艺术的力量（2006）

Simon Schama's Power of Art S01E07

Part 4 Oct. 25, 2021, 7:30 p.m.

Though almost all of his critics believed that The Slavers represented an all-time low
那艘奴隶船在作品中的分量应该是比较低的
in Turner's reckless disregard for the rules of art,
但事实上由于对空间布局的精雕细琢那却成了他最大的成功
it was in fact his greatest triumph in the sculptural carving of space.
因为天空中并没有暴风雨来临的迹象
For none of the stormy atmospherics,
红色与金色表现出的狂暴会体现出它们的影响
the great pinwheel fury of reds and golds, would have the impact they did,
那并不是为了衬托透纳辟出的那条水道
were it not for that deep trough Turner has cut in the ocean,
这条水道处于画面的中心显得奔涌的黑色巨浪静止了下来
which at the centre of the painting makes the blackly heaving swells stand still
就像是耶♥和♥华♥那愤怒的手掌突然挥过沸腾的水面
as though the wrathful hand of Jehovah has suddenly passed over the boiling waters.
因为这是一个殉难日一个将会受到惩罚和审判的日子
For this is a day of martyrdom, retribution and judgement.
但是同样在这幅作品中透纳一定也有些乐观的想法
But also a scene, Turner must have optimistically thought,
也是一个证明
of vindication.
这将是一个要被补偿的罪恶
It would be a sin redeemed.
奴隶制度终将会被废除
Slavery would be defeated.
毕竟在画面的右上角
There is, after all, a patch of clearing blue
有一块清澈的蓝色
at the top right corner of the painting.
很快批评的声音蔓延开来
The critics went to town.
透纳成了一个笑柄人们眼中的疯子笨蛋
Turner became the butt of jokes, a crackpot,
人们认为他已经沉迷在自己那狂暴荒谬的绘画中不能自拔
old loon, lost in the tempest with his ridiculous painting.
人们认为作品的名字更为荒谬
And its even more ridiculous full title,
奴隶贩子抛弃垂死奴隶们的奴隶船
Slavers, Slave Ship Throwing Over the Dead and Dying,
台风来袭
Typhoon Coming On.
《笨拙画报》(Punch英国1841年创刊)也跟着瞎掺和
Punch magazine joined in the chorus of catcalls,
这本杂♥志♥依照作品的名字创作了一幅图画
lampooning Turner by inventing a painting with the title,
飓风在大漩涡上空引发的一场沙蒙风(撒哈拉北部夏季的一种挟沙的干风)
''A typhoon bursting a samoon over a whirlpool maelstrom,"
在挪威♥海♥域的一艘失火船只以及带有日晕的一场日食
''Norway, a ship on fire, and eclipse with the effect of a lunar rainbow. ''
但是《笨拙画报》之类的批评
But Punch and all the other high-hat critics
都忽略了重要的一点
missed the one overwhelming point
正是这一点令这幅作品成为十九世纪最伟大的作品
which makes this the greatest British picture of the 19th century,
那就是传递的信息与表达形式的完美结合
the perfect match between message and form.
殉难的奴隶们终将在自♥由♥来临的时刻得到报偿
The payoff of the slaves' martyrdom would in the end be freedom.
所以透纳用画刷颜料和想象力
So Turner has given himself glorious freedom with his brush
为自己带来的无上光荣的自♥由♥
and with his colour, and with his imagery,
并表现出了这个神圣时刻的伟大力量
to convey the power of the sacred moment.
在遭受冷遇后又过了两年
Two years after the debacle of The Slave Ship,
一名叫做威廉.列顿.里奇的苏格兰崇拜者
a young Scottish admirer, William Leighton Leitch,
参观了透纳位于安妮皇后街的寓所
visited Turner's house in Queen Anne Street.
他听说透纳的画廊年久失修
He'd heard that the Turner gallery was in disrepair,
但是里奇怎么也不会想到这里会是这个样子
but nothing could possibly have prepared Leitch for the squalor.
我在画廊里走来走去感到寒冷不安
I walked backwards and forwards in the gallery, feeling cold and uncomfortable.
那里没有一丝声音
There was no sound to be heard
除了从破损的窗户溅到地板上的雨滴发出的声音
but the rain splashing through the broken windows upon the floor.
里奇静静的站在晦暗的屋子里
Leitch stood in the evil-smelling gloom.
当他凝视着透纳最近的一幅作品的时候
And as he peered at Turner's most recent work, among which was hanging, somewhere,
那是一片爆♥炸♥式的血红色那就是未售出的没人要也没人喜欢的“奴隶船”
the scarlet explosion that was the unsold, unwanted, unloved Slave Ship,
他的心越来越不是滋味
he felt more and more depressed.
但正是此时这个国家最喜爱的画家
But this was the moment when the country's favourite painter,
曾一度被尊为英国艺术的元老级人物
once revered as the patriarch of British art,
却被当作一个老疯子对待
was written off as a senile lunatic.
但是在这些打击面前他并没有退缩而是更加的勇敢顽强
Yet the effect of the critical onslaught is to make him more, not less, brave.
他如今孑然一身
He's off on his own now, the solitary mariner
就像一个孤独的老水手在纯粹的绘画海洋里自♥由♥的航行
on a completely unchartered ocean of pure painting.
虽然脑海时常浮现出海洋狂暴不安的景象
Alongside all these scenes of oceanic turmoil,
透纳却依然能够创作出大海宁静的一面的作品
Turner was still capable of painting images of exquisite liquid calm.
但是我们感到他只能在梦中才能完成
But you have the feeling he could do those in his sleep.
当画中的漩涡激流把他自己也溶解进去
It's when his whirlpool of paint resolves itself
然后化为比单纯的感官娱乐更加厚重有力的东西
into something weightier and mightier than the entertainment of the senses,
当他朝着历史和永恒的真♥相♥进发的时候
when he reaches towards the truths of history and eternity,
我认为此时的透纳才是最伟大的
that I think Turner is at his greatest.
他所改变的并不仅仅是英国艺术
That's when he changes not just British art,
而是所有的艺术几乎是全部
but all of art, most completely.
正如我们知道的这就是为什么透纳仍然对我们很重要而且将来亦然的原因
And you know, this is why Turner still matters to us and always will.
那个头戴瘪帽身穿脏衣的伦敦东区的怪老头
That old Cockney geezer in his battered hat and filthy coat
把我们引入了一个地方那里是迂腐的墨守成规者没有胆量去的地方
transports us somewhere where the slick conformist would never dare to go.
因为那里是历史风暴的中心
Into the eye of history's storm.
那里是光的海洋
Into the ocean of light.