Dear Eva, April 14th,
親愛的伊娃4月14日
Almost a month since you wrote to me and you‘ve possibly forgotten your state of mind, I doubt it though. You seem the same as always and being you, hate every minute of it.
距你寫信給我過了快一個月了,你可能已經(jīng)忘記了當時的心境,雖然我覺得未必。你看起來一如既往地痛恨自己,每分每秒都在這樣。
Don’t! Learn to say “fuck you” to the world every once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder, wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out.
別這樣!要學(xué)會時不時對世界說“去你媽的”,你絕對有權(quán)這么說。不要思量擔憂,謹小慎微,遲鈍懷疑,害怕傷心,妄想找到捷徑解脫.
Struggling, grasping, confusing, itching, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, numbling, rambling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding, grinding, grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just do!
不要掙扎攫取,困惑迷失,抓耳撓腮,不要嘟嘟囔囔,笨手笨腳,嘟噥抱怨,低聲下氣,踉踉蹌蹌,麻木不仁,怨聲載道,賭博取樂,跌跌撞撞,輕描淡寫,亂作一團,投機取巧,密謀策劃,嘰嘰歪歪,挖苦怨嘆,臨陣磨槍,挑挑揀揀,胡言亂語,吹毛求疵,說長道短,浪費時間,多管閑事,招搖撞騙,奪人眼球,互相指責,鬼鬼祟祟,久久等待,徘徊不前,怒目相對,互相利用,磨磨唧唧,尸位素餐,損人惠語,不要再折磨你自己,不要再折磨你自己,就此打住吧,去做就行!
From your description, and from what I know of your previous working and your ability, the work that you were doing sounds very good. Drawing clean, clear but crazy like machines, larger and bolder… real nonsense. That sounds fine, wonderful. Real nonsense.
如你所述,以及我對你之前的創(chuàng)作和能力的了解,你所做的事很棒。畫風干凈,清晰卻又瘋狂,像機器一般,更宏大,更大膽,真正的毫無意義,這很好,很美妙。這是真正的毫無意義。
Do more.More nonsensical, more crazy, more machines, more breasts, penises, cunts, whatever, make them abound with nonsense. Try and tickle something inside you, your “weird humor.” You belong in the most secret part of you. Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world.
去更多地創(chuàng)作吧,要更無意義,更瘋狂,更像機器,有更多的生殖器官,隨便什么,去創(chuàng)作毫無意義的東西吧。嘗試去觸動你內(nèi)心的東西,就像你古怪的幽默感。你屬于你自己內(nèi)心深處最隱秘的那一部分。別擔心酷不酷的問題,盡管創(chuàng)造出自己的風格。創(chuàng)造你自己的世界。
If you fear, make it work for you, draw and paint your fear and anxiety. And stop worrying about big, deep things, such as to decide on a purpose and way of life, a consistent approach to even some impossible end or even an imagined end. You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to do!
如果你恐懼,那就讓恐懼為你所用,描繪出你的恐懼與焦慮。別再擔心宏觀深奧的問題,比如決定人生目的和生活方式,選擇一條堅定的道路,也許通往的是某個不可能的終點,或者是一個可以想象的終點。你必須學(xué)著癡一些,鈍一些,少想一些,徹底放空自己,然后你才可能做到!
I have much confidence in you and even though you are tormenting yourself, the work you do is very good. Try to do something bad. Try to do some bad work. The worst thing you can think of and see what happens, but mainly relax and let everything go to hell.
我對你很有信心,即使你正在折磨自己,你的作品非常出色,試著去做些不合常規(guī)、不好的創(chuàng)作,做你能想到的最糟的創(chuàng)作,看看會發(fā)生什么,但是最主要的是要放松,讓其他一切事情都見鬼去吧。
You are not responsible for the world. You are only responsible for your work, so just do it! And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived idea, form or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be. But if life would be easier for you, if you stopped working, then stop. Don’t punish yourself. However, I think that it is so deeply engrained in you that it would be better for you to do!
你不必對世界負責,你只需對自己的創(chuàng)作負責。所以去做吧!而且別認為你的創(chuàng)作一定要遵循預(yù)設(shè)的想法,形式或風格,它可以是任何你想要的樣子,但是如果你停止創(chuàng)作,生活會更輕松,那就停下來,不要懲罰自己。然而,我覺得創(chuàng)作深深地扎根于你的內(nèi)心,那么你最好放手去做。
It seems I do understand your attitude somewhat, anyway, because I go through a similar process every now and again myself. I have an “Agonizing Reappraisal” of my work and change everything as much as possible, and hate everything I’ve done, and try to do something entirely different and better.
似乎我多多少少都能理解你的態(tài)度,因為每隔一段時間我都經(jīng)歷類似的過程。我對自己的作品有一個極為痛苦的再修正,我盡可能地改變之前的一切,我討厭曾做過的一切,試著創(chuàng)作一些完全不同而且更好的東西。
Maybe that kind of process is necessary to me, pushing me on and on. The feeling that I can do better than that shit I just did. Maybe you need your agony to accomplish what you do. And maybe it goads you on to do better, but it is very painful, I know.
也許這種過程對我而言是必須的,推著我一步步前進,是那種我可以做出的比剛才那坨屎更好的感覺。也許你需要讓痛苦來幫你完成正在做的事情,或許它可以激勵你做得更好,但我知道這非常痛苦。
It would be better if you had the confidence just to do the stuff and not even think about it. Can’t you leave the world and art alone and also quit fondling your ego. I know that you or anyone can only work so much. In the rest of the time, you are left with your thoughts. But when you work or before your work, you have to empty your mind and concentrate on what you are doing. After you do something it is done and that’s that.
如果你有信心放手去做這些事,而不去琢磨它,這樣就更好了。你不能離開世界和藝術(shù),同樣不能放棄疼惜自我。我知道你或任何人只能工作那么多,而剩下的時間則留給自己思考,但你在工作時或是在工作之前,你要清空大腦,而專注正在做的事情。你完成一些事情之后,作品就完成了,就是這樣。
After a while you can see some are better than others, but also you can see what direction you are going. I’m sure you know all that. You also must know that you don’t have to justify your work, not even to yourself.
過一陣子你可以看出來哪一些更好,但同時你還可以發(fā)現(xiàn)要前進的方向。我知道這一切你都懂。你還必須要知道的是,你不需要為作品辯解,甚至是對你自己也不需要。
Well, you know I admire your work greatly and can’t understand why you are so bothered by it. But you can see the next ones and I can’t. You also must believe in your ability. I think you do. So try the most outrageous things you can. Shock yourself! You have at your power the ability to do anything.
好吧,你知道的,我非常欣賞你的作品,我不能理解你為什么受到它如此地困擾。但是你可以看到以后的作品,而我卻看不到。你也必須要相信自己的能力,我知道你相信。所以嘗試你能做到的最離譜的事情讓你自己也感到震驚!你無所不能。
I would like to see your work and will have to be content to wait until Aug or Sept. I have seen photos of some of Tom’s new things at Lucy’s. They are very impressive, especially the ones with the more rigorous form: the simple ones. I guess he’ll send some more later on. Let me know how the shows are going and that kind of stuff.My work had changed since you left and it is much better. I will be having a show May 4th to 29th at the Daniels Gallery 17 East 64th Street, where Emmerich was, I wish you could be there.
我想要看到你的作品,但又必須等到八月或九月,我在露西那里看到了一些湯姆新作的照片,它們令我印象深刻,特別是那些更加具有嚴謹形式的作品:更簡練的作品。我猜他之后會寄來更多。讓我知道展覽的情況和其他事。自從你走了以后,我修改了作品,現(xiàn)在好了很多。5月4日到29日我將會有一場展覽,位于東64街17號的丹尼爾美術(shù)館里,就是之前埃默里希那兒,我希望你們能去
Much love to you both.Sol.
很愛你們,索爾.