Text B Use and Abuse of History（第1页）

TextBUseaory

&erGeyl

Pre-reading

&harinusArieGeyl（1887-1966）wasaDutchhistorianwellknownforhisstudiesinearlymodernDutchhistoryandinhistraphy。Hismostfamousbookainst，anatofhowFrenchhistoriansesandviewshaveregardedtheFrenimetothepreseoriaedheraadventurerwhhtdeathaiontoFranceorasapatriotiwhloryay。Geylusedhisbooktoadvancehisviewthatallhistoriansareihepreseinghistoryandthusallhististransiteyl’sview，thereneverbeadefifesbecauseeveryagehasadifferehepast。Feyl，thebestthathistorianscoulddowastocriticallyexamiheirbeliefsaheirreaderstodolikewise。Geylfeltthathistoryrogressumentwithoutend”，butdidhismeantthatan“anythierpretationofhistorytable。

Promptsf

1。Wheorybook，doyouoallyfeelskepticalaboutthe“factsorfactors”?Whyorwhynot?

2。Geylsays，“Behi，behindthegoddessHistory，thereisahistorian。”Howdoyouuhisstatement?

3。Amythissometimesdefiraditionalfairystoryacceptedashistory。Whatroleorrolesdoesitplay，espesocialgriouscircles?

4。HaveyoureadaBuddha?youdistisfromthemythsinthem?

5。Howwouldyouexplaihatahistorian’shistorywillsufferfromhisbeingsoinamythofhiso>

6。Whatattitudeshouldahistoriantakewhilewritinghistory?

[1]Thehistorianotevadehisresponsibility。Toasthebarefactsorfaesadifficultjobinalllythefirststageofhiswork:ifheistogiveanintelligibleat，ifhewilltohisownsatisfaderstausehismaterialbyit1，it，aingit。Indoingsoheisboundtointroduelementofsubjectivity;thatis，heerwithordetratheabsolute，ungtruth。“Ishallsticktothefact，”“Ishallletthefactsspeakforthemselves”—thesewellknownturnsofspeeissibleenough，buttheyareapttobeasmisleadingasthatotherfavoritephrase:“Historyshows。”Behi，behindthegoddessHistory，thereisahistorian。aybeinpossessiohewholetruth，andnothih，buttothehistorian（theyoung，middle-aged，oroldladyentlemanrummagingamohearchiveatadesk）shewillatbest，iheirlaboraion，vouchsafeaglimpse。Neverwillshesurrehewholeofhertreasure。Themostthateforisapartialrendering，anapproximatioruthaboutthepast。

[2]Thehistorianmerelypreserves，butthemembersoftheuerialpreservedas3asthem。YetasIseeit，thehistorianoftenandrightlyplaysamoreactivepart，shapierial，suggesting，ifonlybyimpli，portahepresehecollectivememoryofthepublic，largelytheproductofthehistorians’teag，ismuchmoredefederratitheindividual’smemoryofhisexperiences。

[3]Iwishthatitwerepossibletodraletrastbetweenmythandhistory。Myth—thepastarrahoutanyhamperinginhibition，soastosuittheprejudiceofitsadhereiiousloyaltyoriheirpartyfeeling;history—thepastshownasitreallywas。IhavesaidtoomudyouknowtoomuchbeforeIsaidit，abouttheshsanddelioriahingsochildish。Historyandmytharealmostiricably5mixed。

[4]WhatIdosayisthatithasalwaysbeentheidealofhistoriahetwoandthatiemptstomaketheiratodemonstrable，palpabletruththeyhavedoneanenormousamouingandieraelligibleordertoovere。Thisorder，hoaysretaiofarbitrariistosomeexteonhumanminds。Andsuchasitis，thehistoryofthehistorianwillhavehaediheunity。Notonlywillthepublisonhistoryalwayslagbehindthoseofscholarship;theresometimesseemsthtincapacitytoadoptthem，largelydue，nodoubt，tolackofattention，thoughofteionisadisguiseforactiverelu，afterall，isnotgovernedbyreasohemyth，springingfromaffesorhatreds，hasavitalityofitsown。Itisaformoflife。

[5]Whehhistoricalmyths，traditions，ormiss，ihehistorianhastoacceptthemasmaioicsorcivilizatioiontowhichtheybeloeheuanding，thedisgsympathythatallmaionsoflife。Butthedoeoftheusefulmythis，tohim，ofnoapplitothepresent。Nodoubtthehistorianbesoinamythofhisowndaythathedassuch;hishistorywillsufferfromit，butitdoesnotnecessarilydestroyhisexce，reatness，asahistorian。

[6]AndIthinkImayaddthatnotIpersonallybutallprofessionalhistoriansdopossessakindoffamiliaritywiththepastthatshouldnotbeuhatgreatargumeclaimtohavelyauthenticmessage，butedevoteourselvestothedegofitwithasiiohusiasmandabstrag，ttheircase，supported，mostlikely，bymythigsofthepast。Eveo，weotsuppressthosevoicesorpreventothersfromlisteningtothem;weshallourselvesattimesfiandinspiration。Measwillproysteriouscourseastheyhavealwaysdootheshapingofithowmuchthepasttributes，andhowmuchtheurgethatisinmaivepowers，welyguess。Butshallhistoriansthereforekeepsilefulfillourfun，whichis，tothebestofourability，toshowupthemythsaheworldallwedaboutpastreality—inshitimateuseaheabuseofhistory。

Notes

1。。。。hemustusehismaterialbyit:对自己的素材要进行筛选。

2。Clio:（Greekmythology）AlsospelledKleio，themuseofhistory（历史女神），daughterofZeus。TheymologicallyderivedfromGreekmeaniomakefamous”or“tocelebrate”。

3。as:i。Thissethemembersoftheunityusepreservedhistoricalmaterialswhensuchmaterialssuitthem，andinwaysthatsuitthem。

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