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The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its heroines. 了解一个社会特点最好的方法是去考察被这个社会视为英雄的人们的特点。 正文： Character of a society, so complicated as it is, has always been a heated topic among social science scientists, the study of which involves people, customs, environment and various other aspects, physically and psychologically. Concerning this, the author suggests that to understand the feature and values of a society, it is best to examine the character of the men and women that the society worships, which, in my eye, gets the point in some sense despite that it ignores other measures effective in studying a society. To better present my viewpoint let me illustrate it in details. To begin with, admittedly, since character of heroes or heroines, whether factual or imaginary, reflect, at least from a specific visual angle, mainstream values and moralities that a society and its member worship, the authors assertion gets the point in this sense. Rev. Martin Luther King, leader of the crusade fighting for equal right and against racial discrimination and segregations, is admired by the majority of American people, even scores of years after he delivered the renowned speech--I have a dream--that inspired and encouraged thousands of black people to strive for equal rights. This precisely mirrors one thing that all Americans ardently pursue and advocate: democracy--that is, all men are created as equal, regardless of race,nationality, and origin. Without efforts of Martin Luther King, blacks may still be separated to the back of buses and inflict what forcefully impose on them. Similarly, in the fight against gender bias, two heroines, Susan Stanton and Elizabeth B. Thorn,have been forever remembered and memorized for their contribution in paving the way for women rights, which, again, reflects that the American society is one that worships equal rights for women and men. While the foregoing example involves heroes and heroines in social science, people,devoted themselves to natural science and humanity areas, that are admired by general populace can also aptly illustrate the credibility of the authors assertion. A society whose members worship Galileo, one who bravely and perseveringly overthrew Ptolemy and Aristotle altogether with evidence collected by turning his own-made telescope to the universe, is very likely to be one emphasizing truth and righteousness, and less likely to compromise when confront power and authority; similarly, a society whose member admire Ludwig van Beethoven, the German musician whose status is unparalleled and who composed the most famous Pathetique and Moonlight, masterpieces that have strike a cord with numerous audience, is probably one stressing artistic appreciation and the pursuit of what is eternal and universal--beauty. In short, heroes and heroines a society respect may be a mirror for the mainstream ideology and practices. | 
