工程硕士研究生英语基础教程unit4

Unit4PartAText(ATimeforApologies)PartBGrammarPartCSupplementaryReading(LifeandTimesofBillClinton)PartAText(ATimeforApologies)I.BackgroundIntroduction1.TheHolocaustTheHolocaust(alsocalledShoahinHebrew)referstotheperiodfromJanuary30,1933,whenAdolfHitlerbecamechancellorofGermany,toMay8,1945(VEDay),whenthewarinEuropeended.Duringthistime,JewsinEuropeweresubjectedtoprogressivelyharshpersecutionthatultimatelyledtothemurderof6,000,000Jews(1.5millionofthesebeingchildren)andthedestructionof5,000Jewishcommunities.Thesedeathsrepresentedtwo-thirdsofEuropeanJewryandone-thirdofworldJewry.TheJewswhodiedwerenotcasualtiesofthefightingthatravagedEuropeduringWorldWarII.Rather,theywerethevictimsofGermany'sdeliberateandsystematicattempttoannihilatetheentireJewishpopulationofEurope,aplanHitlercalledthe“FinalSolution”(Endlosung).AfteritsdefeatinWorldWarI,GermanywashumiliatedbytheVersaillesTreaty,whichreduceditsprewarterritory,drasticallyreduceditsarmedforces,demandedtherecognitionofitsguiltforthewar,andstipulateditpayreparationstothealliedpowers.TheGermanEmpiredestroyed,anewparliamentarygovernmentcalledtheWeimarRepublicwasformed.Therepublicsufferedfromeconomicinstability,whichgrewworseduringtheworldwidedepressionaftertheNewYorkstockmarketcrashin1929.Massiveinflationfollowedbyveryhighunemploymentheightenedexistingclassandpoliticaldifferencesandbegantounderminethegovernment.OnJanuary30,1933,AdolfHitler,leaderoftheNationalSocialistGermanWorkers(Nazi)Party,wasnamedchancellorbypresidentPaulvonHindenburgaftertheNazipartywonasignificantpercentageofthevoteintheelectionsof1932.TheNaziPartyhadtakenadvantageofthepoliticalunrestinGermanytogainanelectoralfoothold.TheNazisincitedclasheswiththecommunists,whomanyfeared,disruptedthegovernmentwithdemonstrations,andconductedaviciouspropagandacampaignagainstitspoliticalopponents-theweakWeimargovernment,andtheJews,whomtheNazisblamedforGermany'sills.2.联邦德国前总理勃兰特谢罪1970年12月7日，联邦德国前总理勃兰特双膝跪在波兰犹太人死难者纪念碑前。1970年12月7日，大雪过后东欧最寒冷的一天。刚刚对捷克、波兰进行国事访问后，当时的联邦德国总理维利·勃兰特冒着凛冽的寒风来到华沙犹太人死难者纪念碑下。他向纪念碑献上花圈后，肃穆垂首，突然双腿下跪，并发出祈祷：“上帝饶恕我们吧，愿苦难的灵魂得到安宁。”勃兰特以此举向二战中无辜被纳粹党杀害的犹太人表示沉痛哀悼，并虔诚地为纳粹时代的德国认罪、赎罪。当时的联邦德国总统赫利同时向全世界发表了著名的赎罪书，消息传来，世界各国爱好和平的人们无不拍手称赞。1971年12月20日，勃兰特因此获得了诺贝尔和平奖。。勃兰特1973年接受意大利著名女记者法拉奇采访时，谈到了自己当时采取这一出人意外的行动的感受。他说：“我明确区分罪过和责任。我问心无愧，而且我认为把纳粹的罪过归咎于我国人民和我们这一代人是不公平的，罪过只能由希特勒等发动二战的战犯去承担。尽管我很早就离开德国（二战期间勃兰特流亡国外，从事反法西斯斗争），但对希特勒上台搞法西斯主义，我也感到有连带责任。出任德国总理后，我更感到自己有替纳粹时代的德国认罪赎罪的社会责任。那天早晨醒来时，我有一种奇异的感觉，觉得自己不能只限于给纪念碑献一个花圈。我本能地预感到将有意外的事情发生，尽管我不知道是什么事情。献完花圈后我突然感到有下跪的必要，这就是下意识吧？”勃兰特在波兰犹太人纪念碑前下跪谢罪，被誉为“欧洲约一千年来最强烈的谢罪表现”。现任德国总理施罗德曾经亲自去波兰，为刻有下跪谢罪情景的勃兰特纪念碑揭幕。德国还在首都柏林著名的勃兰登堡门附近建立由2700根方柱组成的纳粹大屠杀受害者纪念碑，这使得希特勒后裔也因为强烈耻辱感而决定永不结婚生育，让那个罪恶家族断种绝根１９９５年６月，科尔总理继勃兰特之后，再次双膝跪倒在以色列的犹太人受难者纪念碑前，重申国家的歉意。心甘情愿偿还“战争债”在战后６０多里，德国一直在心甘情愿地进行彻底的赔偿。１９９８年，现任总理施罗德在获得大选胜利后发誓，要对那些还没有获得赔偿的纳粹受害者进行赔偿。德国的一些大公司如西门子、奔驰、大众等，提出了为“纳粹劳工”设立巨额赔偿基金，一共拿出５０亿美元，对遭受纳粹迫害的１００多万劳工幸存者进行最后一次赔偿。此外，德国还先后向波兰、俄罗斯、捷克斯洛伐克等受害国家尤其是受害的犹太民族赔偿近１１００亿马克，约合５５０亿美元。II.LanguagePoints1.Someseeitasasignofweakness;forothersit'sanadmissionthattheyareliabletomakeerrors－somethingreligiousinstitutionsareparticularlycarefultoavoid.Someseeitasasign…carefultoavoid.:“it”refersto“sayingsorry”,while“something”refersto“theyareliabletomakeerrors.liable:heldlegallyresponsible;likelytobeaffectedwith受影响，有责任的e.g.Hewasnotliableforhisson'sdebts.他对自己儿子的债务没有责任偿还。Everymanisliabletoerror.人人都可能犯错误。Usefulexpression:liableto易于......liablefor对...应...2.Butaspoliticalsystemshavebecomemoresophisticated,theideathatgovernmentsorchurchesarefaultlesshasbecomeincreasinglydifficulttodefend.sophisticated:(i)n.aworldly-wiseperson;manoftheworld久经世故的人e.g.He'snotasophisticateanddoesn'tspendhisdiscretionarytimewithsophisticates.他不是老于世故的人，不会随便花时间和那些世故的人相处。(ii)vt.practicesophistry;changethemeaningoforbevagueaboutinordertomisleadordeceive玩弄诡辩,掺合,弄复杂e.g.Hesophisticatedameaningbeyondrecognition他将意思曲解得无法理解。Ifyouarewrong,admititratherthansophisticate.错了就要承认，不要强词夺理。3.Thetrendbeganinearnestin1995,whentheQueenofEnglandadmittedthattheMaoripeopleofNewZealandhadbeenshamefullytreated,whenthecountrywasaBritishcolony.inearnest：inaseriousmanner认真的，严肃的e.g.Nowheappliedhimselftothejobinearnest.他现在认真地致力于这项工作了。Theofficialswereholdinglooseandnotinearnest.官员们都漠然置之，并不认真对待。4.Sincethen,whatstartedastrickleofapologieshasturnedintosomethingofaflood.Sincethen,whatstartedastrickleofapologieshasturnedintosomethingofaflood.:Atfirst,onlyafewstateleadersapologizedforpastwrongs,but,since1995,manyworldleadershaveapologizedforpastwrongs.5.Lastyearalone,apologieswereissuedbythreeoftheworld'smostpowerfulnations.issued:(i)n.somesituationoreventthatisthoughtabout;topic,subject,matter发行物,争论点e.g.Parliamentwilldebatethenationalizationissuenextweek.议会将在下周辩论国有化议题。Iboughtthenewstampthedayofitsissue.这种新邮票是我在发行当天买到的。(ii)v.comeoutof;circulateordistributeorequipwith流出，发行e.g.Banknotesofthisdesignwerefirstissued10yearsago.这种图案的钞票是十年前首次发行的。Usefulexpression:atissue在争论(在争论中)...backissue过期刊物inissue争论中,议论中,已发行6.Manypoliticalleaders,likemostoftheircitizens,belongtopost-wargenerations,whonowlookontheconflictasmoretha