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过几天就考试了,急求拍啊!谢谢楼主!
ISSUE36
"The greatness of individuals can be decided only by those who live after them, not by their contemporaries."
The speaker asserts that greatest figures who make significant contributions to the world can only be recognized objectively by those who live after them rather than those in the same era. Incontestably, this phenomenon is quite common in the history of mankind. However, in my point of view, it's not always the case. Many greatest giants' efforts that change the world were recognized by the contemporaries. In brief, it depends.
Admittedly, most of the scientists and artists were not fairly decided by their contemporaries. For scientists, it's mostly due to a lack of proper way to examine the new findings in a certain field and the strong mind-sets affected by the old theory. For example, Galileo, a great mind that created the world's first telescope, challenged the infallibility of the Roman Catholic Church by altering the accepted theory of the earth's position in the universe, which he found unsubstantiated, and was burned as a heretic. The same tragedy occurred to Kopernik, a Polish astronomer who advanced the theory that the earth and other planets revolve around the sun disrupting the Ptolemaic system of astronomy. For artists, the nonrecognition of their prominent performances is primarily caused by their greatest mind that far more advance the contemporaries, which results in absent ability to appreciate. Van Gogh, a Dutch post-impressionist painter, is a typical example of that case. His work had a far reaching influence on 20th century art for its vivid colors and emotional impact, which was considered ugly at his ages and therefore unaccepted. The same experiences can also be found in greatest artists such as Beethoven, O.Henry, William Blake and so forth.
Nonetheless, the result is changed when talking to the fields of business and sports. Unlike the scientists and artists, the same characteristic that a successful business man and an outstanding sports star possess is that their success is due to the recognition of the people in the same ages. If a sports star's great achievement is not recognized by the contemporaries, this kind of sports that he or she has made great progress in would not exist. If a businessman’s product or concept is not accepted by contemporaries, he would not make great success and then be famous contrarily. It’s apt to illustrate for the example of Bill Gates and Michael Jordan, the ever richest man in the world and the most successful basketball player in NBA history who are now alive. For Gates, the father of Microsoft corporation, it’s the revolutionary operating system which easier and enrich people’s life that he gained great fame and wealth. Bill Gates has become a symbol of a successful businessman. For Michael, who won six championships in the NBA final games, he established his unshakable status in NBA history with his extraordinary performance and was regarded as the god in basketball realm. Besides, someone who searched for truth can be decided objectively by his contemporaries. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the campaign of civil rights for Black in the United States, is supported by a great many of followers who were inspired by his justice and philanthropism. Accordingly, the contribution or the great achievement of giants can be recognized in some cases.
In sum, history will not leave the greatest men alone. Their greatest achievements that have made the world a better place to live in will be recognized early or later. |
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