2024年3月17日发(作者：)

英语专业八级中文翻译

Opera is expensive: that much is inevitable. But expensive things are not

inevitably the province of the rich unless we abdicate society's power of choice.

We can choose to make opera, and other expensive forms of culture, aessible to

those who cannot individually pay for it. The question is: why should we? Nobody

denies the imperatives of food, shelter, defense, health and education. But even

in a prehistoric cave, mankind stretched out a hand not just to eat, drink or fight,

but also to draw. The impulse towards culture, the desire to express and explore

the world through imagination and representation is fundamental. In Europe, this

desire has found fulfillment in the masterpieces of our music, art, literature and

theatre. These masterpieces are the touchstones for all our efforts; they are the

touchstones for the possibilities to which human thought and imagination may

aspire; they carry the most profound messages that can be sent from one human

to another.

聆听歌剧，无疑昂贵至极。但是，昂贵的事物并非必定属于富人的范畴，除非我们放

弃社会的选择权。我们可以选择去使歌剧以及某些昂贵的文化形式也能为那些不具备个人

支付能力的人所享受。但问题是，我们有必要这么做吗?没人会否认食物、居所、防护、

安康与教育的不可或缺性。但即便是在史前时代的洞穴中，人类伸出手来，早就不单纯是

为了吃、喝或搏杀，而且亦进展绘画创作。人类对于文化的冲动，通过形象思维和再现手

段来表现并探索世界的欲望，乃亘古有之。在欧洲，这一欲望在我们的音乐、艺术、文学

和戏剧杰作中到了其实现形式。这些杰作构成了我们全部努力的试金石。作为试金石，它

们能衡量出人类的思想和力所可能企及的程度。它们携带着最寓意深刻的主题，可在人类

彼此间相互传递。