Alec Soth + Stacey Baker: This is what enduring love looks like

譯者: Wink Wong 審譯者: William Choi

Alec Soth: So about 10 years ago, I got a call from a woman in Texas,

索思：大約10年前，我接到 從德州打來的女子來電，

Stacey Baker,

史黛絲貝克，

and she'd seen some of my photographs in an art exhibition

她在一次藝術展覽中 看過我的攝影作品，

and was wondering if she could commission me to take a portrait of her parents.

她想聘請我替她的父母拍照。

Now, at the time I hadn't met Stacey, and I thought this was some sort of

那時我還未見過史黛絲，以為他們是

wealthy oil tycoon and I'd struck it rich,

有錢的石油大亨， 心想今回可以賺一筆了，

but it was only later that I found out

但是後來發現

she'd actually taken out a loan to make this happen.

她事實上靠借錢來做這件事。

I took the picture of her parents,

我替她的父母拍照，

but I was actually more excited about photographing Stacey.

但是我比較熱衷給史黛絲拍照。

The picture I made that day

那天拍下的照片，

ended up becoming one of my best-known portraits.

最後變成我 最出名的個人照片之一。

At the time I made this picture, Stacey was working as an attorney

我拍下這張照片時，

for the State of Texas.

史黛絲正在德州做律師。

Not long after, she left her job to study photography in Maine,

其後不久，她辭職去緬因州學攝影，

and while she was there, she ended up meeting

她在那裡，結果遇到

the director of photography at the New York Times Magazine

紐約時代週刊的攝影主管，

and was actually offered a job.

她因此而獲得新工作。

Stacey Baker: In the years since, Alec and I have done

史黛絲：從此以後， 亞歷克跟我多年來

a number of magazine projects together,

一齊合作做很多週刊項目，

and we've become friends.

漸漸結為朋友。

A few months ago, I started talking to Alec about a fascination of mine.

數月前，我開始跟亞歷克 談到我醉心的一件事。

I've always been obsessed with how couples meet.

我一直很著迷 一對伴侶是怎樣邂逅的。

I asked Alec how he and his wife Rachel met,

我問亞歷克他是 怎樣遇到自己的太太瑞秋，

and he told me the story of a high school football game

他說了高中足球比賽的故事，

where she was 16 and he was 15,

兩人在那次活動相遇， 太太當時16歲，他15歲，

and he asked her out.

亞歷克約瑞秋外出約會。

He liked her purple hair.

他喜歡她那把紫色的頭髮。

She said yes, and that was it.

她說哦，故事就是這樣。

I then asked Alec if he'd be interested in doing a photography project

然後我問他是否願意 做一個攝影項目

exploring this question.

去探討這個題目。

AS: And I was interested in the question, but I was actually much more interested

亞歷克：我是有興趣，

in Stacey's motivation for asking it,

但事實上我最想知道 史黛絲背後的動機，

particularly since I'd never known Stacey to have a boyfriend.

特別是我從來不知道 史黛絲有男朋友。

So as part of this project, I thought it'd be interesting

所以如果她想結識男朋友，

if she tried to meet someone.

而作為這個項目其中一部份， 將會是非常有趣的事情。

So my idea was to have Stacey here go speed dating

於是我想史黛絲在情人節那天，

in Las Vegas on Valentine's Day.

到拉斯維加斯參加快速約會。

(Laughter) (Applause) (Music)

（笑聲）（掌聲）（音樂）

SB: We ended up at what was advertised as the world's largest speed dating event.

史黛絲：結果我們參加了被宣傳為 全世界最盛大的快速約會。

I had 19 dates

我有19個約會，

and each date lasted three minutes.

而每次約會歷時 3 分鐘，

Participants were given a list of ice- breaker questions to get the ball rolling,

參加者會得到一組有助於 打破悶局的問題來開頭，

things like, "If you could be any kind of animal, what would you be?"

例如：「假如你可以變成動物， 你想做那種動物？」

That sort of thing.

諸如此類。

My first date was Colin.

我第一個約會對象是科林。

He's from England,

他來自英國，

and he once married a woman he met after placing an ad for a Capricorn.

曾經跟一名女子結過婚，是他 登廣告徴求摩羯座女生時認識的。

Alec and I saw him at the end of the evening,

活動結束前，我和亞歷克見到他，

and he said he'd kissed a woman in line at one of the concession stands.

他說在攤位前排隊時吻了一位女子。

Zack and Chris came to the date-a-thon together.

沙克和克里斯一齊 到來參加約會馬拉松。

This is Carl.

這是卡爾。

I asked Carl, "What's the first thing you notice about a woman?"

我問卡爾：「你看女人時 首先留意她的什麼？」

He said, "Tits."

他説：「乳房。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Matthew is attracted to women with muscular calves.

馬修喜愛女性擁有結實的小腿。

We talked about running. He does triathlons, I run half-marathons.

我們談跑步。 他參加三項鐵人賽，我跑半馬拉松。

Alec actually liked his eyes and asked if I was attracted to him, but I wasn't,

亞歷克喜歡他的眼睛， 問我是否迷上他，但我説沒有，

and I don't think he was attracted to me either.

我覺得他對我沒興趣。

Austin and Mike came together.

奧斯丁和麥克一起到來。

Mike asked me a hypothetical question.

麥克問我一條假設的問題。

He said, "You're in an elevator running late for a meeting.

他説：「如果你正要 趕著去開會，進入升降機後，

Someone makes a dash for the elevator.

這時有人想衝入升降機。

Do you hold it open for them?"

妳會按著開門鈕讓他進來嗎？」

And I said I would not.

我説不會。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Cliff said the first thing he notices about a woman is her teeth,

奇里夫見到女性，最先留意她的牙齒，

and we complimented each other's teeth.

於是我們互相讚美對方的牙齒。

Because he's an open mouth sleeper,

因為他睡覺要張開口，

he says he has to floss more to help prevent gum disease,

所以用牙線潔齒，可以防止牙齦病。

and so I asked him how often he flosses,

我問他隔多久用牙線？

and he said, "Every other day."

他説：「每隔一天。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, as someone who flosses twice a day,

現在有人一日用兩次牙線。

I wasn't really sure that that was flossing more

我不太肯定這是否用得過多，

but I don't think I said that out loud.

但我不會大聲説出來。

Bill is an auditor,

比爾是審計員，

and we talked the entire three minutes about auditing. (Laughter)

我們談了整整3分鐘 都是審計的話題。（笑聲）

The first thing Spencer notices about a woman is her complexion.

史賓莎最先注意女性的面容。

He feels a lot of women wear too much makeup,

他覺得很多女性化濃妝，

and that they should only wear enough to accentuate the features that they have.

化妝時應該突出臉部輪廓便足夠。

I told him I didn't wear any makeup at all

我對他説我幾乎沒有化妝，

and he seemed to think that that was a good thing.

他似乎覺得這是好事。

Craig told me he didn't think I was willing to be vulnerable.

克雷格說我不是脆弱的人。

He was also frustrated when I couldn't remember my most embarrassing moment.

他對我未能記得曾遇過的 最尷尬時刻，感到失望。

He thought I was lying, but I wasn't.

他認為我撒謊，但我沒有。

I didn't think he liked me at all, but at the end of the night,

我想他並不喜歡我， 但到了晚上結束時，

he came back to me and he gave me a box of chocolates.

他回來給我一盒巧克力。

William was really difficult to talk to.

我真的感到難以跟威廉聊天，

I think he was drunk.

我覺得他喝醉了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Actor Chris McKenna was the MC of the event.

演員克里斯·麥肯納是活動的司儀，

He used to be on "The Young and the Restless."

他曾經演出「不安分的青春」，

I didn't actually go on a date with him.

我真的沒有跟他約會。

Alec said he saw several women give their phone numbers to him.

亞歷克見有幾個女生 留下電話號碼給他。

Needless to say, I didn't fall in love.

不用說，我沒有墮入愛河。

I didn't feel a particular connection with any of the men that I went on dates with,

那些跟我約會過的男士， 我對他們沒有特別感覺，

and I didn't feel like they felt a particular connection with me either.

我相信他們對我也一樣。

AS: Now, the most beautiful thing to me --

亞歷克：現在我覺得最美的事

(Laughter) -- as a photographer is the quality of vulnerability.

（笑聲）作為一位攝影師， 大家都容易受到傷害的本質。

The physical exterior reveals a crack in which you can get a glimpse

外表反映了那道裂縫

at a more fragile interior.

讓你能夠看到內心的脆弱。

At this date-a-thon event, I saw so many examples of that,

我在這次活動看到很多這些例子，

but as I watched Stacey's dates and talked to her about them,

但觀察史黛絲约會， 後來跟她討論，

I realized how different photographic love is from real love.

才領悟到相片裡看到的愛情 跟真愛是那麼不同。

What is real love? How does it work?

什麼叫做真愛？它怎樣實現呢？

In order to work on this question and to figure out how someone goes

為了解答這個問題和了解伴侶

from meeting on a date to having a life together,

怎樣從赴約變成終生廝守，

Stacey and I went to Sun City Summerlin,

史黛絲和我到太陽城薩默林，

which is the largest retirement community in Las Vegas.

那裡是拉斯維加斯 最大的退休人士社區。

Our contact there was George, who runs the community's photography club.

我們聯絡了佐治， 他管理那裡的攝影會。

He arranged for us to meet other couples in their makeshift photo studio.

他安排我們在臨時的製片廠 與其他夫婦見面。

SB: After 45 years of marriage, Anastasia's husband died two years ago,

史黛絲：經過了45年婚姻， 安娜塔西亞的丈夫兩年前過世，

so we asked if she had an old wedding picture.

我們問她有沒有結婚的舊相片。

She met her husband when she was a 15-year-old waitress

她15歲那年，跟丈夫邂逅。

at a small barbecue place in Michigan.

那時她在密揭根州的 一個小型燒烤場當女侍應。

He was 30.

他當時30歲，

She'd lied about her age.

而她說謊，虛報年齡，

He was the first person she'd dated.

她第一個約會的對象便是他。

Dean had been named photographer of the year in Las Vegas two years in a row,

迪恩連續兩年在拉斯維加斯 獲選為年度攝影家，

and this caught Alec's attention,

因此吸引了亞歷克的注意。

as did the fact that he met his wife, Judy,

其實迪恩跟太太相遇的年紀

at the same age when Alec met Rachel.

和亞歷克跟瑞秋相遇的年紀一樣。

Dean admitted that he likes to look at beautiful women,

迪恩承認自己愛看美女，

but he's never questioned his decision to marry Judy.

但他從不後悔決定與茱迪結婚。

AS: George met Josephine at a parish dance.

亞歷克：佐治與約瑟芬 在社區舞會相識。

He was 18, she was 15.

佐治當時18歲，約瑟芬15歳。

Like a lot of the couples we met, they weren't especially philosophical

就像我們遇到的很多伴侶，

about their early choices.

他們早年的決定並不 特別是卓越且有見識的，

George said something that really stuck with me.

佐治說了些話，令我無法忘記。

He said, "When you get that feeling, you just go with it."

他說：「如果你有那種感覺 ，便要隨著它走。」

Bob and Trudy met on a blind date when she was still in high school.

卓迪還在讀高中時，跟卜合相親。

They said they weren't particularly attracted to each other

兩人說大家初次見面時，

when the first met.

並没有彼此吸引。

Nevertheless, they were married soon after.

但是不久之後，他們便結婚了。

SB: The story that stayed with me the most

史黛絲：令我感受最深刻的是

was that of George, the photography club president, and his wife, Mary.

攝影會主席佐治和妻子瑪麗的故事，

This was George and Mary's second marriage.

兩人都是再次結婚。

They met at a country-western club in Louisville, Kentucky called the Sahara.

他們邂逅於肯德基卅路易維耳市的 西部鄉村俱樂部，其名為撒哈拉，

He was there alone drinking and she was with friends.

佐治一個人在那裡喝酒， 而瑪麗則與朋友一齊。

When they started dating, he owed the IRS 9,000 dollars in taxes,

他們開始來往時， 佐治欠下稅局九千元，

and she offered to help him get out of debt,

而她願意幫助他還清債務。

so for the next year, he turned his paychecks over to Mary,

於是第二年，他把薪水全部交給瑪麗，

and she got him out of debt.

最後瑪麗幫他償還欠債。

George was actually an alcoholic when they married, and Mary knew it.

佐治其實是酒鬼， 兩人結婚時，瑪麗早已知道。

At some point in their marriage, he says he consumed

他們婚後，他說有些日子

54 beers in one day.

試過一日喝54杯啤酒，

Another time, when he was drunk, he threatened to kill Mary

又有一次，他喝醉了，

and her two kids,

還威脅要殺死瑪麗和兩個孩子。

but they escaped and a SWAT team was called to the house.

不過瑪麗跟孩子逃脫了， 特警隊還奉召到來。

Amazingly, Mary took him back,

令人吃驚的是瑪麗帶他回家，

and eventually things got better.

最終其後生活漸入佳境。

George has been involved in Alcoholics Anonymous

佐治參加了戒酒無名會，

and hasn't had a drink in 36 years.

現在已經有 36 年沒有喝酒。

(Music)

（音樂）

At the end of the day, after we left Sun City,

工作完畢，我們離開太陽城，

I told Alec that I didn't actually think

我告訴亞歷克我真的不覺得

that the stories of how these couples met were all that interesting.

這些伴侶的邂逅故事有趣，

What was more interesting

更有意思的是

was how they managed to stay together.

他們怎樣想辦法待在一起。

AS: They all had this beautiful quality of endurance,

亞歷克：他們都具有忍耐的美德，

but that was true of the singles, too.

但單身人士也一樣。

The world is hard, and the singles were out there

他們生活困難，也在㚈面

trying to connect with other people,

希望跟別人交往，

and the couples were holding onto each other

而伴侶們經過這麼多年

after all these decades.

長相廝守。

My favorite pictures on this trip were of Joe and Roseanne.

我在這次行程中最喜歡 祖和羅莎娜的照片，

Now, by the time we met Joe and Roseanne,

我們跟伴侶們見面時，

we'd gotten in the habit of asking couples if they had an old wedding photograph.

習慣問他們有沒有 一張結婚時的舊照片，

In their case, they simultaneously pulled out of their wallets

此時，他們不約而同從自己的錢包

the exact same photograph.

取出同一樣的照片來。

What's more beautiful, I thought to myself,

我心想有什麼美得過

this image of a young couple who has just fallen in love

照片裡那對剛墮入愛河的年輕戀人，

or the idea of these two people holding onto this image for decades?

或者兩人經過歲月 仍保留這張照片的心意呢？

Thank you.

謝謝大家

(Applause)

（掌聲）