THE SUBJECT of history is the life of peoples and of humanity. To catch and pin down in words—that is, to describe directly the life, not only of humanity, but even of a single people, appears to be impossible.

All the ancient historians employed the same method for describing and catching¹ what is seemingly elusive—that is, the life of a people. They described the career of individual persons ruling peoples; and their activity was to them an expression of the activity of the whole people.

The questions, In what way individual persons made nations act in accordance with their will, and by what the will of those individuals themselves was controlled, the ancients answered, By the will of God; which in the first case made the nation subject to the will of one chosen person, and, in the second, guided the will of that chosen monarch² to the ordained³ end.

For the ancients these questions were solved by faith in the immediate⁴ participation⁵ of the Deity⁶ in the affairs of mankind.

Modern history has theoretically rejected both those positions. One would have thought that rejecting the convictions of the ancients of men's subjection to the Deity, and of a defined goal to which nations are led, modern history should have studied, not the manifestations⁷ of power, but the causes that go to its formation. But modern history has not done that. While in theory rejecting the views of the ancients, it follows them in practice.

Instead of men endowed with divine authority and directly led by the will of the Deity, modern history has set up either heroes, endowed with extraordinary, superhuman powers, or simply men of the most varied⁸ characteristics, from monarchs⁹

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1 catching
adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住
参考例句：
There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。 Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

2 monarch
n.帝王，君主，最高统治者
参考例句：
The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。 I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

3 ordained
v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定
参考例句：
He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句

4 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 participation
n.参与，参加，分享
参考例句：
Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。 The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

6 deity
n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物)
参考例句：
Many animals were seen as the manifestation of a deity.许多动物被看作神的化身。 The deity was hidden in the deepest recesses of the temple.神藏在庙宇壁龛的最深处。

7 manifestations
n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式）
参考例句：
These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》 To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 varied
adj.多样的，多变化的
参考例句：
The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。 The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

9 monarchs
君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Monarchs ruled England for centuries. 世袭君主统治英格兰有许多世纪。 Serving six monarchs of his native Great Britain, he has served all men's freedom and dignity. 他在大不列颠本国为六位君王服务，也为全人类的自由和尊严服务。 来自演讲部分

10 civilisation
n.文明，文化，开化，教化
参考例句：
Energy and ideas are the twin bases of our civilisation.能源和思想是我们文明的两大基石。 This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.这部歌剧是西方文明的文化标志物之一。

11 logic
n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性
参考例句：
What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？ I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

12 buckle
n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲
参考例句：
The two ends buckle at the back.带子两端在背后扣起来。 She found it hard to buckle down.她很难专心做一件事情。

13 inevitable
adj.不可避免的，必然发生的
参考例句：
Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。 The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

14 orators
n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The hired orators continued to pour forth their streams of eloquence. 那些雇来的演说家继续滔滔不绝地施展辩才。 来自辞典例句 Their ears are too full of bugles and drums and the fine words from stay-at-home orators. 人们的耳朵被军号声和战声以及呆在这的演说家们的漂亮言辞塞得太满了。 来自飘（部分）

15 secondly
adv.第二，其次
参考例句：
Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。 Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

16 ferment
vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱
参考例句：
Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.果汁若是放置很久，就会发酵。 The sixties were a time of theological ferment.六十年代是神学上骚动的时代。

17 remarkable
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。 These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

18 subsides
v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的第三人称单数 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上
参考例句：
Emotion swells and subsides. 情绪忽高忽低。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 His emotion swells and subsides. 他的情绪忽高忽低。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 Christians
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。 His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

20 professing
声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉
参考例句：
But( which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 只要有善行。这才与自称是敬神的女人相宜。 Professing Christianity, he had little compassion in his make-up. 他号称信奉基督教，却没有什么慈悲心肠。

21 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。

22 attainment
n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣
参考例句：
We congratulated her upon her attainment to so great an age.我们祝贺她高寿。 The attainment of the success is not easy.成功的取得并不容易。

23 contradictory
adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立
参考例句：
The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。 What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

24 haughty
adj.傲慢的，高傲的
参考例句：
He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。 They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。

25 hewing
v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟
参考例句：
The farmer spent a day in the woods hewing timber. 这个农夫花了一天时间在森林里砍木材。 来自辞典例句 He was hewing away at the trunk of the tree. 他不停地照着树干砍去。 来自辞典例句

26 hacking
n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动
参考例句：
The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳。 We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. 我们负责在丛林中开路。

27 killing
n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财
参考例句：
Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。 Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

28 vanquished
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制
参考例句：
She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

29 abdicate
v.让位，辞职，放弃
参考例句：
The reason I wnat to abdicate is to try something different.我辞职是因为我想尝试些不一样的东西。 Yuan Shikai forced emperor to abdicate and hand over power to him.袁世凯逼迫皇帝逊位，把政权交给了他。

30 brigand
n.土匪，强盗
参考例句：
This wallace is a brigand,nothing more.华莱士只不过是个土匪。 How would you deal with this brigand?你要如何对付这个土匪？

31 reign
n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势
参考例句：
The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。 The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

32 abdicated
放弃（职责、权力等）( abdicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 退位，逊位
参考例句：
He abdicated in favour of his son. 他把王位让给了儿子。 King Edward Ⅷ abdicated in 1936 to marry a commoner. 国王爱德华八世于1936年退位与一个平民结婚。

33 thereby
adv.因此，从而
参考例句：
I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。 He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

34 battalion
n.营；部队；大队(的人)
参考例句：
The town was garrisoned by a battalion.该镇由一营士兵驻守。 At the end of the drill parade,the battalion fell out.操练之后，队伍解散了。

35 allied
adj.协约国的；同盟国的
参考例句：
Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。 Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

36 posterity
n.后裔，子孙，后代
参考例句：
Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。 The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。

37 random
adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句：
The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。 On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

38 memoirs
n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)
参考例句：
Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。 I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》

39 remains
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。 The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

40 unintelligible
adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的
参考例句：
If a computer is given unintelligible data, it returns unintelligible results.如果计算机得到的是难以理解的数据，它给出的也将是难以理解的结果。 The terms were unintelligible to ordinary folk.这些术语一般人是不懂的。

41 acquiesce
vi.默许，顺从，同意
参考例句：
Her parents will never acquiesce in such an unsuitable marriage.她的父母决不会答应这门不相宜的婚事。 He is so independent that he will never acquiesce.他很有主见，所以绝不会顺从。

42 precisely
adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地
参考例句：
It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。 The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

43 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。