issue120 永不言弃小组第二次作业by 花生1号

花生peanutUID: 2487804

【题目】"So much is new and complex today that looking back for an understanding of the past provides little guidance for living in the present."
【翻译】  现代社会是如此的崭新和复杂以至于回首了解过去对于当代生活已经没有太大帮助了。
【提纲】
观点：平衡观点，承认历史的重要性，然后转折，不能只看照搬历史，要展望未来。
1、在政治方面有帮助
美国选举政策：
One of the leading concerns of contemporary American politics is low voter turnout, even for major elections. A historical analysis of changes in voter turnout can help us begin to understand the problem we face today. What were turnouts in the past? When did the decline set in? Once we determine when the trend began, we can try to identify which of the factors present at the time combined to set the trend in motion. Do the same factors sustain the trend still, or are there new ingredients that have contributed to it in more recent decades? A purely contemporary analysis may shed some light on the problem, but a historical assessment is clearly fundamental—and essential for anyone concerned about American political health today.
2、在个人发展有帮助
历史来学习前人：
"History teaching by example" is one phrase that describes this use of a study of the past—a study not only of certifiable heroes, the great men and women of history who successfully worked through moral dilemmas, but also of more ordinary people who provide lessons in courage, diligence, or constructive protest.
学习历史上的伟人，让我们了解那个时代，给我们克服困难的勇气。
1. 圣女贞德：Joan of Arc英法大战保卫祖国，统帅法军打败英国侵略者，法国爱国主义斗阵旗帜
Joan of Arc also known as "the Maid of Orleans," is a national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of Charles VII.
2. 甘地：Gandhi, 主张：nonviolence & noncooperation 使印度摆脱殖民统治，完成统一愿望：Gandhi’s own struggle against British colonial rule
Gandhi was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of satyagraha（n. 非暴力抵抗及不合作主义）—resistance to tyranny（n. 压治统治,暴政）through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa（n. 不杀生否定暴力）or total non-violence—which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He is commonly known around the world as
3. 几个重要的人物带起了一个时代：瓦特(watt)-steam engine—industrial revolution; Thomas Edison: electric bulb; Karl Benz( modern automobile); Bell( telephone)

3.战争方面
德国对二战的教训：In world war two, the chauvinism in Germany led to great disaster not only to the Germans but also to the people of whole Europe. Fortunately, the government of Germany leant from the history that chauvinism would be harmful, and thus takes effective actions to restrict the resurgence of Naziism in all of the aspects of society.
4. 另外未来和历史总是相似的
引用名句：16th-century Italian philosopher Machiavelli（马基雅弗利）wrote, “Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times.”
历史的时间和模式是会重复的： the recurrence of historical events and patterns.；certain types of past developments will happen again, and that by understanding history, they can better handle future recurrences. This thinking lies behind the familiar phrase, “Those who do not know the past are condemned to repeat it.” Although this is the most conservative approach to using history to predict the future, it is often the most accurate. However, each of these attempts to use history as a basis for predicting the future is inherently flawed. Therefore, they do not provide entirely accurate descriptions of the future. Perhaps this is why some people continue to prefer fortune-tellers and astrological charts to predictions based on historical events.
5、诚然，现代社会是崭新的、复杂的和进步的，尽管历史有借鉴作用，但不能一切都照搬历史，在新的社会里需要运用新的方法来处理现代生活；例如，中国的一国两制以往历史上从来都没有，但为了国家的统一，面对香港回归的新形势创造性地运用，取得了很好的效果；如果当初还坚持一个国家一种制度，可能不能这么快的实现中国的统一;
6、总结，历史的作用是适度的


TOPIC: ISSUE120 - "So much is new and complex today that looking back for an understanding of the past provides little guidance for living in the present."
WORDS: 662
TIME: 02:23:45
DATE: 2009-2-4 17:24:31

The speaker asserts that the present day is so new and complex that we can get little guidance through looking back for an understanding of the past. Admittedly, the past can't be changed, the future yet in your power. However, the importance of history cannot be ignored. Study the history is to better grasp the future.

One of the leading concerns of contemporary American politics is low voter turnout, even for major elections. A historical analysis of low voter turnout can help us begin to understand the problem we face today. What were turnouts in the past? When did the decline set in? Once we determine when the trend began, we can try to identify which of factors present at the time combined to set the trend in motion. Do the same factors sustain the trend still, or are there new ingredients that have contributed to it in more recent decades? A purely contemporary analysis may shed some light on some problems, but a history assessment is clearly fundamental--and essential for anyone concerned the American political health today.

What is more, study history could help individual fully developed. "History teaching by example" is one phrase that describe this use of study the past--a study not only of certifiable heroes, the greatest men and women who successfully worked through moral dilemmas, but also of more ordinary persons who provide lessons in courage, diligence, or constructive protest. For instance, Joan of Arc, also known as" the Maid of Orleans" is a national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl who born in eastern France led France army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War. Claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of Charles VII. Let’s put Gandhi as another example. Gandhi, a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement, was the pioneer of Satyagraha----resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly found up on ahimsa or total non-violence----which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Besides, those greatest inventor in the past such as watt, the inventor of steam engine, Tomas Edison, the inventor of electric bulb, and Bell, who invented the telephone, and so forth. Although all the persons above belong to the past, their struggling spirits are incentive for us to surmount these difficulties which block our developments.

In addition, learning the lessons in wars of the past will improve the peaceful development in the future. In the world war two, the chauvinism in Germany led to great disaster not only to the Germany but also to the people of whole Europe. Fortunately, the government of Germany learnt from the history that chauvinism would be harmful, and thus takes effective actions to restrict the resurgence of Naziism in all of the aspects of society.

Furthermore, the recurrence of historical events and patterns may appear. In other words, certain type of developments in the past will happen again. Just like Machiavelli, a 16th-century Italian philosopher, wrote," Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past, for human events ever resemble those of preceding times." By understanding the past, we can better handle the future recurrence.

Admittedly, the mordent society is new, progressive and complicated. Even though the past has reference, we cannot copy intact the ways of the past. China, for example, the "one country, two systems" system have never existed in the past. But for the national unity, the system has been creative used according to Hong Kong's special situation. What's more, good results have been achieved. If China insists only one system, the Hong Kong would not come back to her mother country so smoothly.

To sum up, the importance of history is moderate. We cannot ignore the looking for an understanding and learning lessons of the past , at the same time, we would better look forward to the future. If do so, you may handle and create your splendid future.

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