高级英语1 Unit10 The Artist in America 翻译

1 This day, devoted to the memory of Robert Frost, offers an opportunity for reflection which is

prized by politicians as well as by others and even by poets. For Robert Frost was one of the granite

figures of our time in America. He was supremely two things—an artist and an American.

今天死纪念罗伯特弗罗斯特的日子，同时它提供了一个反思机会，政治家、其他人、甚至诗人都珍视这一天。因为＊是美国最引人注目的人物之一。他有两种极端的特质，一个是艺术家，另一个美国人。 2 A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, also by the men it honors, the men it re-members.

一个国家不仅通过它产生的人来揭示自己，还有这个民族在纪念谁，记得谁。

3 In America our heroes have customarily run to men of large accomplishments. But today this

college and country honors a man whose contribution was not to our size but to our spirit; not to our

political beliefs but to our insight; not to our self-esteem, but to our self-comprehension.

在美国，我们的英雄通常都是追求成就的人。但今天，这所大学和这个国家表彰这样一个人，他的贡献不是针对我们的外在实力，而是针对我们的内在精神；不是巩固我们的政治信念，而是强化我们的洞察力；不是满足我们的自尊心，而是提升我们的自我理解力。

4 In honoring Robert Frost we therefore can pay honor to the deepest sources of our national

strength. That strength takes many forms and the most obvious forms are not always the most sig-nificant.

我们纪念＊从而来纪念我们国家力量的最深源泉。这种力量的存在多种多样，显而易见的并非最重要的。

5 The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the nation’s greatness. But the

men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that question-ing is disinterested.

创造权力的人对国家的伟大作出了不可缺少的贡献。但质疑权力的人也做出了同样不可或缺的贡献，尤其是当这种质疑公正无私之时。

6 For they determine whether we use power or power uses us. Our national strength matters; but

the spirit which informs and controls our strength matters just as much. This was the special signifi-cance of Robert Frost.

因为他们决定了是我们运用权力还是权力运用我们。我们的国家实力固然重要，但蕴含在这实力之中并对之加以有效控制的精神也同样重要。这就是＊的特殊意义所在。

7 He brought an unsparing instinct for reality to bear on the platitudes and pieties of society. His

sense of the human tragedy fortified him against self-deception and easy consolation.

他生来就对真相孜孜以求，并以此向社会上的陈腐和陈规开战。他的人间悲剧意识使他不会自我欺骗，也不会被廉价的安慰所安抚。

8 “I have been,” he wrote, “one acquainted with the night.”

他写道：“我是一个熟悉黑暗的人。”9 And because he knew the midnight as well as the high noon, because he understood the ordeal as

well as the triumph of the human spirit, he gave his age strength with which to overcome despair.

因为他既了解午夜的黑暗也了解正午的光明，既懂得人类精神之痛苦也懂得人类精神之欢欣，所以他赋予了那个时代战胜绝望的力量。

10 At bottom he held a deep faith in the spirit of man. And it’s hardly an accident that Robert Frost

coupled poetry and power. For he saw poetry as the means of saving power from itself.

他对人的精神深信不疑。＊将诗歌和权力结合在一起绝非偶然，因为他明白诗歌是挽救

力量的力量。

11 When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power

narrows the areas of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his exist-ence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.

当权力使人走向傲慢时，诗歌提醒他的局限性。当权力缩小了人们的关切范围时，诗歌提醒他人的生命的丰富性和多样性。当力量腐化时，诗歌会进化。

12 For art establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstones of our judgment.

The artist, however faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the indi-vidual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state.

艺术建立起来的真实，这真理必须作为我们判断的试金石。艺术家，无论多么忠于其个人的现实观，都会成为维护个体思想和情感的最后斗士，都会与扰民的社会和专横的国家抗争。

13 The great artist is thus a solitary figure. He has, as Frost said, “a lover’s quarrel with the

world.” In pursuing his perceptions of reality he must often sail against the currents of his time.

This is not a popular role.

伟大的艺术家都是孤独的。就像＊说的，“热爱这个世界并为之争吵。”为了追求他对世界的理解，他必须逆流而上。这不是一个受欢迎的人。

14 If Robert Frost was much honored during his lifetime, it was because a good many preferred to

ignore his darker truths.

如果说罗伯特•弗罗斯特生前就满载荣耀，那是因为有许多人宁愿对其揭示的黑暗真理视而不见。

15 Yet in retrospect we see how the artist’s fidelity has strengthened the fiber of our national life.

If sometimes our great artists have been the most critical of our society it is because their sensitivity

and their concern for justice, which must motivate any true artist, makes him aware that our nation

falls short of its highest potential.

然而，当我们回顾过往，就会看到这位艺术家是如何以他的忠诚提升了我们国民生活的品格。我们伟大的艺术家有时会对社会极其挑剔，之所以如此，那是因为他们对正义既敏感又关注，这种敏感和关注必定会激励所有真正的艺术家，使其认识到我们的国家尚未发挥出最大潜力。

16 I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recog-nition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist

free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.

我认为对我们的国家和文明来说，没有什么比充分认可艺术家的地位更重要的了。如果艺术是为了滋养我们文化的根基，那么社会必须让艺术家自由地追随他的梦想。17 We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. And as Mr.

(Archibald) MacLeish once remarked of poets, “There is nothing worse for our trade than to be in

style.”

我们不应忘记，艺术从来都不是一种宣传的形式；它是真理的一种形式。正如。。说道：“我们这一行的人遭到僵化。”

18 In free society art is not a weapon and it does not belong to the sphere of polemics and ideolo-gy. Artists are not engineers of the soul.

在自由社会，艺术不是一种武器，它也不属于任何思想和意识形态的范畴。艺术家并不是塑造灵魂的人。

19 It may be different elsewhere. But democratic society—in it—the highest duty of the writer, the

composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may.

在其他地方也许会有所不同。但是在民主社会，作家、作曲家、艺术家的最高职责是听从本心而无须顾虑其后果如何。20 In serving his vision of the truth the artist best serves his nation. And the nation which disdains

the mission of art invites the fate of Robert Frost’s hired man—“the fate of having nothing to look

backward to with pride and nothing to look forward to with hope.”

保持自我是对这个民族最好的贡献。这个蔑视艺术的使命的民族招致了＊这个雇工的命

运。回首过去无以自豪，展望未来无所希冀

21 I look forward to a great future for America—a future in which our country will match its mili-tary strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.

我向往着国家的未来，在这个未来，我们的国家将用道德上的自我克制来匹配军事力量，用智慧来匹配财富，能力与目的相结合。

22 I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty, which will protect

the beauty of our natural environment, which will preserve the great old American houses and

squares and parks of our national past and which will build handsome and balanced cities for our

future.

我向往一个美国不会害怕美丽、优雅，这将保护我们的自然环境的美丽，保护美国胸围的古老建筑和我们国家的的广场和公园，构建一个美丽而和谐的未来之城。23 I look forward to an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achieve-ment in business or statecraft.

我向往着一个美国，他将奖励艺术成就，就像我们奖励商业成就或治国之道。

24 I look forward to an America which will steadily raise the standards of artistic accomplishment

and which will steadily enlarge cultural opportunities for all of our citizens.

我向往着一个美国，它将提升艺术成就的标准，而且会逐步扩大全体公民的文化机会。25 I look forward to an America which commands respect throughout the world not only for its

strength but for its civilization as well.

我向往着一个美国，它因为通过文明获得尊重而非其淫威。26 And I look forward to a world which will be safe not only for democracy and diversity but also

for personal distinction.

我向往着一个美国，它不仅对民主和多样性来说是安全的，还有对个体差异来说也是。

27 Robert Frost was often skeptical about projects for human improvement. Yet I do not think he

would disdain this hope.

＊经常对改善人类的项目持怀疑态度。但我不认为他会蔑视这种希望。 28 As he wrote during the uncertain days of the Second War:Take human nature altogether since time began,… And it must be a little more in favor of man, Say a fraction of one percent at the very least,…

Our hold on the planet wouldn’t have so increased.

就像他在二战的动荡岁月中写下的，

把人性的自然放在一起，人向善一面更多一点，至少百分之一中的一点，我们对这个世界的掌握，不会像这样增加。

29 Because of Mr. Frost’s life and work, because of the life and work of this college, our

hold on this planet has increased.

因为＊的生活和工作，因为他在这所大学的生活和工作，我们对这个世界的掌握又多一分。

Robert Frost is one of the greatest poets in America. He had a short period at Harvard, but though

he did very well, he left in the middle owing to his tuberculosis. Then he worked at odd jobs, mak-ing shoes, editing a country newspaper, teaching school and finally farming. This kind of life expe-rience had its effect upon his poetry in more than the choice of subjects, for he wished that his poet-ry should be as simple and honest as an axe or hoe. Therefore when he was apparently talking about

some farming activities or daily routines in poetry, he endeavored to express some very profound

philosophical ideas in reality. His style is simple and natural, but very graceful. He won the Pulitzer

Prize on four occasions. When he was eighty-seven years old, he was invited to read his poetry at

the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961.