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  3. A New Nation At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia was an open

A New Nation At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia was an open

游客2024-01-02  27
问题     A New Nation
    At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia was an open and democratic "new world" society. In the absence of a strongly defined aristocracy or ruling class, there was a sense that one person was as good as another. It was commonly held that people made what they could of themselves, given their abilities.
    The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 through the proclamation of the Constitution for the Federation of six states. The founders of Federation believed that they were creating something new and were concerned to avoid the pitfalls of the old world. They wanted Australia to be harmonious, united and egalitarian. They had progressive ideas about human rights, observance of democratic procedures and the value of a secret ballot.
    They drew the line on matters of race, however; one of the first acts of the new Commonwealth Parliament was to pass the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, which ensured that immigrants would be of primarily European origin. (The "White Australia" policy was gradually dismantled after World War II until by the mid-1970s it was totally abolished. Australia now has a non-discriminatory migration policy. ) Numerous diverse links with Britain existed , which many people continued to regard as "the mother country". Australia’s constitutional links with Britain have been progressively loosened since that time.
    The great champion of Federation was Sir Henry Parkes, who believed that Australia was ready for unity because of " the vigor, the industry, the enterprise, the foresight, and the creative skill of its people".
    World War I had a devastating impact on Australia. In 1914 the male population of Australia was less than 3 million, yet almost 400,000 of those volunteered to fight in World War I. As many as 60, 000 of those who volunteered never came back, and tens of thousands more were wounded, many very seriously. Australians have inherited strong traditions from the war years. None is more special or treasured in the Australian ethos than the " Anzac" tradition of courage, a tradition forged at Gallipoli in Turkey in 1915. Anzac Day, 25 April, is now a national day of commemoration of the sacrifice of Australians in all wars in which they have fought.
    The period between the two world wars was one of uncertainty and instability as large numbers of servicemen sought to reconstruct their lives. Social and economic divisions widened and became more pronounced during the hard years of the Depression in the 1930s when many Australian financial institutions failed.
    World War II was a difficult, but in some respects empowering, event in Australian history. Australian forces made a significant contribution to the Allied victory in Europe and in Asia and the Pacific. The generation that fought in World War II and survived came out of the war with a sense of pride in Australia’s capabilities.
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答案     新国家的诞生
    20世纪初，澳大利亚社会是一个开放民主的“新世界”。这里没有明确的贵族阶级或统治阶级，只有人人平等的观念。人们普遍认为，澳大利亚社会崇尚人尽其才，充分实现自我。
    1901年，澳大利亚通过颁布使六州结成联邦的宪法，宣告澳大利亚联邦成立。缔造者们相信，他们是在创造新生事物，因而注意避免重蹈旧世界的覆辙。他们要把澳大利亚建设成一个和睦、统一、人人平等的社会。他们有着关于人权的先进思想，遵守民主程序，推崇无记名投票方式。
    但是，在种族问题上他们却区别对待。联邦议会刚一成立，就迅速通过了《1901年移民限制法》；该法保证移民主要源自欧洲。(二战以后，逐渐取消“白澳政策”，到20世纪70年代中期才彻底废除。如今，澳大利亚奉行的是无歧视移民政策。)澳大利亚同英国保持着千丝万缕的联系，许多人仍将英国视为“祖国”。但从那时起，澳大利亚与英国的宪法联系逐渐变得松散。
    亨利-帕克斯爵士是澳大利亚联邦的伟大捍卫者。他认为，澳大利亚已经具备了统一的条件，因为“它的人民充满活力，勤劳进取，富有远见和创造力”。
    第一次世界大战给澳大利亚带来了灾难性的影响。1914年，澳大利亚男性人口不足300万，但其中近40万人自愿参战。结果，6万名志愿军人一去不回，数万人受伤，许多人伤势严重。澳大利亚人继承了战争年代的光荣传统。在澳大利亚民族精神中，最为特殊、最受珍视的莫过于“澳新军团”英勇无畏的传统。锻造这种传统的是1915年在土耳其发生的加利波利战役。如今，4月25日被定为澳新军团节。每年这一天都要举行全国性的纪念活动，缅怀澳大利亚人在所有他们经历过的战争中所作的牺牲。
    两次世界大战之间的那段时间局势动荡不定，大批军人退役，渴望重建生活。社会和经济差距扩大。在20世纪30年代经济大萧条的艰难岁月中，许多澳大利亚金融机构倒闭，进一步加剧了社会和经济差距。
    在澳大利亚历史上，第二次世界大战是一段艰苦时期，但就某些方面而言却增强了澳大利亚的威力。澳大利亚军队对盟国在欧洲、亚洲和太平洋取得的胜利作出了重大贡献。参加过二战并活着回来的那一代澳大利亚人，由此产生了对祖国的自豪感。
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