In the best-selling novel The Goldfinch by US writer Donna Tartt, protagonist Theo developed a special relationship with a small oil painting of a chained goldfinch created by Dutch master Carel Fabritius. The painting touches him, transfixes him, dredges up memories of the past, and even seems to be communicating with him whenever he looks at it. Of course, not all of us art lovers can have a famous painting in our private possession like Theo does, but when we go to a museum, how many of us truly spend time marveling at pieces of art?
在唐娜•塔特所著的暢銷小說《金絲雀》中，主人公西奧與一幅名為《金絲雀》的油畫產生了特別的感情。這幅油畫出自荷蘭著名畫家卡爾•法布里蒂烏斯之手，畫中是一只被拴住的金絲雀。這幅畫觸動了西奧的內心，令他如癡如醉，勾起了他種種的回憶，甚至不論西奧何時看到它，都覺得這畫在和自己說話。當然，我們這些藝術愛好者并非人人都能像西奧一樣擁有如此有名的私藏。但是，當我們走進博物館的時候，又有多少人真正駐足于每一幅作品，花時間感受它帶來的震撼？
The typical museumgoer grabs a map and spends the next two or three hours tracking down each exhibit’s highlights. They dart from one masterpiece to the next, battling the crowd for a better view, maybe taking a selfie or two, and then checking the item off their bucket list.
博物館游覽者最典型的形象就是：手握地圖，用一兩個小時苦苦尋找每個展區的“亮點”，然后在名作之間飛奔，從擁擠的人群中努力尋得一處尚佳的角度，留下一兩張自拍，最后在自己的“遺愿清單”上劃掉此項。
But once they’ve left the museum, can they really say much about the artwork they’ve seen? Do they have any lasting impressions?
但是，當他們離開博物館時，誰又能真得對自己看過的藝術作品說出一二？或者對哪幅作品印象深刻？
Look deep
“深情”對望
A recent New York Times article suggest we slow down and truly spend time appreciating artwork that draws us in, not analyzing so-called masterpieces just for the sake of appearances.
《紐約時報》最近的一篇文章就建議人們真正花點時間來慢慢品味藝術作品，而不只是對那些所謂名作的外觀評頭品足。
According to museum researchers, the article says, the average museumgoer spends only 15 to 30 seconds in front of a work of art.
在這篇文章中，研究人員指出，游覽博物館的人在每幅作品前停留的平均時間只有15至30秒左右。
The New York Times interviewed James O. Pawelski, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies connections between psychology and the arts.
《紐約時報》為此采訪了賓夕法尼亞大學的教授詹姆斯•帕維斯基，他專門從事心理學與藝術作品間聯系的研究。
When you go to the library, you don’t walk along the shelves looking at the spines of the books and on your way out tweet to your friends, ‘I read 100 books today!’, Pawelski said.
帕維斯基教授說，當你走進圖書館時，你匆匆走過一座座書架，都來不及瀏覽架上圖書的書脊，但是當你走出圖書館時，你會立刻在微博上@你的好友們，并寫到“我今天又讀了100本書！”
Yet that’s exactly how many of us experience museums. “They see as much of art as you see spines on books,” said Pawelski. “You can’t really see a painting as you’re walking by it.”
我們中的很多人也正是這樣參觀博物館的。帕維斯基教授說，“他們看藝術作品就像看書架上的書脊一樣，如果你只是匆匆走過，你是不可能真正看懂一幅畫的。”
Pawelski said that if you do choose to slow down — to find a piece of art that speaks to you and observe it for minutes rather than seconds — you are more likely to connect with the art, and maybe even with yourself.
他還說，如果你能放慢腳步，找到一幅對與你胃口的作品，細細欣賞幾分鐘而不是幾秒鐘的匆匆一瞥，那么你也許會與藝術作品有更多的交流，甚至與自己能有更多的溝通。
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