Ben Katchor's comics of bygone New York

譯者: Olivia Chang 審譯者: Zhu Jie

I'm going to read a few strips.

我會給大家解讀一些我的作品

These are, most of these are

這些，大多數是

from a monthly page I do

我為了建築和設計類月刊雜志

in and architecture and design magazine

所畫的漫畫頁

called Metropolis.

叫做：大都會。

And the first story is called

第一個故事叫做：

"The Faulty Switch."

“惱人的開關”。

Another beautifully designed new building

這又是一座設計精美的嶄新建築，

ruined by the sound of a common wall light switch.

卻又一次的被電燈開關聲音糟蹋了。

It's fine during the day

白天的時候一切都很美好，

when the main rooms are flooded with sunlight.

那時候屋裏鋪滿了陽光。

But at dusk

但是到了傍晚，

everything changes.

所有的一切都變了。

The architect spent hundreds of hours

建築設計師花費了數百小時，

designing the burnished brass switchplates

來設計那些鋥亮的銅質開關板，

for his new office tower.

用來裝在新的辦公樓裏。

And then left it to a contractor

然後把剩余工作交給承包方，

to install these 79-cent switches behind them.

讓承包方自己去安裝那些價值79美分的開關。

We know instinctively where to reach

我們知道進入一間黑暗的屋子

when we enter a dark room.

會本能的向哪摸。

We automatically throw the little nub of plastic upward.

我們會下意識的把塑料開關往上撥。

But the sound we are greeted with,

在屋子沐浴在

as the room is bathed in the simulated glow

人工的下午陽光中時，

of late-afternoon light,

歡迎我們的開關聲，

recalls to mind

讓我們想起的，

a dirty men's room

卻是骯臟的男廁，

in the rear of a Greek coffee shop.

還是在希臘咖啡店裏間的那種。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

This sound colors our first impression of any room;

這聲音描繪了我們對屋子的第一印象。

it can't be helped.

而它確是如此的惱人。

But where does this sound,

那麽這種開關的“哢噠聲”，

commonly described as a click, come from?

這又是從哪裏得來的呢？

Is it simply the byproduct of a

這是否僅僅是

crude mechanical action?

粗糙的機械制造工藝的副產品？

Or is it an imitation

或者它只是

of one half the set of sounds we make

對大部分我們表示失望情緒的聲音

to express disappointment?

進行的某種模仿？

The often dental consonant

這聲音是非印歐語系中

of no Indo-European language.

常用的輔音。

Or is it the amplified sound

又或者這是

of a synapse firing

蟑螂大腦中

in the brain of a cockroach?

神經元激活聲音的放大？

In the 1950s they tried their best

在20世紀50年代，人們盡最大的可能

to muffle this sound

來消除這種聲音

with mercury switches

其中使用了水银開關，

and silent knob controls.

和靜音旋鈕控制器。

But today these improvements

但是在今天，這些成果

seem somehow inauthentic.

看起來沒有太大的必要了。

The click is the modern

這“哢噠聲”成了現代社會

triumphal clarion

勝利的號角，

proceeding us through life,

伴隨我們的一生，

announcing our entry into every lightless room.

來宣告我們進入了一間昏暗的屋子。

The sound made flicking a wall switch off

關掉墻上開關時“啪”的聲音，

is of a completely different nature.

卻有一種不同的風情。

It has a deep melancholy ring.

它是一種深深憂郁的聲音。

Children don't like it.

孩子們不喜歡它。

It's why they leave lights on around the house. (Laughter)

所以他們離開屋子不喜歡關燈。

Adults find it comforting.

成年人卻覺得這聲音很舒服。

But wouldn't it be an easy matter

但是如果我們讓開關接通

to wire a wall switch

來播放減弱的蒸汽船汽笛聲

so that it triggers the muted horn of a steam ship?

會不會讓事情簡單一點？

Or the recorded crowing of a rooster?

或者播放雞鳴的聲音？

Or the distant peel of thunder?

又或者播放遠處的雷聲？

Thomas Edison went through

湯瑪斯·愛迪生當年

thousands of unlikely substances

試了幾千種不太成功的材料

before he came upon the right one

終於找到了適合的材料

for the filament of his electric light bulb.

適合做電燈泡燈絲的材料。

Why have we settled so quickly

為什麽我們這麽快

for the sound of its switch?

就屈從與這種聲音？

That's the end of that.

這就是我要講的第一個故事。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

The next story is called

我要講的下一個故事叫做

"In Praise of the Taxpayer."

“小屋納稅人的贊美詩”。

That so many of the city's most venerable taxpayers

城市中大多數令人尊重的納稅人

have survived yet another commercial building boom,

都熬到了下一次商業建築建設潮

is cause for celebration.

很是值得慶幸。

These one or two story structures,

那些一兩層建築，

designed to yield only enough income

設計的初衷也只是讓人有足夠的收入

to cover the taxes on the land

讓他們能夠付得起

on which they stand,

他們腳下這塊地的稅

were not meant to be permanent buildings.

並無意建成永久建築。

Yet for one reason or another

由於種種原因

they have confounded the efforts of developers

這些低層建築讓開發商非常頭疼

to be combined into lots

開發商想把他們合成一塊大地皮

suitable for high-rise construction.

好在上面建設高層建築。

Although they make no claim to architectural beauty,

盡管這些低層建築談不上什麽建築美感，

they are, in their perfect temporariness,

但它們在存在的短暫時間裏

a delightful alternative

也是高樓林立的建築群中

to the large-scale structures

一道亮麗的風景線

that might someday take their place.

盡管最終這些建築是要被高層建築取代的。

The most perfect examples

最好的例子

occupy corner lots.

就是拐角處的房子。

They offer a pleasant respite

這是高密度建築群中

from the high-density development around them.

的世外桃源。

A break of light and air,

提供著陽光和新鮮空氣，

an architectural biding of time.

這個建築在和時間賽跑。

So buried in signage

被各種廣告標誌淹沒的

are these structures,

這些小建築

that it often takes a moment

要把它們從

to distinguish the modern

傍邊精心設計的

specially constructed taxpayer

現代建築中區分出來

from its neighbor:

確實要花些時間。

the small commercial building

這些上個世紀的

from an earlier century,

小型商業建築

whose upper floors have been sealed,

二樓都被封了起來，

and whose groundfloor space

它們的一層店面

now functions as a taxpayer.

現在營業著，并繳著稅。

The few surfaces not covered by signs

那些許沒有被廣告遮蓋的表面

are often clad in a distinctive, dark

經常被包裹在易於區分的

green-gray, striated aluminum siding.

暗蒼綠色的鋁條牆板下。

Take-out sandwich shops,

三明治快餐店，

film processing drop-offs,

照片洗印店，

peep-shows and necktie stores.

豔舞表演俱樂部和領帶小店。

Now these provisional structures have,

現在這些臨時建築

in some cases,

在某些情況下

remained standing

依然倖存

for the better part of a human lifetime.

並使人們生活的更美好

The temporary building

這些臨時建築

is a triumph of modern industrial organization,

是現代工業重組的成果。

a healthy sublimation

是建築狂潮中

of the urge to build,

某種人性化的昇華。

and proof that not every

並且證明了

architectural idea

並不是每個建築的設想

need be set in stone.

都必須一成不變的付諸實施。

That's the end.

這就是第二個故事。

(Laughter)

（掌聲）

And the next story is called, "On the Human Lap."

下一個故事叫做“在人類的大腿上”。

For the ancient Egyptians

對於古埃及人來說

the lap was a platform

大腿是一個平臺

upon which to place

在上面放置

the earthly possessions of the dead --

死去的人生前的財產

30 cubits from foot to knee.

從腳到膝蓋有30腕尺高。

It was not until the 14th century

直到14世紀

that an Italian painter

有一個意大利畫家

recognized the lap

把大腿比作

as a Grecian temple,

古希臘的神廟，

upholstered in flesh and cloth.

墊著衣服和肉體。

Over the next 200 years

此後的200年

we see the infant Christ

我們看到嬰兒時的耶穌

go from a sitting to a standing position

在聖母的大腿上，

on the Virgin's lap,

從坐姿改為站姿。

and then back again.

又從站姿改為坐姿。

Every child recapitulates this ascension,

每個圖畫中的耶穌

straddling one or both legs,

或者騎在腿上

sitting sideways,

斜坐著，

or leaning against the body.

或者靠在聖母身上。

From there, to the modern ventriloquist's dummy,

從那時起到現在腹語者的玩偶都是如此，

is but a brief moment in history.

但也僅僅是歷史長河中的一瞬。

You were late for school again this morning.

“你今天上學又遲到了。”

The ventriloquist must first make us believe

腹語者首先要使我們相信

that a small boy is sitting on his lap.

手裡的“小男孩兒”是坐在他腿上的。

The illusion of speech follows incidentally.

然後我們便自然產生了一種對話的幻覺。

What have you got to say for yourself, Jimmy?

“吉米，你有什麽遲到的理由么？”

As adults we admire the lap

作為成年人，我們喜歡大腿

from a nostalgic distance.

是對童年時代的懷念。

We have fading memories

我們對那個“臨時神廟”的記憶

of that provisional temple,

正在慢慢消退，

erected each time an adult sat down.

當一個人坐下的時候建起的“神廟”。

On a crowded bus there was always a lap to sit on.

在擁擠的公車上，總有一條大腿可以讓人坐下。

It is children and teenage girls

那些孩子們和少女們

who are most keenly aware

最能敏銳的體會到

of its architectural beauty.

這“神廟”的建築之美。

They understand the structural integrity

他們能從父輩的大腿

of a deep avuncular lap,

體會到他們的正直，

as compared to the shaky arrangement

也能從穿高跟鞋的侄女

of a neurotic niece in high heels.

搖搖晃晃的大腿體會出她神經質的一面。

The relationship between the lap and its owner

人和他們的大腿之間的關係

is direct and intimate.

是直接而親密的。

I envision a 36-story,

設想一個36層

450-unit residential high-rise --

有450套住房的高層住宅樓

a reason to consider the mental health

用來在簽合同之前

of any architect before granting

檢測建築設計師的

an important commission.

心理健康程度。

The bathrooms and kitchens will,

洗手間和廚房

of course, have no windows.

當然是沒有窗戶的。

The lap of luxury

舒適的大腿

is an architectural construct of childhood,

是兒時最理想的建築設計

which we seek, in vain,

而我們作為一個成年人，

as adults, to employ.

只能去徒勞的求索和利用這些設計。

That's the end.

這就是我講的第三個故事。

(Laughter)

（掌聲）

The next story is called "The Haverpiece Collection"

下一個故事叫做“哈佛皮斯的收藏”

A nondescript warehouse,

一座普普通通的倉庫，

visible for a moment

在普利庫什克高速路向北一側

from the northbound lanes of the Prykushko Expressway,

你有時會注意到它，

serves as the temporary resting place

倉庫當時作為保存那些

for the Haverpiece collection

歐洲風乾水果的臨時場所，

of European dried fruit.

那些來自歐洲的風乾水果。

The profound convolutions

這裡有表面

on the surface of a dried cherry.

深深捲曲的干櫻桃。

The foreboding sheen of an extra-large date.

有神秘的光澤巨大的棗子。

Do you remember wandering as a child

你可曾記得兒時

through those dark wooden

漫步在那些

storefront galleries?

木質裝潢的美術館前？

Where everything was displayed

那裡所有的東西

in poorly labeled roach-proof bins.

都在沒有標識的防蟑螂箱子里裝著。

Pears dried in the form

風幹的梨的形狀

of genital organs.

像生殖器一樣。

Apricot halves

切成一半的風乾的杏

like the ears of cherubim.

像天使的耳朵一樣可愛。

In 1962 the unsold stock

在1962年，這些沒有出售的存貨

was purchased by Maurice Haverpiece,

都被莫裡斯·哈佛皮斯買走了，

a wealthy prune juice bottler,

他是一個富有的瓶裝西梅汁生產商，

and consolidated to form the core collection.

他把這些存貨作為他的核心收藏。

As an art form it lies somewhere between

作為一種藝術形式

still-life painting and plumbing.

它可以算作介於靜物畫和雜役之間的一種東西。

Upon his death in 1967,

在他1967年去世時，

a quarter of the items were sold off for compote

¼ 的收藏被作為蜜餞賣掉，

to a high-class hotel restaurant.

被賣到高級飯館。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Unsuspecting guests were served

毫不知情的消費者

stewed turn-of-the-century

把用六七十年前的土耳其無花果

Turkish figs for breakfast.

做成的燉菜當成早餐吃掉。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

The rest of the collection remains here,

剩下的那部份收藏至今還在，

stored in plain brown paper bags

保存在棕色紙袋裏面

until funds can be raised

等著集資

to build a permanent museum

來建造一座永久性的博物館

and study center.

和研究中心來保存它們。

A shoe made of apricot leather

一雙給沙皇女兒的

for the daughter of a czar.

杏皮做的鞋。

That's the end. Thank you.

這就是我講的最後一個故事。謝謝！

(Applause)

（掌聲）