issue110 【自由女神小组第九次作业】

monkeydluffyUID: 2277631

110 "When we concern ourselves with the study of history, we become storytellers. Because we can

never know the past directly but must construct it by interpreting evidence, exploring history is

more of a creative enterprise than it is an objective pursuit. All historians are storytellers."

[05/18; 06/0]
当我们研究历史时，我们变成了讲故事的人。因为我们无从直接知道过去发生的事情，必须通过一些证据来构

建，所以历史研究是一个有创造成分的领域，而并非一个客观的学科。所有的历史学家都是讲故事的人（

storyteller）。
提纲：
1、历史学家在某些程度上做的事和故事家一样，比如历史学家也要把一系列的事实串起来，需要描述人物的性

格信仰理想以及所有和他有关的事，也需要突出矛盾。历史学家需要故事家的一些才能才可以把历史知识更好

地传授给别人。
2、但是历史学家所做的一切事都是出于对事实的分析和推理，一切遵从事实。
   1 历史学家追求细节，历史学家在做每一个研究时都要问谁，什么时间，什么地点，为什么
   2 历史学家在串一些空白时要基于所有可用的事实。
WORDS: 480          TIME: 50分钟         DATE: 2007-1-30


When asked about how do they like of the history courses,many students will blurt out,without

doute,"They are so interesting because we can hear a lot of exciting storys."Maybe it is the

historical stories that closen the relationship between the historician and the storytellers.  

But I want to point out that the historician is not exactly the same as the storytellers.


First, I should admit a historician is somewhat resembling a storyteller for there are several

same things they should both engage in.A historician, as well as a historical storyteller,brings

us the events occuring in the past.One of the aim of the historcian is to instill our[us] historical

knowledges[knowledge] which is easier by mastering some skills of telling stories. He should exhibits a

people with specific descriptions by representing his character,describing his belives and

listing all events accompanying him,also by foucsing on the conflicts between him and the other

people ,which are all [all of which are]characteristic of a storyteller.It is not too much to say a historcian ,to

some extent,is a storyteller.


However,there exists a substanciated[substantial] distinction between a historician and a storyteller which is

the extent that the facts are based on.You should never expect a storyteller to bury his head into

researching each specific and examing the vality [veracity]of his story which ,for him[himself],is unnecessary

either.But for a real historician,he should attach the priority to the coherence[coincidence] of the facts

which is also a basic quality.We can view this problem into two terms.


One is that a historician should always ask himself the question "what if,who,when,where,for what

reason,how" over and over again along with his every step into the research of history.There is

strict requirment for the reality of these factors when a historician is conducting the history

and anything that is vague requires him to take a more deep study of the unclear one until he can

make sure of it before continuing his research.As for a storyteller,he needn't bother himself for

varifying[clarifying] each specifics[specific] and instead he can make up one as long as which[that] can perfect his story.


Another one is occured when the historical evidences are insufficient.Although there are a large

number of materials for a historician utilizing,there also present some lags[shortage] for fulfiling the part

of the history.In this case ,the historicians have to use their imagination to induce[deduce] the

probable events and details and this is always cited as another important reason to equal a

historician to a storyteller.But still the differece is distinctive for each induction[deduction] from a

historician is the reflection of facts  while  the storytellers' are not. This induction[deduction] or

premise is no further than an individual opinion and is opened to his peers and publics for

confirming or arguing.


Thus,when we concerns a historician we should remember all he has done are based upon the

reality and he may need some skills displayed by the storytellers while conversely is not the same.
学组长，先自改

[ 本帖最后由 monkeydluffy 于 2007-1-31 01:10 编辑 ]