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.
據報道，未來三年，愛沙尼亞政府將給十位作家和美術家發薪水來鼓勵他們的創作。

The ministry 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 ERR reports. "The state's interest is straightforward: 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."
據愛沙尼亞公共廣播ERR報道，愛沙尼亞文化部宣布，從 2016年開始，這個波羅的海國家的政府每年將撥出16萬歐元，那些入選的作家和美術家每個人都將獲得這筆資金的一部分。文化部發言人梅利斯·康普斯（Meelis Kompus）表示：“政府的意圖很明確：詩人或畫家需要把注意力集中在創作作品上，如果沒有足夠的資金支持，他們可能需要做幾份工作來維持生計，這很可能延誤或者扼殺珍貴的作品出現。”

To apply, writers and artists have to submit a portfolio of their work, a personal statement, and they must outline their creative goals for the next few years.
想要申請這項資金支持，作家和美術家需要提交他們的作品選輯和一份個人陳述，他們還必須概述自己未來幾年的創作目標。

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.
國家為藝術活動發薪水是很少見的，通常來說，藝術家們能指望的最佳情況就是有補助金或獎學金可以用來維持短期生計。比如在愛爾蘭，藝術委員會（Arts Council）每年提供多達1.5萬歐元的文學獎學金。

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.
而愛沙尼亞正試圖改變這一現狀。文化部長因德雷克·薩爾（Indrek Saar）說，一次性的藝術補助金通常無法提供的保障，愛沙尼亞提出的薪資建議可以提供。塔林藝術宮（Tallinn Art Hall）主任塔尼爾·羅賽浦（Taaniel Raudsepp）說，預計10個支薪職位的競爭將十分“激烈”。他表示：“我們的目標是要找到那些藝術創造力處在巔峰的人”。

Vocabulary

Baltic：波羅的海的

set aside：抽出，留出

portfolio：(藝術家等的)作品選輯

bursary：(大學)獎學金

one-off：一次性的

英文來源：BBC

譯者：張卉

審校&編輯：劉明