Minimalism refers to an ongoing quest to pare down one’s belongings to what is essential. This concept has gained popularity in recent years, likely in reaction to the rampant consumerism of the past decades. Houses have become so clogged with surplus goods that it’s hard to feel comfortable and relaxed at home, and the time required to maintain these belongings is considerable. People are eager for another way of living.極簡主義是指不斷削減自己的物品以期達到只剩必需品。這個概念近年來越來越受歡迎，似乎是對泛濫幾十年的消費主義的回應。冗余的物品將屋子塞得滿滿當當，使人很難在家里感到舒適和放松，而且還要花大量時間去維護保養(yǎng)。人們開始渴望另一種生活方式。 It can be helpful to look to other cultures for guidance. Philosophies of minimalism have long existed in places like Japan and Scandinavia, where products are designed to be both attractive and functional, and the ownership of physical goods is understood to be an investment, a responsibility, and even a burden at times, not just a status symbol.向其他文化取經(jīng)可能會有所收獲。極簡主義哲學在日本和斯堪的納維亞半島等地早已存在。那些地方的產(chǎn)品設計既有吸引力又很實用，人們不僅僅將擁有實物當作身份的象征，還將其視作投資和責任，有時甚至視作負擔。 We can learn a lot from these other minimalist traditions and be inspired by them. The following examples remind us that we’re not alone, that we’re in fact choosing to participate in age-old concepts that have proven over centuries to boost one’s quality of life.我們可以從其他地區(qū)的極簡主義傳統(tǒng)中學到很多東西并獲得啟發(fā)。下面的例子提醒我們，我們并不孤單。事實上，我們是在選擇奉行一些古老的觀念——幾百年來，它們已被證明能夠提高生活質量。
(Credit: voucherix.co.uk)
Japan is the established leader when it comes to minimalism. There, the philosophy is rooted in Zen Buddhism, which encourages followers not to become overly attached to material possessions and to focus on happiness and mindfulness. The Japanese have several words that they use to describe aspects of minimalism within their culture.日本是公認的極簡主義領導者。那里的極簡哲學源于禪宗，鼓勵信眾不要過度執(zhí)著于物質財富，而是要專注于幸福和正念。日本人會用幾個詞描述極簡主義在日本文化中的種種體現(xiàn)。 Mottainai is a Japanese phrase that translates as a call to “waste nothing!” It is used as a reminder not to squander resources because they are limited on Earth and to use what you have with a sense of gratitude. Mottainai urges people to find ways to reuse and repurpose items to delay sending them to landfill. The phrase is sometimes summed up as being equivalent to the American three R’s—“reduce, reuse, recycle”—with an added fourth R, “respect.”日語短語 Mottainai 意思是呼吁人們“別浪費任何東西！”。它被用來提醒不要浪費資源，因為地球資源有限，應當懷著感激之情使用你所擁有的東西。Mottainai 敦促人們想方設法重復使用和重新利用物品，從而推遲把它們送到垃圾場。有時，這個短語被總結為相當于美國的3R原則——reduce（減少）、reuse（再利用）、recycle（再循環(huán)）——再加上第四個R，respect（尊重）。 Even in Japan houses can get cluttered, which is why a new word, “danshari,” has become popular in recent years. Each syllable means something different: “Dan” is to refuse, “sha” is to discard, “ri” is to separate. Put together, these describe the process of decluttering one’s home and making a conscious decision to withdraw from a consumerist mindset.即使在日本，屋子也會變得亂糟糟，這就是 danshari（斷舍離）一詞近年流行起來的原因。每個音節(jié)的含義都不相同—— dan（斷）是拒絕，sha（舍）是丟棄，ri（離）是分離。幾個音節(jié)合在一起，描述了一個人清理家中雜物并有意識擺脫消費主義心態(tài)的過程。 Francine Jay writes for the Miss Minimalist blog: “Danshari refers not just to physical clutter, but also to mental and emotional clutter. It holds the promise that once you’ve disposed of the excess and the unnecessary, you’ll have the space, time, and freedom to live more fully.”弗朗辛·杰伊為“極簡主義小姐”博客寫道：“斷舍離不僅針對物質上的混亂，也針對精神和情感上的混亂。只要遵循這個原則，一旦處理掉多余的和不必要的東西，你就會有空間、時間和自由來讓生活更充實。”
(Credit: Decoist)
Minimalism is prominent in Scandinavia, as well where furniture and architecture are known for their sleek, simple designs. One curious concept is “dostadning”, also known as “Swedish death cleaning”. This refers to the act of removing excess belongings from one’s home as one ages, so that family members don’t have to contend with them later.極簡主義在斯堪的納維亞半島也很流行。那里的家具和建筑以其時尚簡約的設計而聞名。有個新奇的概念叫作 dostadning ，也被稱為“瑞典式死亡清理”。這是指隨著人日漸衰老，將多余的物品從家中移走，以免亡故后家人為遺物所累。 It’s an unusual version of minimalism, one that focuses more on the long-term impact of belongings, rather than striving to create a minimalist space in which to live, but it refreshingly acknowledges the burden that material possessions can create and the long life they live, even once their initial owners have passed on.這種極簡主義很不尋常，它更關注物品的長期影響，而不是努力創(chuàng)造一個極簡的生活空間。但令人耳目一新的是，它承認物質財富可能成為負累且會長久存在，即使物品最初的主人已經(jīng)亡故。 A Swedish woman named Margareta Magnusson, who says she’s somewhere between 80 and 100, wrote a book called “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to free yourself and your family from a lifetime of clutter.” She says the first rule is “to speak of it always.” Tell others about your intent to declutter and they will hold you accountable.一位名叫瑪加麗塔·芒努松的瑞典老奶奶（她說自己的年紀在80 歲到100 歲之間）寫過一本書，名為《瑞典式死亡清理的溫柔藝術：如何讓自己和家人擺脫一生的凌亂》。她說，第一條準則就是“總是說起它”。告訴別人你整理的意圖，他們就會讓你全權處理。 Minimalism exists in additional forms in other countries and cultures. To name a few, there’s France that is known for its “l(fā)ess is more” approach to fashion, with Coco Chanel famously saying, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” The Quakers have their Testimony of Simplicity, which encourages followers to avoid fancy clothing and other belongings, as it distracts from God and service to others. The concept of “devara kaadu”, practiced in regions of southern India, rejects synthetic products and urges adherents to live simply, using homemade products made with natural ingredients.其他國家和文化中存在不同形式的極簡主義。以下僅舉幾例。法國以其“少即是多”的時尚觀念聞名，可可·香奈兒的名言就說：“離開家之前，照照鏡子，取下一件衣飾。”貴格會則有“以簡樸為證”，敦促信徒遠離奢華的衣物，因為那會分散對上帝和為他人服務的注意力。印度南部地區(qū)奉行的 devara kaadu 理念則拒絕合成產(chǎn)品，敦促信徒簡單生活，使用以天然成分制成的自制產(chǎn)品。 As you can see, minimalism is an ancient, rich, and valuable tradition. Hopefully it will get there as people realize the environmental and emotional drain that is modern-day consumerism. ■如你所見，極簡主義是一種古老、豐富且有價值的傳統(tǒng)。當人們意識到現(xiàn)代消費主義對環(huán)境和情感的消耗時，但愿極簡主義能夠取而代之。□
