游与象

　　Motion/Imagination

　　Moving Visions

　　Flowing Forms

　　Travelling.Imagery

　　无意中画了一些画，画了一些圈圈，自己觉得还是有些意思，想给它们来个题目，想来想去，冒出了“游·象”这样的词。我似乎很喜欢或者说很向往中国古代文化中的“游”的概念，“游”在中国的文化话语系统里，是一个具有很强精神性的词汇。儒家的所谓“依于仁，游于艺”（《论语·述而》），道家的“游心于物之初”（《庄子·田子方》）、“乘物以游心”（《庄子·人间世》）、“乘云气，骑日月，而游乎四海之外”（《庄子·齐物论》）中，“游”是一种能令精神超然物外的方式。“象”在中国的文化语境中也是一种与心相接，游于目止于心的图像呈现，正古人所谓的“游目骋怀”而归于“象”，而“大象”更是“无形”，“象”出入于有形与无形之间。

　　“游·象”这样很有中国文化意味的词汇，尤其是要将它与我有意无意中画出来的水墨圈圈谈到一起，在这其中传达出一点味道和意思来，这本来就有些考人，更何况还有将它翻译成西文，想让西人也多少体会到其中的意味，那可说是难上加难了。于是请教了唐小兵君和王春辰君，二君的翻译及理解还真有意思。

　　唐小兵君提供了“游·象”的三种译法，他给我的邮件中写道：

　　一，Motion/Imagination：这两个字之间也可以像中文标题那样用一个圆点隔开，但斜杠似乎英文里更常见。两个字都很普通，而且用中文来说是押韵，容易上口。又都是名词，很对称，以此作标题有一种探究或思辨两个很深奥的概w念的意味；

　　二，Moving Visions：和上一个标题不一样的地方，便是这个标题重点是名词Visions，亦即“心象”。我觉得Visions远比Images要好，含有想象，心中意境的意味，亦即心目中所看到的景象，而Imagews则是个实的东西，是摆在眼前的图像。这个标题还有一个意味就是，这些意象不仅是动态的，而且也是动人的，让人浮想联翩、神游天地的。

　　三，Flowing Forms：这个标题的结构与第二个标题一致，也是名词前冠以动词的进行式做形容词，但更抽象一些。Flowing与“游·象”吻合，有一种长袖起舞、柔和起伏的联想；此外两个字用同一个辅音开头，很动听；至于Forms一词，也很有深度，因为你的这批作品，我觉得是对形的一种刻意追寻和发掘。

　　王春辰君的翻译及阐释是：

　　中文“游·象”有古典汉语的意境，很难用英文写出。

　　Travelling是无有所踪的飘游、迹无定所，

　　Imagery是心中幻化的物象痕迹，但没有确切具体所指，Imagery很难翻成中文，就像“象”很难翻成英文一样。不确定对不确定算是一拼。

　　Travelling.Imagery更像主体的漫游不知所踪，鹜极八荒，心象何在。

　　二君的翻译及阐释使我对“游·象”似乎有了更多更深的理解。而我也犯难了，究竟画集题目该用哪一个译法？想来想去，就四种译法都用上，大家一起来“游·象”一回吧。

2011年6月10日于北京沁绿园

　　Moving Visions

　　Wang Huangsheng

　　游与象
　　Motion / Imagination 
　　Moving Visions
　　Flowing Forms
　　Travelling . Imagery

　　I accidentally drew some paintings and some circles and felt that they have some meaning. So I wanted to give them a title and the words "游 · 象" popped up in my mind after much deliberation. It seems that I like or yearn for the concept of "游" (wandering) in ancient Chinese culture. "游"is a word with strong spirituality in Chinese cultural discourse system which often appear in such following texts. Confucianism's so-called "Let perfect virtue be accorded with. Let relaxation and enjoyment be found in the polite arts" (the Analects of  Confucius · Shu R), Taoism's "enjoying oneself in thinking about the commencement of things" (Chuang Tzu · ThienTsze-fang), "Let your mind find its enjoyment in the circumstances of your position" (Chuang Tzu · Man in the World) and "Mounts on the clouds of the air, rides on the sun and moon, and rambles at ease beyond the four seas" (Chuang Tzu · The Adjustment of Controversies), "游" is a way to make the spirit detached. "象" is also an image presentation which connects with heart and entertains the eyes and heart. The ancient so called "Looking as far as one's eyes can see and broadening one's mind" is attributed to "象", and "大象" (great form) is "without shape". "象" appears between the tangible and the intangible.

　　Such a word with Chinese cultural meaning as "游 · 象", especially when connected with the ink circles which I painted accidentally and hoping to convey its flavor and meaning, it is a hard task. Moreover, it is even harder to translate it into English and try to make Westerners understand its meaning. Thus, I asked for advice from Mr. Tang Xiaobing and Mr. Wang Chunchen, whose translations and understandings are very interesting.

　　Tang Xiaobing provided three translations of "游 · 象" in his mail:
　　1. Motion/Imagination. These two words can be divided by inserting a dot between them like a Chinese title, but slash seems to be more common in English. These two words are quite ordinary and rhyme in Chinese which makes them catchier. Besides, they are both nouns and combined in a very balanced way. Therefore, taking it as the title has the meaning of researching or reflecting on two esoteric concepts;
　　2. Moving Visions: What is different from the first title is that the emphasis of this title is the noun Visions, namely, "mental imagery". I think that Visions is far better than Images which includes imagination and the meaning of state of mind, namely, the scenes you see with your heart, while images is a tangible thing, a picture laid before your eyes. This title also has a meaning that these imagines are not only dynamic but also touching which stir people's imaginations.
　　3. Flowing Forms: the structure of this title is consistent with the second title. It also puts the progress form of a verb as adjective before a noun, but in a more abstract way. Flowing matches "游 · 象" and has a kind of association of dancing with long swaying sleeves and undulating gentleness. In addition, these two words begin with the same consonant which sound beautifully. As for the word "Forms", it is also very profound because I think that this group of your works is a deliberate search and exploration of forms.

　　Wang Chunchen's translation and explanation is as follows:
　　"游 · 象" in Chinese has the artistic feeling of ancient Chinese which is difficult to be translated into English.
　　Travelling means the traceless wandering.
　　Imagery is the traces of metamorphosis of images in heart, but has no specific reference. Imagery is hard to be translated into Chinese just like that "象"is hard to be translated into English. The uncertainty in English matches the uncertainty in Chinese.
　　Travelling . Imagery is more like the wandering subject which is traceless, remote and without form.
　　Their translations and explanations seem to offer me more and deeper understandings on "游 · 象" and I was caught in the difficulty on choosing which translation as the title for my painting album. After much deliberation, I decided to choose all of these four translations as the title. Let's feel "游 · 象" together….

Written in Beijing Green Emerging Garden on June 10, 2011

作者：王璜生