Gyotaku: The ancient Japanese art of printing fish - K. Erica Dodge

魚拓──拓印魚的古老日本藝術 - 艾瑞卡道奇 (K. Erica Dodge)

Translator: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

譯者: Jephian Lin 審譯者: Allen Li

How big was that fish you caught?

你抓到的魚有多大？

This big?

這麼大？

This big?

這麼大？

This big?

還是這麼大？

Without photographic evidence,

沒有照片當證據

there's nothing that proves you caught a whopper,

你就沒辦法證明你抓了一條大魚

and that's been true since the dawn of fishing.

自人類捕魚以來，一直都是如此

In fact, hundreds of years ago,

事實上，幾百年前

long before photography could capture the moment,

早在照片可捕捉瞬間前

Japanese fishermen invented their own way

日本漁民就發明了 一套自己的方法

to record trophy catches.

來記錄值得炫耀的戰利品

They called it Gyotaku.

他們把這技術叫魚拓 (Gyotaku)

Gyotaku is the ancient art of printing fish

魚拓，是把魚拓印下來的古老藝術

that originated in Japan

發源自日本

as a way to record trophy catches

用來記錄特殊的漁獲

prior to the modern day camera.

起源比相機還早

Gyo means fish

Gyo 的意思是魚

and taku means impression.

而 taku 的意思是拓印

There are several different stories about

關於魚拓的由來

how Gyotaku came about,

有好幾種不同說法

but it basically started with fishermen

但基本上起源於

needing a way to record the species and size

一百多年前 漁民需要有方法

of the fish they caught over 100 years ago.

來記錄抓到的魚種及大小

Fishermen took paper, ink, and brushes

漁民會帶著紙、墨汁和毛筆

out to sea with them.

一同出海

They told stories of great adventures at sea.

來講述海上的偉大冒險故事

Since the Japanese revered certain fish,

因為日本人崇敬某些魚類

the fishermen would take a rubbing from these fish

漁民會先將魚拓印起來

and release them.

再把牠們放走

To make the rubbing,

要製作拓印

they would paint the fish with non-toxic sumi-e ink

漁民會先將魚塗上無毒的墨汁

and print them on rice paper.

然後拓印在宣紙上

This way they could be released

這樣就可以把魚放回去

or cleaned and sold at market.

或是洗乾淨，再拿去市場賣

The first prints like this were for records only

像這張早期的魚拓只是用來記錄

with no extra details.

並沒有額外的細節資訊

It wasn't until the mid 1800's

一直到十九世紀中期

that they began painting eye details

漁民才開始在拓印上

and other embellishments onto the prints.

畫出眼睛的細節，及其他附加裝飾

One famous nobleman, Lord Sakai, was an avid fisherman,

有位著名的藩主酒井 是狂熱的捕魚愛好者

and, when he made a large catch,

有一次他捕到大魚

he wanted to preserve the memory

他想保存

of the large, red sea bream.

這隻大真鯛的記錄

To do so, he commissioned a fisherman to print his catch.

因此他委託一位漁民幫他拓印

After this, many fisherman would bring

之後許多漁民就會帶著

their Gyotaku prints to Lord Sakai,

他們的魚拓來找酒井藩主

and if he liked their work,

如果藩主喜歡他們的作品

he would hire them to print for him.

就會僱用他們來幫忙製作魚拓

Many prints hung in the palace during the Edo period.

江戶時期，宮殿裡掛著許多魚拓

After this period, Gyotaku was not as popular

之後，魚拓就不流行了

and began to fade away.

開始被淡忘

Today, Gyotaku has become a popular art form,

今日魚拓再度成為一種 流行的藝術形式

enjoyed by many.

受到許多人喜愛

And the prints are said to bring good luck to the fishermen.

而且據說魚拓會為捕魚者帶來好運

But the art form is quite different than it used to be.

但這藝術形式和昔日有很大的不同

Most artists today learn on their own by trial and error.

許多現代藝術家由嘗試錯誤中學習

Before the artist begins to print,

藝術家在開始拓印前

the fish needs to be prepared for printing.

要先把魚準備好

First, the artist places the fish

首先，藝術家把魚放在

on a hollowed out surface.

一個凹陷的平面

Then the artist spreads the fins out

接著藝術家把魚鰭張開

and pins them down on the board to dry.

用大頭針固定在板子風乾

They then clean the fish with water.

接著他們用水清洗魚

When it comes time to print,

要拓印時

there are two different methods.

有兩種不同的方法

The indirect method begins with pasting moist fabric or paper

「間接法」先將潮濕的布或紙張

onto the fish using rice paste.

用漿糊貼在魚上

Then, the artist uses a tompo,

接著藝術家會用「拓包」(tompo)

or a cotton ball covered in silk,

─也就是包了絲綢的棉球─

to put ink on the fabric or paper to produce the print.

沾墨到布料或紙張上拓印

This method requires more skill

這個方法須要較高的技巧

and great care needs to be taken

也要非常小心的

when pulling the paper off the fish

將紙張和魚分離

so the paper doesn't tear.

這樣紙才不會破掉

In the direct method,

而用「直接法」

the artist paints directly on the fish,

藝術家直接將魚上墨

and then gently presses the moist fabric or paper into the fish.

然後輕輕的將潮濕的布或紙張 壓在魚身上

With both of these methods,

有了這兩種方法

no two prints are exactly alike,

沒有兩張魚拓會一模一樣

but both reveal dramatic images of the fish.

但是都能生動的展現魚的形象

For the final touch,

最後一步

the artist uses a chop, or a stamp,

藝術家會蓋「印」(chop) 就是印章

and signs their work,

然後為作品簽名

and can hold it up to say,

接著就可拿著說：

"The fish was exactly this big!"

「那條魚就是這麼大！」