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0Minimalism vs maximalism
Some say you can tell a lot about a person by the way they decorate their home. We often find pleasure in the things we stick in our houses, be it trinkets we bought on holiday, film memorabilia or paintings to liven up walls. And when we head to others' houses, we often see things we appreciate, but wouldn't have in our own homes, because maybe they're not quite to our taste. The point is, the way we decorate our homes is very personal. And while many of us have plenty of stuff, there are always people who go that little bit further. So, when it comes to minimalism and maximalism, which one appeals to you more?
有人说，从一个人的家居装饰可以看出他的性格。我们常常会在自己家里摆放的东西中找到乐趣，无论是度假时买的小饰品、电影纪念品还是为墙壁添彩的画作。而当我们去别人家我们经常会看到一些我们很欣赏，但却不会放在自己家里的东西，因为它们可能不太符合我们的品味。关键是，我们装饰自己家的方式是非常个性化的。虽然我们中的很多人都有很多东西，但总有人会走得更远一些。那么，说到极简主义和极繁主义，你更喜欢哪一种呢？
Minimalism was an art movement that started in the 1950s. Its basic principles are derived from a concept of 'less is more' – reducing things back to their most basic. Some people took that art style and used it as a way of living. Ideas of vast open spaces with an organised and functional structure may spring to mind. They are usually decorated in simple pastel colours, with many minimalists opting for duotone, often just black and white. For some, especially maximalists, it may seem sparse and a bit bland to live without many things – even boring or depressing. However, living in this way is seen by many as more practical.
极简主义是 20 世纪 50 年代兴起的一场艺术运动。其基本原则源于“少即是多”的概念——将事物简化到最基本的程度。一些人将这种艺术风格作为一种生活方式。在他们的脑海中，可能会浮现出广阔的开放空间和有组织的功能结构。这些空间通常采用简单的淡色装饰，许多极简主义者选择双色调，通常只有黑色和白色。对于一些人，尤其是极繁主义者来说，没有太多东西的生活可能会显得稀疏和平淡，甚至无聊或压抑。然而，许多人认为这种极简生活方式更实用。
Maximalism is the opposite of minimalism and started in the 1970s. It embraces the core ideals that 'more is more'. While minimalism centres around the principle of decluttering, it's easy to imagine that a maximalist home is overflowing with items – but that's not the base idea. It's more about filling the space – making the most of the area. Structured excess and bold colours combined with mixed patterns is what you will see in a home like this. For a minimalist, used to more simplistic designs, it could be overwhelming. But for those who embrace it, those things give a space personality.
极繁主义是极简主义的反面，始于20世纪70年代。它的核心理念是“越多越好”。极简主义的核心原则是“精简”，人们很容易想象极繁主义的家会堆满物品，但这并不是它的基本理念。极繁主义更注重空间的填充——即充分利用空间。像这样的房子里，你会看到有序的过量物品、色彩鲜明的混合图案。对于习惯于更简单设计的极简主义者来说，这可能难以承受。但是对于那些接受它的人来说，那些物品赋予了空间以个性。
The way you have your home is up to you! But, if you opt for maximalism, you may need to prepare for a bit more dusting.
您可以根据自己的喜好来布置自己的家！不过，如果你选择极繁主义，你可能需要为更多的灰尘做准备。
词汇表
stick 放在（家里）
trinket 小装饰品，小玩意
memorabilia 纪念品
liven up 使…有生气，为…添彩
to one’s taste 适合某人的口味
decorate 装饰
minimalism 极简主义
maximalism 极繁主义
less is more 少即是多
vast 巨大的
functional 实用的
pastel （颜色）淡而柔和的
duotone 双色调
sparse 零落的
bland 乏味的
core 核心的
declutter 清理（空间）
overflowing 满得容不下
structured 有条理的，有结构的
excess 过剩
bold （色彩）醒目的，艳丽的
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