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。