(艾弗和他設(shè)計(jì)的產(chǎn)品)

在艾弗那兒,喬布斯終于找到了靈魂伴侶(soul mate)。艾弗懂得,喬布斯要的是真正意義上的簡潔(in the quest for true),而非表面功夫(rather than surface simplicity)。和大多數(shù)的設(shè)計(jì)師一樣,艾弗也喜歡分析哲學(xué)(analyzing the philosophy),一步步地深入思考(step-by-step thinking)直到形成最后的產(chǎn)品設(shè)計(jì)。有一次,艾弗在他的設(shè)計(jì)工作室(design studio)中,表達(dá)了他對簡潔的看法:

【英語原文】

In Ive, Jobs met his soul mate in the quest for true rather than surface simplicity. Sitting in his design studio, Ive described his philosophy:
Why do we assume that simple is good? Because with physical products, we have to feel we can dominate them. As you bring order to complexity, you find a way to make the product defer to you. Simplicity isn' t just a visual style. It's not just minimalism or the absence of clutter. It involves digging through the depth of the complexity.To be truly simple, you have to go really deep. For example, to have no screws on something, you can end up having a product that is so convoluted and so complex. The better way is to go deeper with the simplicity, to understand everything about it and how it’s manufactured. You have to deeply understand the essence of a product in order to be able to get rid of the parts that are not essential.(Chapter 26 Design Principles: John Ive)?

【滬江譯文】

喬布斯終于遇到了他的靈魂伴侶艾弗。艾弗懂得,喬布斯要的是真正意義上的簡潔而非表面功夫。坐在他的設(shè)計(jì)室里,他這樣描述著他的簡潔觀:為什么我們認(rèn)為簡單就是好?因?yàn)閷τ谝粋€(gè)有形產(chǎn)品來說,我們喜歡那種控制它們的感覺。如果在復(fù)雜中有矩可循,你也可讓產(chǎn)品聽命于你。簡潔不僅僅是視覺上的,也不僅僅是把雜亂無章的東西變少或抹掉,它意味著比復(fù)雜挖掘更深。如果你想達(dá)到真正的簡潔,必須足夠深入。打個(gè)比方,如果你因想避免麻煩而不在產(chǎn)品上裝螺絲釘?shù)脑?,最后的結(jié)果可能是造出一個(gè)極煩瑣復(fù)雜的東西。最好的方法是更深刻理解“簡潔”一詞,理解產(chǎn)品的每個(gè)部分,以及它是如何制成的。你必須首先足夠深刻地把握產(chǎn)品的精髓,從而判斷可以拿掉哪些不重要的部分。

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【翻譯筆記】

1. soul mate:

精神伙伴、心靈伴侶、靈魂伴侶、即相愛,相知,相伴的人。所謂靈魂伴侶,起源于希臘神話。在柏拉圖《會飲篇》中,阿伽松(Agathon)舉行了一場別具一格的“會飲”:既不飲酒也不要吹笛女,“用討論問題來作為今晚的消遣”,“從左到右,每個(gè)人都盡力贊美愛神”。阿里斯托芬(Aristophones) 講了上古時(shí)代的一個(gè)神話故事:最初的人是球形的人,兩個(gè)個(gè)體背靠背粘合在一起,有兩張臉,八只手和腳。宙斯和眾神擔(dān)心人類過于強(qiáng)大,不敬神靈,于是把球形的人劈成兩半,所以 “我們每個(gè)人都只是半個(gè)人”,“我們每個(gè)人都一直在尋求與自己相結(jié)合的另一半。

city

n.簡單;單純;簡樸

遷移詞匯:

simple a.簡單的;樸素的;單純的;笨的

simplify v.簡化;使簡單

simplified a.簡化的;簡明的

simplification n.簡化;簡潔

He believes everything with childlike.
他以孩童般的單純相信一切。

The monastic community generally lives life of simplicity.
僧侶界通常過著簡樸的生活。

The beauty of the plan consists in its simplicity.
該計(jì)劃的妙處在于簡潔明了。

3. defer

vt.推遲;延期;使延期入伍

vi.順從;把…委托給他人

Let's defer the decision for a few weeks.
我們推遲幾個(gè)星期再作決定吧。

I shall defer replying till I hear from home.
我等接到家信以后再給你答復(fù)。

She has made up her mind to defer her departure for two days.
她決定將行程推遲兩天。

e

n.精髓;本質(zhì);要素;香精

Caution is the essence of that man's character.
謹(jǐn)慎是那人性格的本質(zhì)。

The essence of all good strategy is simplicity.
一切優(yōu)秀戰(zhàn)略的精髓是簡單。

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