ISSUE 208 求拍

namsenghakUID: 2602317

计时写了一遍，543个字，当时有些例子一下子没想好，所以很不满意。现在发上来的是过后开卷不计时重写的。主要观点没怎么变，但表述和例子换了一些。求拍！

208"The way people look, dress, and act reveals their attitudes and interests. You can tell much about a society's ideas and values by observing the appearance and behavior of its people."

Broadly speaking, it is justifiable to claim that we could observe a society’s ideas and values through the way its people look, dress and act. On the other hand, however, such a perspective could also be distorted if we don’t use it appropriately.

As a threshold matter, the way people look and dress is indeed a revelation of the ideas and values of the society they live in as it could not be denied that the appearance of people are circumscribed by their particular historical and social context. Based on such a consensus, in order to examine the hidden social customs and values the way people dress has become a pop objective in current history and culture research. Another example which might be more relevant to our everyday living could be found on news reports. The leader and officials of North Korea insists on wearing the Chinese tunic suits especially on great occasions, which clearly reveals the country and its people’s antagonism towards the Western world. In addition, a recent growing trend in China of the return of Chinese Han costume, one kind of Chinese traditional costume especially prevailing in Han Dynasty, shows that a recover of Chinese ancient culture and a strengthened nationalism among ordinary Chinese people. Therefore, to observe the appearance of a society’s people is really an effective way to understand the popular idea and value in that specific society.

In the second place, the observation of the way people act also provides an approach to interpret the ideas and values of their culture, for the reason that acts or behaviors are direct reflection of people’s attitudes. For instance, we all know that Japanese people do an excellent job on garbage sorting. They intend to separate their household garbage as fine as possible, which on the one hand lay a solid foundation for the further refuse disposal and thus are benefit for environment. On the other hand, their habitual behavior also exhibits their distinguished exact mind. Another illustration involves our Chinese people. It is noticeable that crowds of Chinese people are unrestrainedly purchasing luxuries in several Western countries especially during the global recession. Many scholars and observers have indicated that it is not only because of the growth of national economy but also attributed to the poverty of spirit of contemporary Chinese people. They have not developed enough cultural confidence so that choose luxuries as alternative.

Although to observe the appearances and behaviors of people is an effective perspective to interpret a specific society as I have argued before, it is still not wise to take that perspective as the basis of judgment without question, since it could lead to misunderstanding if lacking of meticulous examination and in-depth analysis. Firstly, either appearances or behaviors are just one indication of a society’s idea and value which need to be combined with other aspects of the whole society. For example, there seems no obvious different between the everyday dresses of current Chinese people with that of the Westerners at the first glance. But does it mean that the ideas and values of those two groups of people no obvious difference as well? Actually, the ideas and values cherished by Chinese people are still rooted in their own tradition which is much different from the Western value system originated from Christianity. The ideal way to evaluate those two kinds of culture is much more beyond the merely observation of their people’s appearance. Secondly, the sample size of this kind of observation also plays an imperative role in the final judgment. The case I have referred to points out that the fact that the return of Chinese Han costumes among young Chinese people reveals that a recovery of Chinese traditional culture. But could this evidence convincingly demonstrate that Chinese tradition will be rebuilt in the near future? Certainly it is not the fact since the mainstream in Chinese society is still “learning from the West” which a continuation inherited from the end of Qing Dynasty.

To sum up, I admit that to some degree the appearances and behaviors of people could reflect something important in their society’s ideas and values. On the other hand, however, such a perspective has its own limitation. The most effective way to understand and interpret a society should base on a wider and further investigation and analysis, instead of a superficial observation.

namsenghakUID: 2602317

求拍、、、、