TRANSLATION

Vitality and power of expression
by henry moore

For me a work must have a vitality of its own. I do not mean a reflection of the vitality of life, of movement, physical action, frisking, dancing figures and so on, but that a work can have in it a pent-up energy, an intense life of its own, independent of the object it may represent. When a work has this powerful vitality we do not connect the world. Beauty with it.

對我來說，一件作品必須要有它的活力。我並不是指生命、運動、肢體動作、活蹦亂跳、跳舞...等這類活力的反照，而是一件作品可以具有壓抑已久的能量以及它自我熱烈的生命，呈現物件獨立的表現。當一件作品有著這種與世界隔絕的強烈活力。美就在裡面。

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Beauty, in a later Greek and Renaissance sense, is not the aim of my sculpture.

Between beauty of expression and power of expression there is a difference of function. The first aims at pleasing the senses, the second has a spiritual vitality which for me is more moving and goes deeper for the senses.

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在後希臘與文藝復興對美的感知，並不是我雕塑所追求的目標。

介於表達的美與力量之間，有不同的功能。第一是愉悅的感知，第二是精神的活力(spiritual vitaliy)，而第二項對我來說是更深層且讓人感動的。

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Because a work does not aim at reproducing natural appearance it is not, therefore, an escape from life – but may be a penetration in to reality, not a sedative or drug, not just the exercise of good taste, the provision of pleasant shapes and colors in a pleasing combination, not a decoration of life, but an expression of significance of life, a stimulation to a greater effort in living.

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因為一件作品並不是以再造自然的外表為目的，因此逃離生命-但或許是更接近現實，不是鎮定或麻醉藥，不只是好品味的訓練，在一個愉悅的組合物(pleasing combination)中供應愉悅的形狀、顏色，但不是生命的裝飾，而是表達生命的意義及重要性，對於生活努力不懈的刺激。