美国国家公共电台 NPR Feathered Friends Large And Small Flock On Cornell's 'Wall Of Birds'

 

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

At the Cornell Lab of Ornithology¹, there is an epic² mural called simply "The Wall Of Birds." It is the only mural in the world representing all 243 families of modern birds along with depictions of their evolution over their 375-million-year history. The artist that created this masterwork is Jane Kim. And it's such a masterwork, she's been nicknamed Michelangela. She has a new book out now about the project, which took about 2 1/2 years to complete. She joins us now from KWCR at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

Hi, Jane.

JANE KIM: Hi.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So describe this project to us.

KIM: The wall is about two stories. And it's a hundred feet wide, 40 feet tall. There is a world map. And on this world map are 243 modern families of birds. They're all lifesize, so there's anything from an 8-foot ostrich³ to a 5-foot cassowary to the tiniest spatuletail hummingbird⁴. There are also extinct species on the wall. There is a parade of animals that were chosen to represent the evolution of birds. That's what you would see. And you would have to crane your neck and stare up at the ceiling because it's so tall and shallow - an amazing experience to see.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yeah, it sounds extraordinary. And the challenges of doing something like this must have been enormous. But before we go there, you are a science illustrator. And for those of us who may not know what that is, explain what it is.

KIM: To me, it's a field of art that communicates science through visuals. It can be anything from an illustration in a textbook to an illustration in a magazine, a diorama in a natural history museum or simply a large-scale piece of public art that communicates about our natural world.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yeah. And there must be so much tension between the precision required by science and the interpretation⁵ that often defines art. You kind of have to bring those two things together.

KIM: Yeah. And currently, I think they are still thought of as two different disciplines - one being, of course, relying solely⁶ on accuracy; the other being much more interpretive and about the emotional experience. But I think when the two come together, it can be an incredibly impactful and powerful experience of both information and human experience.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: John James Audubon is, of course, the person that many of us think of when we think of illustrations of birds. You write that you were inspired by him in your paintings.

KIM: Absolutely. There were many inspirations (laughter) that I drew from Audubon. I have a background in printmaking. And of course, all of Audubon's work was hand-colored etchings. And so the detail in his work was the thing that captured my attention the most. And the details of the birds - observation is really something that captured my attention, and this wall required so much of that. I think ornithologists are the most keen observers out there in the world.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yeah, my favorite is the great hornbill.

KIM: Yeah, I think the great hornbill is sort of the consensus⁷ among the favorites. I don't know - something about the way that it looks like it's just about to turn its head and snap and speak at you, this regal coloring. It kind of flowed out of my brush in a way that was unexpected.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So this mural is such a wonderful work of science but also of art. And in this book, you write that diversity and science have become alarmingly divisive but birds bring everyone together. Was that the hope with the mural?

KIM: It is about unity⁸. And it's about finding subjects that we can all share together. And birds are worldwide, and we have them whether you're in an urban place or in the countryside.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Jane Kim, science illustrator and the artist behind "The Wall Of Birds" - her book is out this week.

Thanks so much.

KIM: Thank you.

1 ornithology   

n.鸟类学

参考例句：

• He found his vocation in ornithology.他发现自己适于专攻鸟类学。
• His main interests are botany and ornithology.他主要对植物学和鸟类学感兴趣。

2 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

3 ostrich   

n.鸵鸟

参考例句：

• Ostrich is the fastest animal on two legs.驼鸟是双腿跑得最快的动物。
• The ostrich indeed inhabits continents.鸵鸟确实是生活在大陆上的。

4 hummingbird   

n.蜂鸟

参考例句：

• The hummingbird perches on a twig of the hawthorn.小蜂鸟栖在山楂树枝上。
• The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backward.蜂鸟是唯一能倒退向后飞的鸟。

5 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

6 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

7 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

8 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。