Li Yishi 李毅士: Why We Should Advocate Art 我們為什麼提倡藝術

Art is representative of national culture. The progress of a country’s art represents its cultural progress. In China, a nation of ancient culture, we are in decline and cannot catch up with Western culture. Is it not necessary to actively advocate art to promote Chinese culture? This argument is not only a slogan often shouted by our artists, but also acknowledged by society. So, I could stop here. There is no need to discuss “why we should advocate art”. However, it is usually easier for people to admit the reason for something than to believe it from the bottom of their hearts. According to the popular opinion of the day, the most crucial thing is to build national strength when the country faces a crisis.[1] Even if art and national culture are both at stake, saving them is like the grass growing while the horse starves. Therefore, although most people do not deny the need to advocate art, they are still indifferent to it.

藝術是國民文化的代表物，一國藝術的進步，便是他的文化進步。當今我國，古有文化，已日趣衰頹，西方文化，我國又不能追及，積極的提倡藝術，以便促進中國文化，豈不是應當的么？這種論調是我國藝人所常喊着的口號，也是社會間所公認，那末，我原本可以不再談“為什麼要提倡藝術？”然而世間每每要人承認一件事的理由容易，要他們內容里真正的相信很難。據現在一般人內心的見解，總覺得當今國難方殷，充實國力，最為要緊，藝術縱和國民文化攸關，無如遠水救不得近火。因此他們對於藝術雖口中不說“不要提倡”，實際則不免對他漠視和冷淡了。

We acknowledge that this view is reasonable, but these people feel that the promotion of art either directly or indirectly has been very effective in relieving the suffering of the nation. At its most effective, art’s revitalization of industry is certainly the first step to saving the country. But in fact, art may also have many contributions to industry. It is now generally said that the promotion of industry and commerce is nothing more than two ways of setting up factories and extending financial resources. In my opinion, although our country has set up factories widely, the quality and price of goods will never catch up with those of other countries. To avoid the economic invasion of other countries, we entirely rely on the people’s patriotism. This solution is not reliable and not sustainable.

我們承認這種見解確有理由，但是他們覺得藝術的提倡，無論是直接或間接，於救濟國難方面，也都是很有效用。從直接的效用講，救國當然以振興實業為先，而藝術於實業上卻可以有許多的貢獻。據現在一般人所說的提倡實業，無非是廣設工廠和開拓財源的兩種方法。惟依我見，我國儘管廣設工廠，出貨的好和廉總追不上外人，要免外人經濟的侵略，全賴國民的愛國心來維持，這種辦法，一則不可靠，二則不能持久。

As for developing financial resources, this is nothing more than the development of domestic raw materials in exchange for foreign production. This method is like a family that uses up all their cash and then mortgages real estate. I am afraid this is like quenching a thirst with poison.[2] In my opinion, on the one hand, the way to promote industry is to adopt foreign machinery and actively set up more factories. On the other hand, attention should be paid to the decoration and style of the goods. The beauty of the goods is more reliable than patriotism in getting people to buy. This could also provide significant assistance in the marketing of Chinese goods. If our goods really can be decorated in the ancient Chinese style, I think, there may be a market in foreign countries. The overseas sales of domestic products is the thing that Chinese people never dared to dream of. Although Chinese products were often sold to foreign countries in the past, Chinese businessmen would rush to seize every opportunity blindly rather than improve the quality of their products, leading to market saturation. In turn, there was no demand for foreign products in China before, but with the help of advertising, they have created a situation in which China cannot do without imported products. From these two things, if our future industry has help from the artists, as in drawing a design and advertising, a great demand for Chinese products overseas is possible in the future.

至於開拓財源，則又無非是把國產的原料開發出來，去換外國的製作物。這種辦法，是猶如一家之中把現款用罄，再把不動產去抵押，恐不免是飲鴆止渴的辦法罷！依我所謂提倡實業的辦法一方面固然應當採用外國的機械之便，積極增設工廠，一方面卻應注意於貨物的裝璜和式樣。貨物美觀可以不賴國民愛心的維持，引人購買，已可以幫助國貨的銷路不少，如若我國貨物，誠能用中國古式的裝璜，我想，或者在外國也有市場可尋。國貨推銷到外國去，是國人不敢夢想的事，然而我國貨物銷到外國也曾經屢見，無奈我國商人，不知改良他們的出品，而且每有門戶可尋，便群趨若鶩，往往自將市場堵塞。反過來再看外國商品，起初在中國本來沒有需要，然而他們竟藉廣告的力量，養成現在國中非舶來品不行的情勢。從這兩件事看，我國今後的實業界，倘若有藝術界中人的幫助，替他們擬樣，幫他們宣傳，將來中國的製作品暢銷到國外，也許還辦得到罷！

Indirectly, art is more useful in saving the country. However, this effect is not apparent, so we can only call it an indirect effect. I often regard the development of the domestic business as the operation of a machine. The national spirit is like a kind of motivation as coal is to the machine. Art is the kindling of fire. There are many examples to support this simile of mine, but for lack of space, I cannot allow my thoughts to linger here. Here, I want to say that although the people are deeply patriotic, because of their different opinions and emotions on national salvation, each of them has done something contradictory to the other and offset its effect. This is a waste of the national spirit, just as the burning of coal in a boiler does not work. From now on, if we want to abolish this evil, words may not work. It also cannot wait for everyone’s natural consciousness. It is better to use performances like art, use emotions to make them act, and make the country move consistently in one direction.

從間接方面講，藝術的效用於救國更大。不過這種效用，不能很明顯，所以只可以說是間接的。我常比國中事業的進行猶如機器的推動，國民的精神猶如動力的來源煤炭。至於藝術則是燃燒的引火之物，我這個譬喻是有種種的例，可以舉出來證明，但因限於篇幅，我不能暢述所見。但今我所願說的，乃是當今我國國民，雖都深具愛國之心，卻因對於救國的意見不一，情緒各別，各人所為也就互有抵觸，互相消失其效用。這種情形，是空把國民的精神消散於無形，正如鍋爐中的燃煤不得其當。自今以後，我們倘要革除這種弊病，恐非口舌所能生效，也不能靜待大家自然的覺悟，還不如借用藝術一類的表現，用情感去行動他們，使全國一致向一條路進行。

The utility of art in relieving a crisis was mentioned above. Although I am confident that there are good reasons for the utility, I do not expect everyone can recognize it. Why? This is because the achievements in the art world cannot yet show its effectiveness as I have laid out. Conversely, if the art world today has already made considerable success in this area, then the advocacy of art must have been realized earlier. I cannot publish this article. In fact, because Chinese artists are now in a bad environment, with many obstacles to their performance and fewer rewards in society, all achievements, even their own, cannot be satisfied. Therefore, I hope that everyone will save the country through art, and as far as possible, advocate art.

上面所述藝術在救濟國難上的效用。雖我自信有充分的理由，然而卻不敢望國人大家都能承認。何以呢？這是因為現在藝術界中的成績，還不能顯出他如我所說的效能。不過反過來講，如若現在的藝術界已在這方面有相當的成績，那末，藝術的提倡，相必早被人覺悟到，我本文也可以不做了。我們原因為現在中國藝人所處環境惡劣，表現多阻礙，社會少獎勵，一切成績，連自己都不能滿意，所以希望大家為藝術救國計，盡量提倡藝術。