happy

在那片刻，藝術使你快樂

because it's not work.

因為那不是工作

Work doesn't make you happy, does it? Mostly it's tough.

工作不能使你快樂，對吧？ 大部分工作都很艱辛

The French writer Michel Tournier has a famous saying.

法國作家米歇爾·圖尼埃 曾說過一句名言

It's a bit mischievous, actually.

其實是有點調皮

"Work is against human nature. The proof is that it makes us tired."

「工作違反人性，其證明是 它讓我們疲倦。」

Right? Why would work tire us if it's in our nature?

是吧？如果工作是我們的本性， 為什麼會好累？

Playing doesn't tire us.

玩不會讓我們累

We can play all night long.

我們可以徹夜地玩

If we work overnight, we should be paid for overtime.

如果我們熬夜加班，就應該得加班費

Why? Because it's tiring and we feel fatigue.

為什麼？因為那好累，我們覺得疲憊

But kids, usually they do art for fun. It's playing.

但是孩子們，通常他們做藝術 只是好玩。那是玩耍

They don't draw to sell the work to a client

他們畫圖並不是為了賣作品給客人

or play the piano to earn money for the family.

或彈鋼琴賺錢養家

Of course, there were kids who had to.

當然有些孩子是為了養家

You know this gentleman, right?

你們都認得這位紳士吧？

He had to tour around Europe to support his family --

他得巡迴歐洲以養家

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart --

沃夫岡·阿瑪迪斯·莫札特

but that was centuries ago, so we can make him an exception.

但那是幾個世紀以前的事 所以我們可以說他是例外

Unfortunately, at some point our art -- such a joyful pastime -- ends.

不幸的是，我們的藝術——多好玩的消遣—— 到了某個時期就結束了

Kids have to go to lessons, to school, do homework

孩子得去上課，去學校，做功課

and of course they take piano or ballet lessons,

當然他們還要學鋼琴，學芭蕾

but they aren't fun anymore.

但這些不再好玩了

You're told to do it and there's competition. How can it be fun?

你被要求去做這些，而且還有競爭， 這樣怎麼好玩？

If you're in elementary school and you still draw on the wall,

如果你上了小學還在牆上塗鴉

you'll surely get in trouble with your mom.

我保證你媽會找你麻煩

Besides,

還有

if you continue to act like an artist as you get older,

如果你長大了 還繼續表現得像個藝術家

you'll increasingly feel pressure --

你會感到日益增加的壓力

people will question your actions and ask you to act properly.

大家會質問你的行為 且要求你要表現合宜

Here's my story: I was an eighth grader and I entered a drawing contest at school in Gyeongbokgung.

這是我的故事：我當時初三，我參加了 一個學校畫圖比賽，在景福宮舉行

I was trying my best, and my teacher came around

我很盡力地畫，然後我的老師走過來

and asked me, "What are you doing?"

問我，「你在做什麼？」

"I'm drawing diligently," I said.

「我在努力畫畫，」我說

"Why are you using only black?"

「為什麼你只用黑色？」

Indeed, I was eagerly coloring the sketchbook in black.

的確，我很急切地把寫生簿塗黑

And I explained,

所以我解釋

"It's a dark night and a crow is perching on a branch."

「天色很黑，有隻烏鴉棲息在樹枝上。」

Then my teacher said,

然後我的老師說

"Really? Well, Young-ha, you may not be good at drawing but you have a talent for storytelling."

「是嗎？唉！英夏，你大概不擅長 畫畫，但你有講故事的天份。」

Or so I wished.

我真希望是這樣的回答

"Now you'll get it, you rascal!" was the response. (Laughter)

「你死定了！你這混蛋！」才是老師的回答

"You'll get it!" he said.

「你死定了你！」他說

You were supposed to draw the palace, the Gyeonghoeru, etc.,

你應該要畫這個宮殿，景福宮之類的

but I was coloring everything in black,

但是我把每樣東西都塗黑了

so he dragged me out of the group.

所以他把我踢了出去

There were a lot of girls there as well,

當時那裡還有很多女孩子

so I was utterly mortified.

我丟臉死了

None of my explanations or excuses were heard,

我的解釋或理由都不被接受

and I really got it big time.

而且我真的是死很大

If he was an ideal teacher, he would have responded like I said before,

如果他是位理想的老師 他會以我之前說的來回應

"Young-ha may not have a talent for drawing,

「英夏或許在畫畫上沒有天份

but he has a gift for making up stories," and he would have encouraged me.

但他在編故事上很有一手，」 然後他還可以鼓勵我一下

But such a teacher is seldom found.

但這樣的老師很難找到

Later, I grew up and went to Europe's galleries --

後來，我長大後去了趟歐洲的畫廊

I was a university student -- and I thought this was really unfair.

那時我是大學生 而我心想這實在是太不公平了

Look what I found. (Laughter)

看我找到什麼！（笑聲）

Works like this were hung in Basel while I was punished

當我被懲罰的時候 像這樣的作品就高掛在巴塞爾

and stood in front of the palace with my drawing in my mouth.

而我在景福宮前罰站 嘴裡塞着我的畫

Look at this. Doesn't it look just like wallpaper?

看看這個！這難道不像壁紙嗎？

Contemporary art, I later discovered, isn't explained by a lame story like mine.

當代藝術，我後來發現，不會像我

No crows are brought up.

用一個憋腳的故事來解釋畫作 不會提到烏鴉

Most of the works have no title, Untitled.

大部分的作品是沒有標題的，《無題》

Anyways, contemporary art in the 20th century

反正二十世紀的當代藝術

is about doing something weird and filling the void with explanation and interpretation --

就是做一些怪怪的東西 然後隨你解釋及詮釋

essentially the same as I did.

跟我那時做的本質一樣

Of course, my work was very amateur,

當然，我的作品非常不成熟

but let's turn to more famous examples.

但我們來看看一些更有名的例子

This is Picasso's.

這是畢卡索的作品

He stuck handlebars into a bike seat and called it "Bull's Head." Sounds convincing, right?

他把自行車把手插進座墊裡 然後稱之為《牛頭》，很有說服力吧？

Next, a urinal was placed on its side and called "Fountain".

下一張，把小便池翻轉 以側邊平放，然後稱它為《噴泉》

That was Duchamp.

那是杜象的作品

So filling the gap between explanation and a weird act with stories --

所以用故事來解釋怪怪的行為

that's indeed what contemporary art is all about.

那的確是當代藝術的重點所在

Picasso even made the statement,

畢卡索甚至發表聲明

"I draw not what I see but what I think."

「我不畫我所看到的，我畫我所想的。」

Yes, it means I didn't have to draw Gyeonghoeru.

是的，這就是說我不需要畫景福宮

I wish I knew what Picasso said back then. I could have argued better with my teacher.

我真希望當時我知道畢卡索說的這句話 這樣我就可以跟老師好好辯論一番

Unfortunately, the little artists within us

可惜，這在我們體內的小小藝術家

are choked to death before we get to fight against the oppressors of art.

在我們與迫害藝術者爭鬥前 就已經窒息而死了

They get locked in.

他們被封閉住

That's our tragedy.

那是我們的悲劇

So what happens when little artists get locked in, banished or even killed?

所以當小藝術家被封閉、 放逐或甚至殺了，會怎麼樣呢？

Our artistic desire doesn't go away.

我們對藝術的渴望不會消失

We want to express, to reveal ourselves,

我們仍然想表達表現自我

but with the artist dead, the artistic desire reveals itself in dark form.

但是隨著藝術家之死，這個渴望 會用隱諱的形式表現出來

In karaoke bars, there are always people who sing

在卡拉OK店，總有人唱著

"She's Gone" or "Hotel California,"

《她離開了我》或《加州旅館》

miming the guitar riffs.

模仿彈吉他的樣子

Usually they sound awful. Awful indeed.

通常這些人都唱得很爛 真的很爛

Some people turn into rockers like this.

有些人變成像這樣的搖滾迷

Or some people dance in clubs.

有些人在夜店裡跳舞

People who would have enjoyed telling stories

那些原本可以開心講故事的人

end up trolling on the Internet all night long.

最後變成整晚掛網

That's how a writing talent reveals itself on the dark side.

那就是寫作天分的隱諱表現

Sometimes we see dads get more excited than their kids

有時候我們看見爸爸比小孩還激動

playing with Legos or putting together plastic robots.

玩著樂高或組塑膠機器人

They go, "Don't touch it. Daddy will do it for you."

他們會說，「不要碰。爸爸幫你做。」

The kid has already lost interest and is doing something else,

小孩已經失去興趣，去玩別的東西了

but the dad alone builds castles.

爸爸還在那裡一個人組城堡

This shows the artistic impulses inside us are suppressed, not gone.

這顯示在我們體內，想當藝術家的 衝動是被壓制了，並沒有消失

But they can often reveal themselves negatively, in the form of jealousy.

但這股衝動也常常 以負面的嫉妒形式表現

You know the song "I would love to be on TV"? Why would we love it?

你們知道《我想上電視》這首歌吧? 我們為什麼喜歡它呢?

TV is full of people who do what we wished to do,

因為電視里的人在做我們希望做

but never got to.

但無法達成的事

They dance, they act -- and the more they do, they are praised.

他們跳舞、演戲—— 做得愈多得到的讚賞也愈多

So we start to envy them.

所以我們開始嫉妒他們

We become dictators with a remote and start to criticize the people on TV.

我們成為手拿遙控器的獨裁 並且開始對電視上的那些人品頭論足

"He just can't act." "You call that singing? She can't hit the notes."

「他根本不會演！」 「那個也叫唱歌？她根本五音不全。」

We easily say these sorts of things.

我們很容易說長道短這些東西

We get jealous, not because we're evil,

我們嫉妒不是因為我們很壞

but because we have little artists pent up inside us.

而是因為體內被壓抑的藝術家

That's what I think.

至少我是這麼認為

What should we do then?

那我們應該怎麼做？

Yes, that's right.

是的，沒錯

Right now, we need to start our own art.

就在當下，我們要開始自己的藝術

Right this minute, we can turn off TV,

就在這一分鐘，我們可以關掉電視