Chat attack

maiden work/ 处女作/ (chǔnǚzuò)

A: Yesterday I went to see a special exhibition. It was exhibiting the maiden work of an elderly person who had never in his life hiked over a mountain before.

昨天我去看了一个特别的展览,展示了一辈子没走出过大山的老人生平第一幅处女作。

(zuótiān wǒqù kànle yīɡè tèbié de zhǎnlǎn, zhǎnshìle yībèizǐ méi zǒuchūɡuò dàshān de lǎorén shēnɡpínɡ dìyīfú chǔnǚzuò.)

B: Really? That sounds interesting. Tell me about it in detail. 

是吗？听起来很有趣,你详细说说吧。

(shìma? tīnɡqǐlái hěnyǒuqù, nǐ xiánɡxì shuōshuō bā.)

A: This art work focuses on a group of elderly people who never underwent formal education. Their lives are relatively lacking and some can't read. Some artists gave them some canvas and paint so they could create something themselves and make their first painting.

这个艺术作品聚焦一群没有接受正规教育的老人,他们生活较为匮乏,有些也不认识字。艺术家走近他们, 给他们画板和材料自由创作,画下人生的第一幅画。

(zhèɡè yìshù zuòpǐn jùjiāo yīqún méiyǒu jiēshòu zhènɡɡuī jiàoyùde lǎorén, tāmén shēnɡhuó jiàowéi kuìfá, yǒuxiē yě bù rènshízì. yìshùjiā zǒujìn tāmén, ɡěi tāmén huàbǎn hé cáiliào zìyóuchuànɡzuò, huàxià rénshēnɡ de dìyīfú huà.)

B: That sounds romantic and really meaningful. Do you know why the artist did this?

这听起来很浪漫,也很有意义,你知道为什么艺术家要这样做吗？

(zhè tīnɡqǐlái hěn lànɡmàn, yěhěn yǒuyìyì, nǐ zhīdào wéishenme yìshùjiā yào zhèyànɡzuò ma?)

A: Because he feels that art belongs to everyone.

因为他认为艺术属于每个人。

(yīnwéi tā rènwéi yìshù shǔyú měiɡè rén.)

Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT