“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.”

— Mother Teresa

Standing in front of the beautiful blue hues of the Ionian Sea, which connects Greece and Italy, in a hot August summer, for the first time in a few stressful years, that moment made me put the ocean at the top of my list of subjects to write about. The air was neither too dry nor too humid, the salty taste mixed with a slightly fishy smell reminded me of my days in Kiel, the city where I lived and studied for a year and a half on the Baltic Sea in Germany. Only here the temperature is always above 30°C instead of staying around 20°C all summer long. Standing on the top of the hill, on the ruins of an old fortress, looking out over the open water that only disappears behind the horizon, I was curious (again) if thousands of years ago people's greatest dream in their relatively short lives was to be on the other side of the water, what they saw in that water, and how they were influenced and inspired by it. I also wondered how people, especially artists and designers, have related to the ocean in the long history of mankind.

在经历了起伏不定的几年之后，这个炎热的八月，我终于在夏天再次来到海边。望着连接希腊和意大利的爱奥尼亚海多重美丽的蓝色，我决定把“海”移到了我备写清单的首位。这里的空气不会过分干燥或潮湿，嗅觉中咸味夹杂着一些鱼腥味，让我想起了在德国波罗的海沿岸的城市基尔生活和学习的一年半。只不过在希腊，气温总是高于 30 摄氏度的，而不是像基尔那样整个夏天都只在 20 度左右。在山顶的城堡废墟上，望着开阔的水面消失在地平线后面，我（又一次）好奇古时候的人们在他们相对短暂的生命中最大的梦想是不是去往那水的另一边，他们在海里看到了些什么，以及他们如何受到海的影响与启发。我也想看看在人类漫长的历史中，人们，尤其是艺术家和设计师们，是如何与海洋联系在一起的。

To this day, we all know that the ocean is where life began on our blue planet. With the remains of the earliest recorded human seafood meal from around 167,000 years ago, the ocean has provided us with resources, influenced the global climate and influenced human evolution in many ways. It has changed who we are and how we live, and we have woven it into many mythologies and folklores.

今天的我们都知道，海洋是我们这个蓝色星球上生命开始的地方。来自大约 167,000 年前的化石记录着人类最早的海鲜餐。海洋为我们提供了资源，影响了全球的气候，并以各种方式影响了人类的进化与演化。它定义了我们，也改变了我们的生活方式，我们又将它编织成了许多的神话和民间传说。

The oldest piece of marine art we have ever found is the reed boat petroglyph - a type of prehistoric rock art - at the Qobustan National Historical Artistic Preserve in what is now Azerbaijan, which can be dated to around 12,000 BC. A boat with a sun sign on its bow is floating in the ocean, with 23 vertical lines on the hull, presumably representing humans. It shows that people living 14,000 years ago had already figured out how to stay afloat for a long time without drowning.

我们发现的最古老的关于海洋的艺术作品是芦苇船岩画——一种史前岩石艺术——在现代阿塞拜疆的 Qobustan 国家历史艺术保护区，可以追溯到公元前 12,000 年左右。船头有太阳标志的小船漂浮在海面上，船身上有23条竖线，大概是代表船员。它表明生活在 14,000 年前的人们已经想出了如何长时间待在开阔水域之上的方法。

Sandro Botticelli. *Nascita di Venere (The Birth of Venus)*. c. 1484-1486
桑德罗·波提切利 - 维纳斯的诞生

Ancient people had a great respect for the ocean, which was far beyond their comprehension. It seemed boundless and bottomless, it was constantly changing, and it was home to countless mysterious creatures and events. It was supremely divine and spiritual. Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty (also known as Venus in ancient Rome), was born in the ocean, rising from the white foam in a shell. Poseidon, one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, is still a trendy figure in pop culture. His Roman version - Neptune - is the name we still use for the eighth planet from the sun.

古人对海洋的崇敬之情远远超出了他们的认知。它看起来无边无际，深不见底，它变幻莫测，承载着无数神秘的生物与事件。古时候的海洋带着一种强大的神圣感和精神力量。古希腊爱与美的女神阿芙罗狄忒（也就是古罗马的维纳斯）就诞生在海洋中，在贝壳里从白色的泡沫中升起。海神波塞冬，古希腊宗教和神话中的十二位奥林匹亚神之一，时至今日仍然是流行文化中非常受欢迎的角色。他在罗马神话版本中的对应神——尼普顿也被用来命名太阳的第八颗行星海王星。

Qin Zheng and his students. *The Story of Jingwei*. 1988. Ceiling of the south entrance hall, Tianjin Railway Station.
秦征与学生 - 精卫填海（天津火车站穹顶画）

In Chinese mythology, the Classic of Mountains and Seas, also known as Shanhai jing, the land belonged to the kings, but the ocean belonged to the gods. The ocean represented a divine concept that people cherished and respected. The Chinese people call themselves the descendants of the dragon. Since the dragon is the lord and ruler of the ocean, we can see how vital the ocean is to this ancient culture. There is another famous story in Chinese mythology about a young girl who drowned in the ocean and transformed into a bird called Jingwei. She was determined to fill the sea with pebbles and branches from Mount West to avenge her death and prevent others from suffering the same fate. People admire her for her arduous and remarkable undertaking.

在中国神话《山海经》中，陆地（海内）属于诸王，而海洋（海外）属于神明。海洋代表着一种神圣的概念为人们所珍视与敬仰。中国人自称为龙的传人，而龙亦是掌管海洋的主人。海洋对中国文化的重要影响可见一斑。另一个重要的神话故事便是精卫填海了。她日复一日以西山之木与石填平东海的尝试使一代又一代人敬服。

Humans have taken the ocean for granted. Ancient people from different cultures thought there was an ocean on the Moon. Oceanus Procellarum, the largest and most prominent of the dark regions on the lunar surface, is not a real ocean of water, but a vast plain of ancient volcanic rock that reflects less light than the surrounding highlands. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the moon's ocean was a sea of blood spilled by the gods in their battles. Ancient Chinese astronomers recognized the ocean on the Moon as one of the lunar mansions. They called it Taiwei, meaning "big stomach", and associated it with the emperor and his court. The ancient Maya people considered the lunar ocean to be part of their cosmology and calendar. They called it Xibalba be, meaning "the road to the underworld", and believed it was a portal to the realm of death and rebirth.

人类认为海洋是理所当然的存在。不同文化背景下的古人都认为月球上有一片海洋。月海确实是月球表面最大、最显眼的暗区，但它并不是真正的海洋，而是一片广阔的古火山岩平原，反射的光线比周围的高地要少。古希腊和古罗马人认为，月球上的海洋是众神在战斗中洒下的血海。中国古代天文学家认为月球上的海洋是月宫之一。他们称其为 "太微"，意思是 "大肚子"，并将其与皇帝及其宫廷联系在一起。中美洲的古玛雅人认为月球海洋是他们宇宙观和历法的一部分。他们称其为 Xibalba be，意为 "通往冥界之路"，认为它是通往死亡和重生领域的入口。

Tiziano Vecellio. *Perseus and Andromeda*. c. 1554-1556. The Wallace Collection
The painting depicts the hero Perseus flying through the air to combat a sea monster, which was sent by Poseidon (or Zeus, depending on the account) to kill Andromeda, who is chained to a cliff by the sea as a sacrifice to the beast. Perseus has already attacked and wounded the monster on the shoulder.
提香·韦切利奥 - 珀尔修斯和安德洛墨达
描绘了英雄珀尔修斯在空中与海怪战斗，海怪是波塞冬（或宙斯，根据不同版本）派来杀死安德洛墨达的，安德洛墨达被锁在海边的悬崖上作为对海怪的祭品。珀尔修斯已经攻击并打伤了怪物的肩膀。

The ocean is a vast and mysterious realm, where the light of the sun cannot penetrate its deepest depths. It is like a black box or a dark room, hiding secrets and wonders that we can only imagine. Where vision cannot reach, there will be imagination. And imagine we do, for humans have always been fascinated by the creatures of the sea. Some are friendly and marvelous, while others are fearsome and monstrous. We tell stories about them as if we have seen them with our own eyes, but we can never be sure if they are real or not. The ocean is a source of legends and myths, but also of conspiracies and mysteries. Its size and depth make anything possible, and a good storyteller can make us believe anything.

海洋是如此宽广而神秘，掩藏着我们永远无法看透的无限可能，就像在一个黑匣子里摸索或身处于一个黑暗的房间。视觉无法触及的地方，就会有想象。因此，人类想象出了海洋中的各种生物。人们编造出这些生物就好像他们真的看到了它们一样。它们有些是友好的、奇妙的，而另一些则是可怕的怪兽。我们讲述关于他们的故事，就好像我们亲眼所见一样，但我们永远无法确定它们是否真实。海洋是传说和神话的源泉，也是阴谋论和神秘学的温床。它的规模和深度使一切成为可能，而一个会讲故事的人可以让我们相信任何事情。

One of the most famous legends was about the giant squid with long tentacles and a powerful beak that attacks ships and drags sailors to their doom. This monstrous sea creature has inspired dear and awe for centuries. Some of the stories may have originated from the sighting of real giant squid, which can grow up to 15 meters in length, but others may have been exaggerated or influenced by mythology and folklore. Another legend is the sea serpent, a long and slender creature that resembles a snake or an eel. It has been reported in various cultures around the world, such as Greece, Africa, China, Japan, and Australia. They were often described as having a head like a horse, a dog, or a bird. The legend of the giant squid has also inspired many works of fiction and art, such as Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Victor Hugo’s Toilers of the Sea.

最著名的深海传说之一是巨型乌贼，它长着长长的触手和强大的喙，会攻击船只并将水手拖入海中。几个世纪以来，人们对这种巨大的海洋生物又爱又怕。有些故事可能源于对真实长度可达15米的巨型乌贼的目击，但其他故事可能受到神话和民间传说的夸大影响。另一个有名的传说是海蛇。它在世界各地的不同文化中都有提及，比如在希腊、非洲、中国、日本和澳大利亚。他们经常被描述为拥有像马、狗或鸟一样的头。巨型乌贼的传说也为许多小说和艺术作品提供了灵感，例如儒勒·凡尔纳的《海底两万里》和维克多·雨果的《海上劳动者》。

In the deep ocean, animals have spent millions of years adapting to some of the harshest environments on Earth. Some have lost their sight in total darkness, while others, like anglerfish, have adapted to use light as a lure to attract prey. Some have thin and compressed bodies, while others grow to unimaginable sizes. It is all about the spirit of survival that we admire and want to see. So scientists and adventurers keep going back to discover more. Even today, almost every year scientists find new creatures there that have never been seen before.

在深海中，动物们花了数百万年的时间来适应这地球上最恶劣的环境之一。有些物种在完全的黑暗中失去了视力，而另一些，比如琵琶鱼，已经学会了利用光作为诱饵来吸引猎物。有些物种压缩了他们的身体，而另一些则疯长到人们难以想象的大小。这都是我们敬佩并希望亲眼目睹的生存精神。因此，科学家和冒险家们不断下潜，以期发现更多。即使在今天，几乎每年都会有新的物种被发现。

One of my favorite and award-winning films, <The Shape of Water>, directed by Guillermo del Toro, is about a mute woman who works as a cleaner in a secret government lab, where she finds and falls in love with a captured humanoid creature from the ocean. She decides to help him escape the cruel experiments, leading to an otherworldly romance and adventure. The mute woman is in some ways as lonely and oppressed as that creature in our world, with their particular ways of communicating and surviving. By the end of the film, every viewer is touched by this beautiful relationship between a human and a monster from the deep ocean.
我最喜欢的获奖电影之一，《水形物语》，由吉列尔莫·德尔·托罗执导，讲述了一位哑女在政府秘密实验室做清洁工的故事，在那里她发现并爱上了一个被俘获的来自海洋的人形生物。她决定帮助他逃离残酷的实验，从而展开一段超凡脱俗的浪漫和冒险。在某种意义上，主人公哑女与深海中的生物一样孤独和压抑，有着特殊的沟通和生存方式。影片结束时，每一位观众都被人类与深海怪物之间的美好关系所感动。

Not only are there mysterious and even imaginary creatures under the ocean, but some of us also believe there is a hidden world in the deep sea. There are even legends about unidentified submerged objects - USO, the opposite of its more famous brother - UFO. People talk about strange lights in the ocean, some are convinced that there are secret alien bases there... There may be less evidence for many of these claims, but one thing we all believe in deeply is the lost culture of Atlantis. Even though there is no conclusive evidence that Atlantis ever existed as a historical reality, it has captured the imagination and curiosity of many people worldwide.

海底不仅存在着神秘甚至想象中的生物，我们中的一些人还坚信深海中存在着一个隐藏的世界。甚至还有关于不明水下物体的传说——USO，与其更著名的兄弟——UFO对立存在。有人说在海洋中看到奇怪灯光，有些人相信那里有秘密的外星人基地......许多故事也许是毫无依据的无稽之谈，但我们都共同深深相信的是失落的亚特兰蒂斯文明。尽管也没有确凿的证据表明亚特兰蒂斯在历史上真实存在过，但它仍然唤醒了世界各地许多人的想象力和好奇心。

The story of Atlantis is based on two dialogues by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who claimed to have heard them from an Egyptian priest. It was a powerful civilization that existed over ten thousand years ago before it lost the Great War to the ancient Athenians and sank into the ocean in a single day and night. People have been searching for the lost land of Atlantis ever since. The legend has captured the imagination of many throughout history. Countless theories have proposed America, Scandinavia, Sardinia, and the Canary Islands... Many scholars are convinced of their ideas, while the majority agree that Atlantis is probably a myth or a distorted memory of an ancient historical event. Nowadays, it has become a shared interest, a cultural symbol, and an inspiration for art and creation.

亚特兰蒂斯的故事是基于古希腊哲学家柏拉图的两段对话，柏拉图声称是从一位埃及牧师那里听到的。那是一万多年前就存在的强大文明，后来在大战中输给了雅典人，并于一昼夜沉入大海。从那时起，人们就一直在努力寻找失落的亚特兰蒂斯。她的传说激发了历史上许多人的想象力。无数的理论提出了可能的地点如美洲、斯堪的纳维亚半岛、撒丁岛和加那利群岛……许多人对他们的理论深信不疑，而大多数学者却认为亚特兰蒂斯可能是一个神话或一个古代历史事件的扭曲记忆。如今，它已成为一种共同的兴趣点、一种文化符号、一种艺术和创作的灵感。

The city Atlantis in movie <Aquaman>, 2018.

We may never be able to prove Atlantis right or wrong, but the rising waters have indeed swallowed many civilizations in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The melting icebergs and brutal earthquakes have repeatedly forced people from their homes, abandoned cities, and left their roots behind. From Yonaguni Island in Japan to Pavlopetri in the Mediterranean, from Port Royal in the Caribbean to ancient Dwarka in the Indian Ocean. When walking in the water on St. Mark's Square in Venice became an annual routine, we had to wonder which city would be next. Climate change not only threatens our cities and civilizations, but the underwater world is suffering even more. Rising temperatures are causing coral bleaching, ocean acidification, changes in species distribution and abundance, and loss of biodiversity. Many artists have joined the activists to create unforgettable works of art to remind people of this issue that cannot be ignored.

我们也许永远无法证明亚特兰蒂斯的存在，但不断上升的海水确实已经吞噬了许多的文明，并且在未来还将继续吞没下去。融化的冰山和残酷的地震一再迫使人们背井离乡、放弃居住的城市、抛下文明的根基。从日本的与那国岛到地中海的帕夫洛佩特里，从加勒比海的皇家港到印度洋的古德瓦卡。当在威尼斯圣马可广场的水中漫步成为一年一度的例行公事时，我们不得不考虑，下一个被吞没会是哪里？气候变化不仅威胁着我们的城市和文明，海底的生态环境甚至遭受着更大的苦难。气温上升导致珊瑚白化、海洋酸化、物种分布和丰度的变化以及生物多样性的丧失。许多艺术家创作了令人难忘的艺术作品，以提醒人们这个不容忽视的问题。

The ocean captivates us with its vast emptiness and unknown depths. Throughout history, people learned to swim and sail, relying on water for trade and survival. Ancient Egyptians built boats from papyrus reeds around 3000 BCE, while the Phoenicians advanced shipbuilding and navigation in the Mediterranean. The Vikings expanded seafaring from the late eighth to early eleventh centuries, reaching North America and Asia. The Age of Exploration (late 15th to early 17th centuries) marked a shift as European explorers like Columbus and Magellan sought new trade routes, connecting cultures across continents.

Maritime technology and navigation have evolved so tremendously that we started to think that nothing could not be conquered. The Titanic disaster in 1912 highlighted human arrogance against nature, as the supposed "unsinkable" ship sank after hitting an iceberg, claiming over 1,500 lives. The recent OceanGate accident in June 2023, where the Titan submersible imploded while visiting the Titanic wreck, echoes this tragedy, showing the risks of deep-sea exploration. Hopefully, these and a lot of other events remind us of the dangers of maritime activities and the ocean's mysteries, urging us to consider safety and responsibility in exploration.

海洋以其浩瀚无垠和未知的深度吸引着我们。纵观历史，人们学会了游泳和航行，依靠水进行贸易和生存。公元前 3000 年左右，古埃及人用纸莎草芦苇建造了船只，而腓尼基人则在地中海推进了造船和航行。维京人从 8 世纪末到 11 世纪初扩大了航海范围，到达了北美和亚洲。大航海时代（15 世纪末到 17 世纪初）标志着又一次转变，哥伦布和麦哲伦等欧洲探险家寻求新的贸易路线，连接了各大洲的文化。

航海技术和航行技术已经发生了巨大的发展，以至于我们开始认为没有什么是无法征服的。1912 年的泰坦尼克号灾难凸显了人类对自然的傲慢，这艘本应“永不沉没”的船撞上冰山后沉没，造成 1500 多人丧生。2023 年 6 月发生的最近 OceanGate 事故，泰坦号潜水器在探查泰坦尼克号沉船时内爆，与这场悲剧如出一辙，显示了深海探索的风险。希望这些事件和许多其他事件能提醒我们海上活动的危险和海洋的奥秘，敦促我们在探索中考虑安全与责任。

Caspar David Friedrich. *The Monk by the Sea.* 1808-10
卡斯帕·大卫·弗里德里希 - 海边的僧侣

For centuries, the ocean has served as a vital source of sustenance, commerce, and cultural enrichment for coastal communities. These communities have honed their fishing techniques, utilizing nets and traps to procure seafood, which has become an integral part of their culinary traditions. Furthermore, they discovered the method of salt extraction through seawater evaporation, a crucial practice for preserving food’s freshness and flavor. Shells and corals were transformed into functional tools and aesthetically pleasing artifacts. Ships traversed the seas, facilitating cultural exchange and facilitating the exchange of goods and ideas. This profound connection to the ocean has significantly shaped societies, influencing their economic systems and daily life.

However, the management of ocean resources presents contemporary challenges. Overfishing has emerged as a significant concern, resulting in the depletion of fish populations. Consequently, stringent measures and sustainable fishing practices are imperative to ensure the long-term viability of marine ecosystems. Additionally, the exploration of seabed minerals has garnered attention, raising environmental concerns that necessitate careful consideration and management. In the realm of renewable energy, offshore wind and wave energy are increasingly being harnessed to contribute to the transition towards cleaner energy sources. Despite efforts to enhance the sustainability of ocean resources, challenges persist, necessitating collaborative efforts and innovative solutions from all stakeholders.

几个世纪以来，海洋一直是沿海社区重要的食物来源、商业活动和文化载体。这些社区不断磨练捕鱼技术，利用渔网和陷阱捕捞海鲜，这已成为其烹饪传统中不可或缺的一部分。此外，他们还发现了通过海水蒸发提取盐分的方法，这是保持食物新鲜度和风味的关键方法。贝壳和珊瑚被转化为实用工具和美观的工艺品。船舶穿梭于海洋之间，促进了文化交流，促进了商品和思想的交流。这种与海洋的深厚联系极大地塑造了社会，影响着他们的经济体系和日常生活。

然而，海洋资源管理也带来了当代挑战。过度捕捞已成为一个重大问题，导致鱼类种群枯竭。因此，采取严格的措施和可持续的捕捞方式对于确保海洋生态系统的长期生存至关重要。此外，海底矿物勘探也备受关注，引发了一系列环境问题，需要认真考量和管理。在可再生能源领域，海上风能和波浪能正日益得到利用，为向清洁能源转型做出贡献。尽管各方努力提升海洋资源的可持续性，但挑战依然存在，需要所有利益相关方通力合作，并寻求创新解决方案。

In the face of escalating climate change and resource depletion, it is imperative to devise sustainable methods of coexisting with the ocean. Future interactions with the sea will likely revolve around striking a harmonious balance between utilizing its resources and safeguarding its ecosystems. Advancements in marine technology offer promising avenues for harnessing energy and food responsibly. However, it is equally crucial to prioritize the preservation of marine habitats.

Furthermore, scientific endeavors are focused on identifying exoplanets with expansive oceans throughout the cosmos, with the ultimate objective of discovering novel environments where life could flourish. This multifaceted approach underscores the profound significance of the ocean, whether situated on Earth or beyond, in sustaining life and fostering long-term growth.

面对日益加剧的气候变化和资源枯竭，制定与海洋可持续共存的方法势在必行。未来与海洋的互动很可能围绕着在利用海洋资源和保护海洋生态系统之间取得和谐平衡展开。海洋技术的进步为负责任地利用能源和粮食提供了充满希望的途径。然而，优先保护海洋栖息地也同样至关重要。

此外，科学研究的重点是在整个宇宙中寻找拥有广阔海洋的系外行星，最终目标是发现生命可以繁衍生息的新环境。这种多方面的方法强调了海洋（无论位于地球还是地球之外）在维持生命和促进长期发展方面的深远意义。

M02. Ocean

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