Since the 1960s, many talented white musicians have chosen blues music as their primary vehicle of expression - using as their models the great black players of the past and present.
　　
　　自20世纪60年代起，许多具有天赋的白人音乐家开始选用蓝调风格为他们首选的艺术载体，就像他们的黑人同行们一样--不论是过去的还是当时的。
　　
　　The battle rages.
　　
　　战斗打响了
　　
　　Purists insist that blues is an African-American cultural expression, inaccessible in essence to the white practitioner. The opposition points to the universal spectrum of feelings - from sadness to joy - that blues expresses.
　　
　　清教主义者们坚持认为，蓝调是一种非洲裔美国文化的表达方式，其从本质上来说对白人世界是不适合的；而反对者则认为，蓝调乐所表达的从悲哀到喜悦的那种情怀是属于全人类的。
　　
　　What remains indisputable is the historical fact that the blues was developed entirely by the Black American, who over the years incorporated African elements of melody, rhythm, and phrasing with the European inventions of diatonic harmony and form. Both audience and player alike were predominantly Black for that gestation period. The modern White player came later - to "discover" the authentic music and recast it. Some incorporated it with rock & roll, pop, folk, and country music, while others faithfully covered gems of the classic blues repertory. Regardless of the color or nationality of the players who have been involved, it is universally acknowledged that blues is Black music.
　　
　　不可辩驳的史实表明，蓝调乐的发展在其初期完全是由美洲黑人来完成的：他们在其中融合了非洲音乐中的旋律、节奏、曲式等元素与欧洲传统音乐的全音音阶、和声及其曲式系统。在蓝调音乐的萌芽时期，黑人占了艺人与听众的绝对多数。而现代的白人音乐家们则稍晚被引入蓝调的艺术殿堂，研究并尝试着去重新锻造蓝调音乐。他们中的一部分将蓝调与摇滚、民谣及乡村音乐等风格融合，而同时期的其他艺人则如护卫珍宝那样尝试着保留蓝调乐中的精髓部分。不论曾经献身于其中的艺人肤色或国籍是什么，蓝调乐始终被公认为是黑人的音乐。
　　
　　It is a myth that the Black man has abandoned blues music in favor of the more modern genres of R&B, soul, and rap. Although the blues does not occupy the place in Black culture that it once did, Black artists continue to practice the music both within their own culture and in larger venues all over the world. Although it is a fact that the rise of the White player in blues has created a new worldwide audience for the music, many feel that he has again - as in jazz and rock & roll - garnered far more than his fair share of the profit and the glory in the process. Some of these new players claim equal "ownership" of the music, and there is no denying that among their ranks are many excellent musicians of diverse cultures who have become devoted students and advocates of the authentic African-American styles. It must be stressed, however, that virtually all of the significant and original contributions to the stylistic genesis of this music have been and are being accomplished by the Black player.
　　
　　奇妙的是，黑人们在稍后的岁月中逐步摈弃了纯蓝调风格，而投身于更具现代风韵的节奏与蓝调、灵魂乐及说唱乐。但尽管蓝调在现今的黑人文化中所占比重较前有所减少，不少黑人艺术家们今天仍在世界各地演绎着蓝调音乐。虽然白人艺术家对蓝调音乐走向世界做出了不可磨灭的贡献，但其仍有越俎代庖、受之有过之嫌--正如他们对本属于黑人文化的摇滚、爵士乐等的发展邀功请赏一样。他们中的部分人声称白人与黑人对蓝调音乐有相等的拥有权，当然，也不能否定其中部分出色的、来自各文化背景的艺术家，成为了蓝调音乐--这一非裔美洲文化的忠实学徒及传播者。应当加以强调的是，可以说所有的本原的或出色的蓝调艺人皆是黑人。
　　
　　To develop the fullest appreciation of this genre, the listener is encouraged to first fully explore and enjoy the works of the African-American blues musician.
　　
　　为了更好地接受并欣赏蓝调音乐这一流派，我们建议听众们首先去全面发掘由黑人艺术家演绎的蓝调音乐。