VOA标准英语2009年-Russia Marked Series of Historic Anniv

News reports are sometimes referred to as the first draft of history. But Russia has turned the adage¹ on its head by creating news out of history. In a year filled with historic anniversaries, the Kremlin raised controversy² in 2009 with claims of certitude about a glorious Russian past and threats of legal action against those who would dispute it. The issue is not so much about where Russia has been, but where it is going.

In 2009, Russians marked 300 years since their country defeated Sweden in the decisive Battle of Poltava, in which Russia replaced that Scandinavian country as the great power of Northern Europe.  Seventy years ago, Moscow and Berlin signed the infamous³ Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact⁴, which secretly divided Europe into Soviet⁵ and German spheres of influence.  World War Two broke out a week after the signing.  And, in 1989, the Berlin Wall collapsed⁶.  That barrier across the center of Europe was built and maintained with Kremlin approval.

Each of these anniversaries pitted Russia against the peoples affected⁷ by its might.  After Poltava, Ukrainians became part of the Russian empire.  Molotov-Ribbentrop led to the Soviet annexation⁸ of the Baltic peoples.  And, the Berlin Wall kept Eastern Europeans on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain.  During a Poltava symposium⁹ in Moscow this past June many Russian historians said their country liberated¹⁰ Ukraine from the Swedes.  And, the Kremlin insists Soviet forces freed the Baltics and Eastern Europe from Nazi¹¹ tyranny.  Estonian historian Meelis Marituu told VOA he agrees with that assessment¹², but adds an element the Kremlin ignores.

Marituu says the understanding of Estonians and many others is that, after liberating¹³ Estonia from the Nazis¹⁴, the Soviet Army somehow forgot to leave the country. 

He says there should have been an election to re-establish legitimate¹⁵ authority, which was overthrown¹⁶ during the first Soviet occupation in 1940.
 
Soviet forces installed a Communist government, which prohibited any challenges to its rule.

Marituu works at Tallinn's Museum of the Occupation, where Nazis and Soviets¹⁷ are both presented as occupiers.  However, Russia has actively¹⁸ sought to silence attempts to equate¹⁹ Nazi Germany with the USSR.  It introduced legislation in parliament this year to make it a crime to deny the Soviet victory in World War Two.  Foreigners deemed guilty would be banned from entering Russia.  And, in May, President Dmitri Medvedev announced creation of a government commission to help prevent what he said was falsification of history that harms the interests of Russia.

"Historic Falsification"

Mr. Medvedev says Russians are increasingly being confronted with what is known as "historic falsification".

Ukrainian historian Serhiy Stelmakh is a member of the Russian History Department at Shevchenko State University in Kyiv.  He there are several factors driving the politicization of history in Russia.  As an example, he says Soviet war veterans exert political pressure against negative portrayals²⁰ of events they participated in and that the Kremlin has its own interest in creating the historical truth commission.

Stelmakh says the commission is, in essence, nothing more than a form of censorship aimed at legitimizing the current government.  He adds that, unfortunately, post-Soviet countries, including Russia and Ukraine, have also preserved the Soviet system in which historians are funded by the state, rather than private foundations.

The Kremlin's history panel includes members of state security forces, intelligence services and the parliament.  Marituu says this should serve as a caution signal for all historians.

Marituu says there should be a clear line between the study of history and politics.  He notes that the makeup²¹ of the commission suggests it is more concerned with politics and using history and various historic facts to justify²² its own existence.

Dispute with Ukraine

Russia is particularly irritated by Ukrainian attempts to honor veterans who fought against Soviets and Nazis after initially²³ mistaking Germans as liberators.  Those veterans are seen as freedom fighters by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, but as fascist²⁴ collaborators by his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev.  Much historic controversy pivots²⁵ around the figure of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, who butchered millions of his own citizens in a bloody²⁶ campaign to consolidate²⁷ power.  Mr. Yushchenko condemns²⁸ Stalin unequivocally.  Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has recognized Stalin's crimes, but recently said the Soviet dictator's controversial record must be put in perspective.

Mr. Putin says Russians won the Second World War and that, whatever is said by whomever, victory was achieved.  He says, even if losses are taken into account, no one can now cast doubt on those who organized and led the victory.  He says, if Russia had lost the war, the consequences for the country would have been much more catastrophic.

But many non-Russians do cast doubt and reject the Soviet Union as having been their country.  Ukraine, Georgia and Latvia have Soviet occupation museums similar to the one in Estonia.  Serhiy Stelmakh adds that former Soviet republics are also writing their own histories, to the dismay of many in Russia.

Stelmakh says a look at school text books being published in Ukraine, the Baltics, and in other post-Soviet republics shows them to be attempts to distance those countries from Russia -- especially with regard to courses in national history.

Historians complain Russian authorities have tightened²⁹ access to archives that could shed light on the Soviet past.  Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry³⁰ occasionally posts selective old documents that support the Kremlin's version of history. But increasingly, opposing views are emerging even among Russian historians.

A newly released history of 20th Century Russia, written by a team of 45 scholars and edited by historian Andrei Zubov, includes a statement that much of the country's recent past is painfully difficult to study, which is why many refuse to do so. After revealing much of that pain, the historians conclude by saying Russian national unity³¹ cannot be based upon varnished³² myths about the past; unity can only be achieved by pursuing the truth.
 

1 adage   

n.格言，古训

参考例句：

• But the old adage that men grow into office has not proved true in my experience.但是，根据我的经验，人们所谓的工作岗位造就人材这句古话并不正确。
• Her experience lends credence to the adage " We live and learn!"她的经验印证了一句格言: 活到老，学到老！

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

4 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

5 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

6 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

9 symposium   

n.讨论会，专题报告会；专题论文集

参考例句：

• What have you learned from the symposium?你参加了这次科学讨论会有什么体会？
• The specialists and scholars present at the symposium come from all corners of the country.出席研讨会的专家学者们来自全国各地。

10 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

11 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

12 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

13 liberating   

解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Revolution means liberating the productive forces. 革命就是为了解放生产力。
• They had already taken on their shoulders the burden of reforming society and liberating mankind. 甚至在这些集会聚谈中，他们就已经夸大地把改革社会、解放人群的责任放在自己的肩头了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

14 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

16 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

17 soviets   

苏维埃（Soviet的复数形式）

参考例句：

• A public challenge could provoke the Soviets to dig in. 公开挑战会促使苏联人一意孤行。
• The Soviets proposed the withdrawal of American ballistic-missile submarines from forward bases. 苏联人建议把美国的弹道导弹潜艇从前沿基地撤走。

18 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

19 equate   

v.同等看待，使相等

参考例句：

• You can't equate passing examination and being intelligent.你不能把考试及格看成是聪明。
• You cannot equate his poems with his plays.你不可以把他的诗歌和他的剧本相提并论。

20 portrayals   

n.画像( portrayal的名词复数 )；描述；描写；描摹

参考例句：

• And painters alluded to her eroticism in their bare breasted portrayals of the dying queen. 画家们把她描绘为裸胸垂死的贪欲的女王。 来自互联网

21 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

22 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

23 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

24 fascist   

adj.法西斯主义的；法西斯党的；n.法西斯主义者，法西斯分子

参考例句：

• The strikers were roughed up by the fascist cops.罢工工人遭到法西斯警察的殴打。
• They succeeded in overthrowing the fascist dictatorship.他们成功推翻了法西斯独裁统治。

25 pivots   

n.枢( pivot的名词复数 )；最重要的人（或事物）；中心；核心v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的第三人称单数 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开

参考例句：

• The success of the project pivots on investment from abroad. 这个工程的成功主要依靠外来投资。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The novel pivots around a long conversation between two characters. 这部小说是以两个人物的对话为中心展开的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

27 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

28 condemns   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• Her widowhood condemns her to a lonely old age. 守寡使她不得不过着孤独的晚年生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The public opinion condemns prostitution. 公众舆论遣责卖淫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

29 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

30 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

31 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

32 varnished   

浸渍过的，涂漆的

参考例句：

• The doors are then stained and varnished. 这些门还要染色涂清漆。
• He varnished the wooden table. 他给那张木桌涂了清漆。