今天读这篇散文，作者John Ruskin (约翰·拉斯金)，维多利亚时期评论家，作者。对艺术很感兴趣，也是一位社会评论家，著作有《现代画家》、《威尼斯的石头》。本文选自前者，讨论艺术高贵特性究竟在哪里。但豹豹读起来感觉很绕，选取这一篇是因为很短，也就一页A4纸，这一篇就简单出些单词，因为让我评论我也评论不来。全文百度文库可免费下载。
正所谓独受罪不如众受罪，一起来看看此文吧。
Painting, or art generally, as such, with all its technicalities, difficulties, and particular ends, is nothing but a noble and expressive language, invaluable as the vehicle of thought, but by itself nothing. He who has learned what is commonly considered the whole art of painting, that is, the art of representing any natural object faithfully, has as yet only learned the language by which his thoughts are to be expressed.
as such: intrinsically considered 就本身而言，本质而言。
The technicalities of a process or activity are the detailed methods used to do it or to carry it out. (过程、活动的) 技术细节, 详细步骤
绘画，或者通常所说的艺术，尽管技巧丰富、困难重重、目标独特，但就其本质而言，只不过是一种高贵而富于表现力的语言，作为思想的载体，非常宝贵，但其本身毫无价值。一个人学会了通常所说的绘画艺术，即忠实地再现任何客观物体的艺术，也只不过是学会了表达思想的语言而已。
The language is, indeed, more difficult of acquirement in the one case than in the other, and possesses more power of delighting the sense, while it speaks to the intellect; but it is, nevertheless, nothing more than language, and all those excellences which are peculiar to the painter as such, are merely what rhythm, melody, precision, and force are in the words of the orator and the poet, necessary to their greatness, but not the tests of their greatness.
上文提到画家和诗人一样，均是用作品表达自己的思想。所以在此自然而然顺延提出前者更难学，诉诸于智力的时候更有感官的愉悦，但画作也仅仅是语言，是表现手段罢了。和诗人或演说家一样，具有其节奏、旋律、精密和力量等特质。但这些是作品达到杰作的条件，而不是衡量的必须标准。因为最终看得还是作品再现的内容。
in the one case 与 in the other(case)分别指画家的语言与诗人的语言，二者进行类比。
Intellect is the ability to understand or deal with ideas and information. 智力; 理解力; 领悟力; 思维能力
as such与上文释义相同
An orator is someone who is skilled at making formal speeches, especially ones which affect people's feelings and beliefs. (尤指能影响人们情感和信仰的) 演说家, 演讲家, 雄辩家
So that, if I say that the greatest picture is that which conveys to the mind of the spectator the greatest number of the greatest ideas, I have a definition which will include as subjects of comparison every pleasure which art is capable of conveying. If I were to say, on the contrary, that the best picture was that which most closely imitated nature, I should assume that art could only please by imitating nature; and I should cast out of the pale of criticism those parts of works of art which are not imitative, that is to say, intrinsic beauties of color and form, and those works of art wholly, which, like the Arabesques of Raffaelle in the Loggias, are not imitative at all.
这一段有点绕。
convey: 传达
A spectator is someone who watches something, especially a sporting event. (尤指体育比赛的) 观众
work 指艺术品时可数
the Arabesques of Raffaelle in the Loggias中Arabesques查了表示一种舞姿，或者阿拉伯花纹，Loggias表示凉廊。文中给的翻译为"拉斐尔在梵蒂冈宫给绘制的壁画"
Raffaelle: Raphael 拉斐尔(1485-1520) 意大利著名画家，与达芬奇，米开朗基罗并称意大利文艺复兴三杰。
这里是作者给出的讨论情况:
如果我说，最伟大的绘画，就是能向观者心灵传达最多伟大思想的绘画，这个定义就包括了艺术所能传达的作为比较对象的全部乐趣。相反，我如果说最好的画就是模仿自然最逼真的画，那么我是在假定艺术唯有模仿自然方能给人愉悦，我在批评时，就会抛开艺术作品中那些非模仿的东西，即具有自身色彩美和形式美的东西，也不会评价像拉斐尔在梵蒂冈宫给绘制的壁画那样毫无模仿的一切艺术作品。
...
But I say that the art is greatest which conveys to the mind of the spectator, by any means whatsoever, the greatest number of the greatest ideas; and I call an idea great in proportion as it is received by a higher faculty of the mind, and as it mere fully occupies, and in occupying, exercises and exalts, the faculty by which it is received.
之后作者罗列的几条，太啰嗦。他认为"不说给人愉悦的作品最伟大，不说指导我们给我们知训的作品最伟大，不说模仿最佳的作品最伟大"，而是不论是采用何种媒介，凡是能传达最丰富最伟大思想的，能打动观众的心灵的艺术就是最伟大的艺术；他认为的伟大思想是被较高心智的人接受，并能在接受的过程中锻炼提高心智。
与上一篇散文通识教育有点呼应。
whatsoever与whatever一致，语气更强烈一些。
最后作者给出总结，伟大艺术家的定义就是其作品表现了最丰富最伟大思想的艺术家。
感觉这篇文章空泛泛的，读完和没读差不多。
释义取自柯林斯。
解析取自本书，中文部分侵删。
昨天听王尔德第四个故事--好朋友，倒霉蛋汉斯。听得人郁闷，太憋屈，教育人们做人一定要学会拒绝。突然发现不喜欢王尔德童话，太灰暗了。
罗尔德大爷的The Twits开始边读边听，作为调剂。(先盲听两节，睡前手机翻两章看哪里没听懂，不建议边看着书边听，不然效果不明显)。书的前半段相当重口和恶趣味，但是莫名的开心起来啦！
推荐福尔摩斯探案集，第一本血字研究翻了翻也就100页的样子，真的并不厚，阅读一定要拆分，一本本来，一部分一部分来。豹豹读书向来分几本交叉着来，简单的快一点作为鼓励信心，难度高一点的就挑自己感兴趣的，这样不会劝退(类型最好岔开，不然容易混)。书这么多，虱子多了不痒，就这么着吧。
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