Working with a cumbersome[1] 8 x 10 field camera, Ansel
Adams (1902- 1984) created some of the most dramatic and influential photographs
ever made of the American West. His majestic landscapes and evocative[2] still lives conveyed
a vision of an idealized America that helped inspire the wilderness conservation[3]
movement. Yet despite these accomplishments[4], Adams has been the
least studied of our most important photographers. Adams was grappling[5] with the question of how art and
nature intersect in the modern world. The contradictions he faced as both artist and activist: his struggle
to balance art and commercialism; his desire to create art, yet enjoy
bourgeois[6] comforts; his simultaneous support for economic development, tourism, and
wilderness preservation. Adams grew into an environmental activist and used his photography
to further the
cause of conservation. Questions regarding the meaning and place of wilderness in modern
culture remain with us today. Adams's life was also a reflection of our changing attitudes about
the natural world.
Silver-gelatine print, 7.5 x 9.5 inches, circa 1960
Speaking volumes[7] about the wide open spaces of the American
West... and about the road ahead... this image shows a surprising side to
Ansel Adams' works. But Adams' career was filled with fresh visual surprises--insights[8] that combined to make him the most famous photographer
of the twentieth century.
注释:
1. cumbersome: 从我们所熟悉的单词 troublesome, quarrelsome 中可以看出,后缀-some
用来构成形容词,表示“会引起……的”。再来看动词Cumber,是“拖累”的意思,那么 cumber-
some 自然就是“引起拖累的感觉”,即“沉重的,不便携带”的意思了。
2. evocative: 这个词乍看起来很陌生,其实却是我们的老朋友了。因为 evocative 就是动词 evoke的形容词形式。Evoke
意思是“召唤,引起”,它的形容词当然是“唤起的;召唤的”意思。比如:evocative words 是“勾起回忆和感情的言语”。
安索·亚当斯(1902-1982)用沉重的8 x 10 的户外照相机创造出最富有戏剧性和影响力的反映美国西部的照片。他的宏伟的风景照片和有感召力的静物照片展示了一个理想化的美国,其中野生环境保护运动受到鼓舞。然而,尽管亚当斯成就累累,但在那些我们认为最重要的摄影家中,他是最少被人们研究的。亚当斯一直在探索如何在现代社会中寻找艺术与自然的最佳结合点。作为一个艺术家和社会活动家,他面临着种种矛盾:他努力想寻求艺术与商业间的平衡;他向往艺术创作,但又沉浸在中产阶级的舒适生活中;他对经济发展、旅游业以及野生环境保护都同时表示支持。亚当斯成长为一名保护环境的活动家,并且用他的摄影技巧推进了环境保护事业。而野生环境在现代文化中的意义和地位至今仍然困扰着我们。同样,亚当斯的生活历程也是我们对自然界的态度转变的缩影。
7. speak volumes for…:对……有重大意义,能充分地证明,能充分地表现。例如:Her smile spoke
volumes:她的微笑意义重大。His consent to your proposal speaks volumes for his good
will. 他赞成你的提议充分证明他的友善。
8. insight: Sight 表示“视觉、眼界”,那么 insight 就是人内心的眼睛,是用来看眼睛看不到的东西,即我们所说的“洞察力”,当然我们都希望作
a man of insight ,“有洞察力的人”了