wǒ shì lǐ yù

我是李玉

I am Li Yu.

zì chēng yù shuǐ jūn

自称遇水君

But I call myself Yi Zi Jun.

zài zhōng guó měi shù xué yuàn dú yán jiū shēng sān nián jí

在中国美术学院读研究生三年级

I am currently a third year graduate student at the China National Academy of Fine Arts

wǒ dà yī dào xiàn zài bān le cì

我大一到现在搬了7次

I have moved 7 times since I was a freshman.

wǒ xiàn zài de zhù suǒ yī gòng yǒu céng píng

我现在的住所一共有4层，300平

My current residence has a total of 4 floors, totalling 300m²

yīn wèi zhè gè fáng zi shì wǒ lǎo shī de fáng zi

因为这个房子是我老师的房子

As this house belongs to my teacher,

suǒ yǐ xiàng zhēng xìng dì shōu le yī xiǎo bù fēn de fáng zū

所以象征性地收了一小部分的房租

I have paid a small portion of rent, as a gesture.

zhuāng xiū qián qián hòu hòu chà bù duō wàn

装修前前后后差不多10万

The renovations for this house totalled an estimated $100,000 RMB

chà bù duō jiù shì lái tiān

差不多就是30来天

It took almost 30 days.

wǒ bǎ měi yī céng jìn xíng yī gè gōng néng fēn qū

我把每一层进行一个功能分区

I have partitioned each floor to operate as a functional space.

wǒ bǎ yī lóu de chē kù biàn chéng wǒ de zá huò pù

我把一楼的车库变成我的杂货铺

I have transformed the garage located on the first floor into a store

hé wǒ de yóu huà hé bǎn huà de gōng zuò jiān

和我的油画和版画的工作间

and a studio for oil paintings and printmaking

bǎ èr lóu biàn chéng wǒ de kāi fàng shì chú fáng

把二楼变成我的开放式厨房

I've turned the second floor into an open kitchen

hé kè tīng

和客厅

And living room

sān lóu de huà jiù shì wǒ de gōng zuò jiān

三楼的话就是我的工作间

The third floor is my work room.

sì lóu de huà

四楼的话

On the fourth floor,

wǒ zuò le yī jiān gàn zào huā jiān

我做了一间干燥花间

I have made a room to dry flowers

hé wǒ de yī gè wò shì

和我的一个卧室

and a bedroom.

wǒ bù xiǎng bǎ hěn duō qián huā zài bān bù zǒu de dōng xī shàng miàn

我不想把很多钱花在搬不走的东西上面

I do not want to spend a lot of money on objects that I cannot take with me when I move

wǒ jiù méi yǒu zuò tài duō yìng zhuāng

我就没有做太多硬装

as such I did not install any fixtures

bǐ rú shuō zhè gè dì bǎn bāo kuò qiáng tǐ wǒ dōu méi yǒu zuò rèn hé chù lǐ

比如说这个地板包括墙体我都没有做任何处理

For example, I did not renovate this flooring and these walls

měi gè kōng jiān dōu shì yǒu yī xiē zǎo shù hé zhú zi de yuán sù zài lǐ miàn

每个空间都是有一些枣树和竹子的元素在里面

There are elements of jujube trees and the use of bamboo in each space

qí tā de yī xiē zhuō zi yǐ zi dèng zi

其他的一些桌子、椅子、凳子

Some tables, chairs, stools

bāo kuò gōng zuò tái dōu shì mǎi de èr shǒu

包括工作台都是买的二手

even the workbench were secondhand purchases.

mù qián xiàn zài zuò de zhè gè dèng zi

目前现在坐的这个凳子

This stool that I am currently sitting on

wǒ táo guò lái cái kuài qián gè

我淘过来才50块钱2个

was a bargain, it was only RMB 50 for 2

rán hòu zhè gè pí shì zhēn pí de

然后这个皮是真皮的

it is real leather as well.

yīn wèi zhuāng mén hěn má fán

因为装门很麻烦

As it is very troublesome to install doors,

wǒ bǎ zhè xiē dōng xī biàn chéng yī xiē wéi màn hé yī xiē zhú lián yǐ hòu

我把这些东西变成一些帷幔和一些竹帘以后

I have turned these things into some enamel and some bamboo curtains.

tā zhěng gè zào jià hěn dī

它整个造价很低

So its overall cost is very low.

zhěng gè sè diào huì gèng tǒng yī yī xiē

整个色调会更统一一些

this enables the colour tones to be more unified

yǒu hěn duō péng yǒu guò lái shuō yī dào xià tiān wén chóng duō

有很多朋友过来说一到夏天蚊虫多

Many of my friends who visit have commented that there are more mosquitoes in the summer.

wǒ jiù kāi wán xiào shuō duō hǎo ya

我就开玩笑说多好呀

I would joke and reply, "Isn't that wonderful?"

bèi dīng nǐ yǒu gǎn jué shuō míng nǐ hái huó zhù

被叮，你有感觉说明你还活著

"That bite only means that you're still capable of feeling, that you're still living!"

wǒ zài suì lái háng zhōu yì kǎo zhī qián

我在17岁来杭州艺考之前

Prior to coming to Hangzhou to do the Arts Entrance Exam Test at the age of 17

dōu shì zài hú nán lóu dǐ de yī gè xiǎo cūn zi lǐ miàn shēng huó de

都是在湖南娄底的一个小村子里面生活的

I lived in a small village in the bottom of Hunan.

wǒ huì měi tiān bèi zhù zhú lǒu qù yě wài cǎi jí gè zhǒng yě huā yě cǎo

我会每天背著竹篓去野外采集各种野花野草

I will carry bamboo rafts every day to forage for wildflowers and weeds in the wild.

wǒ xiàn zài jué dìng zì jǐ chuàng yè

我现在决定自己创业

I have now decided to start my own business.

jiù zuò le yī gè guān yú zì rán hé cǎo mù de yī gè gōng zuò shì

就做了一个关于自然和草木的一个工作室

I made a nature and foliage related work studio.

hòu lái wǒ jiù cóng jiǎn dān de zhí wù kāi shǐ

后来我就从简单的植物开始

later on, I started with simple plants

gēn jù zhí wù de xíng tài hé tā gěi wǒ de gǎn jué

根据植物的形态和它给我的感觉

based on the shape of the plant and the emotions that it stirs in me,

qù jìn xíng yī xiē zhí wù huà de chuàng zuò

去进行一些植物画的创作

to begin the process of creating pressed flower art,

kě néng gěi tā jiā yī gè qì xíng

可能给它加一个器型

perhaps add a shaped object

huò zhě gěi tā jiā yī xiē yán sè

或者给它加一些颜色

Or maybe add a little color to it

hěn duō zhí wù jiào shén me míng zì wǒ yě bù zhī dào

很多植物叫什么名字我也不知道

there were many plants that I was clueless as to what their names were

dàn shì bù yǐng xiǎng wǒ qù xīn shǎng tā de měi

但是不影响我去欣赏它的美

but it does not affect my appreciation for its beauty.

wǒ cóng lái bù huì zhǔ dòng qù chū shòu

我从来不会主动去出售

I have never actively sold these works.

jiù shì zài yī gè hé shì de diǎn

就是在一个合适的点

It is about the right moment,

yǒu yī gè hé shì de rén bǐ cǐ jué dé rèn kě

有一个合适的人彼此觉得认可

and mutual recognition with the right person,

nà jiù kě yǐ ràng tā yǒu yī gè xīn de zhǔ rén

那就可以让它有一个新的主人

that is when the work has a new owner.

tiáo jiàn kě yǐ nǐ néng duō gěi yī diǎn wǒ yě néng shōu xià

条件可以，你能多给一点我也能收下

The conditions are such: if you give a little more, I shall accept it.

nǐ shǎo gěi yī diǎn wǒ jué dé wǒ yě néng jiē shòu

你少给一点我觉得我也能接受

if you give a little less, I will also accept it.

zhī qián zuì guì de yī zhāng yǒu yī wàn duō

之前最贵的一张有一万多

previously, the most expensive work was over RMB 10,000.

hěn duō rén lái wǒ gōng zuò shì shuō

很多人来我工作室说

There are many who come to my studio and have said:

nǐ shì bù shì fù èr dài

你是不是富二代？

Are you a second generation rich kid?

shì bù shì bèi rén bāo yǎng le

是不是被人包养了？

Are you being taken care of?

wǒ dào xī wàng wǒ shì fù èr dài dàn shì zhēn méi yǒu

我倒希望我是富二代，但是真没有

I wish I was a second generation rich kid, but I really wasn't.

suǒ yǒu de dōng xī dōu shì wǒ zì jǐ qīn shǒu qù chuàng zào de

所有的东西都是我自己亲手去创造的

I have created everything here with my own hands.

wǒ mù qián de shēng huó jiù shì yī gè rén yī tiáo gǒu

我目前的生活就是一个人，一条狗

I live by myself, with a dog

sān zhǐ jī

三只鸡

Three chickens

yǒu yī tiān biàn chéng liǎng zhǐ jī le

有一天变成两只鸡了

which became two chickens, one day,

yī zhǐ jī pǎo diào le

一只鸡跑掉了

after a chicken ran away.

yáng guāng yī sǎ xià lái wǒ jiù qǐ chuáng le

阳光一洒下来我就起床了

My day starts when the sunlight streams in

kàn jī yǒu méi yǒu qǐ chuáng

看鸡有没有起床

I will check to see if the chickens have woken up

kàn gǒu shì zài dǎ hū lū hái shì zài sā huān

看狗是在打呼噜还是在撒欢

and see if the dog is still snoring or frolicking.

wǒ hěn xǐ huān rèn shí gè zhǒng bù tóng de péng yǒu

我很喜欢认识各种不同的朋友

I really like to meet friends of different walks of life.

rán hòu wǒ jiù kāi shǐ huì biàn zhù huā yàng gěi péng yǒu zuò gè zhǒng hǎo chī de

然后我就开始会变著花样给朋友做各种好吃的

Then, I started to make a variety of delicious food for my friends.

wǒ de sī chú cóng qù nián de yuè fèn dào xiàn zài yǐ jīng yǒu chǎng le

我的私厨从去年的9月份到现在已经有16场了

Since September last year, my private kitchen has hosted 16 feasts.

méi yǒu cài dān méi yǒu jià gé

没有菜单，没有价格

There is no menu and no set price.

nǐ chī wán yǐ hòu suí yì dǎ shǎng ba

你吃完以后随意打赏吧

After you eat, you pay as you like.

tā men jīng cháng shuō wǒ zhè gè gōng zuò shì xiàng xiū xíng de chǎng suǒ xiàng shān dòng

他们经常说我这个工作室像修行的场所，像山洞

They often say that my studio is like a place of meditation, like a cave.

kě néng hěn duō péng yǒu jué dé wǒ zhè zhǒng zhuàng tài shì bù shì tài xiāo jí le

可能很多朋友觉得我这种状态是不是太消极了

Perhaps many of my friends believe that my current status quo is too laxed.

yī gè nián qīng rén gēn lǎo rén jiā yī yàng zài yǎng lǎo

一个年轻人跟老人家一样在养老

A young man retired like the elderly.

wǒ zài jué dìng xuǎn zé zhè yàng yī zhǒng shēng huó fāng shì yǐ hòu

我在决定选择这样一种生活方式以后

After I decided to choose such a lifestyle,

wǒ bǎ gōng zuò hé bǎ wù zhì shàng de dōng xī

我把工作和把物质上的东西

As for work and material objects,

jiàng dào yī gè wǒ néng chéng shòu de zuì dī diǎn zhī shàng de yī diǎn diǎn

降到一个我能承受的最低点之上的一点点

I have lowered my need for them to a little above the bare minimum of what I can handle,

rán hòu bǎ xiàn jiē duàn gèng duō de jīng lì fàng rù dào wǒ de shēng huó zhōng

然后把现阶段更多的精力放入到我的生活中

and at this present stage, I have concentrated greater energy into my life.

wǒ měi tiān dōu bǎo chí zhù duì shēng huó de wú bǐ rè ài

我每天都保持著对生活的无比热爱

Everyday, I maintain an unsurpassable passion for life.

qù zuò wǒ xiǎng zuò de

去做我想做的

To do what I want.

qù huó wǒ xiǎng huó de

去活我想活的

To live as I please.