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, defence, 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 fulfilment 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 戏剧是一种非常昂贵的东西,而这一点是不可避免的。但是,昂贵的东西并非为富人所独有,除非我们放弃社会赋予的选择权。我们可以选择让那些无支付能力的个人享有戏剧以及其他形式的昂贵文化。问题是;我们为什么要那样做?谁都不会否认吃饭、居住、安全、健康和教育是必不可少的。但是,即便是在史前的洞穴里,人类伸出手来也并不只是为了吃、喝或打斗,也可能是为了涂涂画画。文化冲动,即通过想象和表征来表达、探索世界的欲望,是人类的一个基本特点。在欧洲,这种欲望已在我们的音乐、美术、文学和戏剧杰作中得到了体现。这些杰作是衡量我们一切努力的标准,也表明了人类思想和想像力可能达到的高度。它们承载着人类可以相互传达的最深刻的信息。

解析 ①that much有两层意义,一是表示“那么多,到那样的程度”,例如:Does it really matter that much?(这事真的那么重要吗?)另一层意思“这一点”,例如:We can never go back again,that much is certain.我们永远回不去了,这一点可以肯定。此处取第二层意思。
②province范围,领域
③abdicate正式放弃(权利、责任、要求等)
④make sth.accessible to sb.使某人可以获得
⑤the desire to express and explore the world through imagination and representation充当the impulse towards culture的同位语。
⑥find fulfilment in相当于be fulfilled by。
⑦touchstone试金石;检验标准或手段。此处我们用“反映”、“表明”等动词来转译。
⑧aspire to渴望达到,追求
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