“游泳”图释(续)

Swimming: Historical Account by Words and Images(Part 2)

晚清以来中国的日常生活用语发生了根本变化,它与"理论旅行"同理,负载着中外文化交流的印痕,在传播使用过程中形塑了日常思维习惯与生活方式,在今日图像成为人们日常经验的媒介。本文以"游泳"的词语与图像作为叙事对象,试图作一种历史脉络化的描述。图像无声,却带来历史瞬间的实感。除了"游泳",还选取了与之相关的"泅水"、"海水浴"及"出浴"等,借以展示词语沿革的轨迹及其多重空间。因此从水中冒险到体育运动、从国际竞赛到身体规训、从都市到郊外,新的组织和机构、新的社会空间应运而生,一种现代都市的日常生活方式在成形。这好似有关身体和水的现代生活史,片断而含有多种可能。

Since the Late 19th Century Chinese language of everyday life has witnessed sea change. Analogous to 'traveling theory', words in daily use carry with them transnational and transcultural experiences, shaping people's thinking modes and life style. Apparently today we are more influenced by images in terms of everyday experience. This essay focuses on the term youyong(游泳, swimming), with a brief historical account being made by words and images. Besides 'swimming', other relational words such as 'sea bathing', 'after bathing'(出浴) are examined, so as to show verbal and imagery changes in different times and their multiple spaces. Therefore, new institutions, regulations, andsocial spaces emerged from adventure in water to physical exercises, from international contests to social control through bodies, and from city to suburb, and modern forms of everyday life takes shape. A history of body and water in modern life is experimental and open to new possibilities.