时间:2018-12-08 作者:英语课 分类:新概念优美背诵短文50篇


英语课

20 The Historical Significance of American Revolution


The ways of history are so intricate and the motivations of human actions so complex that it is always hazardous 1 to attempt to represent events covering a number of years, a multiplicity of persons, and distant localities as the expression of one intellectual or social movement; yet the historical process which culminated 2 in the ascent 3 of Thomas Jefferson to the presidency 4 can be regarded as the outstanding example not only of the birth of a new way of life but of nationalism as a new way of life. The American Revolution represents the link between the seventeenth century, in which modern England became conscious of itself, and the awakening 5 of modern Europe at the end of the eighteenth century. It may seem strange that the march of history should have had to cross the Atlantic Ocean, but only in the North American colonies could a struggle for civic 6 liberty lead also to the foundation of a new nation. Here, in the popular rising against a “tyrannical” government, the fruits were more than the securing of a freer constitution. They included the growth of a nation born in liberty by the will of the people, not from the roots of common descent, a geographic 7 entity 8, or the ambitions of king or dynasty. With the American nation, for the first time, a nation was born, not in the dim past of history but before the eyes of the whole world.



20美国革命的历史意义
历史的进程是如此错综复杂,人类行为的动机是如此令人费解,以至于想把那些时间跨
度大,涉及人数多,空间范围广的事件描述成为一个智者或一场社会运动的表现的企图是危险的。
然而以托马斯•杰弗逊登上总统宝座为高潮的那一段历史过程可以被视为一个特殊的例子。
在这段历史时期里不仅诞生了新的生活方式,而且民族主义成为了一种新的生活方式。美国独立战争成为联结17世纪现代英格兰的自我意识和18
世纪末现代欧洲的觉醒的纽带。历史的行程需要跨越大西洋,这看起来似乎有些奇怪,但却只有在北美殖民地为民权和自由的斗争才能导致新国家的建立。
这里,反对"暴政"的民众起义的成果不仅是获得一个包含更多自由的宪法,还包括了一个依照人民的意愿诞生在自由中的国家的成长。这
个国家不是基于血缘、地理、君主或王朝的野心。由于有了美国,第一次一个国家的诞生
不是发生在历史模糊的过去,而是在全世界人们的眼前。



1 hazardous
adj.(有)危险的,冒险的;碰运气的
  • These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
  • Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。
2 culminated
v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )
  • a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战
  • The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 ascent
n.(声望或地位)提高;上升,升高;登高
  • His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。
  • Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮,电梯开始缓慢上升。
4 presidency
n.总统(校长,总经理)的职位(任期)
  • Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
  • Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。
5 awakening
n.觉醒,醒悟 adj.觉醒中的;唤醒的
  • the awakening of interest in the environment 对环境产生的兴趣
  • People are gradually awakening to their rights. 人们正逐渐意识到自己的权利。
6 civic
adj.城市的,都市的,市民的,公民的
  • I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
  • The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。
7 geographic
adj.地理学的,地理的
  • The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
8 entity
n.实体,独立存在体,实际存在物
  • The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
  • As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体,公司必须纳税。
学英语单词
a big ticket item
arbitristas
automatic edge trimming-banding machine
azathioprim
Bacillus necrophorus
banking supervisory authority
Bannesdorf auf Fehmarn
Berenices
bronchoscopists
cazdens
cercospora chionanthi
climatic wind tunnel
contour inteval
crankpin angle
d.s
decalcified bone
dilly
dybarism
electric portable heater
electrooculographic sensor
embryonic crystal
equivalence of fibre bundle
equivalent plastic strain
fan-shaped anticline
fifth-season
flexible markup pricing
fluorogene
follow path
follow up men
Fountain Inn
French marjoram oil
gamogenetic egg
glisoxepid
gluteal tuberosity
gready
hanging coffins
heterocodeine
hipot
hirsutiusculus
hydraulic welding gun
irregular endorser
isotope technique
knee-slappers
leachabilities
learning by example
Leblanc phase advancer
leptospermus
Loran-C receiver
Lower Brule Indian Reservation
maltreatment of prisoners
mastigures
Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome
microtitres
minimum stable capacity
nailextractor
object computer
OPOSENT
overcasted
oxychlorosene
parron
passenger profile
pentagramme
permissive matching
Persepolitan
pilot valve governor
predecessor task
prism binoculars
proteolyticbacteria
pterocarpoid
Purbalingga
range figures
rectilinear coordi-nate recorder
regular budget
regulation of forest
resident commissionor
roughing special slotting tool
rueth
sexipolar
single-execution
sod grass
split lens
stabilizing angle limiter
strange to observe
Sumapaz, Parque Nacional
switching off transients
tall drink of water
tetragonal selector
timbuktus
total internal reflection angle
track safety appliances
train station
turnstile radiator
turpidometer
U.s. dlr
unstratified structure
violation transition
waltz into
warmblood
water gauges
windfern
xylotrioses
zide