刘文勇GRE写作百日题库 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.

五问：

（1）请你先罗列几个你所知道的丑闻，比如“水门事件”“拉链门事件”等。这些事件在政治进程上起到了何种作用？“水门事件”使美国共和党在该年的中期选举惨败，民主党在参众两院取得绝对优势，“水门事件”发生后，尼克松总统在舆论的影响下被弹劾，最终引咎辞职；“拉链门事件”差点导致政绩卓越的克林顿总统被拉下总统宝座。

（2）丑闻一般是通过什么人以及什么途径传播的？这对它的影响力起到了什么样的作用？丑闻一般都是通过媒体和大众舆论传播的，通常会对当事人造成很大的负面影响，甚至使其身败名裂，同时也可能暴露出一些值得全民关注的问题。

（3）处于何种社会地位的人最容易出现丑闻？是不是只有社会地位较高的人才易出现丑闻呢？公众人物呢？政治人物呢？平常百姓出了丑事算丑闻吗？这些丑闻一定都是有意义、有价值的吗？

（4）“speaker”和“reformer”一般是干什么的？“speaker”一般是向听众发表自己的意见，阐述自己的观点，以获得听众支持； “reformer”希望推动政治变革和社会变革。他们与丑闻之间是什么关系？他们是否可以利用丑闻来解决一些问题？

（5）丑闻会造成怎样不良的社会影响？会不会导致人与人之间丧失信任、民众丧失信仰？人们是该关注丑闻还是应该把更多的注意力集中在当事人的本职工作上呢？对丑闻的过度关注是否会导致人们忽视丑闻“主角”曾经的成就或政绩？

翻译练习：

在一定程度上，丑闻的确是有益于社会的，它将本来不会被曝光的问题暴露出来并使我们可以从完全不同的角度去审视一些问题。如果不是“水门事件”，我们可能永远无法知道，尼克松总统这样位高权重的人物竟然会做出监听政敌这样可耻的事情。

参考答案：

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.

翻译练习：

另一方面，丑闻也是有害的。媒体对丑闻的报道通常是片面的、夸张的，因此经常误导公众观点。性丑闻之后，克林顿的名望降到最低点。在很长一段时间内，“有成就的总统克林顿”必须在“背叛者克林顿”之后排队等候，因为愤怒的公众盲目地忽略了他在就职期间的功绩。

参考答案：

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.