Intimate photos of a senior love triangle | Isadora Kosofsky

翻译人员: Ziyun Liao 校对人员: Tianji (Homer) Li

Jeanie, Will and Adina are three senior citizens

珍妮，威尔和阿迪娜 是三名老年人，

connected by a special relationship.

他们因为一种特殊的关系 紧密联系在一块。

They view their bond as a shield from the loneliness of aging.

他们的关系是用来抵抗 因衰老而带来的孤独感。

I first met them at a retirement home in Los Angeles,

我第一次见到他们 是在洛杉矶的一家老人院，

where I had been photographing for three years.

我在那儿从事拍摄工作有三年。

I saw as they approached the gate one night,

有一晚，在我看到他们走近 老人院门口的时候，

and felt an immediate connection to them.

就立即被他们吸引了。

Although I didn't know the details of their love triangle,

虽然我并不清楚他们 三角恋的细节，

I intuitively felt that I had to find out who they were.

但直觉告诉我有必要去了解他们。

Questioning a nurse a day later, she said to me,

一天后，我询问了一名护士， 她跟我说，

"Oh, you're talking about the threesome."

“你说的是那三角黄昏恋吧。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I was intrigued.

我很好奇。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The trio set out on a daily adventure to coffee and doughnut shops,

这三个人每天都结伴出门冒险， 到咖啡厅，甜甜圈店，

bus stops and street corners.

公交站和街角去转悠。

I soon learned that the purpose of these outings was solace

我很快就明白他们出游的目的 是为了寻求安慰，

and a search for meaning.

和探索生命的意义。

The trio sought to combat their alienation

他们三个人用这种方法 对抗这种被疏远的孤独感，

by literally integrating themselves in public streets.

将自身与公共街道彻底融为一体，

Yet, even when arm in arm, no one saw them.

然而，即便他们手挽手的走在街上， 也没有人注意到他们。

We often think that as we age, we lose the desires held in our youth.

我们经常想，随着我们年龄增长， 我们就会失去年轻时的欲望，

Actually, as a teenage photojournalist when I met the trio,

但事实上，作为一名少年摄影记者， 当我遇到他们三个人时，

I saw their behavior as a mirror

我把他们的行为视为一面镜子，

to the fears of exclusion and desires for intimacy

反映了对被排斥的恐惧， 以及对被亲近的渴望，

that I also carried.

而我对此感同身受。

I related to their invisibility,

我对他们被人无视的经历感同身受，

which pained me during my childhood

这让我在童年时期十分痛苦，

but has become my greatest asset as an immersive documentarian,

但是这段切身经历成为了 我作为纪实摄影师最宝贵的财富，

because I can just fade into my empathy.

因为这样我可以淡化自己的同理心。

As we walked down the streets of Hollywood,

随着我们沿着好莱坞的街道行走，

in a neighborhood of screenwriters, actors and filmmakers,

在这一个编剧，演员， 和制片人比比皆是的社区里，

the trio assumed the invisibility that each senior does.

他们三个人所承受的漠视， 是每位老年人都在承受的。

I would ask myself,

我会问我自己，

"How is it that no one else sees these three human beings?

“怎么会没有人注意到 这三个人呢？”

Why is it that I am the only one who sees them?"

“为什么我是唯一 一个注意他们的人？”

Years later, as I began to share this work with the public,

几年后，当我开始和大众 分享我的这组作品时，

I noticed that people are largely uncomfortable with this story.

我注意到，大部分人听完 这个故事后感到很不舒服，

Perhaps it is because the trio doesn't assume conventional notions

也许是因为他们三个人的故事

associated with love, romance or partnership.

不符合世俗对爱情，浪漫， 伴侣关系的传统看法。

They were unseen in public and shunned by their peers.

他们在公众面前被视而不见， 也被他们的同龄人所不容。

They wanted to belong somewhere

他们也想身有所属，

but only seemed to belong with each other.

但似乎他们只属于彼此。

I wanted to belong somewhere, too.

我也想找到我的容身之处，

And my camera has been a catalyst for me to belong everywhere.

而我的镜头帮助我更快的 融入每一个地方。

But beyond challenging sociocultural norms about the elderly,

但除了挑战了世俗对于长者的看法外，

the trio sheds light on fear of remoteness.

他们三个人也诠释了对于 被疏远的恐惧。

At the end of each day, they return to their respective retirement homes.

在每天结束的时候，他们回到 他们各自的老人院，

Under the surface of their aloneness,

在他们孤独的表面下，

there is a desire for community, for their people.

有着他们对融入社区的向往， 对被人关爱的渴望，

There was a sense that they were each yearning for their tribe,

他们每个人都渴望遇到 与他们志趣相投的同类人，

but that comfort comes with compromise,

但那样的安慰往往 伴随着妥协，

because Will cannot commit to one woman.

因为威尔无法只对 一个女人做出承诺。

Sitting with Jeanie one day in her apartment, she said to me,

有一天在珍妮的公寓里， 我和她坐在一块，她对我说：

"Sharing Will is a thorn in your side.

“与别人分享威尔是很烦恼的，

A relationship between a man and a woman is private.

男女之间的感情应该是私人的，

It is a couple, not a trio."

是属于两个人的，不是三个人的。”

My process is to essentially become the people I document

我的工作就是最终成为我 所记录的人，

by spending years with them as an observer-occupant,

以一个的观察者——居住者的身份， 通过与他们相处多年，

to create a safe space, to then become hidden in plain sight.

建立一个安全的空间， 然后从一个显眼的位置隐身。

I was about 17 when I met the trio,

遇到他们三个人的时候， 我才17岁，

and I shadowed them for four years.

我跟踪记录他们的生活四年。

We actually see, in the breakdown of social development,

分析社会的发展阶段， 我们其实发现，

that adolescence and old age look strikingly alike,

青春期和老年期其实惊人的相似，

because both are periods of identity confusion.

因为这两个阶段都充满了 对身份认知的困惑。

I identified with the women.

我认同那两名女性，

But also with Will, who made me aware of the divide in me.

但同样的，我也认同威尔， 他让我意识到了我内在的分裂，

The schism that we each often have

而这种分裂是我们每一个人 都具有的：

about what we crave and the actuality of our situation.

我们内心渴望的， 以及我们实际的处境。

Before shooting this series,

在拍摄这系列纪录片之前，

I was also in love with two different people who knew about each other,

我同时爱上了两个人， 他们之间相互认识，

being the object over which they fought.

所以我成为了他们争吵的对象。

But I also knew what it was like to be at the base of the triangle,

但我能理解，成为这段三角恋的 基底是什么样的感受，

like Jeanie or Adina,

就像珍妮和阿迪娜一样，

asking myself,

我不断地问我自己：

"Why aren't I enough?"

“为什么我这么贪婪呢？”

I would look through my viewfinder and see three elderly figures,

我透过我的摄影机， 看到了三个年迈的身影。

and it became impossible to deny that regardless of age,

我们无法否认， 无论年纪大小，

we were each in pursuit of filling the proverbial hole through other people.

我们每一个人都试图通过他人， 填满自身内心的空洞。

Perhaps the discomfort of looking at Jeanie, Will and Adina's story

也许我们之所以听完珍妮，威尔， 还有阿迪娜的故事感到不舒服

is truly a reminder that even at the end of life,

是因为他们恰恰提醒了我们， 即便是在生命的最后关头，

we may never reach the fantasy we have envisioned for ourselves.

我们也许也永远无法实现 曾经自我幻想的完美爱情。

Thank you for listening.

谢谢大家的聆听。

(Applause)

（掌声，呐喊）