劉文勇GRE寫作百日題庫 Day 4

Day 4 Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that nospeaker or reformer ever could

Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

五問：

（1）請你先羅列幾個你所知道的丑聞，比如“水門事件”“拉鏈門事件”等。這些事件在政治進程上起到了何種作用？“水門事件”使美國共和黨在該年的中期選舉慘敗，民主黨在參眾兩院取得絕對優(yōu)勢，“水門事件”發(fā)生后，尼克松總統(tǒng)在輿論的影響下被彈劾，最終引咎辭職；“拉鏈門事件”差點導(dǎo)致政績卓越的克林頓總統(tǒng)被拉下總統(tǒng)寶座。

（2）丑聞一般是通過什么人以及什么途徑傳播的？這對它的影響力起到了什么樣的作用？丑聞一般都是通過媒體和大眾輿論傳播的，通常會對當事人造成很大的負面影響，甚至使其身敗名裂，同時也可能暴露出一些值得全民關(guān)注的問題。

（3）處于何種社會地位的人最容易出現(xiàn)丑聞？是不是只有社會地位較高的人才易出現(xiàn)丑聞呢？公眾人物呢？政治人物呢？平常百姓出了丑事算丑聞嗎？這些丑聞一定都是有意義、有價值的嗎？

（4）“speaker”和“reformer”一般是干什么的？“speaker”一般是向聽眾發(fā)表自己的意見，闡述自己的觀點，以獲得聽眾支持； “reformer”希望推動政治變革和社會變革。他們與丑聞之間是什么關(guān)系？他們是否可以利用丑聞來解決一些問題？

（5）丑聞會造成怎樣不良的社會影響？會不會導(dǎo)致人與人之間喪失信任、民眾喪失信仰？人們是該關(guān)注丑聞還是應(yīng)該把更多的注意力集中在當事人的本職工作上呢？對丑聞的過度關(guān)注是否會導(dǎo)致人們忽視丑聞“主角”曾經(jīng)的成就或政績？

翻譯練習：

在一定程度上，丑聞的確是有益于社會的，它將本來不會被曝光的問題暴露出來并使我們可以從完全不同的角度去審視一些問題。如果不是“水門事件”，我們可能永遠無法知道，尼克松總統(tǒng)這樣位高權(quán)重的人物竟然會做出監(jiān)聽政敵這樣可恥的事情。

參考答案：

To some extent, scandals are truly beneficial, exposing problems that could have never been brought to spotlight otherwise and enabling us to view some issues from a totally different perspective. If it were not for the Water Gate scandal, we could never have known that a figure as prestigious as Nixon would do such a dishonorable thing as spying on the opposing party.

翻譯練習：

另一方面，丑聞也是有害的。媒體對丑聞的報道通常是片面的、夸張的，因此經(jīng)常誤導(dǎo)公眾觀點。性丑聞之后，克林頓的名望降到最低點。在很長一段時間內(nèi)，“有成就的總統(tǒng)克林頓”必須在“背叛者克林頓”之后排隊等候，因為憤怒的公眾盲目地忽略了他在就職期間的功績。

參考答案：

On the other hand, scandals can be harmful, too. The media reviews of the scandal are often one-sided and exaggerated and hence often mislead the public opinion. After the sex scandal, Clinton's prestige hit the rock bottom. And for a very long time, Clinton the accomplished president must wait for his turn behind Clinton the cheater, as the outraged public blindly ignored his achievements during his presidency.