Because we can never know the past directly but must construct it by interpreting evidence, exploring history is more of a creative enterprise than it is an objective pursuit.

• 因为我们永远不可能直接地了解过去，而必须通过解释史料来勾画出过去，所以探究历史更多地是一项创造性的事业，而并非一个客观的追寻。