论那些美国电影中反映的美国文化

某某大学

毕 业 论 文（设计）

中文题目：论那些美国电影中反映的美国文化

外文题目：On the American Culture Reflecting from Those American Films

学 号：

姓 名： 年 级：2011级 专 业：英语 系 别：外语系 指导老师：

完成日期：2015年4月17日

内容摘要

历史文化作为电影艺术思想的支配性生产者，必然影响影视的发展。电影作

为特定历史文化中的主要构成之一，正以个性独特的手法和方式去诠释着深刻博大的历史文化与人文精神。一些影片如《阿甘正传》就成功地向人们展示了美国英雄主义及本土文化，以及阿甘身上所代表的传统美国梦的信念，影片在呼唤现实理性的美国梦的回归。再有如《肖申克的救赎》《泰坦尼克号》《钢铁侠》等，都体现出了美国强烈的个人主义和英雄主义。还有些电影中还反映了美国电影中的高科技文化。当然美国文化的影响具有多面性，有消极影响又有其积极的文化价值，文化的姿态本来就应该是包容的广博的，所谓有容乃大，任何文化要想完善就得吸取一切能吸取的精华文化。而电影正是其中一种重要的媒介，我们可以从那些典型的美国大片的背后看看在当今时代背景下美国人的电影文化，了解和吸收那些有价值的文化。

关键词： 美国电影，美国历史文化，个人主义，英雄主义，文化价值

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Abstract

History and culture as a dominant producer of the film art, inevitably affects the development of film and television. Films as one of the main components in specific historical culture, with the unique character of technique and the way to interpret the broad, show the profound historical culture and the humanistic spirit. Some films such as forrest gump has successfully showed the heroism and indigenous culture, as well as the traditional beliefs of the American dream which represented by forrest gump, the film in calling upon the return of the real reason of the American dream. Besides, like the shawshank redemption, titanic, iron man etc. all reflect the strong American individualism and heroism. The United States is a warm worship personal heroism country. There still have some films which also reflect the high-tech culture in the American movies.

Of course, the influence of American culture is multifaceted. Objectively speaking, American culture has its negative influence and its positive cultural value. Cultural attitude was always supposed to be inclusive of broad, tolerance is a great, any culture would like to improve must absorb all the essence of the culture. Films are one of the important medias, we can see the American film culture in the context of contemporary film culture that from the behind of those typical American movies, and to understand and absorb the valuable culture.

Key Words: The American Film，American Culture，Individualism，Heroism，Cultural Value

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Contents

内容摘要...................................................................................... 错误！未定义书签。 Abstract ........................................................................................ 错误！未定义书签。 Introduction .................................................................................. 错误！未定义书签。 1. The Development of American Film and Culture................... 错误！未定义书签。

1.1 The History of American Movies ................................... 错误！未定义书签。 1.2 The Development of American Culture .......................... 错误！未定义书签。 2. The American Culture Reflected from American Movies ....... 错误！未定义书签。

2.1 American Movies and Culture Influence Each Other ..... 错误！未定义书签。 2.2 The Individualism and Heroism Reflected from Films .. 错误！未定义书签。 2.3.The American Dream Reflected from Forrest Gump ..... 错误！未定义书签。 2.4 The Strong Science and Sechnology Culture in the American Movies错误！未定义书签。

3. The Value of American Film Culture ....................................... 错误！未定义书签。 Conclusion ................................................................................... 错误！未定义书签。 Works Cited.................................................................................. 错误！未定义书签。 Acknowledgments........................................................................ 错误！未定义书签。

Introduction

In an increasingly digital age, the movie has become indispensable to modern city

as a leisure way, and to some extent, it is important to provide people with spiritual sustenance.American movies have unique vitality and creativity that makes it win the irreplaceable status in the world film.Increasing along with the information explosion, the American film with its distinctive vitality, gradually learned a lot of traditional elements and theatrical talent from all over the world.

America's leading technology level prompted the high-tech in the large number of applications in the movie, it also greatly increased the competitiveness of the American film in the global market.Science and technology play an extraordinary role in the American film,and make the personal heroism images as more accepting of people.

Films, as one of the most popular forms of entertainment, are the best way to show a national characteristic and public taste.In recent years, American films have greatly influenced on the Chinese market.Some American culture reflected in American movies, in addition to the gorgeous screen, high-tech production brings us strong visual feast, we can also learn about the film culture of the United States.So I choose the paper topic“On The American Culture Reflecting from Those American Films ”. I also like watching American movies. From those American movies,I can deeply understand some American culture and its cultural value.Based on a large number of classic movie watching, some analysis and reviews about the movie and some books

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about American history and culture reading, then with the help of my teacher and classmates of my paper group ,I complete the paper writing.By writing the thesis, I also get a lot of harvest, through this paper I deepened the understanding of American movies and social culture, and I absorb the positive value of American culture. I have an objective cognition on American movies and American culture. By knowing the heroism reflected from the movie, the American dream, etc., I also started the true ponder to my own life path and the direction.

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1.The Development of American Film and Culture

1.1.The History of American Movies

In 1889, the American inventor Thomas Edison invented the motion picture camera in the laboratory, and then invented the film projector, and in 1893 established the first movie studio in the world.In April 1894, Edison used his film projection equipment - \"electric film mirror\" shown in commercial activities, this is the beginning of the American film history.

In the silent era, the film got rapid development in the United States.In 1906, the existing 1000 \"nickels cinema\" (named after the deep tickets for 5 cents nickel).In 1909, the theater of the nickel reached 10. The film artists who laid an art foundation for early Americans are: Mr Boulter, Griffith and Charlie Chaplin.

In the development of early American film, the“film patent company” controlled by Edisons once monopolized the film business.Until around 1915, the monopoly was finally broken. American film production base move to Hollywood which is famous in the world today.Here, in film history of the eight famous companies in the United States gradually developed, and set up to \"star system\" \"the big studios system\" and \"genre\" as the core system of the Hollywood studio system,they are also known as Hollywood's \"three big magic weapon.\"

In 1927, Warner Brothers launched the first audio feature films\"the jazz singer\" in the world, the film entered into the era of sound.From the mid 30s and 40s, American films have been in a golden age.Film production rose steadily, so in the rest of the

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United States and around the world, many film artists have come to Hollywood to seek development.With the emergence of sound film, in addition to early comedies, western and anarchic comedy, musical, the robber, detective, horror and so on, various genre films also developed rapidly. From the end of 40s and the mid-50s, because of the factors that the rapid rise of television industry of the implementation of the antitrust law of the government, the American film industry was experiencing a series of blow and challenge.Until the end of the 60s, the emergence of the “new American movie\" and the rise of \"new Hollywoodo make American movies to regroup.From the mid-80s until today, the American film gradually has dominated the world cinema, using the abundant capital, bringing high tech to movie studios, and also bringing a new language to the one hundred - year - old movies.

1.2.the Development of American Culture

The early immigrants brought the European culture to the United States.Soon, the

culture spreads out the United States.Today, the United States has become one of the mainstream of world culture.Many American artists make a great contribution to the development of new style,the new way of self-expression and even the new cultural pattern.

The main content of American culture is to emphasize individual value, the pursuit of democracy and freedom, advocating pioneering and competitive, rationality and practical, its core is the personal centralism: personal supremacy, the pursuit of personal interests and personal enjoyment, stress the individual struggle, personal self

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design, the pursuit of individual value finally realize.This deliberately shaping itself, pursuing personalized individual socialist has its positive side and negative side. The American publics notice accomplishment and admire heroes,they have profound psychological

accumulation

of achievement

worship

and

heroes

worship.Personal achievement is one of the highest rated values of all American values.Many of the people who live in the United States, whether native-born Americans, or foreign immigrants arrived in the United States, with a dream, that is changing their social status to realize their dreams in life through their own efforts, this is what people often talk about\" the American dream\".

Film as an audio-visual art,through the show of the artistic image, it expresses some thoughts and emotions and reflects different social culture and reflects the era and the national spirit.Film as one part of the human cultural life directly reflects the culture of a nation.Those American movies also reflect the culture of the United States.

1.The American Culture Reflected from American Movies

2.1.American Movies and Culture Influence Each Other

American movies are one of the important expressions of the American culture on the screen.

The United States has a global view of film culture concept and form,that determines the American film can get a more superior position of film in the world than other countries. It is because of this kind of cultural forms of diversity and

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inclusiveness that make American movies continue to develop around the world.American movies basic themes are love, justice, family, affection, etc., which is not only the United States as a country willing to flaunt the perfect values, is also the subject of common concern to all mankind.American films to a global audience, in addition to Hollywood is good at telling stories and its commercial operation, the full of narrative structure in American movies maturely embodies a common requirement of people to the reasonable order.At the same time,Hollywood films, with the help of American politics, culture and business advantage ,also make the film marketing all over the world, thus building a powerful narrative voice, narrative content is typical of American culture.After the two world wars, due to the change of the U.S. population, the rise of the civil rights movement and the international situation, American culture towards multiculturalism.This kind of multicultural coexistence and development naturally creates the inclusiveness of American culture.[1]

American films advocate the principle of the supremacy of commercialism, and position itself in the global market. It is not limited to the level of attracting the audience .So the American movies do not too care about maintaining the characteristics of national culture, but care about the tolerance and absorption of every national culture in the world, it is also a cultural strategy of the American film. First of all, the American film generally chooses a global theme in terms of subject choice.American film is keen on global theme or subject matter, such as natural disasters, global security, review history, focus on the future, the harmony between human and nature, and so on.American films on the subject matter, theme, style and

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technique of expression have the very big breakthrough, but most of the film is based on the game rules of culture industry close to a certain business elements together.On a few patterns and rules which can make sure the box office earnings,the American film churns out a series of stories to cater to public taste.In the film the day after tomorrow, independence day, Fahrenheit 9/11, people see the beauty of human nature and morality at the moment of the sky were to fall and the wind and cloud transformation,and also know the deep meaning of the friendship, kinship and love. And Star Wars and its sequel, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Starfare and so on, some science fiction weaving individual dreams about the future to the audience, at the same, these films have caused the people to the rational utilization of technology;some animation film, as Garfield, ice age, show a close relationship between people and animals,animals and nature.American Mainstream movies fully show the American film culture as the mass culture,and the basic characteristics of industrial and money.

Secondly, the American film carries a global cooperation in production line.American film is committed to attracting global talent.It determines the movie for the mass and multicultural.American films reduce the original national cultural character in the film, so as to a far richer and more close natural landscape and humanistic qualities to win the attention of the audience in different countries. Finally, the American film in the aspect of value concept focuses on the common pursuit of mankind. The belief and value pursuit are reflected in the American film,Often with macroscopic justice, equality and democracy.Such as Platoon,the war

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theme shows the distortion of human nature caused by the war.This kind of historical themes like gladiator expresses the concept of historical justice.The kind of science fiction theme likes Deep Impact shows the human's resistance to outside danger. Facing the monopoly position of American films gradually formed in the world film market,and facing that the American films culture, as the mass culture,constantly encroach on the culture of the other countries around the world .This makes us have to have a discussion about the cultural characteristics which reflected from American movies and the simplification tendency of the world film culture.

American movies and culture influence each other. Films promote the spread of American culture, American culture influences the theme of the film content, while promoting the prosperity of the movie business.

2.2.The Individualism and Heroism Reflected from Films

The \"main theme\" in the American film is individualism and heroism of the culture. Americans have a strong concept of self-centered, and believe in individualism, and the pursuit of personal happiness become a social consensus.The citizens of the United States worship this personal hero , they advocate personal struggle, adventure, as a result, the American film touted self-centered individualism and heroism, hoping to encourage their nation and brave their own responsibility, to make contribution to society. The black President in 2012, when people all in danger, he gives up the opportunity to aboard the ship to escape, leaving a line like this: \" A young scientist will be worth 20 old politicians\".This is a kind of heroism for the

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purpose of future as human's responsibility! In Batman, daredevil, iron man, the hulk, the actors all use their personal supernatural ability to save the society and punish the evil.And this kind of the lone ranger at the beginning of the film is often just an ordinary person, as well as ordinary citizens can find their own responsibility in the society.No matter what kind of crisis and suffering they face, and no matter what a fatal blow, they never believe in failure. Heroes always use their very sober and rational mind,make a perfect layout quickly, instantly make a absolutely correct judgment, they can always catch the only chance of one percent to win, and get a victory.Typical examples such as the rock, xXx, schindlers list, forrest gump, etc., widely make a perfect hero individual strength in the film and let the strength exaggerated and deified unlimitedly.Thus give the heroes the value orientation of the extreme individualism[2]. there is no shortage of American personal hero who can make vigorous efforts to turn the situation in a crisis time.Like

mission

impossible:Ghost Protocol,Tom Cruise as the hero to save the world and in the very popular spider-man series that lone heroes who can fly over, save the people in this city in New York.Also in the classic terminator series which created by Arnold Schwarzenegger , Americans always spare no effort to show their heroic image of the heart.Whether Tom Cruise in mission impossible:Ghost Protocol ,or Arnold Schwarzenegger in terminator ,or Sylvester stallone in first blood show the heroes in American’s heart: the strong body, move with agility,Courageous and prudent, at the same time also shoulder heavy burden to protect the world.The series of features may be the definition of heroes in the mind of Americans, and these also may be their own

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inner yearning for this kind of hero.This kind of personal heroism should also be given by the American culture.It also reflects on American culture.In the film true lies, when the hero harry is coping with a terrorist, look at the plane which they have used,we can know the way of the Hollywood people that how to make their heroes victory.Hero driving advanced,new multi-function plane, and the terrorists are driving the extremely backward helicopters. No wonder the Hollywood hero is invincible, with the individual power hero can make a lot of the \"enemy\" destroyed,.Because they have all kinds of new and high technology weapons and props.

Americans do have strong superhero obsession:Superman,Spider-Man,Batman,Iron Man,Captian America and even Avengers Assemble,Superhero films present a unique canvas upon which hopes,dreams and apocalyptic nightmares can be projected and played out.It can be the everyday stuff of every man’s life,and Americans love it.Today’s superheroes are no longer omnipresent,omniscient,and omnipotent,they can be lonely,vain,and arrogant.Often they have to overcome these human frailties for the greater good.The possibility of convey massages of American values,and emphasize faith and humanity—as well as being terrific visual spectacle.

The individualism and heroism reflected from those American films,when we watch a Hollywood film,we can try to find out the individualism marks[3].

2.3.The American Dream Reflected from Forrest Gump

The so-called American dream, is a kind of believe that as long as after a hard struggle can achieve a better life ideal in the United States.People must by the way of

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their own hard work, courage, creation and determination march forward to prosperity, rather than rely on the particular social class and others' help.Many European immigrants are held the ideals of the American dream to go to the United States.Although some people criticized the American dream that excessive emphasis on material wealth, but many Americans do think that this kind of opportunity to achieve success can not be found in other countries in the world.Because unlike most other countries, in the United States,there has considerable economic freedom, the role of government is quite limited, which makes social mobility in the United States great, anyone may be go towards the peak through their own efforts .The \"American dream\" contains several elements: the United States offers a chance for everyone to succeed;Success depends on his own talents and efforts, rather than family and background.Everyone has equal rights.Everybody has freedom of conscience. The core of the American dream is through personal struggle for success.The marvellous luck and success of Forrest Gump are the essence of the \"American dream\". When Forrest Gump with his \"disabled\" body rose up from beneath the life and ran into the university, from an ordinary man run into a football star, run into the White House...Finally he becomes a millionaire. He uses his experience composes a run of the fairy tale.Westerners, especially Americans,worship personal struggle, that also an expression of individuality, they think personal value is the highest. In fact,individualism is the most necessary quality which is prised highly by westerners as to be independent, it is also the essence of the western social and cultural value.Forrest Gump revived the \"American dream\" of today through his seem

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ordinary but extraordinary experience. Forrest Gump with individual effort, running through 30 years of contemporary American history, but also run out of the most turbulent and bumpy period of American history, and move on to a new glory.So he is beyond a normal man and become the symbol of \"American\" and the \"American dream\" in the heart of American people.

In the film,except Forrest Gump, other main character's dream, especially Jenny' dreams are all free from the rational and pragmatic American dream, the result ended in a broken.But when they wakened from a dream，the film let them rationally comeback to the traditional and real American dream in different forms. After struggling dream choice of reality and dull life,Jenny chooses to marry Forrest Gump in the last moment of life.The film gives her a home of the mainstream society, return is her only destination.Influenced by the spirit of Forrest Gump, Lieutenant Dan also returns to rational reality and rational dream,and achieved success through his own efforts.Film also by the success of Forrest Gump make Bab dream realized.Everyone's dream finally return to the traditional beliefs of the American dream which represented Forrest Gump.Through this kind of plot arrangement, the film is actually in calling upon the return of the real reason of the American dream.“Stupid is as stupid does” , “Life was like a box of chocolates,you never know what you’re gonna get”.[3]His mother always use the way he can understand told him to believe in yourself, believe in the future, and full of hope for the future.

In sports, Forrest Gump can become the top table tennis players, and participate in the ping-pong diplomacy, his character potential fully plays in the experience.”Now

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the secret to this game is, no matter what happens, never, ever to take your eye off the ball”.The approval of society after Forrest Gump became \"sports hero\" ,from the other side,also illustrates the American opinion of \"hero\".The American public stress accomplishment, admire hero,and have profound psychological accumulation of achievement worship and heroes worship.In the 20th century, American youth worship the sports stars, movie stars, singers, economic wizards and the others that who have the merit.Their successes are related to the affirmation about individual ability of American society and the respect of achieving success through personal struggle.

Gump,just like many American people,lives in confusion,trying to survive,full of pain,but also fill of hope.Though he is stupid,he succeeds at last.The reason is simple,persistence,which is so highly valued in American culture[4].

Forrest Gump’s spirit inspired generations of Americans, from which we can feel the strong flavor of the American dream, forrest gump is a good reflection of the \"American dream\" movie, as long as people with the persistent efforts to pursue their dreams, anyone can succeed.

2.4.The Strong Science and Sechnology Culture in the American Movies

American high-tech contributed to American movies to conquer global competitiveness, the film's luxury, spectacle, and the characteristics of the dream.American films with various visual modelling and technology build the unique culture of the movie,which reflect in its text structure and the creation of visual image

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and embody its unlimited creativity[2].Some giant disaster films, science fiction films and drama movies spring up,Such as avatar, Autómata, big hero 6, night at the museum: secret of the Tomb, the hobbit and so on, with the advantage of high-tech,created a stunning movie effects.American movies through science and technology to change human genes, ability give the hero supernatural wisdom and strength. The Peter Parker in spider-man, the four astronauts in fantastic four and the mutant in the wolverine, all got the magical power by the way of the factors of high technology. American movies have been spirit of science and technology to build personal heroism image, and have the ultra modern science to the play of technology. The American film reflects the strong culture of science and technology. The promoting of scientific spirit is the widespread human culture value orientation. American movies are continued by the spirit of science and technology to create personal heroic image, and have the blindly optimistic attitude about the development of science and technology. In movie art,the American films mainly depend on science and technology to make for new audio-visual effect,and to Pursue sensual desire,to take the film art into direction of complanation, plainness and senses which have nothing to do with the depth of thought sense,also make it completely into commercial consumer culture.

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2.The Value of American Film Culture

The cultural values promoted in American movies, are the values that highly advocating by the western people.The values fully affirm the desire demand of people,make highly praising to individual struggle, personal liberation, individualism spirit.The values also advocate freedom, democracy, peace, and advocates rationalism and scientific spirit; advocate Crisis consciousness and use a force for peace.The orientation of these cultural values, no doubt, is a breeding ground for the personal heroism, rationalism, scientism and terrorism,and the hotbed of ideas[5].

American movies as mass culture,due to the emphasis on entertainment and commercial, lead to make the film content simple, pale,and also make the film lack of profound thought connotation.The ideological content has always been permeated with the big power politics consciousness, under the so-called recreational coat, the value in America is a mandatory ideological indoctrination.American movie as a model of mass culture,is a success in business,and also provides a lot of good recreational text for contemporary mass, but for such an influential cultural phenomenon, we must identify its cultural essence, and the problem of film culture. Hollywood films well shaped the image of the United States and spread the American cultural values.America is a young country. She has a not long history, but has its unique cultural system.And with the development of times，American culture has displayed its vitality more and more. Studying the characteristics of American

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culture has a certain help for the culture and prosperity of our country.Bill Gates once said that:\"In the Internet era, who buys the culture, who will control of the times.\" The process that the type such as hua mu lan of Chinese legend has been westernized and globalized by multinational companies, is also the process that American cultural for realizing self-interest reconstructs other culture, absorbs other culture, leads the world culture, and owns it to create huge profits.All in all,the cultural values that Hollywood movies showed,such as the freedom and equality, optimistic and enterprising, daring to innovation and so on, are not only the driving force for the development of the United States, but also the ideas that the most people pursue and yearn for.The luxurious production of Hollywood movies and successful promotion, undeniably set a benchmark in the global scope.They also affect the judgment standard of the global cultural value.There is a saying in China that“It 's better to go back and make a net than to stand by the pond and long for fish.”The development of American film culture has pointed out a path of development for us:We look forward to the Chinese culture with Chinese label to step down the the altar of culture, as soon as possible to step into people's daily life and every corner of the world.We should have an objective evaluation, at the same time, absorbing the beneficial experience, growing the film industry of our country, keeping excellent national characteristics, spreading our cultural values and enhancing our sense of pride and superiority.

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Conclusion

The above is the American culture reflected from American films. The American culture reflected from Those American films, whether the individualism, heroism culture,mass culture, the American dream, and the high-tech culture, American films, are worth to us to learn some culture spirit from them, and also are worth pondering value of film culture. In that light and graceful world, we accept the osmosis, suspicion, and performance to the film culture.There is a saying that\"Empty Sea , tolerance is a great.\"But the cultural attitude is always supposed to be inclusive and broad, the so-called tolerance is a great, any culture want to improve must absorb all the essence which can be absorbed of the culture.And films such medium that let the culture riches the palace of art,make the culture can be better exchanged,and let people's life more colorful.

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Works Cited

[1]玛丽安娜，美国文化背景[M].北京:世界图书出版公司,1999. [2]鲍玉晰，美国学者对好莱坞的批判[J].电影艺术,2001,(2). [3]曹颖哲，《英语畅谈畅听美国文化》，大连理工大学出版社，2014. [4]马琴，《美国经典电影赏析》，河北大学出版社，2001，（1） [5]侯庚洋，电影中的国家文化传播[M].中国报道,2006(9) [6]Louis Giannetti,Understanding Movies,PearSon，Inc,2010.

[7]John Belton,American Cinema/American Culture,(《美国电影美国文化》）,上海人民出版社,2010.

[8]K.Segrave，American Films Abroad: Hollywood’s Domination of the World’s Movie Screens from the 1890s to the present，（《美国电影在国外：从19世纪90年代至今好莱坞对世界电影银幕的垄断》），Jefferson NC:McFarland & Co.，Inc.，1997.

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Acknowledgments

In writing this paper, I have benefited from the presence of my dear classmates. They generously helped me collect materials I needed and gave me the invaluable suggestions. I hereby extend my grateful thanks to them for their kind help, without which the paper would not have been what it is. Particularly, I am deeply indebted to teacher Jiang, my supervisor, who guided me throughout my writing of this thesis. He carefully read the whole draft and offered painstaking and precious criticism. His standards of academic excellence have made my revision an exciting and gratifying experience. I also wish to sincerely thank my classmates and friends , whose brilliant ideas and perceptive have proved immensely constructive. My parents took good care of my life and gave me a lot of encouragement when I was working at this thesis. They always share my weal and woe. I feel much grateful and heartily owe achievement to them. Lastly, I also thank to my school.

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