Opera is expensive: that much is inevitable. But expensive things are not inevitably the province of the rich unless we abdicate

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问题     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, accessible 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.

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答案 但是,高贵的东西并不一定只属于富人,除非我们放弃社会的选择权。我们可以让歌剧和其他高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。问题是,为什么我们要这么做?没有人否认食物、住所、防御、健康和教育是必需品,但是,即使在.史前洞穴中,人类伸出手来,也不单单是为了吃喝或搏杀,他还用手来进行绘画创作。人类对文化的冲动以及通过想象与艺术手段来表现和探索世界的欲望,亘古有之。在欧洲,这一欲望在我们的音乐、艺术、文学和戏剧的杰作中获得了实现。这些杰作是我们全部努力的试金石,也是人类的思想与想象力能达到何种高度的试金石,它们承载着最深刻的启示,在人与人之间相互传递。

解析 1、本段回答为什么要进行文化普及的问题,语体正式,翻译时一要注意篇章的逻辑结构,二要注意词性的转换和词义的具体化处理。
2、判断疑难词的词义,并在译文中确定恰当措辞是翻译的难点之一,如:第1句的province意为a subject that one knows a lot about,expensive things are not inevitably theprovince of the rich译为“高贵的东西并不一定只属于富人”,其中名词province转译成动词“属于”。
3、第2句的make...accessible to sb.…可理解为make it easy for sb.to understand andenjoy…,故可将整句译为“我们可以让歌剧和其他高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”。
4、第4句和第5句存在转折关系,所以在翻译时可合并为一个句子;imperatives意为thingsthat are essential,译为“必需品”。
5、润饰词语是英译汉的重要环节,如:第6句的representation指图画、雕塑、戏剧等艺术表现形式,故可译为“艺术手段”;fundamental本义为“基础的,原始的”,这里译为“亘古有之”,富有表现力。
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