My love letter to cosplay | Adam Savage

Translator: 潘 可儿 Reviewer: Alan Watson

There's this fact that I love that I read somewhere once,

我好鍾意一種曾經睇過嘅講法

that one of the things that's contributed to homo sapiens' success

係話人類喺物種進化上 成功嘅其中一個因素

as a species

is our lack of body hair --

係多得我哋無體毛

that our hairlessness, our nakedness

我哋因為無體毛，加上發明咗衫

combined with our invention of clothing,

gives us the ability to modulate our body temperature

我哋可以調節體溫

and thus be able to survive in any climate we choose.

以至無論喺咩氣候之下都生存到

And now we've evolved to the point where we can't survive without clothing.

依家我哋已經進化到冇衫就生存唔到

And it's more than just utility,

同時衫已經唔凈係衫

now it's a communication.

佢仲有表達嘅用途

Everything that we choose to put on is a narrative,

所有我哋著上身嘅服飾 都喺度訴說緊我哋嘅嘢

a story about where we've been,

例如透露緊我哋曾經去過邊度

what we're doing,

我哋做緊乜嘢、我哋想成為乜嘢人咁

who we want to be.

I was a lonely kid.

細個時我好孤單

I didn't have an easy time finding friends to play with,

我一直都好難搵到細路仔同我玩

and I ended up making a lot of my own play.

於是我整咗好多遊戲同自己玩

I made a lot of my own toys.

我為自己做咗好多玩具

It began with ice cream.

最初係從雪糕開始

There was a Baskin-Robbins in my hometown,

我家鄉有一間 Baskin Robbins

and they served ice cream from behind the counter

喺櫃台後面，佢哋將雪糕

裝喺呢啲超大、五加侖裝嘅紙桶裏面

in these giant, five-gallon, cardboard tubs.

And someone told me -- I was eight years old --

喺我八歲嗰時，有人話畀我知

someone told me that when they were done with those tubs,

佢哋用完紙桶之後

會將紙桶洗乾淨，放喺後面

they washed them out and kept them in the back,

如果你問佢哋，佢哋會畀一個紙桶你

and if you asked they would give you one.

我用咗幾個星期去鼓起勇氣去問

It took me a couple of weeks to work up the courage,

最後我問咗，佢哋又畀咗個我

but I did, and they did.

They gave me one -- I went home with this beautiful cardboard tub.

我就摞住呢個靚紙桶返咗屋企

I was trying to figure out what I could do with this exotic material --

我喺度諗要點處理呢個新奇嘅嘢

有金屬環、蓋同埋底

metal ring, top and bottom.

I started turning it over in my head, and I realized, "Wait a minute --

我將佢倒轉戴喺頭上

之後我諗，「等陣，

my head actually fits inside this thing."

呢樣嘢啱啱好戴得落我個頭。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Yeah, I cut a hole out,

冇錯，我剪咗個窿

I put some acetate in there

放咗啲醋酸纖維落去

and I made myself a space helmet.

成個太空頭盔就咁大功告成！

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I needed a place to wear the space helmet,

之後我諗我仲需要一部太空船

就喺距離屋企幾條街嘅地方

so I found a refrigerator box a couple blocks from home.

我搵到一個裝冰箱嘅紙皮箱

I pushed it home,

我將佢推返屋企

and in my parents' guest room closet,

之後喺我爸爸媽媽嘅客房個衣帽間裏面

I turned it into a spaceship.

我將佢整成一部太空船

I started with a control panel out of cardboard.

我先用紙皮箱整咗塊控制面板

I cut a hole for a radar screen

我剪咗一個圓形當做雷達顯示

and put a flashlight underneath it to light it.

同埋喺雷達後面放咗個電筒發光

I put a view screen up, which I offset off the back wall --

我再利用牆壁做支撐，整咗個駕駛窗口

and this is where I thought I was being really clever --

其實我真係覺得自己好機智

我擅自將衣帽間後面幅牆油黑佢

without permission, I painted the back wall of the closet black

and put a star field,

再用喺閣樓度搵到嘅聖誕燈 佈置到成個星空咁

which I lit up with some Christmas lights I found in the attic,

之後我就去繼續幻想我嘅太空使命

and I went on some space missions.

A couple years later,

幾年之後，電影《大白鯊》上映

the movie "Jaws" came out.

I was way too young to see it, but I was caught up in "Jaws" fever,

雖然唔啱細路仔睇，但我對佢入曬迷

like everyone else in America at the time.

就好似當時其他美國人咁樣

There was a store in my town that had a "Jaws" costume in their window,

有件「大白鯊」服裝掛咗喺 我鎮上面嘅一間士多

and my mom must have overheard me talking to someone

我媽媽肯定係聽到我同人哋講 我覺得士多件衫幾咁型

about how awesome I thought this costume was,

because a couple days before Halloween,

所以喺萬聖節嘅前幾日 送咗我呢件大白鯊衫

she blew my freaking mind by giving me this "Jaws" costume.

件事係完全出乎曬我嘅意料

Now, I recognize it's a bit of a trope

依家，我成日聽到

某個年齡層嘅人喺度抱怨

for people of a certain age to complain

that kids these days have no idea how good they have it,

依家啲細路仔唔知自己嘅生活有幾好

but let me just show you a random sampling

咁就等我舉個簡單嘅例子嚟講下

of entry-level kids' costumes you can buy online right now ...

呢啲細路入門級扮演服裝 係依家你喺網上可以買到嘅

... and this is the "Jaws" costume my mom bought for me.

呢件就係…

我媽買畀我嘅大白鯊衫

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

This is a paper-thin shark face

鯊魚塊面薄到好似張紙咁

and a vinyl bib with the poster of "Jaws" on it.

圍嘴上面仲要黏住張《大白鯊》廣告

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And I loved it.

但我就係鍾意佢

A couple years later,

幾年之後

my dad took me to a film called "Excalibur."

爸爸帶我去睇一部叫做《聖劍》嘅電影

I actually got him to take me to it twice,

事實上我叫佢帶我去睇兩次

which is no small thing, because it is a hard, R-rated film.

而且對我嚟講係好大件事

因為呢部電影係一部限制級嘅 R 片

But it wasn't the blood and guts or the boobs

不過唔係血腥場面、內臟 或者女性胸部吸引我去睇多一次

that made me want to go see it again.

雖然呢啲都幾有吸引力

They helped --

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It was the armor.

係盔甲吸引我

The armor in "Excalibur" was intoxicatingly beautiful to me.

我覺得《聖劍》嘅盔甲真係好靚好型

These were literally knights in shining, mirror-polished armor.

騎士著住好閃嘅 好似塊鏡咁反光嘅盔甲

And moreover, the knights in "Excalibur" wear their armor everywhere.

仲有，騎士去到邊度都著住件盔甲

All the time -- they wear it at dinner, they wear it to bed.

佢哋著住盔甲食飯，又著住盔甲瞓覺

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I was like, "Are they reading my mind?

我就諗︰「唔通佢哋解讀緊我嘅思想？

I want to wear armor all the time!"

我都想喺任何時候都著住件盔甲！」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I went back to my favorite material,

所以我又返去搵我最鍾意嘅材料︰

the gateway drug for making,

手工嘅材料

corrugated cardboard,

有波紋嘅硬紙皮

and I made myself a suit of armor,

我同我自己整咗套盔甲

replete with the neck shields and a white horse.

加咗護頸，配埋一匹白馬

Now that I've oversold it,

雖然我已經將佢賣咗

here's a picture of the armor that I made.

但我哋可以睇下張相

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Now, this is only the first suit of armor I made

呢個係我受到《聖劍》啓發 而整嘅唯一一套盔甲

inspired by "Excalibur."

A couple of years later,

幾年之後

I convinced my dad to embark on making me a proper suit of armor.

我說服咗我爸爸動手整返件啱身嘅盔甲

Over about a month,

大概過咗一個月，佢幫我升級咗材料

he graduated me from cardboard to roofing aluminum called flashing

從硬紙皮

到叫做「遮雨板」嘅 鋁製屋頂材料

and still, one of my all-time favorite attachment materials,

仲有一種我一直都好鍾意嘅連接材料︰

POP rivets.

POP 鉚釘

We carefully, over that month,

成個月，我哋都喺度小心翼翼咁

constructed an articulated suit of aluminum armor

整一套鋁製鉸接式 有好多混合波紋嘅盔甲

with compound curves.

We drilled holes in the helmet so that I could breathe,

我哋喺頭盔度鑽咗幾個窿，方便我透氣

and I finished just in time for Halloween and wore it to school.

咁啱喺萬聖節之前整好咗 於是我就著住佢去返學

Now, this is the one thing in this talk

依家，呢樣嘢冇幻燈片可以畀你哋睇到

that I don't have a slide to show you,

because no photo exists of this armor.

因為我無呢套盔甲嘅相

I did wear it to school,

但我有著住佢去返學

當時有個年刊攝影師喺走廊度周圍影相

there was a yearbook photographer patrolling the halls,

but he never found me, for reasons that are about to become clear.

佢從來都冇搵到我

後來發覺係有原因嘅

There were things I didn't anticipate

有啲嘢喺我著住套鋁製盔甲 去返學個時完全無諗到嘅

about wearing a complete suit of aluminum armor to school.

In third period math, I was standing in the back of class,

當時係第三期數學班

我企喺課室嘅後面

and I'm standing in the back of class

因為我著住套盔甲根本就坐唔低

because the armor did not allow me to sit down.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

This is the first thing I didn't anticipate.

呢個係我冇預到嘅第一件事

And then my teacher looks at me sort of concerned

之後我嘅老師好擔心咁望住我

about halfway through the class and says, "Are you feeling OK?"

隔住大概半個課室問我有冇事

我諗：老師你冇嘢掛？我有冇事？

I'm thinking, "Are you kidding? Am I feeling OK?

我依家著住套盔甲啊！

I'm wearing a suit of armor! I am having the time of my --"

我係度享受緊我……

And I'm just about to tell her how great I feel,

就喺我準備要話畀佢知我有幾爽嗰時

when the classroom starts to list to the left

我見到成間課室開始向左傾斜

and disappear down this long tunnel,

跟住就消失喺呢條長長嘅隧道

and then I woke up in the nurse's office.

之後我喺校醫室醒返

I had passed out from heat exhaustion,

我因為套盔甲中暑虛脫而暈咗

wearing the armor.

And when I woke up,

當我醒返嗰時

I wasn't embarrassed about having passed out in front of my class,

我冇因為喺成班同學面前暈低而尷尬

反而我諗，邊個摞走咗我套盔甲？

I was wondering, "Who took my armor? Where's my armor?"

我套盔甲喺邊度？

OK, fast-forward a whole bunch of years,

好，講緊幾年後

some colleagues and I get hired to make a show for Discovery Channel,

我同幾個同事一齊受聘請去

同探索頻道做一檔 叫做《流言終結者》嘅節目

called "MythBusters."

And over 14 years,

大概有 14 年嘅時間

I learn on the job how to build experimental methodologies

我都喺度學習點樣去訂立實驗方法

and how to tell stories about them for television.

同埋點樣喺電視上面講故事

I also learn early on

同時我又好早就知道

that costuming can play a key role in this storytelling.

服裝可以對講故事起到舉足輕重嘅作用

I use costumes to add humor, comedy, color

我用服裝令我哋講述嘅故事

更加幽默、清晰，有喜劇效果、有色彩

and narrative clarity to the stories we're telling.

And then we do an episode called "Dumpster Diving,"

後來當我哋做一集《垃圾搜尋》

and I learn a little bit more

我又有更深一層嘅體會

about the deeper implications of what costuming means to me.

我領悟到服裝對我有更深嘅意義

In the episode "Dumpster Diving,"

喺《垃圾搜尋》呢一集

the question we were trying to answer is:

我哋想回答嘅問題係：

跳入一個大型垃圾裝卸卡車係唔係 真係好似電影裏面演嘅咁安全？

Is jumping into a dumpster as safe

as the movies would lead you to believe?

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

The episode was going to have two distinct parts to it.

呢一集係打算分成兩部份進行

One was where we get trained to jump off buildings by a stuntman

一部份係我哋接受特技演員嘅訓練

學識從建築物跳到氣墊上面

into an air bag.

And the second was the graduation to the experiment:

而第二部份就係嚟真嘅

大型垃圾裝卸卡車會裝滿緩衝物料 俾我哋跳入去

we'd fill a dumpster full of material and we'd jump into it.

I wanted to visually separate these two elements,

我想呢兩部份 做到唔同嘅視覺效果

and I thought,

之後我諗︰「好，

"Well, for the first part we're training, so we should wear sweatsuits --

既然第一部份我哋喺度訓練緊，

咁我哋就應該著住運動衫。

Oh! Let's put 'Stunt Trainee' on the back of the sweatsuits.

唔得！不如將 『特技訓練生』印喺衫後面，

That's for the training."

話畀人知係訓練嘅。」

But for the second part, I wanted something really visually striking --

但係到咗第二部份

我想要視覺衝擊嘅效果

"I know! I'll dress as Neo from 'The Matrix.'"

「我知道啦！

我會著成《黑客帝國》 嘅 Neo 咁。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I went to Haight Street.

所以我就去咗海特街

I bought some beautiful knee-high, buckle boots.

買咗啲好靚、及膝、有皮帶扣嘅長靴

I found a long, flowing coat on eBay.

跟住我又喺 eBay 度搵到一件褸

I got sunglasses, which I had to wear contact lenses in order to wear.

仲有一副墨鏡

為咗戴墨鏡，我仲要特登戴隱形眼鏡

The day of the experiment shoot comes up,

做實驗嘅日子終於嚟嘞

and I step out of my car in this costume,

我著住呢套衫落車

and my crew takes a look at me ...

之後我嘅劇組人員都望住我

and start suppressing their church giggles.

個個人都喺度揞住嘴偷笑

They're like, "(Laugh sound)."

就好似咁 （大笑聲）

呢一刻我有一種冰火兩重天嘅感覺

And I feel two distinct things at this moment.

I feel total embarrassment

非常尷尬

over the fact that it's so nakedly clear to my crew

因為喺我同事睇嚟

that I'm completely into wearing this costume.

我對呢套衫已經癡迷到走火入魔

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But the producer in my mind reminds myself

不過我腦裏面把聲喺度提醒我

that in the high-speed shot in slow-mo,

喺高速鏡頭嘅慢動作裏面

我件風褸迎風飄揚嗰時肯定好型

that flowing coat is going to look beautiful behind me.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

同《流言終結者》做咗五年節目之後

Five years into the "MythBusters" run,

we got invited to appear at San Diego Comic-Con.

我哋收到聖地牙哥國際動漫展嘅邀請

I'd known about Comic-Con for years and never had time to go.

我都知道咗呢個動漫展好多年

但係都冇時間去

This was the big leagues -- this was costuming mecca.

呢場動漫展好比 服裝界嘅盛事、服裝界嘅麥加

People fly in from all over the world

啲人從世界各地飛過去

to show their amazing creations on the floor in San Diego.

展示佢哋嘅驚世嘅作品

And I wanted to participate.

我都想去參加

I decided that I would put together an elaborate costume

我決定要精心製作一套 會將我從頭包到落腳嘅戰服

that covered me completely,

and I would walk the floor of San Diego Comic-Con anonymously.

咁就冇人知道我喺 聖地牙哥國際動畫展嗰度

The costume I chose?

我揀咗邊件衫？

Hellboy.

地獄男爵

That's not my costume,

嗰個唔係我件衫

that's actually Hellboy.

嗰個真係地獄男爵嚟！

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But I spent months

但係我洗咗幾個月嘅時間

assembling the most screen-accurate Hellboy costume I could,

盡可能還原地獄男爵喺螢屏上嘅形象

from the boots to the belt to the pants

從佢嘅長靴，到皮帶，到長褲

to the right hand of doom.

再到「毀滅之右手」

I found a guy who made a prosthetic Hellboy head and chest

我搵人整咗地獄男爵頭部同胸部

and I put them on.

跟住我將佢哋著上身

我甚至搵到咗心水嘅隱形眼鏡

I even had contact lenses made in my prescription.

I wore it onto the floor at Comic-Con

我著住呢套衫行入動漫展

and I can't even tell you how balls hot it was in that costume.

講真，著住件衫真是好鬼熱

熱到你無法想像

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Sweating! I should've remembered this.

大汗淋漓！我早就應該醒起

I'm sweating buckets and the contact lenses hurt my eyes,

我不停咁飚汗，隱形眼鏡又好傷我對眼

and none of it matters because I'm totally in love.

但係呢啲都唔緊要 因為我愛上咗角色扮演

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Not just with the process of putting on this costume and walking the floor,

不單止係因為可以著上套衫 喺動漫展度行

but also with the community of other costumers.

仲因為我可以見到其他角色扮演者

It's not called costuming at Cons,

但搞清楚，動漫展裏面嘅裝扮 係叫做「角色扮演」

it's called "cosplay."

Now ostensibly, cosplay means people who dress up

表面上，角色扮演就係

人著到佢哋最鍾意嘅電影電視角色咁

as their favorite characters from film and television

尤其係著到日本動漫咁

and especially anime,

但係當中含義唔係咁簡單

but it is so much more than that.

These aren't just people who find a costume and put it on --

佢哋唔係搵到套衫著上身算

they mash them up.

佢哋將角色同自己融合起嚟

They bend them to their will.

佢哋令套衫嘅角色 跟住自己嘅諗法去做

They change them to be the characters they want to be in those productions.

當佢哋著住套衫個時

佢哋將角色變成心中想要嘅角色

They're super clever and genius.

佢哋係犀利嘅天才

They let their freak flag fly and it's beautiful.

佢哋做出好靚嘅嘢令人嘆服

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But more than that,

除此之外，佢哋仲會排練

they rehearse their costumes.

At Comic-Con or any other Con,

喺聖地牙哥，或者任何其他嘅動漫展

you don't just take pictures of people walking around.

你唔係淨係同 個啲行黎行去嘅人影相

You go up and say,

實際上你會行上去講

"Hey, I like your costume, can I take your picture?"

「嘿，我好鍾意你件衫， 唔知可不可以影相？」

之後你俾佢哋時間去擺甫士

And then you give them time to get into their pose.

They've worked hard on their pose

佢哋好努力咁擺姿勢

to make their costume look great for your camera.

就為咗你部相機可以影到靚嘅畫面

And it's so beautiful to watch.

而呢一幕真係好靚，我會將佢記低

And I take this to heart.

At subsequent Cons,

喺後來嘅動漫展裏面

I learn Heath Ledger's shambling walk as the Joker from "The Dark Knight."

我去學 Heath Ledger 喺《黑暗騎士》裏面

扮演小丑一角嘅蹣跚步履

I learn how to be a scary Ringwraith from "Lord of the Rings,"

我去學點樣扮成《指環王》嘅恐怖戒靈

and I actually frighten some children.

跟住我真係嚇親一啲細路仔

I learned that "hrr hrr hrr" --

我仲學識咗「呵呵笑」

that head laugh that Chewbacca does.

就好似楚巴卡喺《星球大戰》裏面咁笑

And then I dressed up as No-Face from "Spirited Away."

然後我扮成《千與千尋》嘅無面男

If you don't know about "Spirited Away" and its director, Hayao Miyazaki,

如果你唔知道《千與千尋》

同埋佢嘅導演宮崎駿嘅話

我係好樂意講解下

first of all, you're welcome.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

This is a masterpiece, and one of my all-time favorite films.

呢部電影真係一部傑作

一直都係我其中一齣最鍾意嘅電影

It's about a young girl named Chihiro who gets lost in the spirit world

喺電影裏面

一個叫荻野千尋嘅女仔喺

日本嘅一個廢棄公園嘅 靈異世界嗰度蕩失路

in an abandoned Japanese theme park.

And she finds her way back out again

喺幾個朋友嘅幫助之下

with the help of a couple of friends she makes --

佢又重新搵到出返嚟嘅路

a captured dragon named Haku

其中兩個朋友

一個叫做白龍，一條被捉嘅龍嚟

and a lonely demon named No-Face.

另一個叫做無面男，孤獨魔鬼嚟

No-Face is lonely and he wants to make friends,

無面男好孤單，佢好想同人做朋友

and he thinks the way to do it is by luring them to him

佢認為交朋友嘅方法 就係將佢哋誘惑到自己身邊

and producing gold in his hand.

再喺手上變出金幣

But this doesn't go very well,

但係呢種方法唔係咁好用

and so he ends up going on kind of a rampage

所以最後佢性情暴變

until Chihiro saves him,

直到荻野千尋拯救咗佢，佢先至平靜返

rescues him.

So I put together a No-Face costume,

我著上無面男套衫

and I wore it on the floor at Comic-Con.

行入聖地牙哥國際動漫展嘅會場

我非常認真咁練習無面男嘅動作

And I very carefully practiced No-Face's gestures.

I resolved I would not speak in this costume at all.

我決定著住呢套衫個時唔出聲

When people asked to take my picture,

當有人想同我影相個時，我會點頭

I would nod

and I would shyly stand next to them.

同埋會好怕羞咁企喺佢哋隔籬

They would take the picture

當佢哋影相

and then I would secret out from behind my robe

我會偷偷地從我件長袍後面 摞出一塊朱古力金幣

a chocolate gold coin.

And at the end of the photo process, I'd make it appear for them.

等佢哋影完相之後，我會送佢哋金幣

Ah, ah ah! -- like that.

啊，啊，啊！——就好似咁

And people were freaking out.

之後佢哋就會非常興奮

"Holy crap! Gold from No-Face! Oh my god, this is so cool!"

「天啊！無面男嘅金幣！

難以置信，太犀利啦！」

And I'm feeling and I'm walking the floor and it's fantastic.

我好享受，之後我繼續喺動漫展度行

And about 15 minutes in something happens.

大概喺 15 分鐘之後，有件事發生咗

Somebody grabs my hand,

有人捉住咗我嘅手

佢哋俾返金幣我

and they put a coin back into it.

And I think maybe they're giving me a coin as a return gift,

我覺得佢哋喺度回禮

but no, this is one of the coins that I'd given away.

但係唔係，呢個明明係我送出去嘅金幣

I don't know why.

但我唔知道點解佢哋咁做

And I keep on going, I take some more pictures.

於是我繼續行，我又影咗更多嘅相

And then it happens again.

但又有人俾返金幣我

Understand, I can't see anything inside this costume.

你要知道，著住套衫嗰時

我乜都睇唔到

I can see through the mouth --

我可以通過面具嘅嘴睇到

I can see people's shoes.

啲人嘅鞋、佢哋講嘅嘢、佢哋對腳

I can hear what they're saying and I can see their feet.

But the third time someone gives me back a coin,

但係喺第三次有人將個金幣俾返我嗰時

I want to know what's going on.

我想知道到底發生咗啲乜嘢

So I sort of tilt my head back to get a better view,

為咗睇得清楚啲，我將頭稍微向後傾斜

and what I see is someone walking away from me going like this.

我睇到有人從我身邊行開，就好似咁

And then it hits me:

呢一幕令我突然醒悟：

it's bad luck to take gold from No-Face.

摞到無面男嘅金幣係不祥之兆

In the film "Spirited Away,"

因為喺電影《千與千尋》裏面

bad luck befalls those who take gold from No-Face.

如果有人向無面男摞咗金幣

厄運就會降臨

This isn't a performer-audience relationship; this is cosplay.

呢個唔係講緊演員同觀眾嘅關係

而係角色扮演背後嘅意義

We are, all of us on that floor,

我哋，全部喺會場上嘅人 都喺度將自己注入到

injecting ourselves into a narrative that meant something to us.

對我哋嚟講有某種意義嘅故事裏面

And we're making it our own.

再將佢變成我哋自己嘅故事

We're connecting with something important inside of us.

我哋內心深處都有啲重要嘅嘢

And the costumes are how we reveal ourselves

而服裝就係我哋表達內心嘅嘢畀其他人

to each other.

Thank you.

多謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）