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1、.Passage 1A Time for ApologiesThroughout history, saying sorry is not something political and religious leaders have felt comfortable about. Some see it as a sign of weakness; for第 9 页，共 35 页othersitansadmissionthattheyare liabletomakeerrorssomethingreligious institutions are particularly careful to
2、 avoid.But as political systems have become more sophisticated, the idea that governments or churches are faultless has become increasingly difficult to defend. The response of some people in positions of authority has been to stand up and apologize for past wrongs.Thetrendbeganinearnestin1995,whent
3、heQueenofEngland admitted that the Maori people of New Zealand had been shamefully treated,when the country was a British colony. Since then, what started as trickle ofapologies has turned into something of a flood. Last year alone, apologieswere issued by three of the world s most powerful nations.
4、 The US President,BillClinton,apologizedformedicalexperimentswhichhisgovernment carried out on black American men in the 1930s; the British Prime Minister,Tony Blair, apologized for Britain vsicftaimilusreoftothheeIlrpish potatofamine, which killed over a million people last century; and French Cath
5、olic Bishops apologized for the role of their predecessors during World War II.But why do heads of state feel the need to apologize, and why now? oneanswer has to do with the recent 50th -anniversary of the end of World War II.下载可编辑 .Three years ago, governments around the world wanted to mark this
6、historic event with some acts. But those countries which had been on the winning side found that simple celebrations of victory were no longer appropriate.Manypoliticalleaders,likemostoftheircitizens,belongtopost-war generations, who now look on the conflict as more than simply the victory ofgood ov
7、er evil. Also, the passing of time has erased much of the propagandaof the period. In its place, recently declassified documents reveal that many of the victors either profited, or turned a blind eye to the sufferings of the war.In the event, the 50 th -anniversary celebrations emphasized the recrea
8、tionof harmonyand the desirenever to repeatthe crueltiesand sufferingof World War II. But amid the general goodwill, the few remaining survivors of cruelties like the Holocaust, and military occupation, called for their personal suffering to be admitted, and for compensation to be paid.Two groups Je
9、wish survivors of the Holocaust and Korean women whowere forcedintoprostitutionby theJapanese Army have bothreceived apologies. However, neither group is entirely satisfied with the result.But the renewed investigation of crimes committed during World War II is only one reason for the apology phenom
10、enon. Other governments, notably the US, have also realized that if they want to demand high standards of moral behavior from other nations, they can only do so if they admit theirownpastwrongs.PresidentClintonhasrespondedbymakingpublic apologiestoUS citizens,who,as recentlyas the1950s,wereusedas.下载
11、可编辑 .guinea-pig in secret experiments involving radiation and sexually transmitted diseases. He is also expected to make a formal apology to the descendants of slaves in the US.But itnostjusta sense ofconscience,nordemandsfrompressuregroups, which lies behind these apologies. A well-timed apology ca
12、n do a lottopromoteaheadofstatepusblicimage inthe90s,caringand sympatheticleadersare bettervotewinnersthanproudanddetermined ones.However, playing the public-relations game with apologies is dangerous, as some politicians have found to their cost. The Swiss government is still trying to put right th
13、e public-relations disaster that resulted from their partialapology for Switzerland s dealings with the Nazis in the 1930s and 40s.But,inBritain,TonyBlairhasgainedadifferentkindofpolitical advantage through his apology for the Irish potato famine. His statement has helped improve relations between t
14、he parties involved in the difficult peace negotiations over Northern Ireland. He is now thought to be considering anofficial apology for the 1972 killing of Northern Irish Catholics by the British Army on what has become known as“ Blood Sunday”.Before he issues an apology, however, Tony Blair will
15、have to consider thepossibility th at victim s families might issue claims for compensation. The cost of fulfilling or fighting such claims could outweigh any political advantages.Also, because this event happened relatively recently, relations between the.下载可编辑 .different sides in Northern Ireland could suffer.These points illustrate some of the risks that leaders take when saying sorry for past wrongs. But, for most leaders, these risks have been purelyacademic.
