Jewelry Making Through the Ages: Ancient Artistry Meets a Modern Eye

岩浆美国之音特别英语翻译02

Jewelry Making Through the Ages : Ancient Artistry Meets a Modern Eye

穿越时光的珠宝饰品制作工艺：古代艺术与现代审美的交汇

02 January 2007

Translated by 冰冷的岩浆

''My original plan was to be a furniture designer, but I like things I can hold in my hand,'' says Susan Sanders, a Virginia jewelry designer who has shown her work in several countries. "

“成为一名家具设计师是我的初衷，但我更喜欢能够握于掌心的东西”。苏珊 桑德斯---弗吉尼亚州珠宝饰品设计师，在世界许多国家展出其作品。”

I’m Barbara Klein.

我是芭芭拉 克莱恩

And I’m Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.

我是史蒂夫 安伯尔为您播送美国之音特别英语之“探索发现”节目。

At the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, you can see the work of jewelry designer Susan Sanders. Her many gold and silver designs have a clean and modern look. One of her silver rings has a bold geometric design with small smooth stones inlayed into the metal.


在弗吉尼亚州亚历山大市的“震旦艺术工作中心”（Torpedo Factory Art Center），您可以观赏到苏珊 桑德斯制作的珠宝饰品。她的许多金银饰品的设计都具有一种简洁而现代的气息。她所设计的饰品中，有一枚戒指就运用了大胆的几何设计风格，此外她还把一些细小光滑的石子镶嵌其上。


How did she make this ring? Today we answer this question as we explore the history and methods of jewelry design.


她是如何制作出这样的指环呢？在今天的节目中，伴随我们探寻珠宝首饰设计的历史和方法的同时，将为您揭晓答案。


People from almost all cultures throughout history have been making and wearing jewelry. Jewelry is valued for its visual quality, the richness of its materials and the expert way it is made. Since ancient times people have worn jewelry like rings, bracelets and necklaces to decorate their fingers, wrists and necks.


纵观古今，几乎所有来自不同文化背景的人们都制作并佩戴珠宝饰物。它的价值就在于其上好的外观，华美的用料和专业的做工。自古以来，人们就用指环，手镯和项链来装点他们的十指，双腕和颈项。

Ancient peoples who lived near the ocean used the shells of sea creatures to make jewelry. Other ancient peoples used materials like small colored rocks and animal bones and teeth. Jewelry often was made from whatever material was considered rare and costly. It expressed the wealth and social importance of its wearer.


居住于大海之滨的古代族群使用海洋生物的外壳来制作饰品。而另一些人则使用色彩斑斓的小石子，兽骨和牙齿。通常，珠宝饰品的用料是那些被认为是稀有和贵重的材料。饰品能表明佩戴者的富有程度和其重要的社会地位。

Later cultures learned how to find and work with gold. One of gold’s important qualities is that it is a very soft metal. It can be easily formed or even flattened into extremely thin sheets of metal.



稍晚一些的文明学会了如何寻找和冶炼金。而金的重要特性之一便是其质软易铸。它能被轻易地铸就成形，甚至还能被打成纤薄如纸的金箔。


Some of the oldest and finest known jewelry comes from the burial site of the Sumerian ruler Queen Pu-abi. This Mesopotamian culture existed more than four thousand five hundred years ago. In this area that is now Iraq, archeologists discovered fine examples of gold jewelry. Many of the jewelry designs combined the brightness of gold with the intense blue stone called lapus lazuli. This jewelry shows some of the earliest examples of metalworking methods such as filigree and granulation.


我们已知的一些最古老，也是最精致的珠宝饰品是来自于苏美尔王朝统治者---普 阿比皇后的墓葬遗址。这段美索不达米亚的文明存在于4500多年之前。在这片地区（现今伊拉克），考古学家发掘出了一些金饰品的代表作。它们当中的许多设计都将金的夺目耀眼与有着深邃蓝色的天青石合二为一。这件饰品让我们看到了一些早期金属加工方式的代表工艺，如花丝法和制粒法。


Granulation is a technique in which tiny gold balls are placed in a decorative pattern and joined onto a gold surface. Filigree is made by arranging fine gold or silver wires into patterns or images. Filigree work can either be joined onto a metal surface, or left as openwork. Many cultures have left extraordinary examples of this technique. Examples include the jewelry of ancient Greeks and the eighteenth century Qing period in China.


制粒工艺是将金的球状颗粒排列为一种装饰性图案，然后再将该图案接合到金胎表面。花丝法则是将金或银的细丝编织成图案或图形。花丝工艺品既能能接合到金属表面，亦可单独作为镂空饰物。许多文明都留下了极为独特的花丝工艺代表作，其中包括古希腊时期和18世纪中国清代的饰品。


Several other metal working methods were developed in ancient times and still define jewelry design today. They include cloisonné work and casting. Cloisonné involves forming metal borders to make different contained areas on the surface of the piece of jewelry. These spaces are then filled with different pieces of finely carved precious stones or with small bits of glass that are melted together.


其他的一些古代金属工艺依旧影响着当今的饰品设计。如景泰蓝和金属铸造工艺。景泰蓝工艺是把首饰的表面通过将金属掐丝做出形状不同且镂空的区域。尔后，这些区域就会被嵌以形态各俱且经过精心雕凿的宝石，亦或是被嵌以许多玻璃小颗粒熔结而成的玻璃块。



The ancient Egyptians were experts of the cloisonné method. For example, at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City you can see a beautiful cloisonné necklace made more than four thousand years ago. More than three hundred small stones make up a detailed image of Egyptian symbols such as birds and snake creatures. The symbols tell about the sun god giving long life to the Egyptian ruler of that time, King Senwosret the Second.


古埃及人是景泰蓝工艺的个中好手。比如说，在纽约的大都会博物馆，您能看见到一条打造于4000多年前的华美的景泰蓝项链。 300多颗小宝石汇聚成了埃及人的鸟形和蛇形图腾。它讲述了一个关于太阳神把永生赐予当时的埃及法老王森乌塞特二世的故事。


For thousands of years, Egyptian jewelry represented a great tradition of artistic skill. Many of the pieces were not only beautiful, but also believed to be magical. Amulet jewelry was believed to protect people or give them special powers. For example, scarabs in the form of the beetle insect were believed to be the symbol of new life. Jewelers in ancient Egypt made many examples of finely carved scarab rings and necklaces that still exist today.



几千年来，埃及珠宝饰品代表着一种伟大的传统艺术技艺。许多饰品不仅精美绝伦，而且还被世人奉为魔幻珍品。护身符饰品被认为能给人以护佑或者给予他们特殊的力量。例如，甲壳虫外形的圣甲虫被认为是新生的象征。古埃及的首饰匠人们打造了许多保存至今的精美的圣甲虫指环和项链。


One very old technique of metal casting is called the lost-wax method. With this method, an artist carves the shape of jewelry he or she wants to make out of wax material. This shape is placed into a piece of clay, which is heated at high temperatures.


有一种非常古老的金属铸造技法叫熔蜡模铸法。通过这种方法，艺术家能够用蜡做出他/她想要制作的饰品形状，然后将其置入一块陶土中，并用高温加热之。

The clay takes the form of the ring, but the wax inside melts away because of the heat. This is why the method is called lost-wax. The original carved wax model is lost, but its form remains in the clay. Hot liquid metal such as gold is placed inside this clay form. As the metal cools and hardens, it takes the form left by the wax.


陶土中间形成了中空的形状，而蜡则受热熔走。这就是为何此法被称作熔蜡模铸法的原因。原本雕好的蜡模消失了，但它的形状却保留在了陶土中。高温的金属熔液（例如金）就被倒入这个陶土模具中。当金属熔液的温度冷却下来并变硬时，它就具有了蜡质模具的形状。


The rulers of Asante in modern day Ghana wore gold jewelry made with the lost-wax method. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Asante jewelers made beautiful, fine, detailed gold objects. The ruling family and other leaders wore objects as symbols of their importance, wealth and power.


在今天加纳的阿散蒂族统治者就佩戴着由熔蜡模铸法做出的金首饰。在18到19世纪，阿散蒂首饰匠人们制作出精美绝伦和精细入微的黄金器物。皇室成员和其他领导人所佩戴的饰物显现出了他们的重要性，财力和权威。


Granulation, filigree, cloisonné and casting are only a few of the metalworking methods used by jewelers both in the past and today.

纵观古今，制粒、花丝、景泰蓝和金属铸造工艺也只是首饰工匠们所使用的金属加工技艺的沧海一粟。

VOICE ONE:
Of course, not all jewelry is made by metalworking. Many cultures throughout history used other valuable materials as well. For example, in China, carved jade stone was part of an ancient jewelry tradition. This green stone was beautiful and also thought to have magical powers. In southern Nigeria during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, only the ruling family of Benin had the right to wear jewelry carved of white ivory material.

显然，并不是所有的珠宝首饰都是通过金属工艺加工而来。在漫漫历史长河之中，许多文明也运用了其他材料打造之。举例来说，玉石雕刻在中国是古老的传统饰品加工工艺。这种绿色的石头不仅外形瑰丽，而且还被认为具有魔力。16到17世纪，在尼日利亚南方地区，只有居住在贝宁城的皇室成员才有权佩戴由洁白的象牙材料雕刻出来的饰品。


These are only a few examples of the creativity humans have demonstrated with the art of making jewelry. What kinds of jewelry traditions exist where you live?

首饰制作工艺体现了人类的创造力，而上述实例也仅只是冰山一角。在您所生活的地方有些什么样的首饰加工传统呢？

The methods we have described are still being used by artists today. Modern technology and newer methods have only added to the countless ways that stones, metals and other materials can be formed. Today, jewelry designers combine old and new methods with styles from around the world. Many also use unexpected materials, such as plastics, cotton and wood. The creative possibilities of modern jewelry making are limitless.


如今，艺术工作者们仍在使用上述的首饰加工技艺。现代科技和新兴工艺也只是被融入到了那些灿若星辰的石头、金属和其他材料的加工方式之中。首饰设计匠人们揉融传统和新兴的首饰加工方式，将来自世界各地的不同艺术风格运用其中。他们当中的许多人甚至启用一些出人意料的材料如塑胶材料、棉料和木料来加工首饰。我们可以看到，当代首饰加工的创新可能是无疆无界的。


The Torpedo Factory Art Center is in the old area of Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. Here, on the second floor is a workroom and store called Susan Sanders Design. Let us go back to the modern geometric jewelry we told about earlier.


“震旦艺术中心”位于弗吉尼亚州亚历山大市的老城区，毗邻首都华盛顿。在该中心的二楼，有着一处集工作和商铺功能于一体的地方，那就是‘苏珊 桑德斯创作工作室’。现在就让我们回到刚才提到的现代几何首饰加工的话题当中吧。


“I'm Susan Sanders. I'm a jewelry designer at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia. I started making jewelry when I was in college but my desire to make things started much earlier than that. My father was a graphics designer and brought me home professional supplies. My original plan was to be a furniture designer, but I like things I can hold in my hand.”


“我叫苏珊 桑德斯。是弗吉尼亚州亚历山大市的‘震旦艺术中心’饰品设计师。我在大学里就开始从事首饰创作，但我有加工制作物品的想法还要相对更早一些。我的父亲是一位平面设计师，是他给我找来了很多专业工具。起初，我想成为一名家具设计师，但我更喜欢能够握于掌心的东西。”


Susan Sanders says this ring is not the easiest of her rings to wear. It is more like a finger sculpture. She carved the main sterling silver form of the ring from a piece of hard wax material. With the lost-wax method we told about earlier, she carved the wax model to make the silver form.


苏珊表示要戴上这枚戒指却不是那么容易的事儿，加工过程更像是在做指环雕刻。她用一块硬蜡雕刻出纯银模本所需的形状。她使用了我们前面提到的熔蜡模铸法，先雕凿出硬蜡模本，再将其铸成银饰模本。


Then, she used a milling machine to create a perfect circle opening for a finger. She also used this milling tool to carve out the areas where she placed small pieces of onyx and jasper stone. Once the stones were in place, she ground the surface to a smooth finish.


之后，再用铣床制作出一个最佳适合于手指大小的圆环。苏珊也会用这台机器凿出一些留空区域，用来镶嵌缟玛瑙和玉髓碧玉颗粒。等到这些宝石被镶嵌之后，再进行表面打磨，继而完工。

Like most of her work, this ring is very modern and geometric. Susan Sanders says she is not exactly sure where her ideas come from. Some ideas come from subjects she loves such as modern architecture. But the hardest part is choosing an idea for a piece of jewelry since she does not have the time or resources to make every design she imagines.


就像她其他的作品一样，这枚指环具有非常现代的几何艺术气息。苏珊 桑德斯说，她自己都说不清这些灵感从何而来。其中的一部分灵感来源于她的爱好，如现代建筑。但最困难的部分在于：如何为一件饰物选择对应的设计思路。因为她没有那么多时间和材料来创作她脑海中的饰品。

Susan Sanders sells most of her work in her store in Alexandria. If you visit the store, you can see her hard at work on new jewelry. Galleries in California also carry her designs. She has even shown her work in countries such as Italy and South Korea.


在亚历山大，苏珊通过她的工作室出售她的很多作品。如果您去她的小店逛逛，就会发现她忙碌于制作新的饰品。加利福尼亚州的许多艺术展览馆也展出她的作品。她的作品甚至还在其他国家展出，例如在意大利和韩国。

Listen as Susan Sanders tells about an exciting show she helped put together in Russia:

下面我们来听听苏珊在俄罗斯的经历。她曾在那儿协同举办了一场有趣的展览会。

“I have had quite a number of shows in different countries. The most exciting of which was a show that we had in Moscow in Russia that was called Two Capitals which was jewelry designers from the Washington, D.C., area and artists also from the Moscow area. We put together a show and went over there with it. We had a fabulous time.

“我在许多国家都有很多展览要参加。让我印象最深刻的一场是在俄罗斯首都莫斯科所举办的。这次展出也被称作‘双城记’，因为来自美国华盛顿特区的首饰设计师和来自莫斯科的艺术家都参加了这次展览。”我们联合举办并亲自出席了该展览。大家都非常高兴。

"We were entertained by three of the country's best opera singers and one of their top pianists, which was absolutely incredible. We had an opportunity to meet some of the other Russian jewelers and visit their studios, so we feel like we have friends over there even though we had to speak through an interpreter.”

该国最优秀的三位歌剧演唱家和一位钢琴家为我们演出了节目，那次演出真是精彩至极。我们还有幸见到了该国的一些珠宝商并且还拜访了他们的工作室。虽然我们之间需要通过一位翻译来沟通，但却觉得他们都是我们的老朋友一般。”


Susan Sanders says to be a good jewelry maker you have to enjoy working long and hard on very small details. She says it is not work that goes quickly. Sanders feels lucky to have grown up with the choices she had. Because her father was an artist, he supported her creative goals early on. Many women did not have the same choices. Susan Sanders says she is thankful to be an artist doing work that she loves.

苏珊说，“欲速则不达”，要成为一名优秀的饰品设计师，你就必须要长时间地、努力地去研赏艺术作品的细微之处。 她很庆幸能够按照自己的选择一路走来。因为她父亲曾是一位艺术家，他支持着苏珊早期所表现出来的那种创作天赋。


This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Barbara Klein.

戴安娜 蒂萌志制作并为本次节目撰稿。我是芭芭拉 克莱恩。

And I’m Steve Ember. You can read and listen to this program on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. You can also see pictures of Susan Sanders' jewelry. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.

我是史蒂夫 安伯尔。您可以到我们的网站阅读并收听本次节目。网址是http://www.voaspecialenglish.com/. 此外，您也可以浏览到苏珊 桑德斯的饰品图片。让我们在下周的美国之音特别英语之探索发现节目中再次相会。

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Word Bank--关键词

1. jewelry--珠宝饰品、首饰、珠宝工艺品；

2. Sumerian--苏美尔人、苏美尔人的、闪族、闪族人的；

3. lapus lazuli--又作lapis lazuli，天青石，一般为深蓝色；

4. metalworking method--金属加工方法、金属加工工艺；

5. filigree--花丝法，将金、银细丝编织为艺术图案的方法；

6. granulation--制粒法，是把粉末、块状物、溶液、熔融液等状态的物料进行处理、制成具有一定形态和大小的颗粒( 粒子) 的操作。另外亦是金属加工工艺之一；

7. cloisonné--景泰蓝工艺，自古以来首饰加工中的重要工艺；

8. casting--金属铸造工艺；

9. scarab--圣甲虫，古埃及人对其十分着迷，认为其代表了新生。因此在有阴间摆渡者阿努比斯的壁画中一般都有圣甲虫的身影；

10. Amulet jewelry--护身符类的首饰，喜欢玩游戏的同学都一定对护符这个单词不陌生吧；

11. lost-wax method--熔蜡模铸法，还有的人将其叫做脱蜡铸造或失蜡铸造，个人认为这两种翻译方式有欠佳的地方。如果是约定俗成的方式，那我就没有话说了；

12. Asante--阿散蒂族、阿散蒂人、阿散蒂语，主要聚居在加纳；阿散蒂(Ashanti 或Asante) 人是加纳最有影响的族群阿肯族(Akan) 的支系,也是阿肯族中最为知名和突出的共同体。17 世纪中叶,生活在西非热带雨林地区的阿散蒂各部落建立了阿散蒂王国。到18 世纪末,阿散蒂国已统一了周围许多部落,成为占有今加纳中部和南部地区的强大国家,其疆域西起科莫埃河,东达多哥山脉,大体相当于现在的阿散蒂地区。 阿散蒂的传统社会结构是母系社会。阿散蒂人认为,两代人之间是由母亲的血液连在一起的,因此,每一个阿散蒂人都可以通过母亲来追溯自己的血统世系；

13. onyx--缟玛瑙，矿产词；一种带有条纹和多种颜色的玉髓，它被用来作饰物的宝石，常用于浮雕和凹雕；

14. jasper--碧玉、水苍玉、玉髓碧玉：一种颜色可为红色、黄色或褐色的不透明的隐晶体石英；

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