An underwater art museum, teeming with life | Jason deCaires Taylor

翻译人员: Hong Li 校对人员: Khanh Do-Bao

Ten years ago,

10年前，

I had my first exhibition here.

我在这里举办了第一次展览。

I had no idea if it would work or was at all possible,

当时我对于能否成功毫无信心，

but with a few small steps and a very steep learning curve,

但经过几次尝试后， 我进步很快，

I made my first sculpture, called "The Lost Correspondent."

我完成了第一件雕塑作品， 名为“失落的记者”。

Teaming up with a marine biologist and a local dive center,

通过与一名海洋生物学家 和当地潜水中心的合作，

I submerged the work off the coast of Grenada,

我将这个雕塑沉到了 格林纳达的海底，

in an area decimated by Hurricane Ivan.

飓风伊万曾经摧毁过那个区域。

And then this incredible thing happened.

之后不可思议的事情发生了。

It transformed.

它发生了大变化。

One sculpture became two.

一尊雕像变成了两尊。

Two quickly became 26.

两尊很快变成了26尊。

And before I knew it,

在不经意间，

we had the world's first underwater sculpture park.

世界上第一个 水下雕塑公园就诞生了。

In 2009, I moved to Mexico and started by casting local fisherman.

2009年，我搬到了墨西哥， 开始以当地渔民的形象进行创作。

This grew to a small community,

这些雕像渐渐形成一个小规模社区，

to almost an entire movement of people in defense of the sea.

几乎完整呈现了一场 人们保护海洋的运动。

And then finally, to an underwater museum,

最后，它们都被送到了海底博物馆，

with over 500 living sculptures.

一共有超过500尊生机勃勃的雕塑。

Gardening, it seems, is not just for greenhouses.

看起来，园艺不一定 只能出现在温室里。

We've since scaled up the designs:

之后我们将设计升级了一个层次：

"Ocean Atlas," in the Bahamas, rising 16 feet up to the surface

“海洋巨人”，在巴哈马（完成）， 高16英尺，

and weighing over 40 tons,

重量超过40吨，

to now currently in Lanzarote,

目前位于兰萨罗特，

where I'm making an underwater botanical garden,

我在那里建了一座水下植物园，

the first of its kind in the Atlantic Ocean.

是大西洋里的第一座。

Each project, we use materials and designs that help encourage life;

每一件作品，我们都使用 对动植物友好的材料和设计，

a long-lasting pH-neutral cement provides a stable and permanent platform.

用酸碱中性的坚固水泥， 制作结实耐用的平台。

It is textured to allow coral polyps to attach.

质地适合珊瑚虫附着。

We position them down current from natural reefs

我们将雕塑沉入靠近珊瑚礁的水下，

so that after spawning, there's areas for them to settle.

这样（珊瑚虫）产卵之后， 能有地方供卵附着。

The formations are all configured so that they aggregate fish

排列的方式也经过设计， 这样能使聚集过来的鱼群

on a really large scale.

达到一个很大的数量级。

Even this VW Beetle has an internal living habitat

就连这辆大众甲壳虫内部 也是一个栖息地

to encourage crustaceans such as lobsters and sea urchins.

适合甲壳纲动物生活， 比如龙虾和海胆。

So why exhibit my work in the ocean?

为什么我要把作品在海底展出呢？

Because honestly, it's really not easy.

因为说实话，这事一点也不轻松。

When you're in the middle of the sea under a hundred-foot crane,

当你立在海里，头顶上 是100英尺高的起重机，

trying to lower eight tons down to the sea floor,

试着将8吨重的东西放到海底，

you start to wonder whether I shouldn't have taken up watercolor painting instead.

你可能会想，当初为什么 没去学水彩画呢？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But in the end, the results always blow my mind.

但是，最后的结果总能让我惊喜。

(Music)

（音乐）

The ocean is the most incredible exhibition space

海洋是最理想的展出场所，

an artist could ever wish for.

是艺术家梦寐以求的。

You have amazing lighting effects changing by the hour,

那里有时刻都在变化的光影效果，

explosions of sand covering the sculptures in a cloud of mystery,

盖住雕像的细沙，仿佛神秘的面纱，

a unique timeless quality

静止在时光之外，

and the procession of inquisitive visitors,

还有数量众多好奇的参观者，

each lending their own special touch to the site.

每一位都会在上面 留下自己特殊的印记。

(Music)

（音乐）

But over the years,

但随着时间流逝，

I've realized that the greatest thing about what we do,

我才意识到这件事的伟大之处，

the really humbling thing about the work,

它充满了谦卑的情怀，

is that as soon as we submerge the sculptures,

从我们将雕像沉入水中的那一刻起，

they're not ours anymore,

它们就不再属于我们，

because as soon as we sink them,

因为从下沉的那一刻开始，

the sculptures, they belong to the sea.

这些雕像，就归属了海洋。

As new reefs form, a new world literally starts to evolve,

随着新的珊瑚礁形成， 一个新的世界开始进化，

a world that continuously amazes me.

那是一个不断带来惊喜的世界。

It's a bit of a cliché, but nothing man-made

也许这话有点陈词滥调， 但人造之物，

can ever match the imagination of nature.

终究比不上大自然的鬼斧神工。

Sponges look like veins across the faces.

海绵动物看起来像脸上的血管。

Staghorn coral morphs the form.

鹿角珊瑚组合成美丽的形状。

Fireworms scrawl white lines as they feed.

火蠕虫进食后留下了白色的线条。

Tunicates explode from the faces.

海鞘在雕像脸上，仿佛花朵绽放。

Sea urchins crawl across the bodies feeding at night.

海胆在夜晚爬过雕像的身躯进食。

Coralline algae applies a kind of purple paint.

珊瑚藻将雕像涂成某种紫色。

The deepest red I've ever seen in my life lives underwater.

我见过的最深的红色就位于水下。

Gorgonian fans oscillate with the waves.

柳珊瑚随着水流翩翩起舞。

Purple sponges breathe water like air.

紫海绵像呼吸空气一样呼吸海水。

And grey angelfish glide silently overhead.

灰色的天使鱼在头顶安静地游过。

And the amazing response we've had to these works

我们从这些作品里 获得的回应是神奇的，

tells me that we've managed to plug into something really primal,

我们成功地将作品嵌入了 大自然原始的进程，

because it seems that these images translate across the world,

这些图像看起来能被全世界理解，

and that's made me focus on my responsibility as an artist

这使得我得以专注于艺术家的职责，

and about what I'm trying to achieve.

专注于我想达成的目标。

I'm standing here today on this boat in the middle of the ocean,

今天我站在这里， 在大洋中央的一艘船上，

and this couldn't be a better place

我觉得这是个绝佳的位置，

to talk about the really, really important effect of my work.

来讲述我的工作 最最重要的意义所在。

Because as we all know,

因为众所周知，

our reefs are dying, and our oceans are in trouble.

我们的珊瑚礁在死去， 我们的海洋遇到了大问题。

So here's the thing:

下面重点来了：

the most used, searched and shared image

到目前为止，我的所有作品中

of all my work thus far is this.

被引用，搜索和分享 最多的是这幅图像。

And I think this is for a reason,

我想这是有原因的，

or at least I hope it is.

或者至少我希望是这样。

What I really hope is that people are beginning to understand

我希望人们开始明白，

that when we think of the environment and the destruction of nature,

当我们在思考环境污染问题时，

that we need to start thinking about our oceans, too.

不要忽略海洋。

Since building these sites, we've seen some phenomenal

从建立这些公园开始， 我们就看到了许多神奇的

and unexpected results.

意想之外的结果。

Besides creating over 800 square meters of new habitats and living reef,

我们（为海洋生物）创造了超过800平米的 新栖息地和活的珊瑚礁，

visitors to the marine park in Cancun now divide half their time

此外，去坎昆海洋公园的游客 开始将一半的时间

between the museum and the natural reefs,

用在参观博物馆和珊瑚礁，

providing significant rest for natural, overstressed areas.

让那些游客压力过大的 自然区域能够得以喘息。

Visitors to "Ocean Atlas" in the Bahamas highlighted a leak

这是到巴哈马参观 “海洋巨人”的游客在展示

from a nearby oil refinery.

附近炼油厂泄漏的原油。

The subsequent international media forced the local government

随后迫于国际媒体的压力，当地政府

to pledge 10 million dollars in coastal cleanups.

拨出1000万美元来清理海滩。

The sculpture park in Grenada was instrumental

而格林纳达的雕塑公园， 在政府选址

in the government designating a spot -- a marine-protected area.

建立海洋保护区时 发挥了重要作用。

Entrance fees to the park now help fund park rangers

公园门票被用于资助公园巡逻员

to manage tourism and fishing quotas.

监控游客数量和捕鱼量。

The site was actually listed as a "Wonder of the World"

这个公园还被《国家地理》杂志列入

by National Geographic.

“世界奇迹”名录。

So why are we all here today in this room?

那么我们今天为什么会 相聚在这里呢？

What do we all have in common?

我们有什么共同点吗？

I think we all share a fear

我认为，我们都心怀忧虑，

that we don't protect our oceans enough.

担心我们对海洋的保护做得不够。

And one way of thinking about this

为什么会这么认为，原因之一是

is that we don't regard our oceans as sacred,

我们没有将海洋看作神圣之地，

and we should.

这很不应该。

When we see incredible places --

当我们看到美妙的景色时——

like the Himalayas or the La Sagrada Família,

比如喜马拉雅山或者圣家堂，

or the Mona Lisa, even --

甚至是蒙娜丽莎，

when we see these incredible places and things,

当我们看到这些 奇妙的景色或者物品时，

we understand their importance.

我们懂得它们的重要性。

We call them sacred,

认为它们是神圣的，

and we do our best to cherish them, to protect them

我们视其为珍宝，尽力保护，

and to keep them safe.

生怕有任何闪失。

But in order to do that,

但要做到这一点，

we are the ones that have to assign that value;

我们就需要站出来， 赋予它们价值，

otherwise, it will be desecrated

否则，它们可能就会被

by someone who doesn't understand that value.

那些不懂其价值的人破坏。

So I want to finish up tonight by talking about sacred things.

所以，最后我想谈谈神圣的东西。

When we were naming the site in Cancun,

当我们给坎昆的这个地点命名时，

we named it a museum for a very important and simple reason:

我们之所以称其为博物馆， 原因很重要却也简单：

museums are places of preservation,

博物馆的功能是保存，

of conservation and of education.

保护和教育。

They're places where we keep objects of great value to us,

博物馆是用来保存珍宝的地方，

where we simply treasure them for them being themselves.

以便我们能在那里欣赏它们。

If someone was to throw an egg at the Sistine Chapel,

如果有人在西斯廷小教堂扔鸡蛋，

we'd all go crazy.

我们都会强烈谴责。

If someone wanted to build a seven-star hotel

如果有人想在科罗拉多大峡谷底部

at the bottom of the Grand Canyon,

建一家七星级酒店，

then we would laugh them out of Arizona.

我们会把他们踢出亚利桑那州。

Yet every day we dredge, pollute and overfish our oceans.

然而我们每天都在糟蹋海洋， 开采，污染，过度捕捞。

And I think it's easier for us to do that,

我觉得这也可以理解，

because when we see the ocean,

因为当我们望向海洋的时候，

we don't see the havoc we're wreaking.

我们看不到我们造成的破坏。

Because for most people,

因为对大多数人来说，

the ocean is like this.

海洋看起来是这样的。

And it's really hard

很难想象，

to think of something that's just so plain and so enormous, as fragile.

海洋如此纯粹，如此巨大， 却又如此脆弱。

It's simply too massive, too vast, too endless.

它太过广袤无垠，无边无际。

And what do you see here?

你们能看到什么？

I think most people actually look past to the horizon.

我觉得大部分人会 直接望向远处的地平线。

So I think there's a real danger

因此我觉得有件事很危险，

that we never really see the sea,

那就是我们从未真正看清海洋，

and if we don't really see it,

而如果我们没有看清，

if it doesn't have its own iconography,

没有对海洋形成全面的认识，

if we miss its majesty,

没有看到它的雄伟庄严，

then there's a big danger that we take it for granted.

那我们就会（把向海洋索取） 视为理所当然，这很危险。

Cancun is famous for spring break,

坎昆是一个著名的春假旅游地，

tequila and foam parties.

以龙舌兰酒和泡泡轰趴闻名。

And its waters are where frat boys can ride around on Jet Skis

年轻人在那里骑快艇，

and banana boats.

或者坐香蕉船滑水。

But because of our work there, there's now a little corner of Cancun

但由于我们在那里的工作，现在坎昆 有那么一个小小的角落，

that is simply precious for being itself.

因为保持了自然原貌而备受珍视。

And we don't want to stop in Grenada,

我们并不满足于在格林纳达，

in Cancun or the Bahamas.

坎昆或者巴哈马止步。

Just last month, I installed these Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

就在上个月，我将“启示录四骑士”

in the Thames River,

放在了泰晤士河，

in central London, right in front of the Houses of Parliament,

就在伦敦市中心，正对着国会大厦，

putting a stark message about climate change

我想把气候变化的信息明确地

in front of the people that have the power to help change things.

传递给那些有能力做出改变的人。

Because for me, this is just the beginning of the mission.

对我而言， 这仅仅是一项长期任务的开始。

We want to team up with other inventors,

我们打算联合发明家，

creators, philanthropists, educators, biologists,

创作家，慈善家，教育家，生物学家，

to see better futures for our oceans.

为我们的海洋创造更好的未来。

And we want to see beyond sculpture,

我们想做的不仅仅是雕塑，

beyond art, even.

甚至不仅仅是艺术。

Say you're a 14-year-old kid from the city,

假设你是一名14岁的城里孩子，

and you've never seen the ocean.

从未见过海。

And instead of getting taken to the natural history museum

我们不打算带你去自然历史博物馆，

or an aquarium,

或者水族馆，

you get taken out to the ocean,

而是带你到真正的海洋，

to an underwater Noah's Ark,

到一艘水下的诺亚方舟，

which you can access through a dry-glass viewing tunnel,

你可以通过一个透明的 玻璃观景通道进入其中，

where you can see all the wildlife of the land

在那里，你能看到 陆地上的野生动植物（雕塑），

be colonized by the wildlife of the ocean.

被海洋生物当成了殖民地。

Clearly, it would blow your mind.

显然，这会让你大开眼界。

So let's think big and let's think deep.

因此，让我们尽情想象吧。

Who knows where our imagination and willpower can lead us?

谁知道我们的想象力和 意志力能将我们带往何处？

I hope that by bringing our art into the ocean,

我希望，我们将艺术品放入海洋，

that not only do we take advantage of amazing creativity

不仅仅能因为奇妙的创意

and visual impact of the setting,

和视觉冲击而获得回报，

but that we are also giving something back,

同时我们也能有所回馈，

and by encouraging new environments to thrive,

创造新的环境（让海洋生物） 实现繁荣发展，

and in some way opening up a new -- or maybe it's a really old way

以全新的方法—— 也许是回归最古老的方法

of seeing the seas:

来看待海洋：

as delicate, precious places,

海洋是精致而优雅的，

worthy of our protection.

值得我们保护。

Our oceans are sacred.

我们的海洋是神圣的。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）