多年前与哲学家赵汀洋有过一面之交。偶然发现有同好，当时我们闲谈了一通侦探武侠小说。赵的一个发现我至今记得：他说武侠的武艺高下从名字就能看出来。象我这样姓名普通的（其实一旦姓了张，再特别的名字也挽救不了了），基本属于一出场就被干掉的。当然赵自己的姓名也是半斤八两。也许汀洋比永和能略多战几个回合。也就是说，武林的高手则普遍有着非同寻常的名字；姓复姓的人口大大超出其它行业。姓单姓的又能坚持到小说结束的也不是没有，但恐怕一定要姓个冷，再名冰川什么的，才行。
　　我想说的是为什么冷冰川不是等闲之辈。一听名字，已知来者不善。而当人们按习惯去读这冷冰川三字，即冷 冰川，却很容易被误导，随着地理学的暗示认为此君乃冷酷之人。我以为，这名字的读法应是冷冰 川。看这川字，对于一个视觉艺术家来说，分明是三把刀，而不是一条河。也就是说，这名字的真正意思是此公拥有冷冰冰的或寒光照人的三件利刃，三件兵器。据我了解，冷冰川也确实是善用三把刀。
　　这第一把刀是剃头刀。冷留着贴头皮薄薄一层短发，都是他自己理。我自己也有时理发，但只是修修前面。冷则是全面地、立体地自理，功夫可见一斑。
　　第二把刀是切菜刀。这把刀我亲身领教过。冷一人在厨房里，像变魔术似地不断出菜，个个既简单清爽又回味无穷，令人招架不暇。
　　第三把刀是暗器，因为我没见过，估计是从油画刀到刻刀到铲刀到任何可能的刀。尽管冷的绘画主题及材料不断地变化，以刀为做画的主要甚至是唯一工具这一点是不变的。因为刀，也就不免黑白分明，决不含糊。似乎也是因为用刀，现在他对麻草肌理之类大感兴趣。我自己是建筑师，所以很容易理解，正是这刀使冷的创作过程成为「做」画（创作过程成为一种活生的冒险），而不是「画」画。「冷做」的具体定义是切，割，划，刻，拍，抹，搅，堆，染，磨，等等，包括所有带立刀的动词，当然有些带手的，还有石头泥土什么的（这正是要穿透冷冰川表面的关键，不然就小看人心了）。「冷做」定义了「冷画」。这算是我的工具主导论吧。
　　还想说明的是：我反对把冷冰川读作冷 冰川的另一原因是冷根本不冷。他人非常热情，头上还常常冒着汗，至少是冒着热气。冷冰川说的正是刀冷人不冷。
　　我以为冷也有象冰川的一面：他好像处于变化时期，他的作品的温度似乎在不断上升，冷静正在被逐步化解。我很好奇下面会冷出什么新着儿。
　　最后提醒各位看官，由于我结识冷的人和看到他的作品是同时的，再想把两者分开，实在有些困难。人艺混淆之处，还请多多包涵。

Leng-Bing　Chuan

　　Years ago,I once met the philosopher Zhao Tingyang. I found we had the same interest by chance,and we chatted over the detective novels and martial art novels for a while. I do remember one of Zhao’s discoveries up till now. He told me that,whether a martial knight has got the skillful arts can be recognized only by his name. A person who has a surname as common as mine① (Actually,once you have got such a common surname,no matter how spectacular your first name can be,it may never save your life) usually belongs to those who will surely be killed when first appearing in the novel. Of course,Zhao he himself has got a surname which may lead to almost the same fate. Perhaps his first name Ting-Yang② may show that he can fight for more rounds than I because I have just got a more common first name Yong-He. That is to say,those martial masters usually have got very uncommon names. The group of people who have got double-character surnames in martial field is much larger than those who earn living by other trade. We should admit there can be indeed someone who has got the single-character surname③ and is persistent to the end. However,I am afraid he must have got a surname as uncommon as Leng,and a special first name like Bingchuan,and then he will win at last.
　　What I have said above is to explain why Leng Bingchuan is not an ordinary man. As soon as hearing his name,we get to know this person is not unimportant. However,when reading his three-character name by dividing them into the surname Leng,and then first name Bingchuan by following Chinese custom in reading the name,people will easily be misled. With the hint of geography,people may think this person must be very cruel.④ In my opinion,this three-character name should be read as Leng-Bing first,and then Chuan. Look at this character Chuan,to a vision artist,this character is clearly like three knives,instead of a river. That is to say,the real meaning of this name implies that this guy has got three ice-cold or shining sharp knives,or three weapons. As what I know indeed,Leng Bingchuan is quite good at using the three knives.
　　The first one is the razor. Leng has his hair cut very short which is so close to the scalp,and he cuts his hair all by himself. Sometimes,I do the haircut by myself,but it is to cut the hair over the forehead. Leng cuts his hair in all-round and from all sides,from which we can see his Kong Fu clearly.
　　The second one is the kitchen knife. I learned its power personally. Leng stays alone in the kitchen and cooks dishes one after another,just like doing the magic. All these dishes are simple,fresh and delicious,and it seems we even do not have enough time to have a good taste of them all.
　　The third one is a secret knife. I haven’t seen it with my eyes. I reckon it might be anything like oil painting knife,woodcut knife,shovel knife,or any other possible kind of knives. Though the subjects and the materials of Leng’s paintings change constantly,yet he does the painting mainly or only with knife,it never changes definitely. Because it is done with knife,so the distinction of black and white on his painting is quite obvious with no obscurity. And also because he uses knife,it seems now he is so greatly interested in the texture of the kind of urticaceous plant. I am an architect myself,so I can understand him easily. It is just this knife that makes the process of Leng’s creation become the“doing”of the painting,instead of“drawing”the painting (in which the process of art creation turns to be a lively adventure). The specific program of“Leng’s doing”(cold-doing) is to cut,to incise,to carve,to pat,to plaster,to stir,to heap,to color,to polish,etc. All the Chinese characters with the element of word-shape of knife as the verbs can be used to describe his“doing”,and also some other verbs with the word-shape of hand and stone and so on. (These word-shapes can be crucial to catch the key point of him through his appearance. Otherwise,he will be belittled.)“Leng’s doing”(cold-doing) determines“Leng’s painting”(cold painting). This can be regarded as my instrument-dominance idea.
　　What I want to explain more is that,I have another reason to object to reading the three-character name Leng Bingchuan as Leng first,and then Bingchuan. That is,Leng as a person is not cold at all. He is really very warm-hearted and he always perspires over his head,or at least gives off heat. To read his name as Leng-Bing first,and then Chuan also implies that the knife is cold,not this person.
　　I also think Leng Bingchuan has the nature of the glacier. It seems he is in his changing period. His works are getting warmer and warmer,and the coldness,as well as the calmness is gradually dissolving. I am so curious what will be created again with his“Leng”(coldness) next.
　　At last,I will remind all the spectators that,since I got to know him as a person and his works at the same time,it is very hard for me to separate the two from each other. If I confuse Leng as a person with his works together,I would like to ask for your forgiveness.
Notes:
①My surname is Zhang (张),a very popular surname in China.
②Ting-Yang (汀洋) as a first name in China seems to be more special than Yong-He (永和).
③Double-character surname and singe-character surname：Chinese people usually have single-character surname (单姓),with which the surname is made up of one single Chinese character. Only few people have double-character surname (复姓),with which the surname is made up of two Chinese characters. So usually double-character surname is more uncommon.
④In Chinese character,“Leng”(冷) means“cold”,“Bing”(冰) means“ice”,“Chuan”(川) means“river”.“Leng-Bing”(冷冰) means“cold ice”.“Bing-Chuan”(冰川) means“glacier”. If people read this name as“Leng”first and then“Bing-Chuan”,it means“cold”and“glacier”. If people read the name as“Leng -Bing”first and then“Chuan”,it means“cold ice”and“river”. The word-shape of“Chuan”is like three vertical lines,here being understood by the author as three knives.
(These notes are made by the translator.)