Opera is expensive: that much is inevitable. But expensive things are not inevitably the province of the rich unless we abdicate society's power of choice. We can choose to make opera, and other expensive forms of culture, accessible to those who cannot individually pay for it. The question is: why should we? Nobody denies the imperatives of food, shelter, defense, health and education. But even in a prehistoric cave, mankind stretched out a hand not just to eat, drink or fight, but also to draw. The impulse towards culture, the desire to express and explore the world through imagination and representation is fundamental. In Europe, this desire has found fulfillment in the masterpieces of our music, art, literature and theatre. These masterpieces are the touchstones for all our efforts; they are the touchstones for the possibilities to which human thought and imagination may aspire; they carry the most profound messages that can be sent from one human to another.
(參考譯文)
聆聽歌劇，無疑昂貴至極。但是，昂貴的事物並非必定屬於富人的範疇，除非我們放棄社會的選擇權。我們可以選擇去使歌劇以及其他某些昂貴的文化形式也能爲那些不具備個人支付能力的人所享受。但問題是，我們有必要這麼做嗎?沒人會否認食物、居所、防護、健康與教育的不可或缺性。但即便是在史前時代的洞穴中，人類伸出手來，早就不單純是爲了吃、喝或搏殺，而且亦進行繪畫創作。人類對於文化的.衝動，通過形象思維和再現手段來表現並探索世界的慾望，乃亙古有之。在歐洲，這一慾望在我們的音樂、藝術、文學和戲劇傑作中尋找到了其實現形式。這些傑作構成了我們全部努力的試金石。作爲試金石，它們能衡量出人類的思想和想象力所可能企及的程度。它們攜帶着最寓意深刻的主題，可在人類彼此間相互傳遞。
