Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you've never noticed | Roman Mars

翻译人员: Jack Qiu 校对人员: HONGYU SONG

我知道你们在想什么：

I know what you're thinking:

“为什么那家伙能够坐着（演讲）？”

"Why does that guy get to sit down?"

That's because this is radio.

因为这是一个电台。

（音乐）

(Music)

I tell radio stories about design,

我在电台上广播有关设计的故事，

and I report on all kinds of stories:

各种故事我都报道：

buildings and toothbrushes, mascots and wayfinding and fonts.

建筑和牙刷

吉祥物和指路牌以及字体。

My mission is to get people to engage with the design that they care about

我的任务就是让人们去接触他们关心的设计

so they begin to pay attention to all forms of design.

这样他们就能够开始关注它们。

当你用“设计”的思维去了解这个世界，

When you decode the world with design intent in mind,

the world becomes kind of magical.

世界变得奇妙。

那些破损零散的东西，

Instead of seeing the broken things,

会在你眼中会变成

you see all the little bits of genius

that anonymous designers have sweated over to make our lives better.

无名设计师们精心设计

这些设让我们的生活变得更好。

And that's essentially the definition of design:

这就是设计的基本定义：

making life better and providing joy.

改善生活，给予欢乐。

而没有什么东西能比精心一面设计的旗子

And few things give me greater joy

than a well-designed flag.

更能为我带来欢乐。

（笑）（掌声）

(Laughter)

Yeah!

对吧！

(Applause)

Happy 50th anniversary on your flag, Canada.

加拿大国旗50岁生日快乐。

It is beautiful, gold standard.

这幅国旗精美严谨，我非常喜欢。

Love it.

I'm kind of obsessed with flags.

我对旗帜挺着迷的，

有时候我谈起关于旗帜的话题，

Sometimes I bring up the topic of flags,

有人就会说， “我一点也不关心旗帜，”

and people are like, "I don't care about flags,"

and then we start talking about flags, and trust me,

而当我们开始聊起旗帜的时候，相信我，

100 percent of people care about flags.

百分之百的人在乎。

There's just something about them that works on our emotions.

它在我们的心中就占有着这么一个位置。

My family wrapped my Christmas presents as flags this year,

我们家今年圣诞用国旗来包我的礼物，

包括那个蓝色礼品袋

including the blue gift bag that's dressed up as the flag of Scotland.

包裹着它的是苏格兰国旗。

我把这图发到网上去，不用说，

I put this picture online, and sure enough,

within the first few minutes, someone left a comment that said,

几分钟内，有人就评论说，

"You can take that Scottish Saltire and shove it up your ass."

“你可以把那个苏格兰旗插在你屁股上”（笑声）

(Laughter)

你看，人们对旗子很狂热的嘛。

See, people are passionate about flags, you know?

就是这样。

That's the way it is.

What I love about flags

我热爱旗子的原因是，

is that once you understand the design of flags,

一旦你理解了旗帜的设计，

what makes a good flag, what makes a bad flag,

什么是好旗子， 什么是坏旗子，

you can understand the design of almost anything.

你几乎就能理解一切设计。

So what I'm going to do here is,

所以我现在要做的就是，

I cracked open an episode of my radio show,

开播一集我的电台节目，

"99% Invisible," and I'm going to reconstruct it here on stage,

“99% Invisible”，并且我将要在台上创新它。

so when I press a button over here --

当我在这按一个按钮 --

语音：S代表声音 --

Voice: S for Sound --

Roman Mars: 就会有声音出来

Roman Mars: It's going to make a sound,

and so whenever you hear a sound or a voice or a piece of music,

所以只要你听到有声音，

语音或是音乐，

都是因为我按了一个按键。

it's because I pressed a button.

Voice: Sound.

语音：ssssss声音

RM: All right, got it? Here we go.

RM：好吧，明白了吗？我们开始吧。

Three, two.

三，二

This is 99% Invisible. I'm Roman Mars.

这里是99% Invisible节目。我是罗曼 马尔斯。

(Music)

Narrator: The five basic principles of flag design.

旁白：旗帜设计的五个基本原则。

Roman Mars: According to the North American Vexillological Association.

RM：根据北美旗帜学协会。

Vexillological.

旗帜学

Ted Kaye: Vexillology is the study of flags.

Ted Kaye：旗帜学是对旗帜的研究。

RM：因为里边多余的"lol" 让它听上去很奇怪。

RM: It's that extra "lol" that makes it sound weird.

Narrator: Number one, keep it simple.

旁白：原则一，化繁为简。

The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.

旗子需要简单的连小孩子都能凭记忆画出来。

RM: Before I moved to Chicago in 2005,

RM：2005年在我搬去芝加哥之前，

I didn't even know cities had their own flags.

我根本不知道每个城市有自己的旗子。

TK：多数大城市有自己的市旗。

TK: Most larger cities do have flags.

RM：好吧，我没听说过。 对了，那个是Ted Kaye。

RM: Well, I didn't know that, that's Ted Kaye, by the way.

TK: Hello.

TK：你好。 RM：他是一个旗帜专家。

RM: He's a flag expert, he's a totally awesome guy.

他是个特棒的家伙。

TK：我是Ted Kaye。我编辑了一份 有关旗帜研究的学术的周刊，

TK: I'm Ted Kaye, I have edited a scholarly journal on flag studies,

and I am currently involved with the Portland Flag Association

我目前在波特兰旗帜学会

and the North American Vexillological Association.

和北美旗帜学学会工作。

RM：Ted 写了一本有关旗帜设计的书。

RM: Ted literally wrote the book on flag design.

旁白：“好旗子，坏旗子。”

Narrator: "Good Flag, Bad Flag."

RM: It's more of a pamphlet, really, it's about 16 pages.

RM：其实更像一本小册子，大概就16页。

TK: Yes, it's called "Good Flag, Bad Flag: How to Design a Great Flag."

TK：没错，就叫做 “好旗子，坏旗子：

如何设计一面好旗。”

RM: And that first city flag I discovered in Chicago

RM：而我在芝加哥发现的第一面市旗

is a beaut:

惊艳极了：

white field, two horizontal blue stripes,

白底，两条水平的蓝色间条，

and four six-pointed red stars down the middle.

中间四颗红色六角星。

(Sound)

旁白： 原则二：运用有意义的象征。

Narrator: Number two, use meaningful symbolism.

TK: The blue stripes represent the water, the river and the lake.

TK：蓝色间条代表水，河流和湖水。

Narrator: The flag's images, colors or pattern

旁白：旗的图案，颜色或图形

should relate to what it symbolizes.

应该与它所代表的东西相关联。

TK: The red stars represent significant events in Chicago's history.

TK：红星代表了在芝加哥历史上著名的事件。

RM：例如，在如今芝加哥址上建立的迪尔伯恩要塞，

RM: Namely, the founding of Fort Dearborn on the future site of Chicago,

芝加哥大火，

the Great Chicago Fire,

所有人都记得的，哥伦比亚世界博览会，

the World Columbian Exposition, which everyone remembers

because of the White City,

因为 White City 游乐场，

and the Century of Progress Exposition, which no one remembers at all.

以及没有人记得的，

进步世纪博览会。

旁白：原则三，使用两到三种基本色。

Narrator: Number three, use two to three basic colors.

TK: The basic rule for colors is to use two to three colors

TK：用色的基本原则， 就是使用两到三种

基本色系里的颜色：

from the standard color set: red, white, blue, green, yellow and black.

红，白，蓝，绿，黄，黑。

RM: The design of the Chicago flag has complete buy-in

RM：芝加哥市旗的设计

遍布城市各个角落。

with an entire cross-section of the city.

（它）到处都是；

It is everywhere;

every municipal building flies the flag.

每栋市政大楼都飘着这面旗。

Whet Moser：在靠近我工作的地方，

Whet Moser: There's probably at least one store on every block

每个街区至少有一家商店在卖 印有芝加哥市旗的日常用品。

near where I work that sells some sort of Chicago flag paraphernalia.

RM: That's Whet Moser from Chicago magazine.

RM：这位是芝加哥杂志的Whet Moser。

WM: Today, just for example, I went to get a haircut,

WM：比如今天，我去理发，

and when I sat down in the barber's chair,

当我在理发师的椅子坐下来之后，

there was a Chicago flag on the box that the barber kept all his tools in,

看见他的工具箱上就有一面芝加哥市旗，

and then in the mirror, there was a Chicago flag on the wall behind me.

然后透过镜子看到，在我身后的墙上 有一面芝加哥市旗。

When I left, a guy passed me who had a Chicago flag badge on his backpack.

我走的时候，一个在我面前走过的家伙 背包上有一个芝加哥市旗的徽章。

RM: It's adaptable and remixable.

RM：市旗上的图案可以随意融合与混搭。

The six-pointed stars in particular show up in all kinds of places.

特别是六角星在各个场合出现。

WM: The coffee I bought the other day had a Chicago star on it.

WM：我那天买的咖啡

就有一颗芝加哥星在上面。

RM: It's a distinct symbol of Chicago pride.

RM：这是芝加哥骄傲的独特象征。

TK: When a police officer or a firefighter dies in Chicago,

TK：当一个警官或消防员在芝加哥殉职时，

通常在他的棺材上盖的不是美国国旗，

often it's not the flag of the United States on his casket.

It can be the flag of the city of Chicago.

有可能是芝加哥市旗。

That's how deeply the flag has gotten into the civic imagery of Chicago.

这就体现这旗是多么深入民心。

RM: And it isn't just that people love Chicago and therefore love the flag.

RM：人们不是因爱芝加哥 而爱芝加哥市旗。

I also think that people love Chicago more because the flag is so cool.

我觉得人们是因为市旗太美

更加爱上了芝加哥。

TK: A positive feedback loop there between great symbolism and civic pride.

TK：这是好的象征和市民荣誉感之间的 正反馈循环。

RM: OK, so when I moved back to San Francisco in 2008,

RM：在2008年当我搬回三藩市的时候，

I researched its flag,

我搜索了它的市旗，

because I had never seen it in the previous eight years I lived there.

因为在我之前住的8年里

我从没见到过三藩市的市旗。

我找到了，很遗憾地说，

And I found it, I am sorry to say,

sadly lacking.

不太出色。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I know.

我知道。

It hurts me, too.

我的心也很痛啊。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

TK：那么，让我再从头来一遍。

TK: Well, let me start from the top.

旁白：第一，化繁为简。

Narrator: Number one, keep it simple.

TK：化繁为简。

TK: Keeping it simple.

Narrator: The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.

旁白：旗子需要简单的连小孩子都能凭记忆画出来。

TK：这旗相对来说比较复杂。

TK: It's a relatively complex flag.

RM: OK, here we go, OK.

RM：好吧

The main component of the San Francisco flag is a phoenix

三藩市旗的主体是一只凤凰。

representing the city rising from the ashes

代表着这个城市 在1850年代灾难性的大火后

after the devastating fires of the 1850s.

在废墟中重建。

TK: A powerful symbol for San Francisco.

TK：对旧金山来说很有象征性的标志。

RM: I still don't really dig the phoenix.

RM：我还是不太喜欢那只凤凰。

Design-wise, it manages to both be too crude

从设计的角度来说，

and have too many details at the same time,

这形象既粗糙， 又包含太多细节

which if you were trying for that,

如果你打算画这面旗的话，

you wouldn't be able to do it,

你不能把它画出来，

and it just looks bad at a distance,

而且从远处看它确实很糟糕，

but having deep meaning puts that element in the plus column.

但是这个形象有深层含义， 这是加分项。

Behind the phoenix, the background is mostly white,

在凤凰的后面， 背景基本上是白色的，

and then it has a substantial gold border around it.

并且有大的金色边框围绕着它。

TK: Which is a very attractive design element.

TK：这种设计很惹人注目。

我觉得还行。不过 -- （笑声） --

RM: I think it's OK, but --

(Laughter)

here come the big no-nos of flag design.

以下就是旗帜设计的禁忌。

旁白：原则四，禁止使用字母或印章。

Narrator: Number four, no lettering or seals.

Never use writing of any kind.

绝不使用任何书写。

RM: Underneath the phoenix, there's a motto on a ribbon

RM：凤凰下方的丝带上有一段格言

译为： “和平繁荣城，战时钢铁都”

that translates to "Gold in peace, iron in war,"

plus -- and this is the big problem --

而且 -- 最大的问题是 --

it says San Francisco across the bottom.

旗的最下方写着三藩市。

TK：如果你需要写下

TK: If you need to write the name of what you're representing on your flag,

旗帜某种形象所 象征的东西的名字

your symbolism has failed.

你就毁了它的象征意义。

(Laughter)

（笑声）（掌声）

(Applause)

RM: The United States flag doesn't say "USA" across the front.

RM：美国国旗上面就没有写着“USA”。

In fact, country flags, they tend to behave.

事实上，国旗通常遵循规则。

Like, hats off to South Africa and Turkey and Israel

比如，南非，土耳其，以色列

索马里，日本和冈比亚的国旗。 向这些国旗设计致敬。

and Somalia and Japan and Gambia.

有许多非常棒的国旗，

There's a bunch of really great country flags,

but they obey good design principles because the stakes are high.

但是这些国旗遵循设计原则 是因为他们的风险比较高。

They're on the international stage.

它们要站在国际舞台上。

But city, state and regional flags are another story.

但是城市，州旗和区旗

就完全不同了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

There is a scourge of bad flags --

有一堆坏旗子，

(Laughter)

and they must be stopped.

它们必须被叫停。

(Laughter)

（笑声）（掌声）

(Applause)

That is the truth and that is the dare.

这就是真相与勇气。

The first step is to recognize that we have a problem.

首先我们要认识到，

我们本身有一个问题。

(Laughter)

A lot of people tend to think that good design

很多人趋向于认为，好的设计

is just a matter of taste,

只与品味有关，

and quite honestly, sometimes it is, actually,

老实的说， 有的时候确实是这样，

but sometimes it isn't, all right?

但是有时却不是，好吧？

(Laughter)

Here's the full list of NAVA flag design principles.

这里是一份完整的 北美旗帜学会的设计原则。

旁白：旗帜设计的五个基本原则。

Narrator: The five basic principles of flag design.

原则一， TK：化繁为简。

Narrator: Number one. TK: Keep it simple.

旁白：原则二， TK：运用有深意的象征。

Narrator: Number two. TK: Use meaningful symbolism.

旁白：原则三， TK：使用两到三种基本色。

Narrator: Number three. TK: Use two to three basic colors.

旁白：原则四， TK：无涂鸦和官方标志。

Narrator: Number four. TK: No lettering or seals.

旁白：绝不在旗上印字。

Narrator: Never use writing of any kind.

TK：因为你在远处看不清它写的是什么。

TK: Because you can't read that at a distance.

旁白：原则五。 TK：要独特。

Narrator: Number five. TK: And be distinctive.

RM：所有的好旗子都遵循这些原则。

RM: All the best flags tend to stick to these principles.

就像我之前说的， 大部分国旗都不错。

And like I said before, most country flags are OK.

但问题是这样：

But here's the thing:

如果你把这些原则给任何一个设计师

if you showed this list of principles to any designer of almost anything,

他们会说 -- 简洁，有深意，

they would say these principles -- simplicity, deep meaning,

having few colors or being thoughtful about colors,

颜色较少，搭配得当，

uniqueness, don't have writing you can't read --

独一无二， 不要在上面写你看不到的字 --

all those principles apply to them, too.

这些原则对他们也适用。

But sadly, good design principles are rarely invoked in US city flags.

但遗憾的是，好的设计原则

很少应用在美国市旗里。

Our biggest problem seems to be that fourth one.

第四条原则看来是我们最大的问题。

We just can't stop ourselves from putting our names on our flags,

我们无法控制自己

不在旗子上写自己的名字，

or little municipal seals with tiny writing on them.

或是加上印着小字的市政标志，

Here's the thing about municipal seals:

市政标志的作用是，

They were designed to be on pieces of paper

印在纸上，

这样你能看到，

where you can read them,

not on flags 100 feet away flapping in the breeze.

而不是印在100码外的旗子上， 在空中飘着。

So here's a bunch of flags again.

那么这里又有一堆旗子，

Vexillologists call these SOBs:

旗帜学者称它们为SOB——

Seals on a bedsheet --

被单上的印章 -- （笑声）--

(Laughter)

and if you can't tell what city they go to,

如果你看不出这是哪座城市的旗帜，

yeah, that's exactly the problem,

没错，这就是问题所在，

except for Anaheim, apparently, they fixed it.

当然，除了阿纳海姆。

明显它们修改过。（笑声）

(Laughter)

这些旗子在美国遍地都是。

These flags are everywhere in the US.

The European equivalent of the municipal seal

在欧洲，市政印章叫做

is the city coat of arms ...

城市纹章，

我们能够从这里学到纹章的正确用法。

and this is where we can learn a lesson for how to do things right.

So this is the city coat of arms of Amsterdam.

这是阿姆斯特丹市的纹章。

Now, if this were a United States city,

如果这是一个美国城市，

the flag would probably look like this.

它的市旗大概会是这样。

你懂的。（笑声）

You know, yeah.

(Laughter)

But instead, the flag of Amsterdam

但是，阿姆斯特丹的市旗

looks like this.

却是这样的。

Rather than plopping the whole coat of arms

与其把纹章一股脑的印在市旗上面

on a solid background and writing "Amsterdam" below it,

并在下面写着“阿姆斯特丹”，

它们仅取铭牌上的重要的元素，盾牌，

they just take the key elements of the escutcheon, the shield,

把它变成世界上最牛逼的市旗。

and they turn it into the most badass city flag in the world.

(Laughter)

（笑声）（掌声）

(Applause)

And because it's so badass,

因为如此牛逼，

those flags and crosses are found throughout Amsterdam,

那些旗子和十字交叉 在阿姆斯特丹随处可见，

just like Chicago, they're used.

就像在芝加哥一样。

Even though seal-on-a-bedsheet flags are particularly painful

尽管对我来说，“被单上的印章”这种称呼

and offensive to me,

使我很痛苦，感到被冒犯，

nothing can quite prepare you

但也没有什么能够

for one of the biggest train wrecks in vexillological history.

与这旗帜史上最大的怪胎产物相比较。

(Laughter)

Are you ready?

你们准备好了吗？

It's the flag of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

这是威斯康辛州密尔沃基市的旗子。

(Laughter)

（笑）

I mean, it's distinctive,

好吧，它的确独一无二，

I'll give them that.

我承认。

Steve Kodis：它在1955年被采用。

Steve Kodis: It was adopted in 1955.

RM: The city ran a contest

RM：密市举行了一个比赛

并收集了一堆

and gathered a bunch of submissions with all kinds of designs.

各式各样的作品。

SK: And an alderman by the name of Fred Steffan

SK：而一个叫Fred Steffan的议员

cobbled together parts of the submissions to make what is now the Milwaukee flag.

把其他作品中的一部分拼凑起来

设计了现在这面密尔沃基市旗。

RM：只是一面乱七八糟的旗子。

RM: It's a kitchen sink flag.

There's a gigantic gear representing industry,

那有一个巨型的齿轮代表工业，

there's a ship recognizing the port,

轮船意为港口，

a giant stalk of wheat

一支巨茎小麦

paying homage to the brewing industry.

向酿造业致敬。

It's a hot mess,

这旗一团糟，

and Steve Kodis, a graphic designer from Milwaukee, wants to change it.

Steve Kodis，来自密尔沃基的 平面设计师希望修改这面旗子。

SK: It's really awful.

SK：这旗糟糕透了。

It's a misstep on the city's behalf,

这旗是这座城市的一个失误，

to say the least.

甚至比失误还严重。

RM: But what puts the Milwaukee flag over the top,

RM：然而一件事让密尔沃基市旗显得更加荒谬，

甚至到了自嘲的地步，

almost to the point of self-parody,

那就是旗上有一面内战时 密尔沃基兵团的战旗。

is on it is a picture of the Civil War battle flag of the Milwaukee regiment.

SK: So that's the final element in it

SK：这就是让这面旗显得

that just makes it that much more ridiculous,

更加荒谬的最后一个元素，

that there is a flag design within the Milwaukee flag.

在密尔沃基市旗的里面又有一面旗。

RM: On the flag. Yeah. Yeah.

RM：在旗的上面。是的。是的。（笑声）

(Laughter)

Yeah.

是的。

(Music)

（音乐）

Now, Milwaukee is a fantastic city.

密尔沃基是个很棒的城市。

I've been there, I love it.

我去过，我很喜欢。

The most depressing part of this flag, though,

关于市旗最让人伤心的是，

is that there have been two major redesign contests.

那里曾有过两次 大型市旗重新设计比赛。

最近一次在2001年举行。

The last one was held in 2001.

105 entries were received.

共收到105份作品。

TK: But in the end, the members of the Milwaukee Arts Board

TK：但最终，密市的艺术委员会决定

decided that none of the new entries were worthy of flying over the city.

没有任何一件新作品入选。

RM：他们竟然不能统一认识到旗该换了！（笑声）

RM: They couldn't agree to change that thing!

(Laughter)

That's discouraging enough to make you think

这件事使人沮丧地意识到

that good design and democracy just simply do not go together.

好的设计和民主政治

是无法相容的。

(Laughter)

But Steve Kotas is going to try one more time

但是 Steve Kotas 将要再一次

to redesign the Milwaukee flag.

尝试重新设计密尔沃基市旗。

SK：我认为密尔沃基是个伟大的城市。

SK: I believe Milwaukee is a great city.

每一座伟大的城市都应有一面好的市旗。

Every great city deserves a great flag.

RM：Steve 还没准备好将市旗公之于众。

RM: Steve isn't ready to reveal his design yet.

One of the things about proposing one of these things

重设市旗的过程之一就是

你需要让人们参与到其中，拉拢他们的心

is you have to get people on board,

and then you reveal your design.

然后你揭开你的设计。

But here's the trick:

但是这有个窍门：

If you want to design a great flag,

如果你想设计一面好旗，

a kick-ass flag like Chicago's or DC's, which also has a great flag,

一面像芝加哥或华盛顿那样赞的旗子，

start by drawing a one-by-one-and-a-half-inch rectangle

先在纸上画一个1英寸乘1.5英寸的长方形。

on a piece of paper.

Your design has to fit within that tiny rectangle.

你的设计必须在那个小方形里边。

Here's why.

来说说这是为什么。

TK: A three-by-five-foot flag on a pole 100 feet away

TK：一面3英尺乘5英尺旗

在一支100英尺以外的旗杆上

看上去与一个

looks about the same size as a one-by-one-and-a-half-inch rectangle

距离你视线15英寸远的

seen about 15 inches from your eye.

1英尺乘1.5英尺的长方形差不多。

You'd be surprised by how compelling and simple the design can be

当你把自己局限在这个大小

when you hold yourself to that limitation.

你会惊讶地发现， 这个设计可以做得多么简洁而使人信服。

RM: Meanwhile, back in San Francisco.

RM：在此同时，回到三藩市。

Is there anything we can do?

我们能做些什么？

TK：我想说在每一面坏旗中

TK: I like to say that in every bad flag there's a good flag trying to get out.

都有一面好旗想从中突围。 （笑声）

The way to make San Francisco's flag a good flag

把三藩市市旗变成一面好旗的方法

就是把那句格言去掉

is to take the motto off because you can't read that at a distance.

因为你在远处看不到。

Take the name off,

把名字去掉，

and the border might even be made thicker, so it's more a part of the flag.

把边弄厚一点，

让它更能成为旗的一部分。

And I would simply take the phoenix

我会只采用凤凰元素

and make it a great big element in the middle of the flag.

把它变成最大的部分

放在旗帜中间。

RM: But the current phoenix, that's got to go.

RM：但是现在的这个凤凰形象， 必须得去掉。

TK: I would simplify or stylize the phoenix.

TK：我会简化或风格化那只凤凰。

勾勒一只大型，广翅的鸟

Depict a big, wide-winged bird

coming out of flames.

浴火而出。

Emphasize those flames.

突出那些火焰。

RM: So this San Francisco flag was designed by Frank Chimero

RM：这面三藩市市旗是由 Frank Chimero

based on Ted Kaye's suggestions.

基于 Ted Kaye 的建议设计的。

如果完全不受约束的话， 我不知道他会怎么修改

I don't know what he would do if we was completely unfettered

并且摒弃那些设计准则。

and didn't follow those guidelines.

Fans of my radio show and podcast, heard me complain about bad flags.

我的电台节目和播客粉丝，

他们听到我对糟糕旗帜的抱怨。

They've sent me other suggested designs.

他们给我寄来了其他的设计。

This one's by Neil Mussett.

这一个来自 Neil Mussett。

Both are so much better.

都比原作好多了。

(Laughter)

我认为如果新旗被采用的话，

And I think if they were adopted,

一定会被整座城市喜爱。

I would see them around the city.

在这场美化市旗的战斗中，

In my crusade to make flags of the world more beautiful,

很多听众都亲自上阵

many listeners have taken it upon themselves

重新设计他们的旗帜

to redesign their flags and look into the feasibility

of getting them officially adopted.

并且寻找被官方采用的可行性。

(Music)

If you see your city flag and like it,

如果你看到你们城市的市旗， 并且喜欢，

fly it,

那就挂起来，

even if it violates a design rule or two.

即使它违反了一两个设计原则。

I don't care.

我无所谓。

But if you don't see your city flag,

但如果你没有看到你的市旗，

maybe it doesn't exist, but maybe it does,

或许它并不存在， 也或许它存在，

只不过太烂了，

and it just sucks,

and I dare you to join the effort to try to change that.

那么我希望你加入改变旗帜的行列。

As we move more and more into cities,

当我们越来越多的人搬进城市，

the city flag will become not just a symbol of that city as a place,

市旗将不仅成为

一个城市的地方象征，

but also, it could become a symbol of how that city considers design itself,

同时也能成为

这个城市对“设计”本身态度的象征，

especially today, as the populace is becoming more design-aware.

特别是今天，潮流越来越看重设计。

And I think design awareness is at an all-time high.

我认为设计意识到达了有史以来的顶峰。

A well-designed flag could be seen as an indicator of how a city

从一面设计优良的旗帜 可以看出

一个城市整体上如何看待它设计体系：

considers all of its design systems:

its public transit,

它的公共交通，

its parks, its signage.

公园，指示牌。

It might seem frivolous, but it's not.

这看上去可能不值一提，但并非如此。

TK: Often when city leaders say,

TK：通常当市政领导说，

"We have more important things to do than worry about a city flag,"

“我们有比市旗更重要的事情要操心，”

my response is,

我的回答是，

"If you had a great city flag,

“如果你有一面好市旗，

you would have a banner for people to rally under

你就可以在这面旗帜下团结人民

to face those more important things."

一起去面对更重大的事情。”

(Music)

RM: I've seen firsthand what a good city flag can do

RM：在芝加哥，

in the case of Chicago.

我亲眼看到了一面好市旗的意义。

The marriage of good design and civic pride

好的设计与市民自豪感的结合

is something that we need in all places.

是每个地方都需要的。

The best part about municipal flags is that we own them.

关于市政旗最好的一件事情

就是我们拥有它们，

They are an open-source,

它们是公开资源，

publicly owned design language of the community.

是在社会中 人们共同所有的设计语言。

When they are done well,

市旗如果设计得好，

they are remixable, adaptable, and they are powerful.

它们就能够随意混搭和融合，

它们的力量是无穷的。

We could control the branding and graphical imagery

我们能用一面好的市旗

控制城市的广告推广和地理图像，

of our cities with a good flag,

but instead, by having bad flags we don't use,

然而，拥有一面没用的坏市旗，

we cede that territory to sports teams

我们就把本属于市旗的位置， 让给了运动队

商会和旅游广告。

and chambers of commerce and tourism boards.

Sports teams can leave and break our hearts.

球队会离开，会让我们心碎。

And besides, some of us don't really care about sports.

此外，我们中的有些人根本不关心体育。

And tourism campaigns can just be cheesy.

旅游广告只是太俗套罢了。

But a great city flag

但是一面很赞的市旗

is something that represents a city to its people

是一座城市展现给市民的、

and its people to the world at large.

甚至市民展现给世界的 一张名片。

And when that flag is a beautiful thing,

如果这面市旗是美的，

这张名片就是美的。

that connection is a beautiful thing.

所以或许所有的市旗都能 像香港旗、

So maybe all the city flags can be as inspiring as Hong Kong

or Portland or Trondheim,

波特兰或是特隆赫姆旗那么让人振奋

and we can do away with all the bad flags

我们可以换掉所有的糟糕旗帜

like San Francisco, Milwaukee, Cedar Rapids,

比如三藩市的，密尔沃基的，

锡达拉皮兹的，

and finally, when we're all done,

最后，当我们都完成以后，

we can do something about Pocatello, Idaho,

我们还得帮帮爱达荷州的波卡特洛，

它的旗帜被北美旗帜协会认为

considered by the North American Vexillological Association

是北美最差的。

as the worst city flag in North America.

[Proud to be Pocatello]

（笑声）（掌声）

(Laughter)

(Applause)

Yeah.

没错。

(Applause)

That thing has a trademark symbol on it, people.

同志们，那玩意上还有个注册商标。（笑声）

(Laughter)

That hurts me just to look at.

看着它我就心痛。

(Laughter)

Thank you so much for listening.

非常感谢你们的收听。

(Applause)

（掌声）

[Music by: Melodium (@melodiumbox) and Keegan DeWitt (@keegandewitt)]

音乐：Melodium（@melodiumbox） Keegan DeWitt（@keegandewitt）