Over a number of years, typically with a lot of thought and considerable dedication, we

多年來，通常伴隨許多想法與重要的奉獻精神，我們

assemble furniture, crockery, pictures, rugs, cushions, vases, sideboards, taps, door handles

集合了家具、陶器、照片、地毯、橡皮軟墊、花瓶、邊櫃、水龍頭、門把等等

and so on into a distinctive constellation we anoint with the word home.

成為一個獨特的璀燦星空，我們賦予它一個名字 -- 家

Our homes will not necessarily be the most attractive or sumptuous environments

我們的家不需要是最吸引人或是有豐富的設施

we could spend time in. There are always hotels or public spaces that would be a good deal more impressive.

可以讓我們殺時間。有許多飯店或公共空間讓你更印象深刻

But after we have been travelling a long while, after too many nights in hotel rooms or on the beds of friends,

但在我們旅行好長一段時間後，在飯店房間或朋友家床上度過數次夜晚後

we typically feel a powerful ache to return to our own furnishings,

我們通常會很渴望回到我們自己的家裡

an ache that has little to do with material comfort per se. We need to get

這種渴望與物質上的舒適無關。我們需要回到家裡

home to remember who we are. Our homes have a memorialising function, and what they are

讓我們記得自己是誰。我們的家有記憶功能，它幫助我們

helping us to remember is, strangely enough, ourselves. We can see this need to anchor

記得的是，說來也是奇怪，是我們自己。這種將個性繫於物質上的需求

identity in matter in the history of religion. Humans have from the earliest days expended

我們從信仰的歷史中便能看出端倪。人類從好久以前便開始投注

enormous care and creativity on building homes for their gods. They haven't felt that their

大量的心力與創造力來為他們的神祇建造房屋。他們不覺得

gods could live just anywhere, out in the wild or as it were in hotels, they have believed

他們的神可以居住在隨便一個地方，野外或是旅館，他們確信

that they needed special places, temple-homes, where their specific characters could be stabilised through art and architecture.

神需要一個特殊的場所，神廟，在此可以透過藝術與建築讓他們的神性穩定下來

For the Ancient Greeks, Athena was the goddess of wisdom,

在古希臘，雅典娜是主司智慧

rationality and harmony and in 420 BC, they completed a home for her on the slopes of the Acropolis.

理性與和諧的女神，西元前 420 年，古希臘人在雅典衛城的斜坡上為祂建造了一個家

It wasn't a large home – about the size of an average American kitchen – but

它並不大—大約美國廚房的平均大小而已—

it was an exceptionally apt and beautiful one. The temple felt dignified but approachable.

但它是個恰當而美麗的神廟。這個神廟讓人感到莊嚴但又親切

It was rigorously balanced and logical, serene and poised. It was its inhabitant artfully sculpted in limestone.

它十分地協調、有邏輯、寧靜與平和。是當地居民用石灰岩巧妙地雕刻而成的

The Greeks took such care over Athena's temple-home because they

希臘人在雅典娜的神廟上花費相當多心力，因為他們

understood the human mind. They knew that, without architecture, we struggle to remember

了解人心。他們知道沒有了建築，我們很難記得

what we care about – and more broadly who we are. To be told in words that Athena represented

我們關心的事，更甚者，我們是誰。僅用言語傳達雅典娜本身所代表的

grace and balance wasn't going to be enough on its own. There needed to be a house to

典雅與協調是不夠的。因此需要一個建築物

bring the idea forcefully and continuously to consciousness.

將這樣的想法強力地且持續地灌輸入人們的意識中

Without there being anything grandiose or supernatural in the idea, our homes are also temples.

雖然沒有任何宏大或不可思議的概念，我們的家也是神廟

They are temples to us. We're not expecting to be worshipped; but we are

屬於我們的神廟。我們並沒有期望被敬拜，但我們

trying to make a place that – like a temple – adequately embodies our spiritual values

試著打造一個處所—像神廟般—足以體現我們靈魂的價值

and merits. Creating a home is frequently such a demanding process because it requires

與優點。創建一個家往往是個吃力的過程，因為需要

us to find our way to objects that can correctly convey our identities.

找到可以正確傳達我們個性的物體

We get fussy because objects are, in their own way,

我們會十分煩惱，因為物體以各自的方式

all hugely eloquent. Two chairs that perform much the same physical role can articulate

表現出強烈的個性。兩張椅子都扮演出相同的物質角色

entirely different visions of life.

但各自連結不同的生活願景

One chair by the Swiss 20th century architect

西元 20 世紀建築師柯比意設計的一張椅子

Le Corbusier will speak of efficiency, an excitement about the future, an international

講述的是效能、對於未來事物的興奮之情、國際化的精神

spirit, an impatience around nostalgia and a devotion to reason. The other, by the English

對復古風格的難耐與對理性的忠誠。另一把是西元 19 世紀英國

19th century designer William Morris, will speak of the superiority of the pre-industrial

設計師威廉莫里斯，講述的是崇尚前工業化時代

world, the beauty of tradition, the appeal of patience and the pull of the local.

傳統美學、對韌性的要求與地方的吸引力

An object ends up feeling 'right' when it speaks attractively about qualities that we are drawn to,

當一個物體具備吸引人的特質並引起我們注意時，我們會覺得那是「對的」物體，

but don't quite possess strong enough dose in our lives day to day. The desirable object gives us a more

但不足以支撐我們的日常生活。理想的物體讓我們

secure hold on values that are present, yet fragile in ourselves; it endorses and encourages

對當前存在價值更加堅定，但我們本身卻很脆弱；

important themes in us. The smallest things in our homes whisper to us, they offer

它支持及鼓勵我們的重要思想。我們家中最小的物品在我們耳邊低語，它們給予我們

us encouragement, reminders, consoling thoughts, warnings or correctives, as we go about making

鼓勵、提醒、撫慰的想法、告誡與矯正，在我們做早餐

breakfast or do the accounts in the evening.

或是傍晚記帳時。

The quest to build a home is connected up with a need to stabilize and

追求創建一個家的想法，可連結至一個安定的需求

organise our complex selves. It's not enough to know who we are in our own minds. We need

以及組織我們複雜的自我。從腦中理解我們自己是誰還不足夠。我們需要

something more tangible, material and sensuous to pin down the diverse and intermittent aspects

一些有形的、物質上的與感性的物品，來辨明我們自身個性的多樣性與週期性

of our identities. We need to rely on a certain kinds of cutlery, bookshelves, laundry cupboards

我們需要依靠食具、書櫃、洗碗機

and armchairs to align us with who we are and seek to be. We are not boasting ourselves;

與扶手椅來使我們自身與想要成為的人保持一致。我們不是在吹噓自我

we're trying to gather our identities in one receptacle, preserving ourselves from

我們試著將自己的個性收斂在一個容器中，保護我們自己

erosion and dispersal. Home means the place where our soul feels that it has found its

不被侵蝕與消散。家代表一個處所，一個可以安置我們的靈魂的

proper physical container, where, everyday, the objects we live amongst quietly remind

物質容器，在那裡，每一天，與我們一同生活的物品無聲地提醒我們

us of our most authentic commitments and loves.

有關真正的義務與愛

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請留下評論、按喜歡與訂閱。並到我們的商店看看更多人生學校的東西