Several centuries ago, "historic" and "historical" were considered synonyms. However, over time, their definitions diverged, and the two words are now far from interchangeable, despite how similar they may seem. Both words are adjectives used to describe something related to the past, but the correct word is determined by the significance of the noun being described.
*synonym: ['sɪnənɪm]同義詞a word or expression that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another in the same language=>反義詞antonym ['æntənɪm]
How to Use HistoricThe word "historic" refers to any event, object, or place that is considered an important part of history. It is the more selective of the two terms.
Anne Frank’s house, the life story of Cleopatra, and the first computer are historic. By contrast, a brooch worn by an anonymous noblewoman from a prior century would not be considered historic, unless that brooch happened to have a special, notable role in some historic event.
*Anne Frank:安妮弗蘭克, Jewish girl whose diary of her family’s years in hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands is a classic of war literature. After being discovered by the Gestapo in 1944, the Franks were sent to concentration camps, and Anne died in Bergen-Belsen in 1945. Her diary was published two years later.
*Cleopatra:克莉奧帕特拉七世(Cleopatra VII，公元前69—前30)，埃及託勒密王朝最後一位女王。她才貌出眾，聰穎機智，一生富有戲劇性。並且可以說9國的語言。特別是捲入羅馬共和末期的政治漩渦，同愷撒、安東尼關係密切，並伴以種種傳聞逸事，使她成為文學和藝術作品中的著名人物。
*brooch: [brəʊtʃ]胸針；領針a piece of jewellery with a pin on the back of it, that can be fastened to your clothes
*anonymous:[ə'nɒnɪməs]不知姓名的with a name that is not known or that is not made public
How to Use HistoricalThe word "historical" refers to anything and everything that has happened in or is connected to the past, no matter its level of importance.
While the Battle of Gettysburg is a historic event that influenced the outcome of the American Civil War, the soldiers' daily breakfasts would be considered historical events—unless one such breakfast was the scene of a pivotal or famous moment. Historical is also the term you』ll see preceding the names of museums and other institutions.
*the Battle of Gettysburg:蓋茨堡戰役, fought over three hot summer days, from July 1 to July 3, 1863, is considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. The South lost the battle.
*pivotal:關鍵性的of great importance because other things depend on it
Differentiating between "historic" and "historical" allows us to talk about the past more precisely. Consider the following examples to deepen your understanding of the distinction between the two terms:
Historic text vs. historical text: The Bible and the Declaration of Independence are both indisputably important parts of history. As such, they are both historic texts. A diary written by an anonymous teenager during the Great Depression would be considered a historical text. We can also use the word historical to describe historical fiction, which refers to a novel or story written about (but not necessarily during) a historical time period.
Historic object vs. historical object: If a museum advertises an exhibition of historic objects on display, they're stating that the objects are historically significant. The Rosetta Stone and the Spirit of St. Louis are historic, whereas a table from the 1800s is historical.
*The Rosetta Stone:羅塞塔石碑，高1.14米，寬0.73米，製作於公元前196年，刻有古埃及國王託勒密五世登基的詔書。石碑上用希臘文字、古埃及文字和當時的通俗體文字刻了同樣的內容，這使得近代的考古學家得以有機會對照各語言版本的內容後，解讀出已經失傳千餘年的埃及象形文之意義與結構，而成為今日研究古埃及歷史的重要裡程碑。
*the Spirit of St. Louis:聖路易精神號, 單引擎單座單翼飛機，是由查爾斯·林德伯格於1927年5月20-21日，在第一個獨自跨越大西洋的飛行 (從紐約到巴黎)。
Historic day vs. historical day: The day Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his 「I have a dream」 speech, the end of the second World War, and the signing of the Bill of Rights were critical to the molding of history and thus are all historic days. A historical day, on the other hand, is simply any day that occurred in the past.
*the Bill of Rights:即《權利法案》，指的是美國憲法中第一至第十條憲法修正案，由詹姆斯·麥迪遜起草，1791年12月15日，獲得通過。
*mold:塑造to shape or form something in a mold
Historic map vs. historical map: If a map is called historic, it is because the map itself has had a prominent place in history, perhaps to plan an important battle or document the establishment of a city. A historical map is any map that was produced in the past. A historical map likely conveys the history of the place it depicts, but the map itself is not historically significant as an object.
Mixing up "historic" and "historical" is a common grammatical pitfall. To remember the difference, call upon the words of writer William Safire: 「Any past event is historical, but only the most memorable ones are historic.」 Rely on the following memory tricks to ensure you always use the right word:
「Historical" has more letters than "historic," just as the definition of "historical" encompasses more events, objects, and people than the definition of "historic."
「Historic」 ends with the letter C. "C" stands for "critical." Historic objects or events are critical components of history.
「Historical」 ends with the letter L. "L" stands for "long ago." Historical objects or events relate to anything that happened in the past, but may or may not be historically significant.
*encompass: 包含，包括，涉及（大量事物）to include a large number or range of things
Sometimes, the confusion around "historic" and "historical" arises not from the words themselves, but from the indefinite article that precedes them. Recall the rules about how to use 「a」 or 「an」:
When a word begins with a consonant sound, use 「a.」
When a word begins with a vowel sound, use 「an.」
In American English, both 「historic」 and 「historical」 have an audible 「h」 sound, so they must be preceded by 「a.」 The fact that British pronunciation sometimes omits the consonant sound in both terms further complicates the matter, but American English speakers can simply remember to use "a."