Memory and Absence in Digital Archives

jiāng将jiù旧zhàopiàn照片hé和dìfang地方wénxiàn文献shàng上chuán传dào到wǎngluò网络，cháng常bèi被shìwéi视为bǎocún保存jítǐ集体jìyì记忆de的yǒuxiào有效fāngshì方式。

Uploading old photographs and local documents is often seen as an effective way to preserve collective memory.

shùzì数字dàngàn档案tūpò突破le了shítǐ实体guǎn馆cáng藏de的kōngjiān空间xiànzhì限制，shǐ使yuǎnfāng远方de的shǐyòng使用zhě者yě也néng能jiēchù接触yuánběn原本nányǐ难以huòqǔ获取de的zīliào资料。

Digital archives overcome the spatial limits of physical collections, giving distant users access to previously inaccessible materials.

ránér然而，kě可fǎngwèn访问de的zīliào资料zēngjiā增加，bìng并bù不yìwèizhe意味着guòqu过去yǐjīng已经huòdé获得le了wánzhěng完整chéngxiàn呈现。

Yet an increase in accessible material does not mean that the past has been represented in full.

nǎxiē哪些wùpǐn物品nénggòu能够bǎocún保存xiàlai下来，nǎxiē哪些nèiróng内容yōuxiān优先shùzì数字huà化，běnshēn本身jiù就shòudào受到zīyuán资源yǔ与pànduàn判断de的yǐngxiǎng影响。

Resources and judgements influence which objects survive and which materials are digitised first.

liúxià留下shūmiàn书面jìlù记录jiào较duō多de的qúntǐ群体，kěnéng可能bǐ比yīlài依赖kǒutou口头chuánchéng传承de的qúntǐ群体gèng更róngyì容易jìnrù进入jiǎn检suǒ索jiēguǒ结果。

Groups that leave more written records may appear more readily in search results than those relying on oral transmission.

zhè这zhǒng种chāyì差异bùyīdìng不一定láizì来自yǒuyì有意páichú排除，què却kěnéng可能zài在fǎnfù反复shǐyòng使用zhōng中bèi被wù误rèn认chéng成lìshǐ历史de的zhòngyào重要chéngdù程度。

This difference need not arise from deliberate exclusion, yet repeated use may lead people to mistake it for a measure of historical importance.

yīncǐ因此，dàngàn档案de的shuōmíng说明bù不yīng应zhǐ只jièshào介绍yǐjīng已经shōu收lù录le了shénme什么，yě也yīng应tíshì提示shàng尚cún存nǎxiē哪些kòngbái空白。

Archive descriptions should therefore explain not only what has been collected, but also what gaps remain.

quēshī缺失bìngfēi并非wú无shì事fāshēng发生，kěnéng可能zhǐshì只是méiyou没有jìlù记录、méiyou没有bǎocún保存，huò或shàngwèi尚未wánchéng完成zhěnglǐ整理。

An absence does not mean that nothing happened; it may mean that events were unrecorded, records were lost, or materials have not yet been processed.

bǔchōng补充kǒu口shù述fǎngtán访谈yǔ与shèqū社区zhēngjí征集，kěyǐ可以tuòkuān拓宽láiyuán来源，dàn但yě也xūyào需要héshí核实bèijǐng背景bìng并zūnzhòng尊重jiǎngshù讲述zhě者de的yìyuàn意愿。

Oral interviews and community contributions can broaden sources, but they also require contextual verification and respect for contributors' wishes.

tóngyī同一jiàn件zīliào资料hái还kěnéng可能cúnzài存在bùtóng不同jiěshì解释，shùzì数字jiè界miàn面yīng应wèi为zhèxiē这些chāyì差异bǎoliú保留wèizhi位置。

The same source may support different interpretations, and digital interfaces should leave room for those differences.

fǒuzé否则，jiǎn检suǒ索de的biànjié便捷róngyì容易zhìzào制造yī一zhǒng种cuòjué错觉，fǎngfú仿佛pái排zài在qiánmian前面de的dáàn答案jiùshì就是wéiyī唯一dáàn答案。

Otherwise, convenient searching can create the illusion that the first answer is the only answer.

bǎocún保存jìyì记忆de的mùbiāo目标，yīngdāng应当bāokuò包括bǎocún保存lǐjiě理解jìyì记忆suǒ所bìxū必需de的xiànsuǒ线索。

Preserving memory should include preserving the clues needed to understand it.

zhǐyǒu只有bǎ把zīliào资料de的láiyuán来源、biānjiè边界yǔ与bù不quèdìng确定xìng性yī一bìng并chéngxiàn呈现，shùzì数字dàngàn档案cáinéng才能chéngwéi成为tàn探jiū究de的qǐdiǎn起点。

Only by presenting sources, limitations and uncertainty together can digital archives serve as starting points for inquiry.

tāmen它们de的jiàzhí价值bù不zàiyú在于xuāngào宣告guòqu过去yǐjīng已经wánzhěng完整，ér而zàiyú在于ràng让gèng更duō多rén人cānyù参与chíxù持续de的bǔchōng补充yǔ与biàn辨xī析。

Their value lies not in declaring the past complete, but in enabling more people to contribute to its ongoing reconstruction and interpretation.