GRE同主題寫作－issue218 ：218"In order for any work of art—whether film, literature, sculpture, or a song—to have merit, it must be understandable to most people."
題目涉及到value of art, 判斷藝術(shù)價值的標準，到底誰決定藝術(shù)的價值?？此坪唵蔚囊痪湓挘瑓s是比較難分析的題目，不是一兩句可以說清楚地。同意題目也好，反對也好，都必須首先對藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)、功能、價值有深入的理解，才能由藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)、功能、價值出發(fā)逐層分析，得出結(jié)論。如果不探討藝術(shù)的這些特性，匆忙的下結(jié)論，就沒法把握好題目。
The Function of Art
概括一句話：藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)和功能就是反映生活。具體的可以分為以下五點，這五點都是按照藝術(shù)發(fā)展的順序逐步出現(xiàn)的。
1．表達美、快樂，給人帶來美和快樂the oldest definition of the function of the arts is that they provide pleasure
2．揭示永恒Another is that they present us with insight into what is eternal and universal.
3．藝術(shù)的教育意義：
A third function: The arts are didactic —— they teach us.
4．表達自己的獨特的感情、理解"expressionism" —— the artist’s use of a medium to express unique passion and insight.
5．用藝術(shù)推動社會變革A second kind of expressionism also developed in the 19th century. This one was much more offensive. In societies undergoing tremendous change, artists began to use art to agitate for social change.
（以上資料，部分來自百寶箱，請參考：百寶箱之藝術(shù)篇 ）
討論完了藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)和功能，下面的分析就可以建立在此基礎(chǔ)上了。
The Value of Art
藝術(shù)的價值判斷的主體：
主體顯然是人，那么到底是誰？涉及到的人很多：首先是作者，然后是聽眾、觀眾，可以統(tǒng)稱為欣賞者，還有統(tǒng)治階層。
回顧題目，題目只提到了understandable to most people, 忽略了作者，統(tǒng)治階級。我說作者可能好理解，說統(tǒng)治階級，可能會讓人費解，這要從藝術(shù)的歷史談起。
藝術(shù)在19世紀之前，一直都是為統(tǒng)治階級服務(wù)的。
At the beginning of the 19th century, these functions of arts to provide pleasure, beauty, and instruction were considered to be the primary responsibilities of art. During most of Western history before this point, the nature of art had been determined primarily by leaders of society’s most powerful institutions —— the church, the government, and the aristocracy. Artists were craftsmen at the service of leaders, and much of the work that they were commissioned to create interpreted and upheld their social vision.
如果從本issue題目的立場出發(fā)來看，19世紀之前的藝術(shù)大多是沒有價值的，因為那是為統(tǒng)治階級服務(wù)的，只要統(tǒng)治階級欣賞就可以了，沒有必要去讓大眾接受。這個結(jié)論顯然是有問題的，豈不是把Leonardo da Vinci 等的名作都否了。
題目還忽略了作者。從藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)功能出發(fā)，藝術(shù)作品是藝術(shù)家反映生活、表達感情和觀點的一種形式，所以作品首先是從其作者出發(fā)實現(xiàn)了它的價值。可能藝術(shù)的價值只有從作者的角度、生活背景出發(fā)來理解才有意義。 “A piece of art is divine to one man and ridiculous to the next. Revered artists of the past may not have produced anything more amazing than countless others, but through happenstance become icons.”
從另一個角度，也可以把merit 看作material value, 讓大眾理解的才會受歡迎，才會有更多物質(zhì)價值，賣個好價錢。不過，這些作品的藝術(shù)價值就值得懷疑了，當(dāng)然并不是說貴的就是不好的，是不一定有價值。例子就是商業(yè)片雖然票房很好，可總是不被評論家和業(yè)內(nèi)人士看好。 所以藝術(shù)真正的價值和金錢上的價值可以分開來討論的。
題目涉及到value of art, 判斷藝術(shù)價值的標準，到底誰決定藝術(shù)的價值?？此坪唵蔚囊痪湓挘瑓s是比較難分析的題目，不是一兩句可以說清楚地。同意題目也好，反對也好，都必須首先對藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)、功能、價值有深入的理解，才能由藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)、功能、價值出發(fā)逐層分析，得出結(jié)論。如果不探討藝術(shù)的這些特性，匆忙的下結(jié)論，就沒法把握好題目。
The Function of Art
概括一句話：藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)和功能就是反映生活。具體的可以分為以下五點，這五點都是按照藝術(shù)發(fā)展的順序逐步出現(xiàn)的。
1．表達美、快樂，給人帶來美和快樂the oldest definition of the function of the arts is that they provide pleasure
2．揭示永恒Another is that they present us with insight into what is eternal and universal.
3．藝術(shù)的教育意義：
A third function: The arts are didactic —— they teach us.
4．表達自己的獨特的感情、理解"expressionism" —— the artist’s use of a medium to express unique passion and insight.
5．用藝術(shù)推動社會變革A second kind of expressionism also developed in the 19th century. This one was much more offensive. In societies undergoing tremendous change, artists began to use art to agitate for social change.
（以上資料，部分來自百寶箱，請參考：百寶箱之藝術(shù)篇 ）
討論完了藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)和功能，下面的分析就可以建立在此基礎(chǔ)上了。
The Value of Art
藝術(shù)的價值判斷的主體：
主體顯然是人，那么到底是誰？涉及到的人很多：首先是作者，然后是聽眾、觀眾，可以統(tǒng)稱為欣賞者，還有統(tǒng)治階層。
回顧題目，題目只提到了understandable to most people, 忽略了作者，統(tǒng)治階級。我說作者可能好理解，說統(tǒng)治階級，可能會讓人費解，這要從藝術(shù)的歷史談起。
藝術(shù)在19世紀之前，一直都是為統(tǒng)治階級服務(wù)的。
At the beginning of the 19th century, these functions of arts to provide pleasure, beauty, and instruction were considered to be the primary responsibilities of art. During most of Western history before this point, the nature of art had been determined primarily by leaders of society’s most powerful institutions —— the church, the government, and the aristocracy. Artists were craftsmen at the service of leaders, and much of the work that they were commissioned to create interpreted and upheld their social vision.
如果從本issue題目的立場出發(fā)來看，19世紀之前的藝術(shù)大多是沒有價值的，因為那是為統(tǒng)治階級服務(wù)的，只要統(tǒng)治階級欣賞就可以了，沒有必要去讓大眾接受。這個結(jié)論顯然是有問題的，豈不是把Leonardo da Vinci 等的名作都否了。
題目還忽略了作者。從藝術(shù)的本質(zhì)功能出發(fā)，藝術(shù)作品是藝術(shù)家反映生活、表達感情和觀點的一種形式，所以作品首先是從其作者出發(fā)實現(xiàn)了它的價值。可能藝術(shù)的價值只有從作者的角度、生活背景出發(fā)來理解才有意義。 “A piece of art is divine to one man and ridiculous to the next. Revered artists of the past may not have produced anything more amazing than countless others, but through happenstance become icons.”
從另一個角度，也可以把merit 看作material value, 讓大眾理解的才會受歡迎，才會有更多物質(zhì)價值，賣個好價錢。不過，這些作品的藝術(shù)價值就值得懷疑了，當(dāng)然并不是說貴的就是不好的，是不一定有價值。例子就是商業(yè)片雖然票房很好，可總是不被評論家和業(yè)內(nèi)人士看好。 所以藝術(shù)真正的價值和金錢上的價值可以分開來討論的。