Why must artists be poor? | Hadi Eldebek

翻译人员: Hong Li 校对人员: Zihao Wang

I come from a family of five brothers,

我家有五位兄弟，

all scientists and engineers.

都是科学家和工程师。

A few years ago, I sent them the following email:

几年前， 我给他们发了封邮件：

"Dear brothers, I hope this message finds you well.

“亲爱的兄弟们， 希望你们能收到这封邮件。

I am emailing to let you know

我写这封邮件是想告诉你们，

that I'm dropping out of my master's program in engineering

我不想再读工程硕士了，

to pursue a career as a full-time musician.

我要去当一名全职音乐家。

All that I ask from you is not to worry about me."

请你们不要担心我。”

Brother number one replied.

第一个兄弟回复了我。

He was encouraging but a bit skeptical.

他鼓励我，但似乎怀疑我的能力。

He said, "I wish you the best of luck.

他说，“祝你好运。

You're going to need it."

你会需要运气的。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Brother number two was a little bit more skeptical.

第二个兄弟就更怀疑我的能力了。

He said, "Don't do it!

他说，“千万别这么做！

This will be the worst mistake of your life.

这会是你一生中最大的错误。

Find a real career."

找个正经工作吧。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Well, the rest of my brothers were so enthusiastic about my decision,

剩下的兄弟对于我的决定 是如此的兴奋，

they didn't even respond.

以至于连邮件都没回。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I know that the skepticism coming from my brothers

我理解兄弟们的怀疑，

is out of care and concern for me.

是出于对我的关心。

They were worried.

他们不放心我。

They thought it would be difficult to make it as an artist,

他们认为当一名艺术家会很难，

that it will be a challenge.

会是一个巨大的挑战。

And you know what? They were right.

其实呢，他们是对的。

It is such a challenge to be a full-time artist.

做全职艺术家， 的确是一项挑战。

I have so many friends who need to have a second job

我身边有许多朋友都需要打第二份工

as a plan B in order to pay for the bills,

作为备选方案，才能维持生活开支，

except that plan B sometimes becomes their plan A.

有时候这个备选方案 甚至会成为他们的首选。

And it's not just my friends and I who experience this.

不仅仅是我和我的朋友是这样。

The US Census Bureau states that only 10 percent of art school graduates

美国人口调查局的数据显示， 只有10%的艺术院校毕业生，

end up working as full-time artists.

最终能成为全职艺术家。

The other 90 percent, they change careers,

剩下的90%，会改变职业方向，

they work in marketing, sales, education and other fields.

工作于市场营销、 销售、教育和其他领域。

But this is not news, right?

但这很正常，对吧？

We almost expect the artist to be a struggling artist.

我们几乎都会预设， 艺术家的生活会很困苦。

But why should we expect that?

但是我们为什么会这么想呢？

I read an article in the "Huffington Post"

我在《赫芬顿邮报》上读到一篇文章，

saying that four years ago, the European Union

说的是4年前，欧盟发起了

世界最大的艺术家资助倡议。

began the world's largest ever arts funding initiative.

Creative Europe will give 2.4 billion dollars

“创意欧洲”将拿出24亿美元，

to over 300,000 artists.

资助超过30万名艺术家。

In contrast, the US budget for our National Endowment for the Arts,

相对的是， 美国国家艺术基金会的预算，

the largest single funder for the arts across the United States,

用来资助全美所有艺术家的 最大单笔资助

is merely 146 million dollars.

才区区1.46亿美元。

To put things into perspective,

作为对比，

the US budget for the military marching bands alone

美国军事预算， 仅仪仗队这一项，

is almost twice as much as the entire NEA.

就是整个国家艺术基金会的2倍。

Another striking image comes from Brendan McMahon for the "Huffington Post,"

布兰登·麦克马洪在《赫芬顿邮报》 还讲了另一个令人惊讶的事实，

saying that out of the one trillion dollar budget

军事和国防相关的预算支出，

for military and defense-related spending,

高达1万亿美元，

if only 0.05 percent were allocated to the arts,

只要分配其中的 0.05个百分点给艺术，

we would be able to pay for 20 full-time symphony orchestras

我们就可以给20个全职交响乐团，

at 20 million dollars apiece,

每个支付2000万美元，

and give over 80,000 artists

给超过8万名艺术家，

an annual salary of 50,000 dollars each.

支付5万美元的年薪。

If that's only 0.05 percent,

而这仅仅是百分之0.05，

imagine what a full one percent could do.

想想如果是百分之一呢？

Now, I know we live in a capitalist society,

我明白，我们生活在资本主义社会，

and profits matter a lot.

利润非常重要。

So let's look at it from a financial angle, shall we?

那让我们从财政角度， 来看一下这个问题。

The US nonprofit arts industry

美国的非盈利性艺术产业，

generates more than 166 billion dollars in economic activity,

创造了1660亿美元的产值，

it employs 5.7 million people

提供了570万个就业岗位，

and it returns 12.6 billion dollars

上交了126亿美元

in tax revenue.

税收收入。

But this is only a financial angle, right?

但这还只是财政角度，对吧？

We all know that the arts is way more than just an economic value.

我们都知道，艺术不仅仅 在于它的经济价值。

The arts brings meaning to life.

艺术给生活带来意义，

It's the spirit of our culture.

是我们文化的灵魂。

It brings people together and it supports creativity

它将人们聚到一起， 为创新提供帮助，

and social cohesion.

促进社会团结。

But if the arts contributes this much to our economy,

那么既然艺术给我们的经济 做出了如此大的贡献，

why then do we still invest so little in arts and artists?

为什么我们对于 艺术和艺术家的投资如此之少呢？

Why do more than 80 percent of our schools nationwide

为什么全国超过80%的学校，

still experience budget cuts in arts education programs?

依旧在削减艺术教育项目的预算呢？

What is it about the value of arts and artists

关于艺术和艺术家的价值，

that we still don't understand?

难道我们还有什么不了解的吗？

I believe the system is flawed and far from being fair,

我相信制度有缺陷， 也远谈不上公平，

and I want to help change that.

我想做点什么来改变它。

I want to live in a society

我想生活在一个

where artists are more valued

更加重视艺术家的社会里，

and have more cultural and financial support

他们可以得到更多 文化上、财政上的支持，

so they can focus on creating arts instead of being forced to drive Ubers

这样他们才能专注于艺术创作， 而不是被迫去开优步，

or take corporate jobs they'd rather not have.

或者去做他们不想做的 朝九晚五的工作。

There are other sources of income for artists, however.

当然，对艺术家来说， 也会有其他形式的收入来源。

There are private foundations,

比如私募基金，

grants and patrons who give money,

拨款和赞助，

except a vast majority of artists don't know about these opportunities.

但是大部分的艺术家 都不知道有这些机会存在。

On one side you have institutions and people with money.

一边是有钱的机构和人，

On the other side you have artists seeking funding,

另一边是缺钱的艺术家，

but the artists don't know about the people with the money,

艺术家们并不认识这些有钱的人，

有钱的人也并不一定了解

and the people with the money don't necessarily know

about the artists out there.

穷困的艺术家们。

This is why I am very excited to share "Grantpa,"

这就是为什么我非常高兴 向大家介绍 “GrantPA”，

an online platform that uses technology

它是一个线上平台，运用技术

to match artists with grants and funding opportunities

为艺术家寻找拨款和资助的机会，

in a way that is easy, fast and less intimidating.

整个过程方便快捷， 也不会让人感到害怕。

Grantpa is only one step towards solving an existing problem

GrantPA 仅仅是 解决目前资助不平的问题的

of funding inequality,

一小步，

but we need to work collectively on multiple fronts

但我们需要在很多方面共同努力，

to reevaluate how we view the artists in our society.

重新看待艺术家 在我们社会中的地位。

Do we think of arts as a luxury or a necessity?

我们认为 艺术是奢侈品还是必需品呢？

Do we understand what goes on in the day-to-day life of an artist,

我们是否了解艺术家的日常生活，

or do we still believe that artists, no matter how struggling they are,

我们是否仍然相信， 无论艺术家过得多么穷困潦倒，

are happy simply because they're following their passion?

只要他们激情仍在，就会感到幸福？

In a few years, I plan to send my brothers the following email:

几年之后，我想给我的兄弟们 再发一封邮件：

"Dear brothers, I hope this message finds you well.

“亲爱的兄弟们， 希望你们能收到这封邮件，

I am emailing to let you know that I am doing great

我写这封邮件是想告诉你们， 我过得还不错

and so are hundreds of thousands of artists

就跟其他成千上万的艺术家一样，

who are being valued more culturally and financially

他们在文化上、财政上 都得到了更多的认同，

and getting enough funding to focus on their crafts

也得到了足够多的资助， 可以专心于提高技艺，

and create more art.

创作更多作品。

I appreciate all of your support.

感谢你们的支持。

Couldn't have done it without you."

没有你们的帮助我无法成功。”

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）