issue147 【jet小组】练习

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I strongly disagree the speaker’s assertion that we can only choose one between Tradition and modernization. The implicit rationale behind this statement seems to deny any possible relevance between the present and past even ignore the substantiated theory of evolution which guarantees the human beings’ original. In the line of his reasoning, even more absurd and horrible consequence will happen who goes to extremes to divide people around us to be friends or enemies, let alone applying such reasoning to the relationship between two countries. Two examples that aptly illustrate the critical flaws in such an oversimplified assertion involve the fields of linguistics and architecture.

Consider the recommendation of Esperanto as an official language in international trades and academic communications—which theoretically brings unprecedented convenience to the whole world at least on the linguistic level.
Admittedly, such a language is representative of trend of linguistic development according to the modernization in languages. However, why overwhelming majority of countries contribute countless effort, in term of money and other forms of pubic resources to ensure the uniqueness of their languages handed down for thousands of years. Close scrutiny of the attitudes of different nations, their notions are surprisingly the same—to ensure the distinct language is to ensure distinct culture including lifestyles, value system and a sense of self-belonging. Maybe some defender might get the conclusion that compared with the modernization; most nations prefer to sustain tradition, at least with the respect to languages. If so, some progresses in language is hard to explain according to the defender’s theory. Furthermore, such progresses including redefinition of words and new created words are a symbol of a marriage of tradition and modernization.

  An even more striking example of the attitude of mainstream toward historical constructers, by which I mean fine historic ones such as Colosseum in Roma, Big Ben in Britain ,Louvre Museum in Paris and the like. In the process of modernization which creates countless advanced stadiums, more accurate time broadcasting system and well—equipped museums, why can not we sway away and replace these ancient ones? Some subtle emotions beyond description rooted deeply in our heart may give us the answer. Would the movie Rome Holiday still be so successful if such a moving love story happened in the shadow of skyscrapers? Would the sound of striking hours recall our good memories as a naught boy running on ridge? Or is it more touching and inspired when strolling through Louvre Museum rather than a journey in Gugenhaim museum? Surely, such feelings exceed far what a meal or dress can bring to us. After all, human beings nowadays are no longer creatures who spend most time on seeking food and keeping warm, today what we concern most is our spiritual needs as well as emotional ones. To ensure this demand, on one hand modernization create various materials, on other hand, tradition breeds our spirit and emotion.

In sum, tradition and modernization can cooperate well in most areas of human’s endeavor, especially in ensuring the today’s prosperity both in material civilization and spiritual civilization.