ISSUE48 拍砖进行时,有来有往

paburawUID: 2204657

TOPIC: ISSUE48 - "The study of history places too much emphasis on individuals. The most significant events and trends in history were made possible not by the famous few, but by groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten."
WORDS: 437          TIME: 上午 12:45:00          DATE: 2006-6-23
Is our study of history emphasizing too much the role of the famous few while ignoring the efforts of most ordinary people? Here, the arguer claims that the groups of people who have been forgotten play major role in creating history. To me, after carefully weighing the statement, which seems to be somewhat appealing at first glance, I would like to say that both the famous few and ordinary people are indispensable in taking part in the development of our society. Nevertheless, when it comes to the study of history, the famous few is more valuable than ordinary people.  
1 历史人物的重要作用，举的是WATT的TREAM ENGINE 的例子。推动了工业革命的发展
2 即使是在大众做主导的历史事件中，也是由伟人所领导的
3 研究历史任务在一定程度上也反映了当时一般人的生活状态
例如我们在研究一个国家的领导人时，他所做的决定一般是要符合人民的意志的
4 历史人物也是由一定的历史条件创造的，因此在某种意义上他们也是普通人中的一分子

To begin with, the famous few are always the key factor to determining the development of the significant events. History bears evidence that the decision made by significant individual would change the course of the history of man. James Watt, for example, who is regarded as a creative genius, invented the steam engine and fueled the industrial revolution, which transformed the world from the agricultural society to an industrial one. Notwithstanding, of course, if it is not James Watt who invented the stream engine, someone else would do the same thing sooner or later, however, the wheel of history might be obstructed to a certain extend.

The speaker may argue that significant events which promoted the development of society is the efforts by all people. Nor did any event which is leadless succeed in the end. Take the construction of Panama Canal as an example, engineer John F Stevens, who lead the construction, is absolutely the main factor to determine the accomplishment of such a wonderful building called as the eighth miracle of the world. Without Stevens, the construction would be not achieved, especially, considering the failure made by French engineer who have succeeded in building Suez Canal. The Panama Canal lesson tells us that although we cannot deny the fact that without the efforts of thousands of workers, it is impossible to build the canal, the role of John F Stevens is speeding the wheel of history.

In addition, given our finite time and energy, it is impossible to study all people, whatever famous, less famous, or just ordinary people, and to some degree, the famous few is more valuable for history to profoundly investigate. Any historian would not claim that the study of those significant individual will make them obtain more information of that time than that of ordinary people. And also, in some respects, the famous few can typify the whole people living in that time. Such as when we want to study a dynastic, naturally we would focus on its leaders first. Historians might investigate the decision he made and why he made these decisions, along with the effects of these decisions when implementing. All these things can reflect the conditions of the society and the voice of the public. Thus we do need to investigate all people, but rather have to focus on several important individuals, in which way we would know almost the whole picture of event.

Finally, the famous few are created by certain historic conditions. Without these conditions, they may be just ordinary people like you and me. There are many factors contributing to the creation of a famous individual, excepting necessary abilities of individual, opportunities and social atmosphere are also indispensable factors. Everyone have the opportunity to become the famous few when the time is ripe, adding his or her own efforts. So when we are studying famous individual, in some sense that we are just studying an unusually ordinary people.

In the final analysis, no one will argue seriously that we can learn more from the famous few. Although the importance of the mass in creating history, we will continue to pay our attentions to those famous few.