issue207 【METTLE作文小组】第五次作业 by imagic80

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文化 207 "Rituals and ceremonies help define a culture. Without them, societies or groups of people have a diminished sense of who they are."
典礼和仪式有助于定义一种文化。没有他们，社会和人们的自我意识会消弱。
The speaker’s ratiocination is actually twofold: 1. Rituals and ceremonies is an effecive measure to maintain the culture integrity. 2. Without rituals and ceremonies, people will gradually lose the sense of what we are. I agree with the first claim, but disagree with the second claim.
To begin with, rituals and ceremonies indeed play an important part in maintaining culture integrity and helping people better understand themselves. By an inaugural the president of a nation will begin his political sovereignty and realize the duty for representation of his country. By a wedding ceremony, a new couple will soon become husband and wife. Another special example is about some old tribes which still lead a strange life nowadays and refuse to be assimulated by the modern society. By some strange and special ceremonies and rituals they try to tell the rest of the world the determination of maintaining culture integrity. Different cultures have different characteristic. Rituals and ceremonies serve to display these characteristic. Through helding these rituals and ceremonies, groups of people will remember the belief , the life style and culture of their ancesters. Meanwhile, they pass down the special culture to the young generation.
However, mere rituals and ceremonies for maintaining culture integrity is not enough. Because groups of people can not understand themselves only by several ceremonies, and the culture identity can not be kept only by several rituals. In the example of the president, let us imagine what will happen after the inaugural if he does nothing for his country as a president. Maybe at first people will discuss about the new president and put hope on him. Nevertheless, if the president fails to do something for the national security, the stability of the economy and currency, and so forth, he will be forget as a president sooner or later and be impeached. So after the inaugural, he must perform his duty by doing so he will be accepted by his people and himself as a eligible president. It is just the same in the case of the wedding ceremony. A husband who work hard for his family is a true husband and a wife who takes good care of his husband and children is a good wife. Additionally, groups of people from certain tribe must do much work to make their culture understood besides its special rituals and ceremonies. Helding special exhibition of custums and special parties are all good ways to sever to this purpose to be understood.
In conclusion, one of the purpose of rituals and ceremonies to help define a culture. However, it is not the only way to attain this goal. At the same time, people will not gain the sense of who they are only through rituals and ceremonies, in contrary, they must carry on what they should to.

[ 本帖最后由 imagic80 于 2007-7-5 15:48 编辑 ]