柴燒紫砂：只可遇見 不可預見

故鄉，是一把土，對於異鄉的遊子，這把土是一把壺。

Hometown is the land whose soil nurtures you. For someone who lives far away from hometown, the soil has turned into a teapot.

宜興丁蜀鎮，中國著名的陶都。這裡盛産的紫砂泥，是製作紫砂壺的上乘原料。

Dingshu Town in Yixing City is a well-known pottery hub in China. Zisha soil here is one of the best raw materials to make Zisha teapot.

這個放在路邊還是需要大概半年左右的時間，我們才能去利用它。我們紫砂有別於一般陶土的區別就在這裡，我們紫砂是湖底沉積岩，泥性含量成分比較低，大部分都是沙性含量，造成的透氣性和透水率比較強。

It has to be left on the roadside for about half a year before we can use it. Zisha soil is different from the general clay, as the former is sedimentary rock in the lake bottom. Its content is high in sand while relatively low in mud, resulting in strong air and water permeability.

製作紫砂器皿，就像與自己對話。一把壺，給人的初印象，就像你看到一個人的第一感覺。

Voiceover: Making a Zisha ware is like talking to oneself. The first impression of a teapot feels like meeting a person for the first time.

這把壺雖然是一把異形壺，但是我們追求的還是中國傳統裏的中庸之道，就像我們一個人吧，站要站得正，坐要坐得直。

The teapot offers a glimpse of the personality of its owner. This teapot, despite its irregular shape, still upholds the traditional Chinese philosophy of golden mean. It shares the idea that one should be an upright person.

我們只會在感覺好的時候才安心坐下來工作，這種感覺不一定能每天伴隨著你，整個漫長的製作過程還是需要不斷調節的，不是一蹴而就的。

We only settle down for work when we are in the right mood, but that mood doesn’t come to you every day. So the making of the teapot is not accomplished at one stroke as it has to be adjusted constantly.

一把壺寄託著很多人的期待，這把磐石壺，便是應朋友岱松女士邀請特殊定制的，飽含著很多人的情感，每一處細節的打磨，熬的不僅僅是時間，更是心血。

A teapot bears many people’s expectations. The Rock Teapot is tailor-made at the request of Ms. Dai Song. The teapot is rich in emotions, with polished details reminiscent of the time and energy taken for its creation.

柴燒不可能有非常完美的作品，完美品不是沒有，是可遇不可求。

It’s almost impossible to have a very perfect wood-fired teapot. A perfect product is something that we can’t ask for.

“出窯”兩個字吧，就是期盼，很有神秘感。

Coming out from the kiln itself is a much-anticipated step with a strong sense of mystery.

藝術講究完美性，但柴燒的美在於殘缺，天然的禪意。一窯火可能燒不出一件像樣的成品，但對於柴燒匠人來説，不可預見的忐忑心理，恰恰是柴燒最大的魅力。

Arts pursue perfection, but the beauty of wood-fired just lies in imperfection, or a natural sense of Zen. One cannot expect a decent work after going through the kiln just once, but such uncertainty is the biggest charm of wood-fired pottery.

對於紫砂匠人來説，泥土、手藝、時間、火候，是賦予一把壺靈魂的過程，壺是有生命的。

For Zisha teapot craftsmen, soil, craftsmanship, time and temperature make the process of endowing a teapot with soul, as the teapot is alive.

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