欧美人文风情第285篇:折纸艺术也能上太空

 One of the most important attributes of origami is once we have studied and understood the way paper folds and unfolds, 摺纸艺术其中一项最重要的特性是，一旦我们学习和理解纸张摺起和摊开的方式，

we can apply those patterns to things that are very different from paper. 我们就能将那些模式运用到和纸张非常不一样的物品上。

And I hope by bringing the tools of mathematics into my origami design that I can then fold something that's beautiful and that's unexpected. 我希望藉由将数学方法带入我的纸艺设计中，能让我摺出美丽且出乎意料的事物。

My name is Robert Lang, and I'm a physicist¹ and an origami artist. 我是 Robert Lang，我是个物理学家和摺纸艺术家。

Origami is the Japanese name for the art of folding paper, and most origami is folded from a single sheet of paper with no cuts or tears. Origami 是摺纸艺术的日文名字，大多数纸艺是用一张纸摺出，没有裁切或撕过。

I have loved origami my entire life. I've pursued it ever since I was a kid, but my study was science and engineering. 我这辈子都爱着摺纸艺术。我从儿时就开始追求这种工艺，不过我的所学是科学和工程。

I worked for NASA doing research on lasers, but throughout that whole time, 我替美国太空总署做雷射相关的研究，

I had been pursuing origami, developing designs, and writing books. 不过那整段时期，我都有在做纸艺、发明图案，以及写书。

So in 2001, I quit my job to try to make a career out of origami. 在 2001 年时，我辞掉工作，尝试用摺纸艺术闯出一番事业。

I've worked on a couple of different folding patterns that were round and would wrap into a cylindrical² geometry to fit into a rocket. 我在进行几种不同的摺纸样式，它们是圆状的，而且可以卷成圆柱体来放进火箭中。

And I developed an airbag in a car that inflates³ from a small folded bundle. 另外我研发出从折起来的一小捆物体膨胀起来的车内安全气囊。

So whenever an engineer creates something that opens and closes in a controlled way, 所以每当工程师创造出一件以可控方式开启和闭合的东西时，

they can make use of the folding patterns of origami. 他们都可以利用摺纸艺术的摺叠模式。

Over the years, math has allowed me to realize, as an artist, shapes and creations that I couldn't achieve any other way. 这些年来，数学让我得以实现，作为一名艺术家，一些我用其它任何方式无法做出的形状和创作。

Traditional origami was relatively⁴ simple—the designs would have taken maybe 20 or 30 steps at most. 传统的摺纸艺术相对简单－－那些图案最多只会花大概二十或三十个步骤。

But today, origami pieces can be so complicated that they can have tens, hundreds, maybe even a thousand steps. 不过现在，摺纸作品可以是如此复杂，它们可以有数十、数百，或甚至上千个步骤。

When I'm folding, it's like working with an old friend; it's like dancing with a partner whose moves I know. 当我在摺纸时，那就像和一个老朋友一起工作一样；那就像和一个我熟悉他的舞步的舞伴跳舞一样。

If I move this way, I know my partner's going to move that way. 如果我往这边移，我知道我的舞伴就会往那边走。

And so I explore the math, develop the equations, solve the equations, create the folding pattern, 因此我仔细研究数学、发明方程式、解开方程式、创造摺叠模式，

and then I find out what it looks like. And as often as not, it is beautiful. 接着我发现那作品的样貌。而往往，那是美丽的。

For me, the driving force is that there is always something new to try: a new problem, a new subject, 对我来说，动力就是总有新事物可以尝试：一个新的问题、一个新的主题、

a new shape that I didn't think I was able to create before, but now I think I know how to realize it. 一个我以前不认为自己做得出来，但现在觉得自己知道该如何实现的新形状。

And each time I solve a problem, I get this wonderful feeling. And you want more of those feelings. 而每次我解开一个问题时，我都会得到这种美妙的感受。你会想要得到更多那种感觉。

 

1 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

2 cylindrical   

adj.圆筒形的

参考例句：

• huge cylindrical gas tanks 巨大的圆柱形贮气罐
• Beer cans are cylindrical. 啤酒罐子是圆筒形的。

3 inflates   

v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的第三人称单数 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• Mass advertising often inflates prices rather than reducing them. 大宗广告常常是抬高物价而不是降低。 来自辞典例句
• The device periodically inflates the cuff and takes a blood pressure reading. 定期气囊打气及进行血压读数。 来自互联网

4 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。