爱沙尼亚政府将为作家发薪水鼓励创作

 　　Ten writers and artists in Estonia are to be paid a salary by the state for the next three years to encourage their work, it's been reported.

　　据报道，未来三年，爱沙尼亚政府将给十位作家和美术家发薪水来鼓励他们的创作。

　　The ministry¹ of culture in the Baltic state has announced that those selected will each receive a portion of the 160,000 euros which will be set aside each year from 2016, Estonian public broadcaster ERR² reports. "The state's interest is straightforward³: a poet or painter needs an opportunity to concentrate on his or her creative work," says ministry spokesperson Meelis Kompus. "Without enough support and people working on several fronts to make ends meet, precious creations may never see the light of day or be delayed."

　　据爱沙尼亚公共广播ERR报道，爱沙尼亚文化部宣布，从 2016年开始，这个波罗的海国家的政府每年将拨出16万欧元，那些入选的作家和美术家每个人都将获得这笔资金的一部分。文化部发言人梅利斯·康普斯（Meelis Kompus）表示：“政府的意图很明确：诗人或画家需要把注意力集中在创作作品上，如果没有足够的资金支持，他们可能需要做几份工作来维持生计，这很可能延误或者扼杀珍贵的作品出现。”

　　To apply, writers and artists have to submit a portfolio⁴ of their work, a personal statement, and they must outline their creative goals for the next few years.

　　想要申请这项资金支持，作家和美术家需要提交他们的作品选辑和一份个人陈述，他们还必须概述自己未来几年的创作目标。

　　State salaries for the arts are rare, and the most that artists can usually hope for is a grant or bursary which gives financial security for a short period. In Ireland, for example, the Arts Council offers up to 15,000 euros as a single-year literary bursary.

　　国家为艺术活动发薪水是很少见的，通常来说，艺术家们能指望的最佳情况就是有补助金或奖学金可以用来维持短期生计。比如在爱尔兰，艺术委员会（Arts Council）每年提供多达1.5万欧元的文学奖学金。

　　That's something Estonia is trying to change, with Culture Minister Indrek Saar saying that the proposed salary offers security that one-off arts grants do not usually provide. Competition for the 10 salaried posts is expected to be "fierce", according to director of Tallinn Art Hall Taaniel Raudsepp. "Our aim is to find people who are at the peak of their creative powers," he says.

　　而爱沙尼亚正试图改变这一现状。文化部长因德雷克·萨尔（Indrek Saar）说，一次性的艺术补助金通常无法提供的保障，爱沙尼亚提出的薪资建议可以提供。塔林艺术宫（Tallinn Art Hall）主任塔尼尔·罗赛浦（Taaniel Raudsepp）说，预计10个支薪职位的竞争将十分“激烈”。他表示：“我们的目标是要找到那些艺术创造力处在巅峰的人”。

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 err   

vi.犯错误，出差错

参考例句：

• He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
• The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。

3 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

4 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。