Elite Lifestyle Magazine : Issue 64

ELITE 2024 Beauty Awards

年度護膚、香氛大賞

A Guide to Vibrant Spring Living Modern homesteading, recipes, seed secrets, and more 春日風格探索

A Symphony of Colors From five classics to hues beyond the rainbow

給點顏色瞧瞧！

Special Coverage of Miss NTD:

A Beauty Queen Like No Other

初賽

9月18 –19日 SEP 18 –19

複賽

9月20日 SEP 20

決賽

9月21日 SEP 21

Dana Chang

PRESIDENT Ellen Wang PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL

EDITOR IN CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

PROFILE EDITOR

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

BEAUTY EDITOR

HOME EDITOR

ART AND CULTURE EDITORS

EDITORS-AT-LARGE

CONTRIBUTORS

TRANSLATOR COPY EDITORS

Channaly Philipp

Astrid Wang

Cora Wang

Crystal Shi

Ida Pink

Sunny Lo

Belinda Lin

Jennifer Tseng

Ann Lin

Xenia Taliotis

Hazel Atkins

Kevin Revolinski

Ling Lin

Louise Rothman

Huixuan Yang

CREATIVE

LEAD DESIGNER DESIGNER

Karen Tang

Hsinyu Lo

SALES DIRECTOR SALES

Jo Yang

ADDRESS

229 W 28th Street, 7FL, New York, NY 10001 PHONE

646-862-9930

EMAIL

editor@elite-magazine.com advertising@elite-magazine.com subscription@elite-magazine.com www.elite-magazine.com

San Francisco Ke Bian

510-299-4392

818-836-2937

目錄 CONTENTS

7 Art Corner: With All Good Wishes 品文藝：吉祥如意歲朝圖

8 Editor’s Pick: Warm Greetings for a Fresh Start 編輯精選：溫柔伊始

9

Beauty Awards: 2024 Winners for Skin Care and Fragrances 《時尚精英》2024年護膚、香氛大賞

16 The Very First Miss NTD Beauty Pageant: Embodying Timeless Wisdom in Today's World 選美后冠 展使命之美 ——走近首位新唐人小姐孫明慧

26 Dancing for a Higher Calling: A Timid Boy’s Journey to a Top-Tier Dance Company 聚焦神韻藝術家張如日：靦腆少年的無悔選擇

32 Color in Chinese Traditions, History, and Everyday Life 關於色彩的東方詮釋與面貌

38 The Language of Colors: Interview With Leatrice Eiseman, Director of the Pantone Color Institute 用色彩，從心出發 ——彩通色彩專家的用色哲學

44 Creating a Life of Abundance: Stacy Lyn Harris's Journey to Sustainable Living 走進當代桃花源：名作家Stacy Lyn Harris 自給自足的生活實踐

54 Preserving Our Heritage: A Family-Owned Seed Company on a Mission 北美最大祖傳種子公司：用古老的種子守護未來

64 Carpe Diem: Foods for a Spring Detox 春日排毒飲食指南

Photography by Adhiraj Chakrabarti Crown and jewelry courtesy of Shen Yun Collections

Rediscover the heart and soul of our nation with American Essence, a bimonthly magazine celebrating America’s rich tapestry of cultures and landscapes.

In the Spirit of America

Satisfy your every interest with our inspiring tales of courage, fascinating tidbits from history, expert health tips, and more! Meticulously crafted and full of hopeful stories, each issue is a celebration of the American spirit.

So, dive in—because being American is an extraordinary experience!

序 EDITOR’S NOTE

在此先祝每一位讀者闔家平安，龍年行大運！

龍為祥瑞的神獸，一直作為華夏子民引以為豪的文化符碼，振奮人心， 並帶來光明。 12

年前，《時尚精英》才在北美發行一年多，轉眼12年後， 我們竟能還在此與大家問候，著實是一件令人感激之事，本刊全體在此 感謝各位讀者一路相伴。

千呼萬喚，久違的《時尚精英》美妝護膚大賞在本期登場，我們還會陸續 在官方網站上，發布更完整的得獎名單，敬請鎖定。新的一年不僅要容 光煥發，也要從內在美出發。

本期封面人物為「Miss NTD」選美后冠。在德州長大的孫明慧，大學畢 業後，毅然決定離開家鄉，獨自到紐約展開新的生活，去年，她參加了 新唐人電視台舉辦的首屆選美大賽，在這有別以往的選美舞臺上，她向 眾人展現她的理想與決心，大賽落幕，她成了后冠得主。一起來探究這 位新時代女性的心聲。

精采的華人故事不僅在后冠之下，還有另一名站在世界頂級舞臺上的中 國古典舞藝術家——張如日，他是世界第一秀「神韻藝術團」的主要領舞 演員。十幾年前，從日本東京到紐約，一位文靜的少年為何選擇飛越大 平洋，離開家人好友的身邊，獨自踏上舞蹈生涯？透過他的故事，一起 見證一份決心。

萬物萌動的春日，更是做出改變的良機，本期從視覺色彩到農務實作等 主題，透過各種有趣的視角，帶各位體驗有別以往的生活風格故事。

MAY ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE

諸事大吉

Originating from the Song Dynasty, “sui zhao tu” or “paintings to welcome the New Year” hold a special place in Chinese culture. The 1735 handscroll painting by Chen Shu, revered as the first female painter of the Qing Dynasty, is bursting with auspicious symbols.

Within the vase, the plum blossoms stand as a timeless symbol of resilience and strength for the coming year, while the camellias inspire people to reach for the stars and pursue their loftiest aspirations. Delicately arranged around this centerpiece, an orange persimmon conveys wishes for success in all endeavors, and the peach and lingzhi mushroom entreat health and longevity. The pomegranate and fingered citron foretell a year of abundant harvest and prosperity.

Though simple in form and composition, this artful masterpiece is a vibrant expression of wellwishes destined to endure for generations to come.

此幅歲朝圖為清朝第一位女畫家陳書之作，她擅長人 物、山水、花鳥類型畫作。她出身名門，從小便隨父 學習作畫，儘管在當時女性畫家的機遇不如男性，但 她鑽研不懈，後來開創秀水畫派也收徒教授繪畫，在 其門下出了數位名家。

陳書 1735 年完成此畫軸時，已屆 75 歲高齡，隔 年就離世了。細膩且成熟的筆觸，展現其豐富的閱歷， 此吉祥畫中以翠藍色的花瓶為焦點，瓶器內的白梅象 徵堅忍的毅力，而茶花的純潔，砥礪觀者追求理想。

環繞瓶身的水果有石榴、五指柑（又名福壽柑）也有 橙紅柿與粉桃，各有象徵——石榴與五指柑代表豐收， 柿子則預示事業成功，桃子與靈芝則是祝願長壽。

在一幅畫中匯聚所有吉祥如意的元素，這就是 歲朝圖受皇宮貴族喜愛的原因，為新的一年注入活力 與希望，帶來好彩頭。

Sui Zhao (With All Good Wishes), by Chen Shu, circa 1735. 清 陳書 歲朝吉祥如意 軸 _Taiwan National Palace Museum

Warm Greetings for a Fresh Start

溫柔伊始

Ring in 2024 with the warmth and modern elegance of Pantone's Color of the Year—Peach Fuzz, this radiant hue embodies humanity's deep desire for compassion, closeness, and connection. Enhance the sophistication of your space with invigorating tones of pink and coral. Add a touch of this hue to your home for a hopeful year ahead. Cheers!

彩通2024 年度之色為「柔和桃」（Peach Fuzz），彷彿 能輕柔地撫觸著人們的內心，盼能在這一年之中帶給大 家溫暖的力量。該色系雖清爽，但同時帶有溫度，春日 在家除舊布新之際，可以透過織品、室內裝飾或餐盤用 具等增添此元素，溫柔擁抱新的一年。

1 SANDBERG WALLPAPER, TILL KARIN SPRING GREEN, $174 PER ROLL, SANDBERGWALLPAPER.COM | 2 EICHHOLTZ, MURRAY TRAVERTINE TABLE LAMP, $1,337 (PRICE MAY VARY), BURKEDECOR.COM | 3 CHELSEA HOUSE , COAL/ GOLD CERAMIC JAR BY SHAYLA COPAS, $747, PERIOGOLD. COM | 4 COSTA NOVA , MAUVE ROSE LIVIA DINNER PLATE, $159, PERIGOLD.COM | 5 FREDERICIA , SPANISH DINING SIDE CHAIR, $3,670, DWR.COM

BeautyMarvels

Winners for Skin Care and Fragrances

By Ida Pink

After months of testing different brands and products, the 2024 ELITE skin care and fragrance award winners have been chosen based on characteristics, quality, or innovation and how well they deliver on their promises. They include everything from classics to hot new items that caught our attention. Here is a curated list of winners and why we love them.

ELITE BEAUTY

Skin Care Award Winners

SERUMS 臉部精華液

Best Luxury Glow-Reviver Serum: EVE LOM Radiance Repair Retinol Serum

Fortified with alpha hydroxy acids and microbiomerebalancing prebiotic oat kernel ferment, this retinol serum is a great wrinkle-fighter that gives skin a refreshed and rejuvenated glow.

($185, evelom.com)

Best Vegan Glow-Booster:

Lumene Nordic-C Glow Boost Essence

Supercharged with radiance-boosting power, this serum is 100% vegan and gives a beautiful glow.

($35.99, lumene.com)

Best Peptide Serum: StriVectin Peptide Plump Line Filling Bounce Serum

This serum instantly makes skin feel tighter and plumper, and it absorbs quickly, leaving skin fresh, smooth, and rejuvenated.

($89, strivectin.com)

Best Illuminating Serum: La Prairie White Caviar Pearl Infusion

The lovely texture and light-infused formula illuminate and reduce dark spots, redness, yellowness, and grayness (bye-bye dull skin!) while lifting, firming, and enhancing skin luminosity.

($770, laprairie.com)

Best Retinol Serum: Augustinus Bader The Retinol Serum

The serum has a fabulous lightweight texture and powerhouse formula that reduces deep lines, wrinkles, blemishes, and pigmentation without irritation or redness.

($350, augustinusbader.com)

Best Vitamin C Serum: Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester CCC + Ferulic Brightening Complex 20%

This serum has an ultra-potent vitamin C formula that visibly brightens, smooths, and minimizes discoloration and dark spots over time. Bonus? It is soy- and gluten-free.

($165, perriconemd.com)

Best Face Oil: Flora Mirabilis Face Oil

This moisturizing, hypoallergenic face oil is handcrafted in small batches from 10 plant-based ingredients that brighten, balance, and restore the skin. It has a rich yet lightweight, velvety texture and is quickly absorbed by the skin, leaving it soft, hydrated, and nourished. Bonus? The fabulous earthy and exotic natural scent.

($120, floramirabilis.com)

FACE CREAMS

臉霜

Best Daily Moisturizer:

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

This anti-aging celebrity favorite instantly hydrates, plumps, and gives skin a fabulous glow.

($92–$550, augustinusbader.com)

Best Moisturizer for Dry Skin: m-61 Hydraboost Rich Cream

This day-and-night cream deeply hydrates, nourishes, and firms, and has a beautiful texture that glides on effortlessly (note, a little goes a long way) and leaves skin baby-soft.

($88, bluemercury.com)

Best Moisturizer for Dry Mature Skin: Tatcha The Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream

This cream has a rich texture that glides on effortlessly, enveloping the skin with intensely hydrating and nourishing ingredients that address advanced aging signs, leaving skin hydrated with a youthful glow.

($198, tatcha.com)

Best Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin: Omorovicza Illuminating Moisturizer

This moisturizer has a soothing, healing formula that deeply hydrates while blurring lines and illuminating skin.

($155, omorovicza.com)

Best Stem Cell Moisturizer:

Beverly Hills MD Deep Regenerating Stem Cell Moisturizer

This hydrating, firming day-and-night moisturizer harnesses the power of plant stem cells to re-energize aging skin cells for a stunningly smooth texture, even tone, and movie-star glow.

($150, beverlyhillsmd.com)

Best Anti-Aging Winter Cream: Natura Bissé Diamond Extreme

This rejuvenating day-and-night cream is a dream for dry, damaged skin, or for people in cold and dry climates, as it nourishes, protects, and targets extreme dryness with its rich emollient texture.

($395, naturabisse.com)

Best Probiotic Moisturizer: LAPCOS Biome Boost Cream

The collagen-infused formula restores elasticity, balances the skin's microbiome, blurs wrinkles, and instantly makes those annoying fine lines disappear.

($32, lapcosusa.com)

Best Natural Vitamin C Cream: Niki Newd Skin Cream

This freshly artisan-made cream has a yummy medium-rich texture that envelopes the skin with a gourmet blend of foodgrade vitamin C and antioxidants that brighten, nourish, and hydrate, leaving skin rejuvenated.

($116, nikinewd.com)

EYES AND NECK 眼部、頸部保養品項

Best Neck Cream:

BioNova Age Control Neck Treatment With UV Chromophores

With its beautiful texture and finish, this formula firms and shapes up neck issues like wrinkles, crepey and sagging skin by stimulating the production of collagen, elastin, and fibronectin.

($95, shopbnscience.com)

Best Antiaging Eye Cream:

StriVectin Intensive Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles PLUS

This cream delivers fabulous results, reducing the look of all types of lines around the eyes, including crow's feet and stubborn “eleven lines” between the brows.

($72, strivectin.com)

Best Under-Eye Cream: Dr. BRANDT No More Baggage

This celebrity favorite quickly became ours as well. This under-eye gel cream instantly tightens and visibly reduces under-eye bags, puffiness, and dark circles. It’s also perfect for a hectic travel schedule.

($42, drbrandtskincare.com)

POWER DUOS

最強雙效保養

Best Antiaging Unisex Duo:

DefenAge 8-in-1 BioSerum and 24/7 Barrier Balance Anti-Aging Cream

The serum and day/night cream are loaded with DefenAge’s proprietary age-repair defensin molecules that target all skin aging signs, leaving skin brightened and healthier.

(serum ($75–$264), cream ($36–$127), defenage.com)

Best Collagen Boosting Duo:

Immupure’s Daily Eye Face Neck-Firming Moisturizer and Night Intense Repair and Hydrating Cream

By leveraging the antiaging powers of colostrum, this power duo helps boost collagen production by up to 400 percent within two months.

(Day Cream ($210), Night Cream ($215), immupure.com)

CLEANSERS AND TONERS

潔顏以及化妝水

Best Treatment Cleanser:

BioNova Bioactive Cleanser for Normal/Dry Skin

A cleanser that treats and effectively cleanses, this sulfate-free wash leaves skin hydrated and soft.

($35, shopbnscience.com)

Best Essence:

Tatcha The Essence Skin Care Boosting Treatment

Made of a trio of fermented Japanese superfoods (rice, algae, and green tea), this skin care-boosting essence is

Natura Bissé Diamond Luminous

The fabulous, rich, three-phase texture (gel-oil-emulsion) glides on the skin like smooth silk, effectively cleansing while hydrating and illuminating the skin.

($150, naturabisse.com)

Best Dual Cleanser: Renee Rouleau Better Than Balm

Goodbye thick, waxy cleansers! This dual-phase cleanser has a silky, fabulous balm-oil to milky-gel texture for a double-cleanse in one go.

($45.50, shopbnscience.com)

Best Toner (masstige): Thayers’ Facial Toners

Thayer’s alcohol-free toners soothe and hydrate, and they come in eight fabulous options, including unscented, milky hydrating, 2% AHA, and cucumber.

($10.95, thayers.com)

Best Luxury Antiaging Mask:

La Prairie Platinum Rare HauteRejuvenation Mask

This platinum-infused, intensive twostep night treatment reactivates the skin's rejuvenating processes, drenching it with moisture and cutting-edge antiaging ingredients. It only takes one night to get visibly brighter and plumper skin.

($1,740, laprairie.com)

Best Anti-Fatigue Mask: Chantecaille Gold Recovery Mask

Infused with 24K gold, this luxurious mask’s lovely, rich texture and formula address all signs of fatigue and aging, leaving skin visibly transformed and radiant. It can also be worn overnight for intensive nourishing.

($300, chantecaille.com)

EVE LOM: Rescue Mask

Made with purifying, honey-infused Kaolin Clay and cooling and decongesting camphor, this is the perfect emergency mask to reduce blotchy skin and minimize irritation and to provide an instant pick-me-up after a long day.

($90 for 100 mL, evelom.com)

Fragrance Award Winners

Best Woody Floral Scent: Creed Carmina

This scent captures the essence of feminine allure in sweet notes of black cherry and lively pink pepper. The added soft spice of saffron and the delicate femininity of Rose de Mai is warmed by cashmere wood, amber, and musk.

($300–$445, creedboutique.com)

Best Winter and Evening Scent: Burberry My Burberry Black

This rich and sensual scent is infused with jasmine and peach nectar as well as a touch of candied rose and amber patchouli.

($110–$180, sephora.com)

Best Floral Scent: Creed White Flowers

Reminiscent of a fresh, dewy morning garden, this sophisticated classic exudes the brightness of white flowers complemented by musk and sandalwood. It is perfect for day and evening wear.

($610 for 75 mL, creedboutique.com)

Best Unisex Scent: Gucci The Alchemist's Garden Tears From The Moon EDP

Built around a bouquet of White Peony, Lily of the Valley, and Stephanotis, this fabulous unisex scent is fresh, captivating, and elegant.

($384, gucci.com)

Best Rose Scent: Parfums de Marly Delina

With notes of Turkish Rose, Lily of the Valley, and Peony, this sweet scent is perfectly delicate and charming.

($190–$355, us.parfums-de-marly.com)

* To explore the full list of all winners from all divisions, stay tuned in. We will release more winners on Elite-magazine.com.

CROWN BEYOND the

Miss NTD Brings Traditional Values to Life

摘冠之後——

首屆「Miss NTD」選美后冠得主問答專訪

By Astrid Wang and Jennifer Tseng Photography by Adhiraj Chakrabarti

In September 2023, New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television made a splash in New York with the launch of its Global Chinese Beauty Pageant. The event featured 32 contestants of Chinese descent from around the world. The goal of the pageant was to promote traditional culture and bring back authenticity, goodness, and beauty.

Rather than focusing on exterior beauty, the judging panel focused on the five virtues that were considered essential for women in traditional Chinese society: morality, righteousness, propriety, benevolence, and faithfulness.

The week-long event culminated in the crowning of Cynthia Sun as Miss NTD, a human rights advocate dedicated to speaking out for the oppressed and voiceless. This marked the 24-year-old’s debut in the pageant world.

For the Texas native, this beauty contest was more than just heels and crowns. Ms. Sun shares with Elite the life lessons she has learned, the importance of honoring traditions, and her mission as reigning Miss NTD.

去年（2023）九月，由新唐人電視台舉辦的「全球華人 選美大賽」，在紐約圓滿落幕。在長達一週的賽前準備 與決賽時刻，共有 32 位佳麗們進入決賽，齊聚一堂。 在盛大的決賽舞臺上，每一位選手，透過自身的理解與 詮釋，或才藝、或演講，各自展現女性獨有之美。

此次選美大賽，並未側重參賽者的外貌與體態展 現，評委以內在之美，作為主審條件，以中華文化裡「德、 義、禮、仁、信」五字作為本次賽事的最高指導，內涵提 煉自中國傳統社會裡女性兼備的美德與佳話。

最終獲選為 miss NTD 的孫明慧，年僅 24 歲，是 一名人權議題研究學者，致力於替受迫害者發聲。這是 她首次站在世界舞臺亮相的時刻。從小在德州出生長大 的她，如何一步步地認識傳統文化內涵、如何找回與自 身文化連結的根？從參賽到戴上后冠，這段旅程對她而 言，意義非凡。孫明慧接受本刊專訪，分享了關於她對此 次選美之旅的所思所想，以及她將如何繼承與發揚這后 冠的重量與價值。

Right page: Cynthia Sun was crowned Miss NTD at the inaugural NTD Global Chinese Beauty Pageant in Purchase, N.Y., September 30, 2023.

What was the first thing that came into your mind when you heard your name announced as Miss NTD?

Cynthia Sun: They announced number 11, and it took me a few seconds to remember my assigned number was 11. So at first, I couldn't process it. When I did, I was just so overwhelmed. I know a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that went into the pageant and how dedicated all of the contestants and judges were to present these traditional values onstage for the first time.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime beauty pageant. It's the very first of its kind, and we're really making a mark in history. The next NTD international beauty pageant will be in 2025, so just remembering how vital everything is and internalizing that I'm the very first Miss NTD, I felt very honored.

I honestly kind of felt like I didn't deserve it because there were so many people on that stage who deserved it equally, if not more. They know so much about Chinese culture. They are, I feel, the embodiment of Chinese virtues. As a fellow Chinese female, I thought all the women on the stage were incredible. I was overtaken with emotions because everyone deserves the title.

How did you learn about Chinese culture and the five virtues? And how did you balance the Chinese and American cultures?

Ms. Sun: I was born in Houston, but I learned Chinese growing up. When I was a few months old, I went to live with my grandparents in Inner Mongolia, China. I lived there until I was about 2 or 3 years old, and then moved back to Houston. My family watched the NTD TV channel a lot, and I learned from their educational shows about my culture and heritage. I also learned about Eastern values from my family and the local Chinese community. In Houston, there's a large Asian population, so most of my weekend and extracurricular activities were all done within the diaspora community. I frequented the Chinatown libraries weekly for books, I took art and piano classes with Chinese teachers, and my dance classes were led by teachers from the Beijing Dance Academy. I was exposed to different aspects

當在臺上聽到您獲選為首屆 Miss NTD，您的第一個 反應是？ 孫明慧：當他們（主辦方）宣布 11 號時，我花了數秒鐘 才想起自己是11 號選手。所以一開始並沒有意識到我獲 選，明白後，已不知所措。我清楚臺上每一位選手以及 在場的評委們，為了在這舞臺上展現傳統價值，背後付 出了多少心血。

這是一生僅有一次的選美大賽，因為這是第一次 （新唐人電視台舉辦的首次選美大賽），我們真的在締 造歷史，下一屆由新唐人電視台主辦的國際選美大賽， 會在 2025 年舉行。僅僅是這個事實，就足以表明此次 大賽意義重大，再思及我就是第一位新唐人小姐時，我 感到非常榮幸。

老實說，我認為臺上的許多人都比我更配得上這 份頭銜。她們深諳中國文化，並且能透過自身展現這 些傳統美德。作為一名華人女性，臺上的每一位參賽 者都優秀得令人難以置信，我相信每一位都值得這份 頭銜的嘉許。

Ms. Sun sees her crown as a collective triumph, symbolizing the shared growth of all the young women in the competition. _Samira Bouaou

of Chinese culture from a young age, and it felt like a different world from my American schooling. Since I saw both sides, I became cognizant of how these five virtues played out differently in Western and Eastern etiquette. The way Americans treat each other is very open, but also, in a way, very casual and unrestricted. In Asia, Chinese culture in particular, these values are expressed subtly, and social cues between people are more disciplined and structured. So just finding that balance and learning, throughout my 24 years, how to act appropriately, how to be respectful, and how to treat others in a proper and traditional Chinese way was a process. Despite the differences, I believe these values— propriety, righteousness, benevolence, morality, and faithfulness—are universal.

您是如何學習中國文化以及理解本次大賽強調的這五 種美德？如何在中美文化差異下找到平衡？ 孫明慧：我在德州休士頓出生，成長過程中都有學習中 文，出生不久後我被帶到中國內蒙古地區與外公、外婆 同住直至兩、三歲，然後又搬回到休士頓上幼兒園。我 家會固定收看新唐人電視台，透過他們的教育性節目， 學到很多承傳千年的文化內涵。我也從家人以及當地 的華人社群學到很多東方的價值觀，休士頓有許多的亞 裔人口，所以我都是在這些社群裡，度過週末和課外 活動時光。此外，我每週都會到華埠圖書館看書，而且 我的藝術和鋼琴課老師都是中國人，舞蹈老師則是從 北京舞蹈學院畢業的。因此，我從小就從各方面接觸到 中國文化，相較於美國的教育系統，對我來說是截然不 同的世界。

我同時在兩種文化之間學習，漸漸發現，德、義、 禮、仁、信這五種美德，在西方文化中有不同的表現，美

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Miss NTD with the first five runners-up of the competition. (L to R) Fiona Ji, Belle Meng, Cynthia Sun, Vicky Zhao, Wandi Zhu, and Annie Chen. _Samira Bouaou

Although American etiquette is expressed in a more casual way, the manners of social behavior like respecting teachers and veterans, taking care of the family, or helping the young and elderly are identical to Asian traditions. … There are shared virtues of being a traditional woman in both cultures that I aspire to. These overlaps take no effort to reconcile, and are naturally part of myself. I believe everyone, regardless of ethnicity or background, has all five virtues inherently inside them, and it’s just a matter of highlighting and expressing them.

If there's a young woman here who doesn't know how to implement these values, how would you explain your understanding to her?

Ms. Sun: The five virtues of propriety, morality, faithfulness, benevolence, and righteousness are such a unique portrayal in each individual. So my first response to a young woman who asks me, “How can I embody those virtues?” would be to ask her: What do you think the meaning of your life is? What do you think is meaningful for you? How do you want to make a mark in this world? What do you want to do in the next five to ten years? What are your goals in this life? What are your passions? What are the things that you want to achieve with this one life that you have?

Within these aspirations, I’m certain that a path forward would become clear. One day at a time, we can choose to be pious, kind, just, honest, and true to ourselves.

What inspired you to start researching human rights in China?

Ms. Sun: I grew up practicing Falun Dafa, all my life, along with my mom and dad. Ever since I was in elementary school, I would tell my classmates that there was a religious genocide going on in China, and I would draw stick figures of people being killed. I wanted to tell people about it because I knew that was the thing the CCP wanted the least. I wanted people to understand the reality of what was going on in the world.

I've known about [the media infiltration] for a very long time. In my freshman year in college, I didn't declare a major. I was still figuring myself

式的待人接物是一種非常開放的氛圍，也可以說是非常 隨性且不受約束的。但在亞洲，中華文化中，這些價值 觀表現地隱晦，人與人間的社交規範也更加嚴謹、有條 理，對我來說，關鍵在於找到平衡與學習。 24 年來，我 學習如何表現恰當、如何尊重他人，並在待人接物上表 現得體，同時符合傳統的中華文化，這對我來說是一個 過程。儘管兩者有所差異，但我仍相信德、義、禮、仁、 信這些價值是共通的。

雖然美式的禮儀表現相對隨性，但在對待師長、長 輩、照看家庭，或是扶助年長或年幼者，這些都與亞洲 傳統文化價值一致。在這兩種文化中，有著傳統女性共 有的美德，這也是我的志向。兩者不謀而合的共通點， 也是我的一部分，我相信每一個人，無論其種族背景， 都與生俱來這五種美德，只是每個人強調以及表現這些 特質時有所不同。

out and wondering what I should do. In sophomore year, I joined a few classes where they talked about international law, human rights, diplomacy, and multilateral relationships between countries. Then in my junior year of college, I went to study in Geneva, Switzerland—where one of the United Nations’ two headquarters is. That's where I really developed an interest. I felt like this was my passion. It was a very important issue for me, and I could see myself dedicating my life to it.

In my senior year, I wrote two theses. One was on how the Chinese Communist Party is influencing American media outlets and the American people who read those news [outlets].

The second one is on Western complicity in Beijing's forced organ harvesting. Basically, I found that religious persecution in China is not just about human rights. In order to create a persecution that large, they actually need a lot of investments and a lot of supplies from other countries, including the United States, Europe, and democracies that support human rights but don't know what's going on.

For example, in my thesis about forced organ harvesting, I found that pharmaceutical companies in America were providing medical supplies to China. They didn't know, or some of them might have known, that they were being used to forcibly harvest organs from prisoners of conscience. This includes Falun Gong, Uyghurs, and other death row prisoners.

That really shocked me, but also motivated me because this was actually something that we could stop the demand and supply of—because it was coming from within America, a country that I call my home. Even though we can't stop the crimes that Beijing is committing, we can stop the flow of supplies, we can stop American tourists from going to get organs in China, and we can stop, and raise awareness about, the things going on inside this country.

I'm aware of how useless it is to control human rights in China. That's something international pressure is continuously attempting. Obviously, there needs to be more of that, but there's a limit to what you can do and how much you can control.

So, I really started focusing on the security aspect and getting the news out about all of this. In

如果有一位年輕女性向您詢問如何實踐這些美德，您 會如何透過自身的理解向她解釋？ 孫明慧：德、義、禮、仁、信這五種美德，在每個個體 上有其獨特的表現，所以當有年輕女性提出如何實踐這 五種美德的疑問時，我會問她們：妳認為生命的意義 為何？什麼對妳而言意義重大？妳會想在這世上留下什 麼？在接下來的五到十年妳想做什麼？妳人生的目標為 何？妳的熱情何在？在這僅有一次的人生中，妳想實現 什麼？

在這些嚮往中，我確信會有一條清晰的道路浮現。

而在此後每一天，我們都可以選擇虔誠、善良、公正、誠 實和忠於自我。

您為何會開始關注中國人權議題？ 孫明慧：我從小就跟隨父母親修煉法輪大法（一種佛家 上乘的身心修煉方法）。從國小開始，我就會告訴同學 們：一場宗教屠殺正在中國發生。我畫火柴人來向同學 說明這件事，因為我知道這是中共政權最不想讓別人 知道的事，我想讓更多人了解這個正在世上發生的真實 故事。

我一直都知道媒體遭到（中共）嚴重滲透。我在大 一時，尚未選定主修科系，當時還在思考未來到底想做 什麼，大二時上了幾門關於國際法、人權、外交，以及國 際關係的課程，大三時，我赴瑞士日內瓦（也是聯合國 總部所在）交換學習。在那裡，我感興趣的這些領域都 有所收穫，並找到了熱情所在，這對我來說非常重要， 我願意一生致力於此鑽研。

在大四期間，我撰寫了兩篇論文，一個是關於中國 共產黨如何影響美國媒體，且在美國有哪些人都在閱讀 那些（被滲透的）報導文章。

另一篇文章則是關於北京活摘罪行的西方共謀者。

基本上，透過研究，我發現中國的宗教迫害並非只是人 權議題。為了製造這場大規模的迫害，當局必須有來自 海外的龐大資金挹注，這之中包括美國、歐洲。而那些 聲稱支持人權的民主陣營，並不知道這些事的原委。

在我的論文裡，提到一項關於強摘器官的事例。我 發現很多美國製藥廠提供了很多醫療用品給中國，他們 並不知道，或有些可能知道，有些藥劑被用來對那些還 保有意識的所謂罪犯，進行強摘器官的手術，這之中包 括法輪功修煉者、維吾爾族以及死刑犯。

這些事實令我震驚，但也帶給我動力。我們其實可 以阻斷供應需求，因為這些藥品產自美國內陸，而這是 我的國家。儘管我們無法遏止這些正在北京發生的罪 行，卻可以阻斷供應鏈，也可以阻止美國人赴中國進行 器官移植，甚或使這件正在中國發生的議題，受到更多 人關注。

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Falun Dafa’s information center [FalunInfo.net], I found that they really give you the independence, the freedom, and the capacity to investigate these things—to do interviews, to conduct surveys, to publish your own research, to create reports, to advocate, and give briefings inside the U.S. government and other institutions about these issues. I found that this was probably my best bet.

Did you observe any differences or similarities between the past and present regarding the role and responsibility of women in the family?

Ms. Sun: Actually, aside from the cities, the transportation, and things on the surface looking different, people, their hearts and souls, are still the same. They want to eat good food, they want to have a comfortable life, and they want the people around them to be healthy. I don't think, at our center, that anyone has changed from ancient history until now.

我意識到，僅僅對中國人權問題施壓有多麼無效， 這也是國際間未曾間斷努力的方向。顯而易見的是，必須 做得更多，但卻有很多不可控的限制。

也因此，我轉向關注更多安全相關議題，並且盡 可能散布這些資訊。在法輪大法信息中心（faluninfo. net

），我有獨立且自由的空間去調查這些事證，透過採 訪、問卷調查，並且發布研究成果、完成報導，進而倡導 這些議題，訴諸美國政府以及其他相關機構。這可能是我 的最佳選擇。

對於女性在家庭之中扮演的角色與責任，您認為現在與 過去有何相同與相異之處？ 孫明慧：實際上，除了都市、交通發展，一切社會的表象 不同外，我認為從古至今，人們的內心與靈魂仍是相同 的，人們想吃美食，追求更加舒適的生活，也希望周遭的 人都健康，只是表現形式上不同。我們現在可能是透過表 情貼或社群媒體表達，而過去可能是透過書信，向身邊的 人傳遞訊息。所以從這一點上，我不認為女性扮演的角色 或其志向有所改變，因為人們的內在需求仍是一樣的。

The way that we're expressing it now—through emojis or through social media—is different from how people would have done it back then, which would have been through letters and communication with the people around them. So, in that sense, I don't think the role of a woman or the aspirations of a woman have changed because the same inherent needs are still there and they're still the same.

Many people argue that when women start a family, they have to sacrifice their careers and prioritize the family's needs above their own. What is your opinion on that?

Ms. Sun: I don't think so. As I said before, every situation is different. I remember when my mom was working on her college degree in America, my maternal grandmother took the lead. So I grew up in Inner Mongolia, and when I came back to America, my maternal grandmother followed me here. My maternal

我們常常聽說當女人進入家庭，必須犧牲自己的事業， 凡事以家庭為優先，您對此有何看法？ 孫明慧：我不這麼認為，如我先前提到的，每種情況不 同。我還記得母親在美國攻讀大學學位時，外婆則擔任 照顧我的要角，使我得以在內蒙古地區長大。後來回到 美國，外婆也一起來到海外。在母親求學之際，外公、 外婆負責在家照顧我。

因為移民，母親必須在此重新開始，並且支撐家 庭，且當她和父親兩人再次就學，直到父親完成博士學 位、找到工作前，母親有很長一段時間負責家庭的經濟 來源。

儘管母親在外，我也未因此在情感上更依賴於父 親，尤其身為女兒，我更會以母親待人處事的方式為榜 樣，還有對於世界的認知等，這些都非常重要。母親對 待父親及其雙親的態度，也替我的行為養成建立了堅 實的基礎。

您認為在參加新唐人小姐選美大賽後，是否帶來轉變？ 孫明慧：在獲選為新唐人小姐後，我確實感到非常不同， │23

The contestants showcased their grace and talent in a group dance at the finale. _Larry Dye

grandparents took care of me in the home when my mother was working on her degree.

So even though my mom was stuck in that situation where, because she had emigrated, she had to start a new life and provide for the family. She and my father both went back to school, and my mother was actually the breadwinner of the family for a very long time until my father got a job because he had to go through an additional Ph.D., and that took a really long time.

However, there was never a moment where I emotionally relied more on my father. I think, especially for daughters, we tend to look toward our mothers for guidance and use them as role models for how to treat other people. That worldview, I think, is very important. The way my mother treated my father and her parents gave me a very strong foundation and sense of how I should behave.

Would you say you have changed after participating in Miss NTD? In what ways?

Ms. Sun: Surprisingly, I do feel very different because there is a big sense of responsibility being the inaugural Miss NTD—knowing that there will be successive pageants that will take me as a role model, and younger women who will see my image and behavior and take me as a role model.

Before this, I was very carefree to the point of sometimes being careless about my actions. I was very independent. I didn't really stop to consider other people's opinions of me or other people's advice. I wasn’t very considerate. For example, my father and my grandparents were against the idea of me moving to New York at first, but I really just had an “act first, think later” attitude about it. So, I drove from Texas to New York. I made very big life decisions by myself.

However, after the pageant, I've been more considerate. Since I am in this position, I have to take full responsibility. I have to do things the right way. It’s not that I'm not myself, I am still myself. I still don't really mind others' opinions of me, whether they're positive or negative.

However, I do have this responsibility now and have a family back home. There are a lot of big decisions going forward with Miss NTD that do need to be discussed with several important people in my life.

People recognize me on the streets now. There is respect, but also boundaries that I've become more aware of that weren't there before. I was just Cynthia Sun from Houston, Texas, but now I’m Miss NTD from New York.

There is a big change in the attitude that people have toward me, and I also have my internal responsibility toward being a better version of myself and also being better for the benefit of the people around me.

強烈地感受到賦予我的責任。我知道在不久的將來，會有 新的選美冠軍，還有其他年輕女性，也會將我的形象與一 言一行視為榜樣。

在此之前，我是一個非常無拘無束的人。我個性非 常獨立，不曾為了他人對我的看法或建議而停下腳步去思 考，舉例來說，父親和祖父母當初非常反對我隻身搬到 紐約，但我當時的態度就是「先斬後奏」，獨自從德州開 車到紐約，在這人生中的重要抉擇裡自己作主。

然而，在大賽之後，我意識到相較以往，我開始倚賴 家人，並且顧慮他人的感受。因為我現在的身分，必須全 權負責，必須把事情做對，並不是說我不像先前的自己， 我還是我。

不過我現在確實有責任不讓家中的親人為我擔憂， 而且也有很多因為獲選為新唐人小姐後的重大抉擇，必須 和親人、和我珍視的人一同商討。

現在走在街上已經有人會認出我，人們尊重我，但同 時也讓我清楚自己的底線。過去的我只是來自德州的孫明 慧，現在我則是紐約的「miss NTD」（新唐人小姐）。人 們對於我的態度也有所轉變，我也有自我要求的責任與期 許，成為更好的自己，也成為更有益於周遭所有人的存在。

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. 本篇問答專訪為英文編譯，部分內容經刪節。

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OVERCOMING SELF: A Journey to the World’s Stage for Truth and Beauty

By Jennifer Tseng

Photography by Larry Dye

Rubi Cho’s life trajectory took an irrevocable turn long before he could contemplate it.

An award-winning dancer with Shen Yun Performing Arts, Cho now looks back on his journey with a sense of awe.

Back when his parents went to Japan, they thought their stay was temporary. Never would they have guessed that overnight and without warning, their status would change from Chinese students studying abroad to refugees seeking asylum.

His family practiced Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual practice in the Buddhist tradition whose followers adhere to the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Since its introduction to the public in 1992, the meditation practice has garnered millions of practitioners worldwide.

However, in 1999, fearing Falun Gong’s extraordinary growth in popularity, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a violent suppression. Soon, the peaceful practice was branded an enemy of the state, and its practitioners were thrown into prisons and forced labor camps.

“Most of my family are in China. My aunt was repeatedly persecuted for her faith. After years of imprisonment, she was released only to be arrested again a few months later,” Cho said. His mother was also imprisoned for six months after joining a peaceful appeal in Beijing.

張如日的人生經歷，似乎在他還來不及反應時，就發生 了不可逆的轉變。

如今他成為一名獲獎的中國古典舞舞 蹈家，在全球頂尖的藝術團——神韻藝術團——擔任領 舞演員。他如今回想，不由得感慨萬千。

當年，父母雙雙去日本留學時，以為只是暫時的， 卻沒想到會在一夜之間，在毫無徵兆的情況下，他們從 中國留學生變成了必須尋求庇護的難民。

張如日的家人修煉法輪大法（又名法輪功），這是 佛家的一種古老的精神修煉方法。 1990 年代，中國有 一股氣功熱潮，當時法輪功曾被多次譽為明星功派，並 屢次獲獎，受政府褒揚。因功法簡單易學，其主要核心 宗旨為「真、善、忍」教導人心向善。 90 年代中後期， 歐美等海外地區 30 餘國都有人在學煉此功法，不到幾 年時間，便在全球吸引了數百萬名的習煉者。

由於此功法學煉人數迅速增長，這令中國共產黨感 到害怕，並於 1999 年對法輪功進行暴力鎮壓。 這一和 平修煉的功法，在一夕間被汙名為國家公敵，許多修煉 者被關進監獄和勞教所。對此張如日談起：「我的阿姨 因為修煉而多次遭受迫害。被關押多年後，她被釋放， 但幾個月後又再次被捕。」他的母親也曾赴北京和平上 訪，也因此被非法關押了六個月。

Left page: A principal dancer with Shen Yun Performing Arts, Rubi Cho believes that a good artist is one who is well-rounded and familiar with all aspects of performance.

Rubi Cho at the preliminary rounds of NTD’s Ninth International Classical Chinese Dance Competition where he portrayed Cao Cao, a well-known figure in Chinese history. The choreography was based on Cao’s poem “View of the Blue Sea.”

A HIGHER CALLING

Born into freedom in Japan, Cho saw it as his life’s mission to advocate for the voiceless in China. “Since I was young, I’ve always thought this was something I needed to do,” he said. He dedicated himself to raising awareness about the injustice—distributing fliers, marching in parades, and attending events to raise awareness.

Then Cho was introduced to Shen Yun Performing Arts, the New York-based classical Chinese dance company founded by leading artists who similarly had fled persecution by China’s communist regime. The company’s goal is to revive the glory of China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture and share with its audiences the beauty of China before communism.

Shen Yun's dancers undergo rigorous training in classical Chinese dance, an art form with a history spanning thousands of years. It is renowned for its athleticism and expressiveness.

前所未見的舞臺

張如日在自由的日本出生長大，他想為那些遭受迫害的 中國老百姓發聲，並將此視為使命，「從小我就一直認為 這是我必須做的事。」他說。為此他在課業之餘，上街 發傳單，參加遊行，以及走訪日本各地，就是為了向更多 人訴說這場正在中國發生的迫害。

在因緣際會下，張如日在日本觀賞了來自美國紐約 神韻藝術團的演出，後來他了解到，這是由一群逃離中 共迫害的藝術家所創立的藝術團，演出的宗旨在於重現 中國五千年神傳文化的輝煌，向觀眾展現在中共統治前 的中國之美。

中國古典舞是神韻藝術團採用的主要藝術形式，這 是擁有數千年歷史的舞蹈體系，不僅有完備的訓練系 統，更是世界上最具表現力的舞蹈之一。神韻的舞蹈家 都必須經過嚴謹的訓練而成。大多數人或許不知道，當 今在中國看到的中國古典舞，大多摻雜了現代舞和其他 舞種。

而神韻則是展現最純正的中國古典舞。

神韻的演出中，除了中國古典舞、民間舞和民族舞 之外，兩個半小時的演出還包括以現代為背景的舞劇， 故事背景喚起人們對當代中國人權議題的關注。

Unbeknownst to most, the classical Chinese dance we see in China today is heavily mixed with modern and other dance styles. At Shen Yun, it is practiced in its purest form—the way it was originally passed down through the generations.

Alongside classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, the two-and-a-half-hour performance includes story-based dances set in modern times. These segments bring global attention to human rights issues in contemporary China.

Cho’s good friend was awarded a place at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts, the preparatory school for Shen Yun’s performers, and suggested he try out as well.

THE BRAVE ARE NOT WITHOUT FEAR

Recounting his first time watching a Shen Yun performance, Cho said, “It was extremely moving.” It was as if a brand-new door had opened. “I saw how, on the dance stage, they were able to expose the persecution, clarify the truth, and tell everyone what is happening in China right now. It was just so important.”

Yet there was one problem: Cho felt no inclination to dance.

“I was very interested in the arts, but I much prefer to sit quietly with a book or listen to music.”

Watching how beautifully the performers danced and flipped across the stage—the height of athleticism and flexibility—Cho said, “I just knew it would be extremely exhausting. I didn’t think I could do it.”

Still, with the support of his friends and family, he steeled his will and took a leap of faith.

“There are a lot of very kind people in this world, but life is hard. It’s difficult to always stay upright and make a morally correct decision. It’s so easy to bow in the face of reality,” he said.

“What impressed me was that these artists are not only steadfast in their beliefs, but they’re also able to harmonize with each other to strive toward a shared goal—like a family. It’s not every day you get an opportunity to meet people like these.”

After pondering long and hard, Cho told his mother of his decision to go to New York for an audition. “My mom bought me a plane ticket immediately,” he said with a laugh.

While in New York, as a part of his entrance test, a teacher asked him, “Are you afraid of pain?”

At that moment, Cho thought about the support

張如日回憶起首次觀看神韻演出時深受觸動，他形 容那彷彿替他打開了一扇全新的大門。「我看到他們是 如何在舞臺上揭露迫害，講清真相，告訴所有人中國現 在發生了什麼。這實在是太重要了。」

勇敢並非無所畏懼

後來，張如日的好友考上了位於紐約上州的飛天藝術學 院——為神韻表演者的預備學校——好友逢假期回到 日本時，分享了自身的親身經驗，並鼓勵他也應該去試 一試。

儘管張如日為神韻的演出深深著迷，但卻有個問 題——他並沒有特別想跳舞。

「我對藝術很有興趣，但我更喜歡靜靜地坐著看書 或聽音樂。」當他看著演員們在臺上舞動和翻騰，展現 運動和柔韌性的最高境界，當時的他想：「我只知道這 會非常累，我覺得自己做不到。」然而，在其內心深處卻 有股力量，正牽引著他走向未知的征程。

「世界上善良人也不少，但是真能做到很正直的 人，卻沒有那麼多，就是在生活中很容易妥協吧⋯⋯」 他接著分享他看見的神韻藝術家們，對信仰堅如磐石， 「這麼一群人，就是正直同時又對周圍圓融，因為我從 小就覺得，能遇到這樣的人很難得。」思及此，他決定 追隨內心的意志，張如日告訴母親決定去紐約參加選

In addition to mastering classical Chinese dance, Cho is also skilled in ethnic and folk dances that span the diverse regions of China. _Courtesy of Shen Yun Performing Arts

of his family, the unparalleled opportunity the school could offer him, and his responsibility to the people of the world still waiting to hear the truth. He answered, “No, I’m not afraid.”

Two weeks later, he was accepted.

Looking back, “I definitely was afraid of the pain,” Cho said, but compared to what hung in the balance, “I knew that pain was not something I should be worried about. I could overcome it. I made up my mind—I can’t fail the people supporting me.”

THE STRENGTH TO PERSEVERE

Through hard work and determination in his dance training, Cho later became a principal dancer of Shen Yun. Yet, his journey was not without trials. Every day, Cho and his fellow dancers go through vigorous training. “Even before our practice session started, we would be sweating from nerves,” he said.

拔測試。「我母親就直接給我報名了。」他笑著回憶自己 當時還沒來得及反應。

在紐約參加入學測驗時，一位老師問他：「怕不怕 痛？」那一刻，張如日想到了家人對其無條件支持，以及 眼前這無與倫比的機會，更想到這世上仍在等待聆聽真 相的人們。「不，我不怕！」他脫口而出，當年場景恍如 昨日般清晰。

兩週後，他收到正式錄取通知。

張如日坦言，「我知道我怕累、怕疼。」但與懸而未 決的感受相比，「我知道痛苦不是我應該擔心的事情，我 可以戰勝它。我下定決心，不能辜負支持我的人。」

在難關中從心出發 伴隨其來時的決心，張如日全身心地投注在舞蹈訓練 中，後來成為神韻的主要領舞演員。這過程當然不是一 帆風順。每天從晨跑開始，張如日和其他團員都要接受 嚴格的訓練，他形容，「甚至在一天的日程開始之前， 我們就緊張得滿頭大汗。」

不問四季更迭，能在日復一日高強度的訓練下堅 持，為日後打下了堅實的基礎，「這讓你能在困難的情 況下堅持不懈。」他說，這不僅磨礪出舞技，更磨出了過 人的意志力。舞蹈無疑是一項耗費體力的職業，但心理 上的負擔更是難以克服。

「我年輕時非常好勝，渴望成功。在我的腦中，我 能看見自己完成了舞蹈動作，但在現實中卻充滿曲折且 費時。我對自己非常嚴苛。」他說。最初學習舞蹈的那幾 年，張如日表示自己當年的天真常帶給他難關，他以為 只要努力不懈就會有理想的結果，「後來身體受過很多 傷，腰啊，腳腕關節，都是那種影響我好幾年的⋯⋯」， 事後回想他才意識到，自己用錯了方式，不論在生理或 心理上。

要想增進舞藝，不僅是雕琢動作與技巧本身，肢 體的平衡，也反映出內心是否達到平衡。當內心過於躁 進，身體也無法協調，「我在面對它（受傷或學習高難 度技巧）的過程中，也學到了很多」，他還說，「我覺得 在這過程中，你的心態能多麼地保持正面，完全是取決 於你自己。」儘管他自認較晚體悟此理，因此嘗了不少 苦頭，但他並不後悔。

他觀察到，無論古今，所有有成就的人，過程多是 跌宕曲折，但從中他也發現了這群人的共通點——為一 份信念而堅持到底，最終都能走到自己真正追尋的目 的。在其舞蹈路上，他對此亦深信不疑。

圓融的藝術

「神韻要培養的人才是很全方位的，並不只是跳舞。」從 多年的經驗中，張如日也逐漸明白，要想作為一名全面 發展的藝術家，不能將眼界侷限在舞蹈動作上，還必須 熟悉表演的各個面向。

Ever since a young age, Cho considered advocating for the voiceless in China his lifelong mission.

However, it was all worth it in building a rock-solid foundation “not only in terms of technical capabilities, but also in terms of mental willpower—how you’re able to persevere in difficult situations.”

While dance is undoubtedly a physically taxing profession, mental fatigue is a far more difficult hurdle to cross.

“When I was younger, I was very competitive and craved success. In my mind, I see myself accomplishing the dance moves, but physically, there was a learning curve. I was very hard on myself,” Cho reflected.

He added that during those early days, his naivety often led to tribulations because he believed that relentless pushing would yield the desired results.

“Every dancer, regardless of how passionate he may be, struggles with frustrations at one point or another. The attitude you choose to face these difficulties and whether or not you’re able to stay positive depends solely on you.”

“There are a lot of very successful people who have had very difficult backstories,” Cho said. “I think, no matter what it is you’re trying to accomplish, there will always be difficulties along the way. For these people, it is their steadfast belief and faith that kept them going. And through trials, they eventually discovered who they are, and learned to accept and enjoy the journey that brought them there.”

FINDING A HAPPY MEDIUM

From his years of experience, Cho learned that as a well-rounded artist, you can’t limit yourself to just the physical movements of a dance. It is imperative to be familiar with all the ins and outs of the performance.

“There is a saying: Music is the soul of dance. So, when we perform, not only do we need to practice the dance components, but we also have to work with the orchestra conductor to make sure every detail of the piece is [moving the story forward],” Cho said.

“Shen Yun’s music is all original. The choreographers and composers work very hard together before finalizing the details of the music. These insights are incredibly helpful in creating a vivid picture in your mind. Then, you have to feel the music, express the emotions behind the music, and deliver the meaning with your movements.”

Through this process, Cho learned the importance of taking a step back to look at the whole picture. Sometimes, sacrifices and letting go of self are necessary.

“It’s really important for me to constantly know what I want and how I can best deliver the message I want to deliver,” Cho explained. “Sometimes I need to remove the parts I really like to achieve the best result as a whole. I focus on what can best move the audience rather than what I, personally, want to see.”

Looking back, Cho is thankful for the strength his belief has given him and the roots he gained in dance, allowing him to be grounded in this path.

In his journey to become a successful artist, Cho never forgot the higher purpose that first brought him here: “I want to use my abilities to help this society and help the people around me. Shen Yun is delivering the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance to the audience. I think these are the world’s universal and most important values.”

喜歡聽音樂的他格外有感，「有句話說： 音樂是舞 蹈的靈魂。所以我們在表演時，不僅要練習舞蹈，還要 與樂隊指揮合作，確保樂曲的每個細節都能推動故事情 節發展。」他說。「神韻的音樂都是原創的。編舞和作曲 家竭盡心力密切合作，來制定樂曲裡的細節。他們的見 解幫助我們在腦中建構畫面，然後，你必須去感受音樂， 表達音樂背後的情感，再通過舞蹈動作傳遞其中內涵。」 在理解音樂的過程中，張如日了解到放下自我觀 念，以大局為優先的重要性。「對我來說，持續了解自己 想要的，以及如何才能最好地傳達我想要傳遞的信息， 這一點非常重要。 」他接著說：「但有時，我必須捨去自 己的喜好，來達到最佳的整體效果。我專注於『什麼最 能打動觀眾』，而不是我個人想看到什麼。」

回首往事，張如日感謝其信仰帶給他的力量，使他 能在舞蹈中扎根，並在這條道路上踏實前行。

張如日從未忘記將他帶到此處的初衷：「我想盡我 所能，來幫助這個社會，幫助我周遭的人。神韻將『真、 善、忍』的內涵傳遞給觀眾，我認為這些是世上最具有 共通性、以及最重要的價值。」

IN HARMONY WITH COLORS

From Ancient Chinese Theory to Everyday Life

By Ann Lin

Pictures Courtesy of Taiwan National Palace Museum

There is no better way to describe our world than as a kaleidoscope of colors. In traditional Chinese culture, colors are not just hues and pigments. Backed by five millennia of wisdom and culture, colors communicate in a language all their own. From deciphering the foundational elements of the universe to defining social hierarchy and establishing holistic health practices, ancient Chinese color theory has far-reaching implications and makes for a fascinating study.

By keenly observing the diurnal cycle and its impact on the world around them, the ancient Chinese defined the fundamental colors of the universe as being red, blue, yellow, white, and black. These colors are then linked to the basic elements of wood, fire, metal, water, and earth as well as the five directions, East, West, South, North, and Center. Together and in a reciprocal relationship, they are known as the Five Elements and Colors.

This theory is documented in various ancient Chinese texts. As stated in the Rites of Zhou , blue represents wood, symbolizing growth and vitality in the East. Red represents fire, corresponding with the heat and passion of the South. White represents gold and a bountiful autumn harvest in the West. Black represents water and the unfathomable weather of the North.

COLOR IN CHINESE CREATION MYTHS

In the Chinese mythological tale of the universe's creation, Pangu was born out of an egg into a world of chaos. Wielding a colossal ax, he tirelessly hacked through the haze and separated heaven and earth.

With each part of his body, he created the sun, moon, rivers, seas, mountains, and vegetation. During this process, a yellow-and-black cloud was said to have obscured the center of the world. Consequently, yellow is considered the “middle color,” representing the land on which Chinese civilization thrived.

Yellow, corresponding with the earth, is symbolic of life’s origin, imperial dignity, and central authority. Since the Han Dynasty, this color has been reserved solely for the emperor’s robes, symbolizing his deep connection with the world around him.

In an ancient tale from The Classic of Mountains and Seas, the goddess Nuwa found herself alone at

月白是哪種白？雨過天青又描繪著什麼樣的景色？秋香 之色與味，為何如此迷人？暮山紫的風情，該何處尋？中 華先民對顏色的認知，五彩斑斕，格外絢麗。傳統的中 華顏色，色澤涵蓋領域廣泛而細膩，色彩的命名更是詩 情畫意、風情萬種，不僅靈動優雅，也承載著數千年的 文化底蘊和審美趣味。

五行五色之起源

華夏先民從觀察天地運行間，日出日落和時序更迭的自 然景色中，得出青、赤、黃、白、黑為滋生宇宙天地的基 本色調，從而與木、火、土、金、水，這五種構成宇宙萬 物的基本要素相對應，建構出相生相剋而又生生不息的 五行五色觀。關於五色觀的記載，最早見於上古文獻， 專事記錄舜、禹和皋陶對話的《尚書．益稷》中。先民在 俯仰大地，辨析生存空間方位的同時，也將這五種顏色 對應到東、南、中、西、北，這五個方位。

「東方謂之青，南方謂之赤，西方謂之白，北方謂之 黑。」節自《周禮．考工記》。青色屬木，含義是生，象徵 著枝繁葉茂，萬物生機的東方；赤色屬火，代表火與太陽， 象徵炎熱的南方；白屬金，原造字本意取的是陽光灑落 於天地之間的景象，象徵著秋收的西方；黑色屬水，晦黯 如深沉的大海，也有如大陸北方嚴峻未明的天空色澤。

盤古初開，天地玄黃，是華夏先民最早認知為混沌 天地的原始色彩——玄為天色，黃為地色。黃色，為五 色居中之色，也代表華夏民族聚生繁衍、代代生息的大 地，所以在五行學說中，黃色屬土，表示生命的源起，也 代表位處四方的中央，即最高權力之所在。作為中心正 色，黃色上承天德，下接地德，因此中國皇帝的龍袍漸 漸採用這種祥瑞的顏色，繼漢代後，黃色便漸漸成了帝 王御用的至尊顏色。

傳統五色與生活 隨著五行體系的完善，五色（黑、白、赤、黃、青）也因 此被視作正色，與五方、五臟、五味、五時（季節）、五 音、五常等概念相結合，構成了豐富多樣的文化體系， 對古代政治、倫理、藝術、日常生活等方面產生了深遠 的影響。

戰國時期的秦國人鄒衍提出了「五德說」，把五行、 五色、五德結合於一體，聯繫起各個朝代的興衰變遷。 秦始皇在西元前 221 年一統中國後，因周朝崇尚屬「火 德」的赤色，為順應水剋火的天道規律，於是便依從五 德色行說，選擇了黑色作為秦朝的代表色，並尊崇北方為 水德，以冬十月為年首。而五正色觀也自此開啟了歷朝皇 帝的選色崇尚，並與政治及社會的地位產生連結，當朝 代更迭，其崇尚與禁忌之色也會隨之改變。 孔子說：「君君，臣臣，父父，子子。」眾生各安天命， │33

the dawn of the world. To alleviate her loneliness, she sculpted humans out of clay and loved them like her children.

When Gong Gong, the god of water, destroyed the pillars of the world in a fit of rage, Nuwa sought to save the humans she had created. Searching far and wide, the goddess located the magical five-colored stones. Piece by piece, she mended the sky and guaranteed humanity's survival. The stones she used were said to have been a conglomerate of red, yellow, blue, white, and black—colors corresponding with the five elements.

A CULTURAL PHENOMENON

As the theory developed, the five colors were also thought to be intertwined with our five senses, five organs, the pentatonic scale in music, and more. The theory’s influence extended across various realms, encompassing politics, philosophy, economy, the arts, and medicine. It was an integral part of everyday people’s lives and to some extent, still is today.

In ancient Confucian belief, every individual has a special role to play in society and at home. This is reflected in the colors of people’s clothing. For example, during the Zhou Dynasty, regulations stipulated that the emperor should wear red, the nobles black, high-ranking officials blue, and scholars yellow. Wearing a color that did not match your station was thought to be inauspicious and a cause of social chaos. However, as Chinese culture evolved, many of these beliefs changed with each new dynasty. For a period of time, purple was thought to be an evil and unlucky color. However, in later generations, it was considered the color of nobility.

THE PALETTES OF FOOD

Chinese people believe that our five organs are aligned with the five elements and the changing of the seasons. Therefore, selecting foods with colors corresponding to the season can improve a person’s overall health.

For example, spring corresponds with the liver. Therefore, green-colored foods such as mung beans can help you detox. Summer, associated with the heart, calls for an increase in red fruits to boost blood production. Autumn is connected with the lungs, so eating more daikon and pear, and consuming white foods can improve respiratory health.

A tsun vase colored with moon-white glaze from the Jin and Yuan Dynasty, c. 1115–1358.

各行其是的儒家思想，貫穿了整個中國文化，也體現在 服飾色彩上。不同階層的人，依照禮制穿戴不同顏色的 服飾，象徵著社會安定、國泰民安。例如周朝的「十二服 章制」規定，天子穿朱紅，諸侯穿黑，卿大夫穿青，士人 穿黃。人們穿錯了顏色，則預示著國家可能陷入了危機。 孔子就曾警世：「惡紫之奪朱也。」意味著：當異色取代 正色，為社會亂象。時值春秋時期禮崩樂壞，不難理解 一二。但這並不代表紫色始終為惡色，在後世，紫色也曾 被視為尊貴的象徵。

五正色觀是中華傳統文化中最基礎且重要的色彩 理論，其有助於穩定國家政治經濟，甚至於生活飲食及 漢醫藥理等文化，都與之有所聯繫。

同樣的，根據四季變化，選擇相對應的五色食物， 有助於身體健康。春季對應肝臟，綠色食物如綠豆，有 益於肝臟排毒。夏季對應心臟，多攝取紅色水果能補血 氣。秋養肺，應多食白蘿蔔、梨等白色食物滋養肺部。

冬養腎，則應攝取黑豆、黑芝麻等黑色食物。脾胃是消 化食物的中樞，則需整年調養，多攝取南瓜、香蕉等黃 色食物，有助於幫助消化吸收。

在華夏五千年文明中，除了正色，還有間色，衍生

雨 過 天 青 景 泰 藍

A lotus-shaped Ru ware bowl from the Northern Song Dynasty, c. 960–1127. Its blue-green glaze is reminiscent of tranquility after a rain.

Winter, linked with the kidneys, is a good time for black-colored foods such as sesame and black beans.

The spleen and stomach are central to a person’s body and health, so year-round care is recommended. Yellow produce such as pumpkins and bananas can promote a healthy digestive system.

SUBTLE VARIATIONS OF SHADES

Looking further into China’s 5,000 years of civilization, we can see that the ancient people were very attuned to the details of colors and emphasized the importance of discerning even small variations in shades.

In the Qing Dynasty, the book Principles and Stitchings of Chinese Embroidery, documented 181 shades of green, 140 shades of yellow, 95 shades of blue, 888 shades of red, and 73 different shades of purple.

The color white, when subjected to different levels of contrast, saturation, and brightness, can take on

The bottom view of a cylindrical furnace in the famous blue hue known as Jing Tai Lan.

各種繽紛色系，在不同朝代中，各有其大放異彩的舞臺。

這些顏色不僅承載國運，也反映出先人對於天地自然運 行的哲思與情懷。

紛呈色相 繽紛華夏文明

透過文獻記載，我們能窺見前人對色彩的細膩詮釋， 以及其如何講究表達的準確性。單以白色為例，就有多 種不同的白，如：粉白、瓷白、月白等。在清代一本關於 刺繡色彩的著作《雪宦繡譜》中，就收錄了 181 種綠色、 140 種不同深淺的黃色、95 種不同的藍色、88 種不同的 紅色，及73 種不同的紫色等。

以白色系為例，相同的白色，在不同特質、溫度、 明度、濃淡下，呈現出截然不同的視覺效果。為了更精 確而細緻地描述這些差異，先民們賦予了不同的名稱： 膚色的白為「皙」，髮白為「皤」，月白為「皎」，太陽的 白為「皖」，積雪的白則為「皚」。

中華傳統顏色的命名，最具詩意與美感的莫過於 「借物呈色」，但也容易因望文生義而對顏色的理解產 生歧義。月白非白，而是一種淺淡的藍色，是形容皎潔純 淨的無塵良夜下，月亮高掛朗照的顏色，其既是自然的

a multitude of appearances. To distinguish them, Chinese tradition has assigned a unique character to each shade: The paleness of the skin is called “xi,” white hairs are called “po,” the white moonlight is called “jiao,” and the white of accumulated snow is called “ai.”

Chinese color names are often derived from nature, with hues taking their names from the location in which they were found. However, these terms tend to be figurative and may sometimes lead to misconceptions. For example, when poets refer to the term “moon white,” they are actually referring to a pale blue, a shade used to describe the serenity of a clear and pure night under the moon.

SEASONAL COLORS

Beyond scenic landscapes, colors were used to differentiate the times of the year. In addition to the commonly known four seasons, the ancient Chinese lunar calendar divided the year into 24 half moons called solar terms. The name for each of these terms is taken from nature.

The astronomy section of the ancient Chinese encyclopedia The Masters of Huainanzi provided comprehensive documentation on the 24 solar terms. For example, the beginning of March is known as Jingzhe, or the awakening of insects. It heralds new growth and the coming of spring, corresponding with the color green. The second half of May is also known as Xiao Man, or grain buds. Red was designated as the color of summer to express the season's booming vitality and the increased rainfall that foretells a rich harvest.

The solar term Bailu or quite literally white dew, marks the beginning of September and the arrival of autumn. At this time, temperatures fall and vapor condenses into a light dew on the trees at night. This is represented by the color white. Major Snow begins in December and marks the depth of winter. It is represented by the color black—a time of long nights when snow becomes heavy and accumulates on the ground.

UNIQUELY CHINESE

Many of China’s most beloved color names drew inspiration from everyday objects, both natural and man-made. Grandmother, or emerald green, and jade green were tributes to the precious stones they

were named after. Ya Qing, or duck blue, refers to a shiny purple-and-greenish-black that is reminiscent of duck feathers.

In the Ming Dynasty, a distinctive technique emerged for embellishing metal vessels using a paste of colored glass. Following the firing process, this technique produced a distinctive blue hue known as Jing Tai Lan. This unique shade of blue not only found favor among the imperial court and the wealthy elite, but is cherished worldwide to this day.

Though colors are interpreted uniquely across cultures, their significance is universal. Every hue of the palette is imbued with generations of traditions and wisdom. If you are looking for a new perspective, start by paying attention to the kaleidoscope of colors surrounding us. It might just be the key to a whole new world of possibilities.

色彩，也是古人寓情寄意的情感色。「月白風清，如此良 夜何。」蘇軾對月吟詠的〈後赤壁賦〉便道出了其情感的 寄託。

什麼叫雨過天青色？即是指滂沱大雨過後，天空放 晴時，呈現的一種自然而淡雅的藍。秋香色則類似淺橄 欖色，既穩重又具有光彩，那是秋天裡帶著草木氣息的 顏色。初秋時，植物尚由綠轉黃被稱為秋香綠，而深秋 時，植物已轉為完全黃色，則被稱為秋香黃。「潦水盡而 寒潭清，煙光凝而暮山紫」詩人王勃寫下〈滕王閣序〉之 際，眼前的美景應是夕陽斜下，餘暉光凝與煙霧氤氳交 織下的晚霞色彩。唯美的顏色還有許多，胭脂紅風情萬 種，琉璃黃莊嚴富麗。玄青如暗夜中的星火閃爍；墨灰 似水墨中的朦朧遠山。

除了良辰美景之色，舉凡物件，如祖母綠，翡翠色， 這兩種象徵珠寶玉石的色澤，也是深受喜愛的綠色系。 而自明朝而興盛的景泰藍色，取自琺瑯的深藍釉色，要 想燒製此色調，工藝水平要求高，因此尤為珍貴，多在 宮廷的監督下生產，景泰一名則取自明朝第七位皇帝的 年號。

談及這些繁複的色彩，有情有景，甚至有溫度，而 五正色，則勾勒出對宇宙世界的認知，還賦予了中華傳 統顏色深層的文化底蘊。放諸廣義與狹義而論，這些顏 色不僅是單純的色彩，更像是一幅畫、一首詩，甚至是 一種處世哲學，值得玩味，也留與後人在品讀之際，有 自我想像與體會的空間。

Right: Travelers Among Mountains and Streams, by Fan Kuan. This Song Dynasty landscape handscroll in ink is famed for its detailed composition and rich perspectives.

THE LANGUAGE OF COLORS

Color Guru Leatrice Eiseman’s Journey to Pantone Brilliance

By Xenia Taliotis

Leatrice Eiseman played a pivotal role in introducing the Color of the Year at Pantone, a trendsetting influence on branding and products across diverse industries. _Stolee Communications

Leatrice Eiseman can tell you which color to wear to boost your chances of succeeding in business or love, which tone to paint your bedroom to secure a good night’s sleep, and which hues to use to motivate your staff. As a color specialist, director of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, and executive director of the Pantone Color Institute—where she heads the committee that selects its hugely influential Color of the Year—her expertise is recognized internationally.

After studying psychology, counseling, and design, a serendipitous encounter gave Ms. Eiseman the opportunity to turn her passion for color into a career. Now, her clients span individuals wishing to know which colors flatter them, homeowners seeking inspiration for their interior design, and global companies seeking advice on new products, branding, and advertising campaigns. Color is the silent salesperson, she says.

Ms. Eiseman talks about the complexity of color psychology, predicting Barbie pink, and her perfect shade for a bedroom.

When did you realize you approached color differently from your peers?

Leatrice Eiseman: I was so young that it was my parents—and my mom in particular—who noticed. She told me that by the time I was about 4 or 5 years old, I was already using color creatively. She thought I had an eye for pairings that worked, and she did her utmost to encourage that, to the extent that, when I was in my teens, she let me choose the paints for my bedroom. However, she set one condition: If I hated the results, I would have to save up to rectify matters and do the grunt work myself. Luckily, I loved what I did. I can still picture that room—red bedspread, black desk. It was my first interiors project.

How did you become involved with Pantone?

Ms. Eiseman: Quite by chance. I had already written my first book—More Alive With Color: The Total Color System for Women and Men—and was researching my next, when Lawrence Herbert, who founded Pantone, contacted me. He’d seen my book, called me in for a meeting, and then invited me to join his newly established Institute, which aimed to

穿什麼顏色，更容易讓你事業、愛情兩得意？用什麼色 調替臥室上色，可以帶來一夜好眠？什麼是可以激勵員 工或工作夥伴的顏色？這些運用色彩的魔法，都能在彩 通色彩研究所分析下得到專業解答。莉亞翠絲 艾斯曼 （Leatrice Eiseman）現任該研究所的行政總監，是受 到國際認可的權威人士，作為艾斯曼色彩資訊及訓練中 心的執行長，她帶領團隊選出最具影響力的「年度代表 色」，如今已是各行各業特別關注的指標。

艾斯曼女士在研讀心理學、諮商、設計專業後，在 一偶然機遇踏入了色彩專業領域。來自其客戶們的需求 方方面面，舉凡個人想知道哪一種顏色適合自己，或是 屋主對於室內裝修的設計靈感，以及跨國企業亟需色彩 專業來協助產品開發、維繫品牌形象，亦或是廣告行銷 案件，這些關於色彩的諮詢包山包海。儘管色彩無聲， 卻在此中扮演最有力的倡導者。

艾斯曼女士談及色彩心理學錯綜複雜的關係，也預 測的芭比粉將引領風潮，還有她個人如何運用色彩來布 置完美臥室。

您是在何時察覺自己對於色彩的理解有別於他人？ 艾斯曼：其實是透過父母，當時我還很小，應該說是母 親發現我有這方面的天賦。她告訴我，在我大約四、五 歲時，已經會運用色彩來發揮創意。她覺得我有一雙能 配色的眼力，於是開始鼓勵我發揮這項長處。待我年紀 稍長，她讓我替自己的房間配色。不過，她也為此訂定 了一項條件：就是如果我討厭成果，必須自己拯救局面， 自己動手改造。好在我很喜歡當時的作品，到現在都還 記得那房間的樣子，紅色的床罩，黑色的書桌，這是我 的首次操刀的室內裝潢案。

您是如何開始與彩通工作？ 艾斯曼：應該說是偶然的機遇。當時我已經寫完了我 的第一本書——《More Alive With Color: The Total Color System for Women and Men》，正在替下一本 著作籌備研究，彩通的創辦人Lawrence Herbert 聯繫 我。他讀過我的書，我們進行了通話會議，他邀情我加 入他新創的機構，這機構旨在預測各領域的趨勢，包括 室內設計、民生家用品、時尚以及製造業。

在 1999

年，我們首次發起「年度代表色」，當時我 們提名「天青藍」（Cerulean blue），但並未對此色的 影響力抱持任何期望。如今，彩通發表的年度代表色， 眾媒體廣泛報導，極具影響力，對各公司的產品以及品 牌的決策方向，都有所參考。與此同時，人們也將此引入 家中，重新裝飾一番，舉凡靠枕、沙發絨毯，或者是穿戴 的圍巾，從居家環境到衣櫃，處處可見。退一步說，年度 代表色的出現，讓人們去思考七彩以外的色彩。

The first Color of the Year, in 2000, was Cerulean Blue. _Freepik

forecast trends across all sectors, including interior design, homeware, fashion, and manufacturing. In 1999, we launched our Color of the Year initiative. We nominated Cerulean Blue, with no expectation of where it would lead. Today, the Pantone Color of the Year gets great media coverage and is hugely influential, advising companies on critical decisions about product or branding as well as inspiring people to redecorate or introduce a splash of that color— a cushion or throw, say, or a scarf—to their homes or wardrobes. At the very least, it makes them think beyond the rainbow shades.

How do you make your selection each year?

Ms. Eiseman: It’s a long process involving a lot of research and thought, and taking into consideration societal trends and world events. Our aim is never to dictate, but to identify colors that reflect or balance the mood of the time. In dark times, we might go for hues that offer solace or encourage stillness, but which have an underlying hint of vivacity. In 2021— the year that followed the outbreak of COVID-19—

您們每年都是透過何種方式來選出代表色？ 艾斯曼：這是一段漫長的過程，需投入大量的研究與思 考精力，社會趨勢以及國際事件都納入考量。

發布年度代表色的宗旨，從來不在於專橫與限制， 而在於辨明什麼樣的色彩能反映或者是平衡時局的情 調。在晦暗的時代下，我們會尋求能帶來慰藉與內心平 靜的色彩，通常隱含活潑的氣息。 2021 年，在疫情爆發 的後一年，我們破例發布了兩種年度代表色，這是自年 度代表色發起以來的第二次。我們選擇「極致灰」以及「亮 麗黃」，因為我們覺得這兩種顏色恰到好處地反映出人 們仍亟需扶持與慰藉的心緒，但同時展望一個更加明亮 且歡快的未來。

除了放眼國際事件，我們也關注時尚、影視、 藝術，以及演藝新聞界。舉例來說，稱霸票房的電影 《芭比》就舉足輕重，不過仍必須說，我們一直以來都 走在前緣，2011 年彩通發布的年度代表「金銀花」色 （Honeysuckle）就相當接近這一砲而紅的芭比粉色。

有些關於色彩的聯想已深入人心，這之中是否有任何根 源？又或者色彩的意義與時俱進？ 艾斯曼：有關色彩的歷史，那是另一龐大的研究領域。 所以此處的回答，僅限於色彩對於情感的催化作用——

Warm and rock-solid at the same time, the marriage of yellow and gray sends a message of strength and hopefulness.

_Pexels

for only the second time in our history, we nominated two colors. We went with solid, dependable Ultimate Gray and sunny-yellow Illuminating. We felt they captured how people were feeling because they still needed support and reassurance, but were also looking forward and hoping for a brighter, more cheerful future.

Aside from what’s happening in the world, we also look at fashion, film, art, and show business news. Blockbuster films such as Barbie play a part, though often we will have been way ahead of those curves: Our Pantone Color of 2011 was Honeysuckle, which is pretty close to the exuberant Barbie pink shade made popular by the film.

Some color associations have penetrated the public consciousness. Is there any solid foundation for this, or does the meaning of colors change in accordance with societal developments?

Ms. Eiseman: The history of color is another huge field of study, so I’ll restrict my answer to speaking about color as a catalyst for feeling, something that can alter mood so that we feel calm, excited, cheerful, energized.

How we respond to color depends on culture, upbringing, and even life experiences. For instance, I’ve had clients tell me they hate a particular color, without knowing why, even though [in my view] it really suits them. I’ll probe into their background, and it turns out that that color was a favorite of a muchloved relative who had passed—or that they had fallen off a bicycle that had been that exact shade. Once they trace the root cause, their aversion often disappears.

While there is no one definitive formula for making absolute assertions about color, we can make fairly accurate generalizations: Blue for tranquility, orange for energy, yellow for cheeriness, purple for creativity and opulence. We respond to color viscerally or subliminally, and there are some obvious explanations for why some are more popular than others.

Sky blue is a good example. It’s enduringly appealing, full of promise, which comes from its powerful associations with the outdoors, with limitless possibilities—as in blue-sky thinking—and with high days and holidays. Our emotional response to it is almost universally positive.

Red is the color we often see in nature when animals are ready to mate, and it can also be a sexual

關於色彩如何帶給人們平靜、興奮、歡快或活力。我們 對色彩的反應，形塑自文化、教育以及生活經驗。比方 說，我曾有些客戶告訴我，他們憎惡某種特定的顏色，儘 管那顏色很適合他們，但卻不知具體原因為何。因此我 會探究其背景，後來發現那些被討厭的色彩，可能曾經 是他們已故親人最喜歡的顏色，又或者他們曾從自行車 上摔落，而那臺車就是該顏色⋯⋯一旦他們找到這厭惡 的根源何在，那份負面情感也會隨之消散。

其實關於色彩，並沒有一項鐵則可以斷言之，我們 僅是相對準確地歸納出：藍色代表一種寧靜，橘色則象 徵活力，黃色表現歡愉，紫色則有創意以及豐饒的意象。 我們對色彩做出直觀或是潛意識的反應，而有些概念因 為具備顯著的原因而廣為人知。

天空藍就是一個很好的例子。它的意象歷久不衰，

帶給人希望，這源自它與戶外世界的強烈連結感，擁抱 著無限的可能，在這種思維下，人們能夠聯想風和日麗 與美好的假期。我們對這種顏色的情感反應多是積極正 面的。

紅色在野外環境中，是動物交配的信號，放諸人類 社會，也與性產生關聯。人們會在害羞時雙頰泛紅，而 充滿致命吸引力的女性，則有鮮紅脣色與指彩為符碼。

與之進一步聯繫，那便是紅色與危險產生連結。

然而，也並非是所有紅色都傳遞同一種訊號。在每 一種色彩家族中，根據其明暗以及強度，讓色調有所不 同。因此，亮紅色雖然不適合在諸如保守的銀行業工作 時穿戴，但梅紅或酒紅色卻恰到好處，比起其他常規的 深藍與灰色系商業穿著，這種顏色更能讓人留下印象， 如果您想要更融入人際圈，試試綠色與褐色調，這 種大地色系能讓周遭感到安心且認同，而這種效果主要 源自我們先前談到的色彩聯想。試想，當人們站在一顆 古老的大樹旁，或者漫步於布滿落葉的森林裡時，相同 的感覺何嘗不會更加強烈？

請問這些原則是否也適用於裝飾我們的家園？ 艾斯曼：從廣義而論，是的。大多數人更傾向於帶來平 靜的色系，我指的是冷色，輕到中階的綠色系、淺紫色 系、藍色系、白色，以及灰色系。深色系如午夜藍以及 薰衣草紫，都很適合用在房間刷色，帶給人安心且遠離 危難的氛圍。

大多時候，人們總是對於用色太過謹慎，不想遠離 上述色彩範圍，以至於在整間屋內使用不同色調，卻同 色系的裝飾。這當然無妨，不過我也想在此鼓勵人們， 可以冒險一點地去嘗試。比方說你想要讓社交空間更有 活力，例如廚房，那麼就選擇暖橘紅色系，或黃色系。

溫和的紅，例如彩通的「Salsa」紅，很適合用餐空間，這 種顏色能促進食慾。

以原則而論，我建議空間內冷色與暖色系的比例調 配應為三比一，如果您偏好冷色系，那麼別忘了替空間

signal in humans. Our cheeks might flush when we like someone, and a femme fatale is typically shown with scarlet lips and nails. Closely aligned to this is red’s association with danger.

However, not all reds deliver the same message. In every color family, there are varying tonalities based on the value and intensity of the specific shade. So, although a bright red would not be appropriate for a job interview in a conservative field such as banking, a plum or wine red would be just as suitable—and perhaps more impactful—than the more conventional business grays or dark blues.

If you’d like to create a grounding effect in those around you, go for a green or brown—colors from nature make people feel safe and supported, and again, this has mainly to do with association. Who doesn’t feel strengthened by standing next to an ancient tree, or walking in a forest with foliage underfoot?

Do the same rules apply when decorating our homes?

Ms. Eiseman: Broadly speaking, yes. Most people feel drawn to a tranquil palette, by which I mean cool, light-to-mid-toned greens, mauves, blues, whites, and grays. Deeper colors, such as midnight blues, and lavenders also work well for the rooms we go to for sanctuary.

Very often, people are too cautious to veer too far off this spectrum, and end up just using different tonalities throughout the house. This is fine, of course, but I like to encourage them to be a little more adventurous. If you’d like to energize your social spaces, such as your kitchen, choose warm oranges, reds, and yellows. A mild red—like Pantone’s Salsa— works well in the dining room, since this is said to stimulate appetite.

As guidance, I suggest a 75 percent to 25 percent ratio between cool and warm colors. If your preference is for the former, then introduce warming accents of red, orange, and yellow. Conversely, if you’ve gone for the latter, you can take the temperature down with blues or greens. Accessories are a really easy way to do this: Tan furniture and brass lamps look wonderful set against walls of midnight blue; experimenting with paintings, rugs, and plants is also a good way of seeing which colors work together. Let nature be your guide. It’s a great inspiration. Where I lived previously, on Bainbridge Island,

Top left: A warm purple is the perfect shade for relaxation. Top right: Adding soft yellows to your room brings warmth and brightness to a space. _shutterstock

加入暖調紅、橘、黃。反之，如果您偏好暖色為主色，那 麼可藉由藍、綠色系降低色溫。家飾品就可以輕鬆地達 成這種效果，如棕褐色的家具和黃銅色燈具，最適合擺 放在漆著午夜藍的牆邊上。不妨也試試一些壁畫、地毯 以及植栽，這些都是您可以任意調配的元素，讓您找到 最好的配色效果。讓大自然引領你，它是非常棒的靈感 來源！

我先前住的地方，是在（華盛頓州）班布里奇島上， 天空一年到頭多是灰色，所以我採用陽光般的黃色來 主導我的居住空間。在客廳，我漆上彩通的金黃薄霧色 （Golden Haze），並在其他空間使用不同色調的黃，來 增加室內的暖度與亮度，最重要的是，它能讓我跟客人 都感到更快樂。

現在我住在土桑（亞利桑那州），在修道院風格 （mission-style）的土磚房裡，我運用了一些西南方晚 霞的色彩——那些溫暖的大地色系，如棕褐、桃粉、杏 色以及柔軟的黃綠色系，與暮光藍、洋紅色兩相抗衡。

主臥內我則採用「 Very Peri」的彩通紫色，這種長春花 色，將藍色的靜謐與極具張力的紫色相結合，屬於一種 暖藍色，與臥室完美匹配。

in Washington state, the skies are gray for much of the year, so yellow features—the color of sunlight— were prominent in my home. I used Pantone’s Golden Haze in the living room, and other tones of yellow in other spaces to add warmth and brightness and, above all, to make me and my guests feel happy.

I now have a mission-style adobe house in Tucson [Arizona], where I have used some of the gorgeous Southwest sunset colors of warmer earth tones, including tans, peach, apricot, and soft yellow greens, and counter-balanced them with twilight blue and magenta. My master bedroom is Pantone’s Very Peri, a periwinkle shade that brings together the tranquility of blue and the drama of purple. It’s a warm blue—and for me, the perfect shade for a bedroom.

What other advice do you have for readers who would like to update their homes or wardrobes?

Ms. Eiseman: I don’t have a one-size-fits-all suggestion, so I’ll say go with your heart! Choose colors you like. Don’t slavishly follow trends; use them as a guideline to what is new. This is your home, so

follow through with your preferences, not with what the magazines or online pundits have told you is fashionable.

The same goes for your wardrobe. If you’re unsure, start with accessories. A scarf, necklace, or earrings, a tie—something you can hold up against your face. The key to finding your best colors lies in your hair, skin tone, and eyes.

若想替居家、衣櫥煥然一新，您對此有何建議？ 艾斯曼：這裡沒有一個萬全的建議，所以我會說，跟隨 心之所向吧！就選你喜歡的顏色。對於趨勢，您可以把 它作為認識新事物的指引，但無須盲從。這是你的家， 所以一定要擇你所愛，而不是跟隨報章雜誌或所謂的網 路專家來告訴你何為時尚。

衣櫥也是如此，如果您不是很確定，可以先從配件 開始。一條圍巾、項鍊或者一對耳環、一條領帶，嘗試一 些可以和您面容相襯的配件，關鍵在於找到最能與您髮 色、膚色和瞳孔顏色相配的顏色。

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. 本篇問答專訪為英文編譯，部分內容經刪節。

Stacy Lyn Harris prepares to carry a rack of ribs from a wild pig into her smokehouse at her family home outside Montgomery, Alabama.

_Graylyn Harris

ELITE LIFESTYLE

A HOMEGROWN LIFE

Stacy Lyn Harris's Journey to Sustainable Living

A暢銷野味食譜作家打造自給自足的樂園

By Hazel Atkins 走進當代桃花源

bout an hour outside Montgomery, Alabama, there are seven acres of green fields, carefully grafted fruit trees, a garden, and natural woodland. Here, deer, elk, squirrels, rabbits, quail, ducks, wild turkeys, and doves live and forage, eating the acorns dropped by the oaks, grazing freely in the fields, and enjoying the fruit from the trees. This woodland, these fields and trees, are especially for them. The people who own this land deliberately cultivate it so that the wild animals can live healthy lives here, as they firmly believe that “we all can share.”

Stacy Lyn Harris and her family steward this land. They live about 45 minutes away, on an acre of land 10 minutes outside Montgomery, and they visit their wildlife sanctuary every weekend. All the meat they eat comes from their own hunting and fishing on their property, and all their vegetables come from their gardens grown near their house. They also raise chickens, and for a while, they kept bees.

For Harris, her husband, Scott, and their seven children, “our sustainable lifestyle is about stewardship,” she said. Guided by her faith, her goal is to live in harmony with nature and without fear because she knows they can survive, she said.

距離阿拉巴馬州蒙哥馬利郡約一小時的路程外，有塊七 英畝大的田野，那裡有悉心嫁接的果樹、菜園，還有片 自然林地。麋鹿、松鼠、兔子、鵪鶉、鴨子、野火雞與鴿 子，牠們在此覓食——吃橡樹落下的橡實、啃食青草或 享用樹上的果實。林地、田野與果樹，是地主悉心準備的 盛宴。這片土地的主人特意培育此地，讓動物們能在此 健康生活，因為他們深信「土地是共享的」。

史黛西 林 哈里斯（Stacy Lyn Harris）與家人們 打理著這片原野。他們住在距離此處 45 分鐘路程以外 的蒙哥馬利郡近郊，占地一英畝。每逢週末，他們會去 打獵，狩獵的範圍也是他們親自維護的保護區。一家人 餐桌上的肉品，都是他們在這此地獵得的動物、釣到的 魚，而蔬菜，全是自家菜園種的。

哈里斯一家人認為，永續生活靠的是組織與管理。 她與丈夫史考特（Scott Harris ），以及他們的七個孩 子，依此信念生活，目標是與大自然和諧共存，對此無所 畏懼，因為她相信：「我們能在此活下去。」

現在哈里斯是這片田野的專家，她在農莊大會上、 播客或訪談中分享，她倚靠這片土地生存的方法。過去 十年來，她時常出現在電視頻道，目前正主持一檔節 目——《野味主廚》（The Sporting Chef）。她也有數 本著作，其中銷量最好的是關於永續生活與料理鹿肉的 食譜書。透過她的書與部落格，以及大多藉由電視節目 認識她的人，她粗估約有逾 50 萬人。

Freshly laid eggs have yolks that are a deep yellow or orange color and a flavor that is distinctly different from store-bought eggs.

_Graylyn Harris

Now, Harris is an expert in her field, speaking about her approach to living off the land at homesteading conferences and on podcasts and interviews, as well as hosting The Sporting Chef show on the Sportsman Channel, which she has appeared on for the last 10 years. She’s written best-selling books on sustainable living and cookbooks on how to make venison delicious. Her latest is a book about homeschooling, set to be published soon. In all, she estimates she has reached more than half a million people through her books and blog, and more through the show.

At the beginning of her journey, however, “it was kind of an accidental sustainable lifestyle,” Harris said. Her husband’s passion for hunting was the unlikely gateway.

AN UNEXPECTED PATH

Harris grew up in Montgomery with her mother and stepfather, and they “went to the store for everything,” she said. She had something of an antagonistic relationship with hunting when she was younger: “My dad lived in the country, and he hunted and fished, but I didn’t spend a ton of time with him. He was never there when I went to visit, and I had this aversion to hunting.”

During college, however, she met Scott. “I married this guy who is the biggest hunter you ever met in your life,” Harris said. “When we were dating, he would go out every single day of the hunting season, and he would do that now if he could.” In their early marriage, they struggled because “I felt in competition with the hunting,” she said. Eventually, “I felt a tug in my heart going, ‘You know what, you can choose to be happy here and get on board or not.’” So, Harris said, “I did.”

She quickly discovered why women weren’t involved in hunting. It was because they didn’t like the meat. “They didn’t know how to cook it, and there weren’t any beautiful cookbooks,” she said, adding that overcooked wild game tastes horrible.

Harris gave herself three months to learn how to cook the meat well. “If I’m going to eat something, it has to be really good,” she said. She went to antique cookbooks and recipes from times when people “had to deal with their old roosters, their hens who weren’t laying anymore, tough wild turkeys, grass-fed beef.” She learned the old techniques for

All the vegetables Harris and her family eat are harvested from their property’s expansive garden.

不過，哈里斯表示，最初在自家田野上展開永續生 活是個意外。過去她先生熱衷打獵，永續生活對他們的 生活型態來說相距甚遠。

意外之路

哈里斯在蒙哥馬利長大，與母親和繼父一起生活。「我的 親生父親住在郊外，他會打獵跟捕魚，但是我不太常與 他相處。每次我去找他，他都不在家，所以當時我對打獵 有所反感。」然而，在大學期間，哈里斯遇見了史考特， 「我嫁給了這個人，他是我此生見過最愛打獵的人。」哈 里斯說，「我們交往的時候，一到打獵季節，他每天都會 出門打獵，而且如果可以的話，他現在也會這麼做。」結 婚之初有些難熬，哈里斯回憶：「我覺得我在跟打獵競 爭。」最後，「我覺得內心某處被牽動了，『你知道，其實 你可以選擇開心地參與其中，或繼續為此痛苦。』」所以 「我選擇加入。」她說。

她很快發現，女性一向無法熱衷狩獵的原由，「因為 她們不喜歡獵獲的肉類，」她說，「她們不知道該如何料 理，而且市面上找不到任何一本關於野味的料理書。」她 強調，煮過頭的肉品，嘗起來糟透了。

哈里斯花了三個月學習如何恰當料理這些野味，「如 果我要吃某樣東西，它必須真的很好吃才行。」她說。她 去找了一些古老的料理書和食譜，彼時人們「必須處理他 們的老公雞、不再下蛋的母雞、肉質很硬的野火雞，還 有吃草長大的牛隻。」她因此習得一些古老祕方，用來處 理含脂量低的肉類，像是燉煮，以文火長時間慢煮比較

_James Acomb

handling meat that doesn’t have a lot of fat—such as braising, which cooks tough meat slowly, allowing the fibers to relax—and marveled at how good it could taste. Eager to share her knowledge, she wrote her first cookbook, Tracking the Outdoors In , published in 2012.

From there, their path forward seemed to naturally unfold. “Scott hunted, and we had all this great meat. Then we said, ‘Why don’t we start a garden and have vegetables, too?’” Next, they added chickens to the plan. “We didn’t talk about it a whole lot,” she said. “I thought Scott was just doing projects with

Top: After hunting, gardening was a natural next step in Harris's journey into a sustainable lifestyle.

Bottom: The Harris's gardens supply all the vegetables and fresh produce the family needs. _Graylyn Harris

硬的肉，使肉的纖維鬆弛。實驗結果出奇地好，這些肉 品的美味令人驚豔。她想將這些知識和他人分享，2012 年，她寫下第一本料理書《 Tracking the Outdoors In》 正式出版。

自此，哈里斯一家人的未來有如水到渠成。「史考特 打獵，而我們享用這些美味的肉。接著我們想：『要不我 們闢一塊菜園，種些蔬菜？』」後來他們也把養雞列入計 畫，「我本以為史考特只是在和孩子們進行專題研究，蓋 了幾個移動式雞籠。」也許這是他們在家自學的一部分， 但是有一天早上六點，她接到一通郵局打來的電話得知： 「他們買了一些嘰嘰喳喳的小雞給我！」現在，他們大約 有 50 隻雞（這是雞舍沒有被郊狼襲擊的數量）。「之後 我們也開始養蜂，然後我們開闢了一個更大的菜園，開 始嫁接果樹，並收集蔬果的種子。」哈里斯說。

一家人在這一英畝的土地上，有一口井能打水，在 自己的土地上打獵，也有池塘能釣魚，採摘自己種的蔬 菜，幾乎能夠自給自足。

自助者自強

愛上打獵的哈里斯解釋：「獵人是環境保育主義者，他們 懂得如何管理野生動物，牠們才不會數量過盛或銳減。

而且專業的獵人們能察覺疾病，好讓我們可以確保野生 動物的健康。」打獵也可以讓一個家庭節省開支，「一頭 鹿大約可以讓你吃上40 餐，」哈里斯說。作為農莊活動 的一部分，她偶爾會在討論會上演講，教人們將永續性 的打獵與捕魚融入生活中，「我還會教他們如何妥善料理 這些食材。」

哈里斯夫婦最引以為豪的是——「讓我們的孩子明 白，他們是能夠靠自己生存下去的，他們做得到，他們有 能力做所有的事——打獵、料理、種菜。」她說。藉由在 家教導她的孩子們，將教育融入日常生活，讓他們純粹 地學習。「也許他們永遠不需要用到這些技能，他們不一 定要自給自足，但因為他們有這個能力，他們會在人生中 接受更大的挑戰，能夠勇敢走過接下來的人生。」

「那對我來說是最重要的事，」哈里斯說。「如果你 覺得：『我怕如果做那件事，我會失去一切。』那麼便永 遠無充分發揮你的潛力。」

對於其他想要增強自力更生能力的人，哈里斯的建 議是增加知識與經驗，「在有趣又平常的環境裡，試試看 你能否做得到——大多數的人可以。」她說。「你需要鹽 巴保存肉類、一處水源、知道如何生火，還有一些基本的 烹飪工具。只要有一只煎鍋、調味料、細繩子、一把好刀， 還有一塊砧板，就可以果腹。」她希望盡所能接觸到更多 的人，「激勵在各領域從業的人們。」她說。

選擇快樂的活著

每天醒來，哈里斯都有做不完的待辦事項。藉由每天 早晨的祈禱，她嘗試依循神所安排的道路。多年以來，

the kids, building chicken tractors,” perhaps as part of their homeschooling, but one morning at 6 a.m., she got a call from the post office: “They had chirping birds for me!”

And so it went. They now have about 50 chickens— when they aren’t being raided by coyotes. ”Then we started bees, and we made a bigger garden, and we started grafting fruit trees, and we saved our seeds,” Harris said. The family has a well for water, hunts from their land, fishes from their ponds, and gathers vegetables from their gardens.

EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING OTHERS

Now very passionate about hunting, Harris said: “Hunters are such conservationists. They’re seeing how to manage the wildlife so they don’t get overpopulated or underpopulated, and they’re out there seeing the diseases, so we can keep our wildlife healthy.” Hunting is also economically feasible for a family. “One deer will get you through about 40 meals,” Harris said. As part of the homesteading movement, she occasionally speaks at conferences to educate people about sustainably incorporating hunting and fishing into their lives. “I teach them how to cook it to make it really good.”

Harris is proudest that she and Scott have “taught our children that they can survive, they can make it, and they are able to do it, all of it—the hunting, the cooking, the gardening,” she said. By homeschooling her children, she’s been able to build education into their way of life, so that they learn for learning’s sake. “They may never need it, they may never have to be self-sustaining, but because they can be, they’re going to take bigger risks in life. They can walk through life without fear.

“That, to me, is the most important thing,” Harris said. “If you think, ‘I’m afraid I will lose everything if I do that,’ you will never live to your fullest potential.”

To others looking to become more self-reliant, Harris’s advice is to gain knowledge and experience in “fun and normal circumstances to see if you can do it—and most people can,” she said. “You need salt for curing, a water source, knowledge to build a fire, and some basic cooking tools. That’s a skillet, seasoning, twine, a good knife, and a cooking board. You can feed the world with that.” Her long-term goal is “just to reach as many people as I can and to encourage them in their walks of life.”

LIVING A LIFE OF JOY

Harris wakes up each day with more tasks on the agenda than she can possibly get done. But by praying every morning, she tries to follow the path that God sets before her.

Over the years, she’s realized that “sometimes you have to do the big stuff and let everything else go,” she said. She keeps a list of her priorities in order: “God, husband, kids, home, extended family, church and community, emails, notes, business.” Every day she considers what needs her attention, and her list helps keep what’s most important at the forefront. Since she keeps family first, even their interruptions come before her other tasks, and she raised her kids to know that they can go to her at any time with anything to say.

She feels grounded by how well they have turned out: “They’re seeking God, they’re doing things together, they’re movers and shakers,” she said. “I think walking in joy every day, choosing to walk in joy, helps that.

“If I start feeling anxious or short-tempered, then I know I’m not going in the right direction, I’m not doing what I should be doing because I should be able to do it in peace,” she said. “My calm is a peace inside. If I can’t laugh, then something’s wrong.” For Harris, life is a journey that she chooses to walk in joy and in harmony with the world she shares.

她了解到「有時你必須專注於重要的事，並放下其他的 一切。」她有一份清單，依序寫下：「上帝、丈夫、孩子、 家、親戚、教會與社區、電子郵件、筆記、事業。」每天 她會思考哪一項需要優先關注，而此清單有助釐清先後 順序。因為她將家庭擺在首位，即使會因此耽擱其他事 項的進度，她也會以此為優先，孩子們也能藉此明白， 他們可以隨時找母親說任何事情。

她深信這是明智抉擇，因為孩子們因此有出色的表 現：「他們會尋求上帝，會一起做事，他們是有分量、有 影響力的。」她說。「我認為每天帶著喜悅前行，選擇快 樂地走是有幫助的。」

「如果我開始感到焦慮或是脾氣暴躁時，我知道我 並非走在正確的方向、行非我所應為之事，因為我應該 要能處之泰然。」她說道。「我的沉著來自內心的平靜， 如果我無法笑口常開，那就是有什麼不對勁。」對哈里斯 來說，人生是趟旅程，她選擇帶著喜悅，與她身處的世 界和諧共存、共享這份喜悅。

│49

Mexican-Style Venison and Eggs Breakfast Skillet

This breakfast skillet is truly one of the best ground deer meat recipes out there. It has just enough spice to bring out the earthy flavor of the venison, and it goes beautifully over sourdough toast.

Ground meat is one of the most versatile ways to enjoy deer or venison. You can cook anything

from spaghetti, Bolognese, meatloaf, and sausage to shakshuka, which is very similar to this venison and eggs breakfast.

I love this breakfast skillet recipe for an easy, hearty, and flavorful brunch. It’s perfect for those lazy Saturday mornings at home with the family.

Makes 4 servings

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS

Ÿ 4 teaspoons olive oil

Ÿ 1 onion, finely chopped

Ÿ 16 ounces lean ground grassfed beef or venison

Ÿ 4 tablespoons chipotle sauce

Ÿ 1 quart tomatoes, chopped

Ÿ ¾ cup milk

Ÿ 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped, plus extra for serving

Ÿ Kosher salt to taste

Ÿ Freshly ground pepper

Ÿ 4 eggs

Ÿ 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

Ÿ Sourdough bread, cut thick

Ÿ In a deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the ground meat, and cook until done, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Ÿ Meanwhile, place cut pieces of sourdough bread in the oven at 200 degrees F. Add the chipotle sauce, tomatoes, milk, cilantro, salt, and pepper to your skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until slightly thickened.

Ÿ Make four indentations into the skillet mixture by using the back of a spoon. Crack each egg into the indentations. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the eggs and meat are fully cooked. Place the sliced chile and remaining cilantro over the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ÿ Once toasted, remove the bread from the oven. Plate the bread and spread the mixture from the skillet over the bread. Serve immediately.

(Recipe from StacyLynHarris.com)

墨西哥風鹿肉雞蛋鐵鍋早餐

這道鐵鍋早餐將是你嘗過最棒的鹿絞肉料理之一。藉由 辛香料帶出鹿肉的天然風味，搭配酸種麵包一起享用， 風味絕佳。將鹿肉做成絞肉，這是鹿肉類料理最萬用的 方式之一。處理完成，便可以用來做成任何料理，如義 大利麵、波隆那肉醬、烘肉卷、香腸，或是香料番茄蛋 （shakshuka），就像我們要介紹的鹿肉蛋早點。我偏愛 這道早餐食譜，一份簡單、豐盛又美味的早午餐，可隨 時上桌。尤其適合慵懶的週六早晨，待在家裡與家人一 同享用。

Ÿ 橄欖油 4 茶匙

Ÿ 洋蔥 1 顆，切細末

Ÿ 草飼牛絞肉瘦肉或鹿絞肉 16 盎司

Ÿ 墨西哥醃燻辣椒醬（chipotle sauce）

Ÿ 番茄 1 夸脫（約 946 毫升），切碎

Ÿ 牛奶 ¾ 杯

Ÿ 香菜 1 把，大致切碎，起鍋時亦可隨 喜好添加（額外分量）

Ÿ 猶太鹽 適量

Ÿ 現磨胡椒

Ÿ 雞蛋 4 顆

Ÿ 墨西哥辣椒（jalapeño）1 根，切薄片

Ÿ 酸種麵包，切厚片

作法

Ÿ 取一只深煎鍋，開中大火熱油。加入洋蔥與一小撮 鹽，翻炒直到洋蔥變軟，大約 4 分鐘。接著將火力調 至大火，放入絞肉繼續翻炒，炒至全熟，約5至8分鐘。

Ÿ 與此同時，將切片的酸種麵包放進以 200 ℉（93 ℃） 預熱的烤箱。於煎鍋中加入墨西哥醃燻辣椒醬、番茄 碎、牛奶、香菜、鹽巴和胡椒，將火轉至中火，煮至稍 微濃稠。

Ÿ 拿一支湯匙，在煎鍋中的肉醬做出四個洞，每個洞打 進一顆雞蛋。然後蓋上鍋蓋煮5至 7分鐘，直到雞蛋與 肉煮熟。於鍋內撒上切片辣椒與剩下的香菜，再加點 鹽和胡椒調味。

Ÿ 將烤好的麵包拿出烤箱，擺在盤子上，把煮好的絞肉 與雞蛋鋪在麵包上，開始享用。

4人份 材料

Sweet Potato Biscuits

The first year my family attempted to grow sweet potatoes, we waited and waited for the leaves to arrive on the plant. Every day we checked the plants, and the stems seemed to be at a standstill with no leaves. The poor, grasslike stems looked as if they had been freshly mowed with a lawn mower. I could not sleep one night and began looking out the window at 3 a.m., and I finally had the answer to the "root" of the problem—a doe and three fawns! We learned quickly to protect these obviously luscious plants from the hungry deer.

Sweet potatoes will last for up to six months if cured and stored properly. The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes improves with proper curing. Store sweet potatoes at around 85 F for 10 days. I use my back porch since Alabama remains hot during sweet potato's harvest season. After the curing process, move the sweet potatoes to a storage place such as a basement or root cellar kept between 55 and 60 F.

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Ÿ 2 cups all-purpose flour

Ÿ 1 tablespoon baking powder

Ÿ ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Ÿ 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Ÿ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

Ÿ ¾ cup buttermilk

Ÿ 1 cup baked, mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium to large potato)

DIRECTIONS

Ÿ Heat oven to 400 F. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix milk and sweet potatoes until combined.

Ÿ Cut frozen butter into small cubes and blend into the flour mixture using your fingers. Take care not to melt the butter (handle as little as possible). Add wet mixture into the dry and lightly mix dough with your hands to combine.

Ÿ Bring the mixture together, and once together, turn out onto a floured surface (the dough will look very shaggy). Press it into a 9-by-6-inch rectangle (approximately 2 inches thick).

Ÿ Cut the dough into rounds. Gather leftover dough, and repeat until you have 8 large biscuits. If you want a lot of small biscuits, roll dough out to 3/4-inch thickness and cut biscuits using the size cutter you would like.

Ÿ Place biscuits in a skillet and bake until bottoms turn golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

8人份

材料

Ÿ 中筋麵粉 2 杯

Ÿ 泡打粉 1大匙

Ÿ 小蘇打粉 1/4 茶匙

Ÿ 猶太鹽 1 茶匙

Ÿ 無鹽奶油（冷凍）6大匙

Ÿ 白脱牛奶 ¾ 杯

Ÿ 烤過並搗成泥的地瓜 1 杯 （約一顆中大尺寸的地瓜）

地瓜圓餅

嘗試種植地瓜的第一年，我們等了又等，等待種下 去的地瓜發芽冒出葉子。每天我們都會查看，但那 些塊根似乎毫無動靜，完全不見葉子。這些可憐的 塊根看起來就像剛被割草機割過的草地般。有天 晚上我睡不著，就在凌晨三點時從窗戶向外看，結 果終於發現了我們問題的「根」源——是一隻母鹿 與三隻小鹿！於是我們學到了，必須保護這些香甜 味美的作物，別讓它們被饑餓的鹿啃光了。

若將收成的地瓜進行癒傷處理，並妥善儲藏 的話，可保存六個月之久，而且經過正確的癒傷處 理，可讓地瓜增加更多天然的甜味。將收成的地 瓜於 85 ℉（約 30 ℃）左右的環境下放置 10 天， 存放於家裡後方的門廊處，因為在阿拉巴馬州， 地瓜收成期間天氣還是很熱。癒傷處理完成後， 即可將地瓜移至儲藏的空間存放，如室溫保持在 55~60 ℉（約 13~16 ℃）的地下室，或是根菜作物 儲藏窖。

Ÿ 將烤箱預熱至400 ℉（約 205 ℃）。將乾粉類材料倒入大碗中攪 拌均勻。另取一個碗，將白脱牛奶與地瓜泥混合，直到兩者融合。

Ÿ 冷凍奶油切小丁，加入乾粉中，用手混合。注意盡量不要讓奶油 融化，接著將溼性材料倒進乾粉類材料中，用手輕輕地攪拌、混 合成團。一旦成團後，將麵團從碗中取出，放在灑了麵粉的桌面 上（麵團看起來會非常鬆散、不光滑），把麵團壓入一個 9x6 英 寸（約 2 英寸高）的長方形模具中，用圓形模具把麵團切成一個 個圓形，再把邊緣切剩的麵團集中起來，重複前面的動作，直到 切出 8 個大的餅乾麵團。如果你想要數量較多，尺寸小一點的餅 乾，可以將麵團 擀 薄一點，厚度約 3/4 英寸，再使用喜歡的餅乾 模大小去切出你想要的尺寸。

Ÿ 將切好的麵團擺上烤盤，放進預熱好的烤箱烤約 12至 15 分鐘， 底部呈金黃色即可。

Recipe from “Stacy Lyn’s Harvest Cookbook: Cook Fresh Food Every Day of the Year” by Stacy Lyn Harris (Gray Forest Publishing, 2017).

作法

ELITE LIFESTYLE

PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE A family-owned seed company on a mission

By Kevin Revolinski

Photography by Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.

The Persian melon is a honey-sweet, orange-fleshed variety dating back to its namesake empire and the progenitor of all American cantaloupes. It was a standard in American gardens for two centuries, but it is now virtually unseen and in need of rescue. Montana lavender clay corn, with its striking, deep purple kernels, was blended by a Montanan corn breeder who used a Mandan-tribe variety that once passed through the hands of Lewis and Clark and Thomas Jefferson. The buena mulata pepper is a chameleon variety that fruits violet and pink, then ripens through orange and brown to a final red. It was extremely rare but rescued from obscurity in the 1940s by Horace Pippen, a black veteran and folk artist who traded his seed collection for therapeutic bee stings.

All of these plants are heirlooms, and their seeds are now safely kept and made available to gardeners around the country to grow for a few dollars. This is the world of Jere Gettle.

Heirlooms: The word itself has an emotive effect, something meaningful, something passed down, something belonging to the family. And indeed, many of these are generational family treasures, fruits and vegetables that have been around and

波斯甜瓜（Persian melon），果肉呈橘色，香甜如蜂蜜， 該品種起源可追溯至波斯帝國，是目前美國所有甜瓜品 種的祖先。曾有長達兩世紀之久，它都是美國人自家庭 院裡的固定班底，如今卻幾近消失，需要加以保護；蒙大 拿薰衣草紫玉米（Montana lavender clay corn），有 著顯眼的深紫色玉米粒，是由一名蒙大拿玉米栽培者以 美國曼丹族印第安品種育種而成，該品種歷史之悠久，就 連當年美國西部遠征探險家路易斯與克拉克，以及傑佛 遜總統都曾見過；有種名為buena mulata 的辣椒會在 生長過程中變色，可以結出紫羅蘭色與粉色的果實，隨 著成熟變成橘色，再漸漸轉棕，最後變成紅色。這種辣 椒原本極為稀有，不過在 1940 年代，一位名叫Horace Pippen 的退伍軍人、民族藝術家收藏並保存其種子作為 交易，換取了蜂針療法。

上述的每一種蔬果都是傳家之寶。現在它們都被妥 善保存著，全國各地的栽培者可以實惠的價格取得並種 植。這便是種子公司創辦人傑里 格特爾（Jere Gettle） 一手打造的成果。

古傳種子「Heirlooms」意即「傳家之寶」，象徵著 家族多年來種植並留傳下來的蔬菜水果。其名字本身就 極富感染力，也許它別具特殊意義、是某些被傳承而來 的事物，或是某個家族的珍產。對格特爾來說，「不斷尋 找獨特新事物的熱情，訴說著（種子背後）一個家族、 地區，或是它來自哪一個國家的故事。」這正是這些小小 種子令他著迷的原因。 1998 年，在他 17 歲時，成立了 THIS ARTICLE

Walking Stick kale is an old variety grown in Europe for centuries, primarily on the island of Jersey, where it was said to grow up to 20 feet tall. Crops grown from Baker Creek’s seeds average 6 to 12 feet.

passed down for years. For Gettle, they appeal to his passion of finding something unique, and “telling the story about a family, a region, or country where [it] came from,” he said.

In 1998, when he was 17 years old, he founded Baker Creek Seed Company as a tiny, one-man purveyor dedicated to finding and sustaining these myriad varieties. Today, with his wife, Emilee, and a staff of more than 100, Gettle manages the largest catalog of heirloom seeds in North America.

The seed company, named for a creek not 1,000 feet from the back door of its public store, occupies 17 acres five miles north of Mansfield, Missouri, a town of about 1,200. Yet last year, Baker Creek mailed out 1.5 million full-color seed catalogs featuring more than 1,000 heirloom plants.

HUMBLE ROOTS

Gettle grew up in the Boise Valley, but on the Oregon side of the border—an area of great soil, he pointed out. “Everyone pretty much farmed or gardened at least on some scale,” he said. His paternal grandmother, born in Mexico, lived on the same property, growing the crops she remembered from her childhood. His other grandmother lived 15 miles down the road and raised many varieties of squash.

His earliest memories are of the garden, of spending time there with his grandmother, and of sitting nearby as she cooked tamales and other homegrown foods over an old wood stove, while he paged through seed catalogs the way other kids might flip through comics or story books. “It’s kind of how I almost learned to read,” he said.

“I got interested really early in all the different colorful vegetables, flowers," he said. "Everybody was always planting something, so it got me started." Even as a child, Gettle grew unusual items, such as scallop squash and banana melon, a yellow-rind melon with salmon-colored flesh and a hint of its namesake’s flavor. By the age of 9, he was sending off for his own catalogs, and his dream to work with a seed company took root.

The family moved to Montana when he was 5, and then to Missouri when he was 13, settling on a 176-acre property.They were only the third family to to occupy it since it had been parceled out in land grants in the 1830s and ’40s. As a teenager, Gettle started saving and trading seeds. When he was 17,

貝克溪（Baker Creek）種子公司，作為小本供應商，他 致力於尋找並延續各式各樣的品種。現在他和妻子艾米 莉（Emilee），與超過一百名員工，一同管理北美洲最大 的古傳種子分類目錄。

貝克溪取名自公司不遠處的一條小溪，占地 17 英 畝，座落於 Mansfield 北方 5 英里處，一座人口約 1,200 人的小鎮中。去年，貝克溪寄出了 1,500 萬份全彩種子 目錄，內含 1,000 種以上的古傳品種植物，其規模已是 今非昔比。

祖母的菜園 夢想的起點 格特爾生長於愛達荷州與俄勒岡州邊界的博伊西河谷 （Boise Valley），那是塊豐饒之地。他表示，「每個人多 少都有種植一些蔬果或從事園藝。」其祖母在墨西哥出 生，以種植蔬果農作物維生，而住在不遠處的外祖母， 則是種植了多樣不同品種的南瓜。他兒時最早的記憶， 便是在庭院與祖母一起度過，或是坐在一旁，看著祖母 用老舊的柴燒爐，煮玉米粽跟其他自家栽種的食物。那 時，他滿懷好奇地翻閱一旁的種子目錄——就像其他孩 子看漫畫書或故事書般，充滿樂趣。「這幾乎讓我學會 了認字。」他說。

「從小我就對各種顏色的蔬菜、花朵感興趣，」他 說，「大家總是在種些什麼，這讓也我開始栽種。」當時 只是個孩子的他，種的卻是一些不常見的作物，像是飛 碟瓜（scallop squash）和香蕉甜瓜，一種外皮黃色、果 肉呈鮭魚粉色的甜瓜，帶著一絲香蕉的甜味。 9 歲前， 他就曾寫信索取一份種子目錄，這為其在種子公司工作 的夢想，開始紮根萌芽。

格特爾一家在他 5 歲時搬到蒙大拿，8 年後，又 搬到了密蘇里，買下一塊 176 英畝的土地，就此定居。

he made a 12-page price list of all his seeds and distributed it to family and friends, and he placed a classified ad in the rural newspaper. He ended up making photocopies for 550 people who responded requesting the list. That was 1998, and thus Baker Creek Seed Company was born.

BRANCHING OUT

Gettle became a lifetime member of Seed Savers Exchange. The internet opened up a lot of connections, pushed him forward, and piqued his interest in the diversity that was out there. One of the first varieties he received, and his company introduced in the United States, was the Ali Baba watermelon. “It was sent to me by a gentleman in Iraq in 1998 or ’99. He said that due to the war going on in Iraq, he was afraid it was going to disappear, and he wanted to keep it going. And when we tried it, it was the best-tasting watermelon we’d ever grown. It had a hard rind, kept well, had great flavor, and it was one of those varieties that had been around in Iraq for a long time,” Gettle said. He obtained a greater understanding of what was out there in the wider world, and what was disappearing in American catalogs. His passion for the seeds became a love of travel and discovery, and he ventured to the corners of the Earth to track down interesting varieties. Even now, when he has the opportunity, he travels to places like Southeast Asia, Japan, and Guatemala to learn about what people eat and grow.

Left: Jere Gettle (right) harvests sweet corn with his grandmother Bertha Hernandez Gettle, in 1983.

Center: (Clockwise from left) Ella, Jere, Emilee, Malia, Cyan, and Sasha Gettle.

Right: There are more than 1,000 varieties of heirloom seeds available at Baker Creek Seed Company.

他們成為當地第三個擁有土地的家庭，因為那裡的土地 經過 1830~1840 年代，政府贈地後，幾乎都被劃成小塊 分配出去。那時年輕的格特爾開始保存種子，並以此進 行交易，17 歲時，他做了一份 12 頁的價目表，裡邊列出他 擁有的所有種子。他把價目表分送給家人朋友，並於當地 報紙上刊登分類廣告，成效出奇地好，許多人因廣告而來 索取價目表。 1998 年，貝克溪種子公司就此誕生。

放眼世界 身體力行

後來，格特爾成為美國民間組織保種交流會（Seed Savers Exchange）的終身會員，憑藉組織網絡帶來許 多機會，推著他向前，也激發了他的熱情，他開始想進 一步探索世界上還有什麼不同種類的植物。在他獲得的 第一批種子中，其中一種叫做阿里巴巴西瓜（Ali Baba watermelon），當時將其引進美國的就是貝克溪。「這 個種子是1998 或 1999 年，在伊拉克，一名紳士寄給我 的，」格特爾回憶，「那位紳士說，由於伊拉克正在爆發 戰爭，他擔心這個水果會就此消失，希望這個品種能夠 被延續下去。我們嘗試種植時，發現這是我們種過最美 味的西瓜，它的外皮堅硬，果實很好保存，有絕佳的風 味，該品種在伊拉克地區已存在許久。」

有鑑於此，他清楚世界之廣、物種之繁，而美國的 種子目錄中，有些品種也在逐漸消失中。他對種子的熱 情，化為對旅行與探索的熱愛，為了找尋有趣的物種，他

Seeds even brought Gettle and Emilee, his wife, together. Emilee’s father had farmed, and her family home gardened, so naturally, she ended up with a Baker Creek catalog, and the two met at the seed store. They had three children of their own and adopted two more. Acorns don’t fall far from the tree: Several of the kids, ages 7 to 17, have traveled with their parents on “seed discovery missions” abroad to collect seeds, eat interesting fruits and vegetables, and meet people with a shared commitment to preserving seeds and growing their own.

THE POWER OF HEIRLOOM SEEDS Baker Creek’s seeds are not necessarily all heirloom, which Gettle says is a term meaning traditional or old varieties. An “old” variety is a matter of perspective, relative to a person’s age, he said. But they are all open-pollinated—plants naturally pollinated by bees, birds, the plant itself, or by hand, rather than selectively cross-pollinated with other varieties as hybridized seeds are. “It’s either an heirloom or well on its way to becoming an heirloom,” Gettle said.

Top: Bright white with a mild flavor, the Okinawa Pearl Goya is a delicious addition to soups and curries.

Right page: Carrot Jaune Obtuse du Doubs was named after the Doubs River, which flows through the Jura Mountains of France and Switzerland. This classic French variety has a lemon-yellow colorand crunchy roots that are great for snacking.

四處冒險，走訪世界各個角落。現在他一有機會，就會去 東南亞、日本和瓜地馬拉等地，研究當地人種植及食用 的作物。

因種子而起的情緣，也包括格特爾與妻子相識的羅 曼史。艾米莉的父親務農，而且家裡有栽種作物，所以 很自然地，她也使用了貝克溪的種子目錄，兩人在種子商 店相遇後相愛。目前他們育有三個孩子，另外領養了兩 個孩子。其中幾個孩子也跟隨父母的步伐，在 7~17 歲的 年齡時，踏上「種子探索」的任務，他們一同到海外旅行， 收集種子、品嘗有趣的蔬果，也在旅程中與志同道合的 一群人交流。

認識生態守護者

貝克溪種子公司的種子，不一定都是古傳品種，格特爾選 擇用一個意指傳統或古老品種的工程術語來稱呼。他指

The key here is consistent preservation: Unlike hybrids, which don’t always produce enough seeds, nor seeds of the same variety, heirlooms breed true from the seed that you saved. This is imperative for those relying on their gardens as an independent and secure food source. That consistency also maintains a direct line to cultural heritage while preserving biodiversity, a crucial aspect that protects us from disturbances in the ecosystem.

The term also does not always mean rare, Gettle said. “You can get some of them at Ace Hardware and anywhere else,” but the majority of what Baker Creek offers is not readily available. “Those are the varieties I really specialize in." As an example, he points out the Kuroda carrot, a short, sweet, stocky Japanese heirloom that grows well in strong summer heat. “We have black carrots, red carrots, yellow carrots. We have one of the larger collections of everything put together in one place.”

It makes it hard to choose a favorite. Ask Gettle what he likes best, and it’s as if you asked him to rank his children. He doesn’t commit, but eventually

出，稱呼一個品種「古老」，是站在人的角度，相較人的 年齡之下是古老的。但是他們所有的品種都是開放授粉 植物——指植物藉由蜜蜂、鳥類、植物本身，或人手自然 授粉狀態下結出的種子，並非像雜交品種那般，選擇性 地與其他品種進行異花授粉而成的種子。他表示其下生 產的種子，「要麼已經是古傳品種，要不就是即將成為古 傳品種」。

要成為古傳種子，關鍵是維持一致性：不能像雜交 品種，無法每次結出足量的種子，或是結出不同品種的 種子，古傳品種收穫的種子也會是純正的品種。人們以 自己種植的蔬果為獨立且穩定的食物來源，古傳種子起 到至關重要的作用。其一致的特性，也為維護文化遺產 與保持生物多樣性，產生直接的助益，成為免於破壞生 態系的關鍵形式。

此外，被稱作古傳種子，也不全然代表它是稀有品 種。格特爾說，「有些古傳品種可以在連鎖五金賣場，或 任何地方輕易購得，」但是貝克溪販售的種子，大多還 未準備好全面上市。「那都是我精心研究的品種。」他拿 黑田紅蘿蔔（Kuroda carrot）舉例，這是一種短小、 香甜、健壯的日本古傳品種，在酷暑下也能良好生長。 「我們有黑色、紅色和黃色的蘿蔔，各種優秀的品種，我 們都有。」

Manpukuji carrots, descended from the ancient Japanese long carrot types of the Edo period.

simply starts naming whatever lovely thing comes to mind, and each comes with a story. The Okinawa white bitter melon, for instance, is unique to their catalog. “We were looking for an old version, but all we found were hybrids. But then we found a few pounds of it in Okinawa, and I picked up my first seed packet in Japan about five years ago. They are bright-white, amazing-looking on the vine, and [have] a milder flavor. They can be used for soups and curries—and also make a great pickle!”

THE TREND IN HOME GARDENING

In Gettle’s second year in business, the Y2K problem grabbed all the headlines. “There was a big interest in homesteading and gardening,” Gettle said. “We went from 550 catalogs to around 7,000 or 8,000.” The 2008 financial crisis showed similar growth. Any time people face financial uncertainty, Gettle sees the rush to grow their own food.

And again, uncertainties over the last couple of years drove people to the garden. “Some were gardening for food, some were gardening for food and relaxation, and some just wanted to do something

Top: Orange Accordion tomatoes boast juicy, meaty flesh and can easily reach 20 ounces each.

因為每個品種都經過精挑細選，要為其喜愛程度排 序成了一件難事，格特爾表示，這就像要他替孩子們排 名那般地困難。他猶豫著，還是說出了幾種浮現在腦中 的幾個可愛作物，每一種都有故事。舉例來說，沖繩白苦 瓜，在他們的目錄裡是一個獨特的品種。「我們一直在尋 找古品種，找到的卻都是雜交種。大約五年前，我在日本 沖繩收穫了第一份種子包裹。它的果實是亮白色，結在 藤蔓上非常賞心悅目，而且味道較溫和，可以用來煮湯或 是煮咖哩，拿去醃漬也很棒！」

自給自足的現代趨勢 格特爾事業起步的第二年，千禧蟲問題（Y2K）占據了所 有媒體頭條。「那時人們對自用住宅與自家耕種產生濃 厚的興趣，」他回憶著，「我們印刷的種子目錄數量，從 550 份一下增漲至7,000、8,000 份。」2008 年世界金 融危機時也出現類似的成長。他因此觀察到，當景氣充 滿不確定性時，人們就會急於投入糧食栽種。

而近幾年來對世界金融的不確定性，再一次驅使人 們走進菜園。「有些人耕種只是為了食物、有些人是想種 植食物與放鬆心情，還有些人只是想做點什麼，好讓他

that got their minds off of everything that was going on," Gettle said. "I think that’s one of the big reasons people do it. Besides, everyone just loves fresh tomatoes.”

Now, in addition to their print catalogs, the Baker Creek website (RareSeeds.com), which boasts the “largest selections of 19th-century heirloom seeds from Europe and Asia,” attracts 1.2 million users per month. They fill about a million orders per year, with an average order size of 13 packets, and customers now order more often throughout the year, not just in the spring. The largest demographic groups are the 24- to 34-year-olds and the pre-retirement group, 55 to 65, but those differences are not large, and even the 18- to 24-year-olds are getting into it.

Baker Creek is for gardeners who want a lot of choices, Gettle said. “If you’re just looking for a radish, you’re probably just as good going into a hardware store. But if you’re looking for the best paste tomato or the best orange paste tomato? We have some options: better flavor; or sweeter, lower acid; larger size; or a different color.” The company grows a variety of crops on its Missouri farm, and it also works with about 200 growers, gardeners, and small-seed producers.

“People have gotten away from eating the same old varieties,” he said. Think the ubiquitous Red Delicious apples and Cavendish bananas, easy to ship and blemish-free in the produce aisles. These commercial varieties are mostly bred for shipping, while heirlooms were originally bred for local consumption, so whether or not it bruised easily or ripened in transit didn’t matter when it only needed to travel across the yard to the dinner table, Gettle explained. His customers “miss the flavors from when they were children, or they learn about the different flavors from the farmers market or a restaurant or their neighbors, and it gets them excited once they start growing the different varieties. It’s hard to quit trying different things.”

For Gettle, the joy of working with these heirlooms always comes back to the bigger picture. It’s about learning the stories behind these unique varieties and “being able to pass [them] on, and connecting people with their food cultures and gardening cultures, and connecting it all back together in a way so that they can relive their past—with their grandmother, their ethnic culture or country,”

he said. At the same time, it “introduces people to other traditions and foodways and ideas about food— as well as flowers and gardening. It all feels good, it feels like something we should be doing: connecting to my family and other families, and at the same time building a more sustainable local community where people grow some of their own food.”

們不去想世界上正在發生的事。」格特爾說到，「我認為 這是人們種菜的其中一個主因——況且，大家都愛新鮮 的番茄。」

現在貝克溪除了印刷的種子目錄，也架設了網站 （RareSeeds.com），每個月吸引 1,200 萬用戶造訪， 該網站聲稱，「擁有最多來自歐洲與亞洲的 19 世紀古傳 品種。」他們每年大約會寄出 100 萬筆訂單，平均每筆 訂單有 13 包種子，而且現在消費者購買的頻率變高，不 只有在春天購買，他們一年四季都會接到訂單。他們最 大的客群，年齡落在 24 至 34 歲，也有 55 至 65 歲的 準退休人士，不過客群年齡差異並不大，甚至開始有 18 至 24 歲的客群。

格特爾說，貝克溪是為喜歡眾多選擇的園藝愛好者 而存在。「如果你只是在找蘿蔔種子，你大可以去五金賣 場買就好。但是如果你想找的是最適合做番茄糊的李子 番茄，或橘色的李子番茄，我們有一些不同選擇——有 風味較好的、比較甜且低酸度的、果實比較大顆的，或 是不同顏色的。」該公司在密蘇里的農場種植了各式各樣 的作物，並且與大約兩百名種植者、園藝工人，和小型種 子生產商合作。

「人們已不再總是食用相同的舊品種，」格特爾補充 道，想想超市中隨處可見的紅星蘋果與卡文迪許香蕉， 既方便運輸且外觀完好，這些商業品種大多都是種來賣 到世界各地。而古傳品種最初種植就是為了給當地人食 用，所以無論它是否容易碰傷，還是會在運送期間熟透 都無所謂，因為它只需穿越菜園，就直達餐桌。顧客們 「想念來自童年的味道，或是他們從農夫市集、餐廳、 鄰居那邊嘗到的新風味。而他們一旦開始栽種不同的品 種，就感到興奮，放棄嘗試不同的事物是很困難的！」 對格特爾來說，收集古傳種子幫助他了解到世界的 多樣面貌，使其獲益良多。當他了解這些獨特品種背後的 故事後，他心存感激：「透過傳承這些種子及其代表的飲 食與耕種文化，促進人與人間產生更多的連結，讓人們能 夠重新體驗過去的生活——就如與他們的祖先、民族文 化或國家生活在一起。」與此同時，還能傳播世界各地的 傳統與飲食文化，進而認識各色植物不同的栽培方法。

他心滿意足地表示：「一切都很美好，就像是我們 理當該做的事：與家人保持良好關係，與其他的家庭也 是，同時也建立起一個以永續經營為旨的在地社區，一 個居民都能自耕自給之所。」

With his heirloom vegetables, Gettle offers customers nostalgic tastes of childhood.

SPRING DETOX TIPS BY EATING THE RIGHT FOODS

春日排毒飲食

By GreenMedInfo

Want to lighten up and slide effortlessly into summer fun? Eating these three foods is a great way to boost your health and detoxify your body, so you can sail through spring with ease.

1. WHEY

Whey protein, a byproduct of the cheese-making process, is an amino acid-rich supplement long favored by bodybuilders. Associated with improving body weight and reducing fat composition, whey can be an effective aid in the treatment of metabolic conditions like high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and lipid metabolism.

2. BROCCOLI SPROUTS

Sprouted broccoli seeds, along with the seeds of other cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts and cabbage, produce a sulfur-based nutrient called sulforaphane. Studies have linked it to such effects as reducing inflammation, slowing tumor growth, and blocking cancerous DNA mutations. At just three days old, the sprouts contain nearly 100 times more sulforaphane per gram than the mature plant.

3. GREEN TEA

Did you know that it can also boost your detox efforts? Consumption of green tea has been clinically shown to reduce the adverse effects of lead and may even help to increase fertility. An experimental study of 70 rats exposed to lead showed that rats given green tea extract showed reduced effects of poisoning.

春季也是排毒的好時機，排毒可以消除長冬帶給身體的 倦怠感。以下食材是春季排毒的佳品，有助於清除冬季 體內累積的垃圾，讓身體更加清爽、輕盈。

1 . 乳清蛋白

乳清蛋白是起司製作過程中的副產品，富含胺基酸，長 期備受健身愛好者和關注健康人士的青睞。乳清蛋白與 改善體重和減少體脂的組成有關，乳清蛋白也是針對某 些代謝性疾病的有效治療成分，如高血壓、胰島素抵抗 和脂質代謝。

2 . 花椰菜芽

發芽的花椰菜籽與其他十字花科蔬菜，如布魯塞爾豆芽 （Brussels sprouts，即球芽甘藍）和捲心菜，會產生硫 代葡萄糖 （水解會產生異硫氰酸鹽）。關於異硫氰酸 鹽的研究表明，其具有減輕炎症、減緩腫瘤生長、阻止 癌性DNA突變，以及能中和有毒的自由基，進行排毒等 作用。生長三天的花椰菜芽，每克所含的異硫氰酸鹽是 成熟花椰菜的近100 倍。

3 . 綠茶

臨床研究表明，攝入綠茶可以降低鉛對人體產生的不良 影響，甚至可能有助於增加生育率。一項研究對70 隻暴 露於鉛的大老鼠進行檢測，結果表明，攝入綠茶萃取物 的大老鼠，比測試組的其他測試對象保留了更多體重， 並有鉛中毒減緩的現象。

The article is excerpted from “Eat These Nine Foods for a Spring Detox.” To explore the full list of foods, please visit Elite-Magazine.com.

Milena’s friends

by Clodoaldo Martins Humanity & Culture Award

NTD International Figure Painting Competition 2019

Original artworks, canvas wraps and prints of Award-winning oil paintings now available at

InspiredOriginal.Org/Store

史詩般的鉅作

神韻藉由表演把人類文明中偉大的寶藏―― 華夏五千年文化精華，濃縮成為一場超越時 空、啟發靈性之旅。

神韻將世界上最古老、最豐富的藝術形式之 一——中國古典舞與專利動態天幕特效、原創 交響樂作品相結合，開啟通往新世界的大門， 那裡有輝煌美麗的文明與傳承千年的智慧。

神韻邀您一起神遊無限時空，跟隨歷史聖哲、 詩人們追尋天人合一的境界；宮娥翩躚起舞宛 如仙子，將軍英姿矯健一展雄威；千古傳奇彰 顯勇氣與德行；天地在此交會互通，展現奇觀 與神蹟。

一次令您屏息凝神，心馳神往的體驗。

一場源自五千年神傳文明的演出， 在西方社會

成為傳統文化復興的主導者。

「

神韻演出中具有包容世界的巨大力量，帶給 人們無限的希望。真的是天堂在人間的顯現。」

—Danlel Herman，前捷克文化部長

「 我給她最高的五顆星！我評論了大約4000場 秀，沒有一場能與神韻媲美。」

—Richard Connema，百老匯著名戲劇評論家

「 演出令人着迷！我鼓勵每個人來看，我們 都能從中學習。」

—Danna Karan，DKNY品牌創始人