historicity, temper, at cross purposes, be in the public eye

 One of the great values of Coetzee's essays is that they demonstrate the methods and raise the questions that students of comparative literature need to pursue and ask. There is the attempt to balance historicity with esthetics, and there is also a strong emphasis on issues of translation." - J. Roger Kurtz, World Literature Today

be in the public eye
to be famous and written about in newspapers and magazines and seen on television

p.18

historicity 翻譯成”史實”-這word可以有許多意思 如 翻譯成”歷史性” 即 與傳統性相關 ”改變以往的經驗以解決新問題 一種歷史延續性的意識 一種生生不息的觀念

梁治平著/譯 整體法學與具有規範意義的歷史 讀書 2003年7月號 p.108

temper (REDUCE) verb [T] FORMAL

to make something less strong, extreme, etc:
My enthusiasm for the venture was somewhat tempered by my knowledge of the work that would be involved.
I learnt to temper my criticism.

shorn

past participle of shear (CUT)

20

cross purposes adverb
at cross purposes If two or more people are at cross purposes, they do not understand each other because they are talking about different subjects without realizing this:
I think we've been talking at cross purposes - I meant next year, not this year.

cross–purposes
:  a purpose usually unintentionally contrary to another purpose of oneself or of someone or something else —usually used in plural cross–purpose

historicity
.(hĭs'tə-rĭs'ĭ-tē)
n.
Historical authenticity; fact.

Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology: historicity: The use of an understanding of history as a basis for trying to change it

[prob. fr. F. historicité, <>historicus]
1) the quality or state of being historic esp. as opposed to ficticious or legendary
2) a condition of being placed in the stream of history; also: a result of such placement

[hìstərísəti] [名][U]歴史的真実性, 史実性；史的典拠；歴史性.