文献翻译.docx

文献翻译.docx

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文献翻译

本科毕业设计文献翻译

创意的思考

THOUGHTSONORIGINALITY

学院（部）：

机械工程学院

专业班级：

工设07—1

学生姓名：

蔡会

指导教师：

闫磊磊助教

2011年6月3日

英文原文

Thoughtsonoriginality

Manypeople,bothontheactiveandontheconsumingsideofthedesigncommunity,sharearestlessfascinationfor"originality".Thisfascinationismorethantheusualformofdesignentertainmentprovidedbydesignmagazinesandexhibitions.Fornearlyacentury,originalityhasbeencloselylinkedtocreativity.Itisoftenseenastheinevitableresultofthatcreativeprocess.Asinothercreativeactivitieslikewriting,composingandsometimescooking,ithasalsobecometheultimatecriteriafortheuseofcreativityinthedevelopmentofproducts.ThereislittledoubtaboutthefactthateveninWesternculturethislongingfororiginalityisarelativelyrecentphenomena.Tracingitsoriginsisataskforsocialanthropologistsandnotthepurposeofthisessay.Oneconstructivehypothesisisthatthewillingnessofthemodernmovementtoestablishnewstandardsandbreakwiththepast"atanycost",hasnotonlygeneratednewstandardsbutalsoanewvocabularyinwhich"new","original"and"innovative"havebeenredefined.Insteadofdefiningthecharacterofanobject,theystartedtodefineoriginalasaquality.Tosomeextendarthistorianshavere-writtenWesternEuropeanarthistoryinfunctionoftheinnovativeroledifferentartistplayedintheirtimes,butthereisnotmuchevidencethatthiswasindeedtherealmotivationatthetime.

Skillandcraftsmanship,masteringperspectiveanddepth,conformitytotherequestsofthepatronandprofessionalcompetitivenessweremoreimportantmotivationsthanthesearchoforiginality.EvenintheearlyXXthcenturyoriginalitydidnotplayaroleintherelationshipbetweenGeorgesBraqueandPabloPicassowhentheybothwerethepillarsunderthecubistmovement.Infacttheircollagesandpaintingsofthatperiodarealmostidentical.

Overthepastthirtyfiveyears,whichcoincideswithmyyearsofpracticingindustrialdesign,Ihavebeenintriguedwithourcontinuoussearchfororiginality,ourfascinationandadmirationforitsresults,andwiththefactthatreachingan"original"resulthasneverbeenquestionedagainsttherealaimandgoalofourprofession:

usersatisfaction.Infact,promotionofdesign,originallyintendedtoenlightenthepubliconthebenefitsofusefulandbeautifulproducts,hasslowlybecomeapromotionoforiginalityatanycostincludingtheneglectofoneofthepillarsofthemodernmovement:

makinggoodandbeautifulindustrialproductsaccessibletoall;alongwiththeneglectofinformingtheusersaboutgood,usefulandenvironmentallyresponsibleproducts.

ThegeneralquestionofthevalueoforiginalitytotheuserwasneverputtomeasbluntlyasduringaworkingvisittoaChineseporcelainfactorynearSwatow.TwentyorsoyearsagoIhadtravelledtheretoproduceprototypesofwhiteporcelaintableware.NotknowingexactlywhattoexpectattheendofthejourneyIhadmadetheprototypemouldsbeforegoingthere.Myintentionwastocastprototypesatthefactory,testthemandimprovethemouldslocally.WhileworkingontheteapotthechineseworkerskeptaskingmewhyIdidnotbringthem"themodel"toworkwith.Ittookthediligentinterpreterandmyselfafewdaystocometotheconclusionthatwhatwasmentwith"themodel"wasinfacttheexistingteapotthatpeoplewereusinginnorthAmerica,i.o.w.themarketofdestination.WhenIexplainedtothemthatIwasthedesignerofthisteapotandthatitwasdifferentfromtheteapotsthatalreadyexisted,theyreactedpromptlybyrefusingtoworkonit.Theirreason,asitwastranslatedtome,wasthatIwasdoingsomethingethicallywrong.Theirargumentwasthat,nomatterhowgoodaproductwasdesignedandmade,itwouldstillrequiresomekindoflearningprocessinordertouseitwell.Oncethisknowledgewasacquiredyoudonotwanttospendtimelearningtouseanotherone,youjustwanttousethesameandthus,buythesame.Makingsomethingdifferentwasjustwastingpeople'stime.Theexplanationwasillustratedbynumerousreferencestotheexistingchineseteapotsandallthetraditionsthatwererelatedtothem.Mydemonstration,forexample,onhowthelidofmyteapotwouldstayonevenwhenyouemptyittothelastdrop,wasdismissedwithshowinghowdifficultitwastoturnthesamelidupsidedown,auniversallyunderstoodsigninChineseculturethattheteapotisemptyandthatyouwouldlikemoretea.InmyowndefenseIalsoreferredtothelargevarietyofYixingteapots,butthefewworkersthatknewaboutthisChinesemarvelexplainedthatthesewerenotmadeforthepurposeofmakingteabuttoshowoffskillandcraftsmanship.AfteralivelyexchangeitwasobviousthattheonlythingIcoulddowastoreturntomyhotel.Anamewehadgivenabuildingnotbyitsstandards,butbyconsensusandcourtesytoourchinesehosts.MymainproblemwasnottheirunwillingnesstoworkontheprototypesbutthefactthatIhadtoagreewiththem.ReflectingonmysituationIcametoacompromisethatIpresentedtomyco-workersthenextday.Itwasabasictrade-off.

AlthoughIhadtoagreewiththemthatanewproductrequireslearningandthatthisparticularkindoflearningisawasteoftime,Iarguedthathavingideasonimprovementsisauniversalphenomena,ascurrentinChinaasanywhereelse.Inordertoavoidchangingthings,youhavetoignorethesegoodideas.Infactyouarewastingthetimeofthepersonthathasbeenthinkingaboutthatparticularimprovement.Itcamedowntoadifferenceinculture.Oneculturewastesoneactivitytheotherchoosestowastetheother.Aftersomediscussionaboutthemeritsofmystatementsthespokespersonformyco-workersannouncedthattheywerewillingagaintoworkontheseprototypes.Theannouncementcamewithawarning.Hesaid:

"Yes,itmightcomedowntoadifferenceinculture,butremember,withyourvisionyouwillneverbehappy,youwillneverdesatisfiedwiththeproductsyoulivewith."

Thewholeincidentraisedtwoobviousquestions:

arewelimitingoursearchandapplicationoforiginalsolutionstothosecharacteristicsthatarerealimprovements,realinnovations.Second,aretheuserandthepublicwellservedbyoriginaldesignsandifnot,thentowhatextendhasdesignbecomeaself-servingactivityinwhichcreativityhasbeenreducedtoawayofachievingoriginality.Thefirstonehastobeansweredwithahonestno.Wedonotlimitourinvolvementinthedesignofproductstorealorperceivedimprovements,weusuallytrytoworkwellbeyondestablishedarchetypesandrarelyisalltheacquiredknowledgearoundaparticularproductusedandappliedinthenextinnovativedesign.Onecouldquotethebibletext:

"...Mandoesnotlivefrombreadalone...."andextendittotheargumentthat:

"...Wedonotmakeorusechairsjusttositinthem..."

Thequestionthenbecomes:

doesoneexcludetheother.Doesthepursuitofproperfunctionlimittheexpression,doesitcurtailthepossibilitytoincludeotherconsiderationsanddoesitultimatelydestroythe"gestalt"orthepresenceoftheobject.Thereareinrecentdesignhistorynumerousexamplesofproductswherethisisindeedthecase,butexcludingthepossibilityofreconcilingbothseemsaninsulttothecreativeprocess.

Withouttheuseofsteelsheetroughlyweldedintotheshapeofatraditionallyverycomfortablechairandwithoutanobviousdisrespectforfunction,RonArad's"sizeten"wouldnotbesuchasignificantparodyonachairandthecomfortthatitprovides.But,inaworldthatcanonlybeunderstoodwiththehelpofaminimalamountofclassification,hisparodyispartofthesamecategoryasClaesOldenburg'sSoftwashstand（1965）andnotofdesign.

Anotherhistoricalexamplemightadsomedimensiontotheargument.GerritRietveld'sredandbluechairiscertainlyasemblematicasthehousehedesignedforMrs.SchröderonthePrinsHendriklaaninUtrecht.BoththehouseandthechairbecamethestrongestimagesoftheDutch"DeStijl"movement.ButevenGerritRietveldcompromisedwhenhedesignedthefurnitureforthehouse.Thechairshavecurvedseatsandbackrestsandtheoverallcoloringisdarkbrown.Evenpeopleinterestedinfurnituredesignandit'shistoryprefertoignorethemandwouldnotconsiderthemas"emblematic"forthearchitecturalmovement"deStijl"asthe"redandblue".OnehastodrawtheconclusionthatthefactthatbothRonArad'schairandGerritRietveld's"redandblue"arechairsisonlyadistraction.Itdoesnotchangethefactthatoneispartofarthistorytheotherofthehistoryof20thcenturyarchitecture,notofdesign.

Nomatterwhatourdefinitionofdesignis,thereareafewundisputablewaysinwhichinnovativedesignsservesocietygenerallywell.Themostprominentoneiswhennewinsightinfunctionhasbeengivenphysicalforminaproductthatistheembodimentofthatnewknowledge.WhentheNorwegianPeterOpsvikdesignedthe"balans"chair,basedonresearchdonebyhiscompatriotHansChristianMenghoelandtosomeextendanticipatingtheresultsofDrA.C.Mandal'sresearchontheseatingposition,itdidresultinanoriginaldesignbutitwasfirstandforemosttheexpressionofthenewinsight,resultingofthisresearch.Itmightnothavereachedthesocialacceptancethatthedesigneranticipated,butitwasdesignedandproducedwiththeintentiontoservetheuser.Originalityinthiscasewasnotagoal,itwastheresultofanewunderstanding.Asitoftendoes,theoriginalityoftheproductmightinfacthaveharmedthegeneralacceptanceofthekneeling/seatedpositionthatisbetterandhealthier.

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