méi yǒu yī gè dōng xī wǒ huì yǒng yuǎn yōng yǒu

没有一个东西我会永远拥有

I can own nothing forever

kě shì wǒ men yī shēng hěn duō dōng xī dōu fàng bù xià

可是我们一生很多东西都放不下

But we’re unable to give up lots of things in life

jiǎng xūn chí shàng rì jì

蒋勋 | 池上日记

Chiang Hsun | Life in Chishang

wǒ shì jiǎng xūn

我是蒋勋

I’m Chiang Hsun

xiǎng bǎ tái běi de shēng huó zuò yī gè shě lí

想把台北的生活做一个舍离

I wanted to stay away from the life in Taipei

nián de yuè zhōng xià xún

2014年的10月中下旬

In mid-to-late October of 2014

wǒ dào le chí shàng

我到了池上

I arrived at Chishang

dào xiàn zài yǐ jīng shì wǔ nián

到现在已经是五年

Now it’s the 5th year

chí shàng yī zhí yǒu yī gè yǒu míng de dōng xī jiù shì mǐ

池上一直有一个有名的东西就是米

Chishang has been renowned for its rice

yòng zì rán de nóng fǎ

用自然的农法

They grow the best rice in the world

zhǒng chū quán shì jiè zuì hǎo de yōu zhì de dào mǐ

种出全世界最好的优质的稻米

Using a natural farming method

ràng wǒ men kàn dào le zuì měi de dào tián

让我们看到了最美的稻田

So we have the chance to see the most beautiful paddy field

wǒ bèi yāo qǐng zuò zhù cūn yì shù jiā

我被邀请做驻村艺术家

I was invited as an artist in residence

lái chí shàng yǐ hòu

来池上以后

After coming to Chishang

yī miàn zǒu yī miàn kàn fēng jǐng

一面走一面看风景

I walk and enjoy the scenery at the same time

wǒ jiù fā xiàn shuō tā qí shí shì zhǎng juǎn

我就发现说它其实是长卷

I find it’s a long roll

zhè gè gōng qǐng méi yǒu fēn gē de nóng dì

这个175公顷没有分割的农地

This undivided farmland of 175 hectares

tā zài shí jiān lǐ miàn zài liú dòng

它在时间里面在流动

It flows in time

dà pǔ cūn shì yī gè fèi diào de lǎo shī sù shě

大埔村是一个废掉的老师宿舍

Dapu Village is a deserted teachers’ dormitory

yǐ jīng wǔ liù shí nián méi yǒu rén zhù

已经五六十年没有人住

It has not been occupied for fifty or sixty years

wǒ jiù yī zhí zài dà pǔ cūn xiǎng yào bǎ zhè gè jiā de gǎn jué zhǎo huí lái

我就一直在大埔村想要把这个家的感觉找回来

I’ve always wanted to find the feeling of home in Dapu Village

qí shí dāng shí wǒ jìn qù zhēn de píng liáng xīn jiǎng hěn jiǎn lòu

其实当时我进去真的凭良心讲很简陋

To be honest, it was really simple and crude when I first entered there

kě shì wǒ dāng shí cóng hóng mén tuī kāi yī jìn qù wǒ jiù xià yī tiào

可是我当时从红门推开一进去我就吓一跳

But when I pushed the door and walked in, I was surprised

yīn wèi tā wán quán shì wǒ tóng nián jiā de yàng zi

因为它完全是我童年家的样子

Because it was totally like my home when I was a child

hóng zhuān qiáng

红砖墙

Walls of red bricks

mù tóu de chuāng hù

木头的窗户

Wooden windows

lǜ sè de yóu qī

绿色的油漆

Green paint

rán hòu yǒu hěn dà de yuàn zi

然后有很大的院子

And a big yard

liǎng gè wò fáng dōu shì tōng pù

两个卧房都是通舖

Both of the bedrooms have a wide bed

xiàn zài huàn le chuáng

现在换了床

Now I change the bed

jiā lǐ ān yī gè shén tán qí shí shì ān xīn

家里安一个神坛其实是安心

Placing an altar at home is for comfort

zuì hòu yī gè zhù zài nà biān de lǎo shī méi yǒu bǎ shén tán dài zǒu

最后一个住在那边的老师没有把神坛带走

The last teacher living here didn’t take the altar away

nà wǒ jiù jì xù bài

那我就继续拜

So I continue to worship it

wǒ jué dé nà lǐ biān yǒu yī gè duì tiān dì de jìng zhòng

我觉得那里边有一个对天地的敬重

I think there’s respect for heaven and earth in it

jiù shì píng ān zhè liǎng gè zì

就是平安这两个字

It’s about the word safe

yǒu yī gè xiǎo yuàn zi

有一个小院子

There’s a big yard

wǒ kě yǐ zhī dào xià yǔ le guā fēng le

我可以知道下雨了，刮风了

Which tells me if it’s rainy or windy

tài yáng kě yǐ zhào zài nà gè dì fāng

太阳可以照在那个地方

The sun shines here

jīng guò nà gè yuàn zi jiù dào huà shì qù

经过那个院子就到画室去

Walking through the yard, I enter the painting room

lǐ miàn de guāng xiàn hěn tè bié

里面的光线很特别

Which has a special lighting

shù yǐng huì dǎ zài nà gè huà bù shàng

树影会打在那个画布上

The shades cast on the canvas

hóng zhuān qiáng shàng de xiāng suàn téng kāi dé zhè me piāo liàng

红砖墙上的香蒜藤开得这么漂亮

The garlic vines bloom on the red-brick walls

wǒ jiù hǎo xiǎng yòng nà gè zǐ sè

我就好想用那个紫色

I really want to use that purple

nà gè piān hóng de zǐ lái huà huà

那个偏红的紫来画画

The reddish purple to paint

wǒ jué dé líng gǎn shì shēng huó

我觉得灵感是生活

I think inspiration comes from life

rú guǒ méi yǒu líng gǎn jiù shì méi yǒu shēng huó

如果没有灵感就是没有生活

If you don’t have inspiration, you don’t have a life

diǎn dào diǎn de shí hòu

5点到7点的时候

From 5:00pm to 7:00pm

wǒ jué dé shì guāng zuì piāo liàng de

我觉得是光最漂亮的

I think the lighting is the most beautiful

hǎi àn shān mài de guāng xiàng yī gè jù guāng dēng

海岸山脉的光像一个聚光灯

The light along the coast ranges is like a spotlight

dǎ guāng dǎ zài zhěng gè xī biān

打光打在整个西边

Illuminating the west

zǎo shàng zài dà pō chí nà yàng zǒu yī quān

早上在大坡池那样走一圈

I walk around the Dapo pond

zǒu dào liǎng gè xiǎo shí

走到两个小时

For two hours in the morning

zài guò yī zhèn zi jiù wán quán shì cán hé

再过一阵子，就完全是残荷

A spell later, the lotus flowers would totally wither away

hé gěng yě fēi cháng piāo liàng

荷梗也非常漂亮

The lotus stems are pretty too

yǒu diǎn xiàng shū fǎ de xiàn tiáo yī yàng

有点像书法的线条一样

A little like calligraphic lines

táng shī shuō liú dé cán hé tīng yǔ shēng

唐诗说“留得残荷听雨声”

A poem of the Tang Dynasty which goes ‘looking at the remnants of flowers, I listen to the rain’

tí xǐng nǐ shuō méi yǒu hé huā yě hěn hǎo

提醒你说没有荷花也很好

Reminds you that it’s great as well without lotus flowers

lìng wài yī gè jì jié kě shì kě yǐ xīn shǎng lìng wài yī zhǒng fēng jǐng

另外一个季节可是可以欣赏另外一种风景

You can enjoy a different view in a different season

dào dòu bāo diàn kàn tā men zuò yè

到豆包店看他们作业

I go to the steamed buns restaurant to see them work

rán hòu chī diǎn dòu bāo

然后吃点豆包

And have some steamed buns stuffed with bean paste

jiù huí jiā huà huà

就回家画画

Then I return home to paint

duì wǒ lái shuō shì yī gè hěn kuài lè de shì

对我来说是一个很快乐的事

It’s a happy thing to do for me

qí shí nóng mín de shēng huó lǐ miàn yì shù běn lái jiù yǒu yī diǎn yáo yuǎn

其实农民的生活里面艺术本来就有一点遥远

In fact art is a little far away from life for farmers

wǒ jué dé tā men jiào wǒ de dōng xī bǐ wǒ jiào tā men de dōng xī yào duō dé duō

我觉得他们教我的东西比我教他们的东西要多得多

I think what they teach me is way more than what I teach them

chí shàng gěi wǒ de dì yī gè gōng kè jiù shì zì rán zhì xù

池上给我的第一个功课就是自然秩序

The first lesson that Chishang teach me is natural laws

rì chū ér zuò rì rù ér xī

日出而作，日入而息

Start working as the sun rises and rest when the sun goes down

gēn zhù jié qì zǒu

跟著节气走

Live in accordance with solar terms

chí shàng zhè gè xiǎo xiǎo de nóng cūn

池上这个小小的农村

As a small village

lián xù hǎo jǐ nián tā men zài zhè biān bàn le chí shàng yì shù jì

连续好几年他们在这边办了池上艺术季

Chishang has held its art festival for years

gāng qín jiā jiù zài shōu gē de dào tián lǐ miàn dàn gāng qín

钢琴家就在收割的稻田里面弹钢琴

Pianists play in the paddy field where the harvest has been reaped

yě kě yǐ kàn yún mén wǔ jí

也可以看云门舞集

A variety of dancers can also be seen

gǔ cāng měi shù guǎn

谷仓美术馆

Barn Gallery

zuì zǎo shì yī gè pò jiù de cāng kù

最早是一个破旧的仓库

It used to be a shabby warehouse

zhěng gè xíng shì kōng jiān méi yǒu biàn

整个形式空间没有变

The whole space doesn’t change

bǎo liú dà jiā gòng yǒu de yī xiē jì yì

保留大家共有的一些记忆

And some common memories are kept

ràng chí shàng rén yǒu yī gè biǎo dá zì jǐ yì shù de jī huì

让池上人有一个表达自己艺术的机会

It creates an opportunity for Chishang people to express themselves

chí shàng shū jú

池上书局

Chishang Bookshop

liù shí nián de lǎo shū diàn

六十年的老书店

It’s sixty years old

nà liǎng zhǐ māo hǎo wán dé bù dé le

那两只猫好玩得不得了

Those two cats are so interesting

māo de shuì mián shí jiān hěn zhǎng hěn zhǎng

猫的睡眠时间很长很长

Cats sleep for a very long time

huà tā huò zhě pāi tā hěn róng yì

画牠或者拍牠很容易

It’s easy to paint or take pictures of them

yīn wèi tā bù dòng de zhuàng tài hěn duō

因为牠不动的状态很多

Because they often keep still

wǒ suí xìng jì lù wǒ měi yī tiān

我随性记录我每一天

I record each of my days in a casual way

wǒ jiù shì shǒu jī pāi de

我就是手机拍的

I just take pictures with my mobile phone

nà pī dōng xī xiàn zài zài zhǎn chū

那批东西现在在展出

Those photos are now exhibiting

tā bù zài měi shù guǎn lǐ miàn zhǎn

它不在美术馆里面展

They’re not shown in a gallery

tā qí shí zài wǒ cháng qù de xiǎo diàn

它其实在我常去的小店

In the shop which I frequent

jiù huì kàn dào

就会看到

You can see them

rén lí kāi shén me dōng xī huó bù xià qù

人离开什么东西活不下去

What are the things that human can’t live without

kōng qì shuǐ tǔ dì

空气、水、土地

Air, water and earth

lái dào chí shàng yǐ hòu

来到池上以后

After moving to Chishang

wǒ jué dé wǒ zài chí shàng hǎo fù yǒu

我觉得我在池上好富有

I feel I’m so rich here

yīn wèi yī gè jiàn kāng de shēng huó cái shì měi de

因为一个健康的生活才是美的

Because only a healthy life is beautiful

zhè wǔ nián

这五年

In the past five years

wǒ jué dé wǒ zuò de hěn duō zhè yī lèi de gōng kè

我觉得我做的很多这一类的功课

I think I’ve done a lot of work in this regard

shén me dōng xī kě yǐ fàng shǒu

什么东西可以放手

What things can we give up

ér bù yào dào zuì hòu fàng bù le shǒu hěn tòng kǔ

而不要到最后放不了手很痛苦

Or we would be really painful in the end if we can’t let it go