Argument 151

The following is a letter to the editor of the Atticus City newspaper.
"Former Mayor Durant owes an apology to the city of Atticus. Both the damage to the River Bridge, which connects Atticus to Hartley, and the traffic problems we have long experienced on the bridge were actually caused 20 years ago by Durant. After all, he is the one who approved the construction of the bridge. If he had approved a wider and better-designed bridge, on which approximately the same amount of public money would have been spent, none of the damage or problems would have occurred. Instead, the River Bridge has deteriorated far more rapidly over the past 20 years than has the much longer Derby Bridge up the river. Even though the winters have been severe in the past several years, this is no excuse for the negligence and wastefulness of Durant."
下述文字乃一封致《Atticus都市报》的信函。
　　“前市长Durant应向全体Atticus 市民道歉。无论是将Atticus 市和Hartley市连结起来的跨河大桥所遭到的毁坏，还是我们在大桥上长期以来所经历的交通问题，实际上都是由Durant 市长在20年之前一手铸成的。无论如何，是他批准了大桥的开工建设。如果他所批准建设的大桥更宽一些，设计得更精良一些，而所投入其上的公共款项大致相等的话，那么，无论是大桥的受损，还是交通拥堵问题均不会发生。然则，在过去20年期间，跨河大桥现在则远比上游河段上长度远长得多的Derby河大桥更为快速地遭到毁损。尽管过去几年中冬天的日子甚为严酷，但我们绝不能原谅Durant市长的玩忽职守和浪费。”

Argument 152

The following is a letter to the head of the tourism bureau on the island of Tria.
"Erosion of beach sand along the shores of Tria Island is a serious threat to our island and our tourist industry. In order to stop the erosion, we should charge people for using the beaches. Although this solution may annoy a few tourists in the short term, it will reduce the number of people using the beaches and will raise money for replenishing the sand. Replenishing the sand, as was done to protect buildings on the nearby island of Batia, will help protect buildings along our shores, thereby reducing these buildings' risk of additional damage from severe storms. And since the areas along the shore will be more attractive as a result, the beaches will be preserved and the area's tourist industry will improve over the long term."
下述文字摘自一封致Tria岛旅游局长的一封信。
　　“Tria岛海岸沿线海滩沙土的侵蚀对本岛及本岛旅游业是一种严重的威胁。为了阻止水土流失，我们应该向人们使用沙滩收取费用。尽管这一解决办法会在短期内惹怒一小部分人，但它可减少使用海滩的人数，并将筹得资金来为海滩补充沙土。补充沙土，正如在附近的Batia岛上用来保护建筑所作的那样，将有助于保护我们滨海沿途的建筑，从而减少这些建筑遭受严重风暴带来的进一步破坏。由于这样一来海滨一带的地区将变得更加吸引人，海滩将获得保护，该地区的旅游业将从长远的角度来看得到改进。”

Argument 153

The following is from an editorial in the Midvale Observer, a local newspaper
"Ever since the 1950's, when television sets began to appear in the average home, the rate of crimes committed by teenagers in the country of Alta has steadily increased. This increase in teenage crime parallels the increase in violence shown on television. According to several national studies, even very young children who watch a great number of television shows featuring violent scenes display more violent behavior within their home environment than do children who do not watch violent shows. Furthermore, in a survey conducted by the Observer, over 90 percent of the respondents were parents who indicated that prime-time television—programs that are shown between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.—should show less violence. Therefore, in order to lower the rate of teenage crime in Alta, television viewers should demand that television programmers reduce the amount of violence shown during prime time."
下述文字摘自一份地方性报纸《Midvale观察家》所发表的社论
　　"自二十世纪五十年代以来，当电视机开始出现于寻常百姓家庭时，Alta国内青少年犯罪率已呈现出持续上升的势头。这一青少年犯罪行为的上升与电视上所播放的暴力画面的增加成正比。按照几份全国性调查报告，在那些大量观看了涉及到暴力场面的电视节目的青少年中，即使是极为年幼的孩童在其家庭环境中也要比那些不看暴力节目的孩童表现出更多的暴力行为。此外，在一项由《Midvale观察家》所进行的调查中，有90%的受访者为父母亲，他(她)们表示黄金时段的电视内容——即晚上7点到9点所播放的节目——应该减少播放暴力内容。据此，为了降低Alta国内青少年犯罪率，电视观众应该要求电视节目编播者减少黄金时段所播放的暴力画面数量。"

Argument 154

The following appeared in the editorial section of a health and fitness magazine.
"In a study of the effects of exercise on longevity, medical researchers tracked 500 middle-aged men over a 20-year period. The subjects represented a variety of occupations in several different parts of the country and responded to an annual survey in which they were asked: How often and how strenuously do you exercise? Of those who responded, the men who reported that they engaged in vigorous outdoor exercise nearly every day lived longer than the men who reported that they exercised mildly only once or twice a week. Given the clear link that this study establishes between longevity and exercise, doctors should not recommend moderate exercise to their patients but should instead encourage vigorous outdoor exercise on a daily basis."
下述文字刊登于某健康与健美杂志的社论栏:
　　“在一项有关运动对长寿的影响的研究中，医疗研究人员在为期20年的时间中跟踪调查了500名中年男性。被调查对象代表着该国若干个不同地区的形形色色的职业，他们对每年一度调查中的两个问题——你运动的频繁程度如何？运动的力度如何？——作出回答。在所有作出回答的人中间，那些汇报说几乎每天都从事剧烈户外运动的男性，其寿命要高于那些汇报说每周只从事一次或二次轻微运动的男性。鉴于本项研究在长寿与运动之间所确立的明显关系，大夫们不应向其病人建议适度的运动，而应该鼓励病人每天从事剧烈的户外活动。”

Argument 155

The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.
"Too much emphasis is placed on the development of reading skills in elementary school. Many students who are discouraged by the lonely activity of reading turn away from schoolwork merely because they are poor readers. But books recorded on audiocassette tape provide an important alternative for students at this crucial stage in their education, one the school board should not reject merely because of the expense involved. After all, many studies attest to the value of allowing students to hear books read aloud; there is even evidence that students whose parents read to them are even more likely to become able readers. Thus, hearing books on tape can only make students more eager to read and to learn. Therefore, the school board should encourage schools to buy books on tape and to use them in elementary education."
下述文字摘自一封致某地方报纸编辑的信函。
　　“在小学里，人们对阅读技能的培养强调得过分了。许多对孤独的阅读活动望而却步的学生无心专注于学业，仅仅是因为他们阅读能力薄弱。但是，录制在盒式录音磁带上的书本内容却可以向学生在其教育中如此关键的这一阶段提供另外一个重要的选择方案。对于这一方案，校董事会不能纯粹因为所涉及到的费用而予以摈弃。不管怎么说，许多研究均可验证让学生聆听大声朗诵书本内容这一做法的价值。甚至还不乏这样的证据，即有些学生，由于其父母将书本内容朗读给他们听，就更有可能成为阅读能力很强的人。因此，在盒式录音磁带上听书本内容只会使学生更迫切地去阅读和学习。故校董事会应该鼓励学校去购置磁带书本，并将其应用于小学教学之中。”

Argument 156

The following is taken from an advertisement placed in a weekly business magazine by the Dickens Academy.
"We distributed a survey to senior management at International Mega-Publishing, Inc. The result of the survey clearly indicates that many employees were well prepared in business knowledge and computer skills, but lacked interpersonal skills to interact gracefully with customers. International Mega-Publishing decided to improve customer satisfaction by sending their newly hired employees to our one-day seminars. Since taking advantage of our program, International Mega-Publishing has seen a sharp increase in sales, an indication that the number of their disgruntled customers has declined significantly. Your company should hire Dickens and let us turn every employee into an ambassador for your company."
下述文字摘自Dickens学校在某商业周刊投放的一则广告 .
　　“我们向国际Mega出版公司的高级管理层分发了一项调查。该调查的结果明显表明，许多员工在商业知识和电脑技能方面绰绰有余，但缺乏人际交流的技能来与客户作优雅的互动交流。国际Mega出版公司便决定将其新雇的员工送往我们为期一天的研修班，以期提高客户满意度。自从利用了我们学校的培训计划之后，国际Mega出版公司的销售量直线上升，这标志着他们心怀不满的客户的数量已大幅度下降。贵公司应该雇用Dickens学院来为您提供培训，让我们将每一位员工都转变为贵公司的一位大使。"

Argument 157

The following is a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.
"As a local merchant, I wish to support the development of a ski resort in the state park north of our township. Along with many other merchants who favor the proposal by Ski the Slopes, Incorporated, I would, of course, experience a growth in my business. But I also know how much more prosperous, not to mention lively and interesting, our community would be if tourism increased. Since the main opposition comes from a few environmentalists* who do not even live in this community, I see no reason to give in to their views. The First National Bank has finally researched the project and agreed to fund it. As a result, I see no reason to delay development of the resort."
Environmentalists are people who advocate the preservation of the natural environment.
下述文字摘自一封致某地方报纸编辑的信函。
　　“作为一个当地商人，我希望对位于我镇北部州立公园内的滑雪场的开发表示支持。当然，和其他那些拥护Ski the Slopes公司所提出的商业方案的商人一样，我将获得业务上的增长。但我也知道，如果旅游业得以发展，我们的社区将会变得多么的更加繁荣，不用提多么的生气蓬勃和引人入胜。既然主要的反对意见来自为数不多的几个并不居住在本社区的环保分子，我觉得没有理由屈服于他们的观点。第一国家银行最终对该项目进行了调查，同意为其提供资助。这样，我认为没有理由来推迟该滑雪场的开发。”

Argument 158

The Trash-Site Safety Council has recently conducted a statewide study of possible harmful effects of garbage sites on the health of people living near the sites. A total of five sites and 300 people were examined. The study revealed, on average, only a small statistical correlation between the proximity of homes to garbage sites and the incidence of unexplained rashes among people living in these homes. Furthermore, although it is true that people living near the largest trash sites had a slightly higher incidence of the rashes, there was otherwise no correlation between the size of the garbage sites and people's health. Therefore, the council is pleased to announce that the current system of garbage sites does not pose a significant health hazard. We see no need to restrict the size of such sites in our state or to place any restrictions on the number of homes built near the sites.
　　垃圾场安全委员会最近在全州范围内进行了一项调查，旨在研究垃圾场对居住在附近的居民的身体有可能产生的有害影响。被调查的有五座垃圾场以及300多位居民。研究表明，平均而言，居所紧挨着垃圾场这一事实与这些居所中所居住人口发生的无法解释的疹子之间，仅存在着一种微弱的数据关系。此外，虽然居住在最大的垃圾场附近的居民发疹的程度略高这一事实属实，但在其他方面，垃圾场的大小与人们的健康之间毫无关系。因此，委员会可以甚为欣慰地宣布，目前这套垃圾场体制并不会对健康构成一项重大危险。我们认为毫无必要去限制本州内这类垃圾场的规模，也没有必要去限制垃圾堆附近所建造的房屋数量.”

Argument 159

The nation of Claria covers a vast physical area. But despite wide geographic differences, many citizens are experiencing rising costs of electricity. A recent study of household electric costs in Claria found that families who cooled their houses with fans alone spent more on electricity than did families using air conditioners alone for cooling. However, those households that reported using both fans and air conditioners spent less on electricity than those households that used either fans or air conditioners alone. Thus, the citizens of Claria should follow the study's recommendation and use both air conditioners and fans in order to save money on electricity.
　　Claria国地域广大。但是，虽然该国地理差别巨大，许多公民都深感电费日益上涨。对Claria国的家庭电费所作的一项近期研究表明，那些仅仅使用电风扇来为其住房降温的家庭，其电费远高于那些仅使用空调来降温的家庭。但是，那些电扇与空调兼用的家庭，其电费要低于纯粹只用电扇或纯粹只用空调的家庭。因此，Claria的公民应该遵循该项研究的建议，既使用空调也使用电扇，以便节约电费。

Argument 160

As people grow older, an enzyme known as PEP increasingly breaks down the neuropeptide chemicals involved in learning and memory. But now, researchers have found compounds that prevent PEP from breaking neuropeptides apart. In tests, these compounds almost completely restored lost memory in rats. The use of these compounds should be extended to students who have poor memory and difficulty in concentrating—and therefore serious problems in school performance. Science finally has a solution for problems neither parents nor teachers could solve.
下述文字摘自Sherwood初中校长的一份备忘录。
　　随着人们日渐衰老，一种被称为PEP的酶会不断地分解学习与记忆过程中所涉及到的神经肽化学物。但现在，研究人员已发现了可阻止PEP致使神经肽分裂的化合物。在测试中，这些化合物几乎在老鼠身上能完全恢复缺失的记忆。这些化合物的运用应该也推广到记忆力衰弱或专注力有困难的学生身上，不然将会造成学业表现上的严重问题。科学终于解决了那些令家长和老师束手无策的问题。”

Argument 161

In a study of reading habits of Leeville citizens conducted by the University of Leeville, most respondents said they preferred literary classics as reading material. However, a follow-up study conducted by the same researchers found that the type of book most frequently checked out of each of the public libraries in Leeville was the mystery novel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the respondents in the first study had misrepresented their reading habits.
　　在一项由Leeville大学就Leeville市民阅读习惯所作的研究中，大多数受访对象称,他们偏爱将文学名著作为其阅读材料。但是，由相同的研究人员所作的一项跟踪调查却发现，每个公共图书馆外借得最频繁的图书均为志怪小说类。因此，我们可以得出这样的结论，即第一项研究中的受访对象没能如实地描述出他们的阅读习惯。

Argument 162

A recent study shows that people living on the continent of North America suffer 9 times more chronic fatigue and 31 times more chronic depression than do people living on the continent of Asia. Interestingly, Asians, on average, eat 20 grams of soy per day, whereas North Americans eat virtually none. It turns out that soy contains phytochemicals called isoflavones, which have been found to possess disease-preventing properties. Thus, North Americans should consider eating soy on a regular basis as a way of preventing fatigue and depression.
　　一项最近的研究表明，居住在北美大陆上的人们要比居住在亚洲大陆上的人们患慢性疲倦和慢性忧郁症的比例分别超出9倍和31倍。有意思的是，亚洲人平均每天要吃20克的大豆，而北美洲人却几乎一点都不吃。研究表明，大豆含有被称为异黄酮的植物化学物，这些植物化学物经科学家研究，发现拥有防病特性。因此，北美洲人应该考虑经常性食用大豆，以此作为一种防止疲劳和压抑的方法。

Argument 163

The following is taken from the editorial section of the local newspaper in Rockingham.
"In order to save a considerable amount of money, Rockingham's century-old town hall should be torn down and replaced by the larger and more energy-efficient building that some citizens have proposed. The old town hall is too small to comfortably accommodate the number of people who are employed by the town. In addition, it is very costly to heat the old hall in winter and cool it in summer. The new, larger building would be more energy efficient, costing less per square foot to heat and cool than the old hall. Furthermore, it would be possible to rent out some of the space in the new building, thereby generating income for the town of Rockingham."
下述文字摘自Rockingham地方报纸的社论部分.
　　"Claitown大学需要为学生提供较为廉价的住房，以及需要寻找到一种方法，来为建造此类住房提供资金。解决这一问题的最佳方案是将建筑设计委托给一位以实验性和未来主义建筑风格著称的建筑设计师。众所周知，观光旅游者均愿意花钱去游览该建筑师设计的某些建筑，因此，我们可以预料，游人将会参观这一新建大楼。从向游人收取的费用中产生的收益将很快就涵盖建造成本。此外，这样一座建筑将吸引新学生来就读，也能吸引校友的捐款。虽然这样一座建筑规模之大会超出我们目前学生住房的需要，但大楼的部分区域可以用作办公空间。。"

Argument 164

Claitown University needs both affordable housing for its students and a way to fund the building of such housing. The best solution to this problem is to commission a famous architect known for experimental and futuristic buildings. It is common knowledge that tourists are willing to pay money to tour some of the architect's buildings, so it can be expected that tourists will want to visit this new building. The income from the fees charged to tourists will soon cover the building costs. Furthermore, such a building will attract new students as well as donations from alumni. And even though such a building will be much larger than our current need for student housing, part of the building can be used as office space.
　　Claitown大学需要为学生提供较为廉价的住房，以及需要寻找到一种方法，来为建造此类住房提供资金。解决这一问题的最佳方案是将建筑设计委托给一位以实验性和未来主义建筑风格著称的建筑设计师。众所周知，观光旅游者均愿意花钱去游览该建筑师设计的某些建筑，因此，我们可以预料，游人将会参观这一新建大楼。从向游人收取的费用中产生的收益将很快就涵盖建造成本。此外，这样一座建筑将吸引新学生来就读，也能吸引校友的捐款。虽然这样一座建筑规模之大会超出我们目前学生住房的需要，但大楼的部分区域可以用作办公空间。

Argument 165

The following appeared in a business magazine.
"As a result of numerous consumer complaints of dizziness and nausea, Promofoods requested that eight million cans of tuna be returned for testing last year. Promofoods concluded that the cans did not, after all, contain chemicals that posed a health risk. This conclusion is based on the fact that the chemists from Promofoods tested samples of the recalled cans and found that, of the eight chemicals most commonly blamed for causing symptoms of dizziness and nausea, five were not found in any of the tested cans. The chemists did find that the three remaining suspected chemicals are naturally found in all other kinds of canned foods."
下述文字摘自某份商业杂志
　　作为一种治疗失眠的民间偏方，熏衣草花卉的芳香已被证明有其疗效。在近期的一项研究中，有30名志愿者——他们全都患有长期失眠症——在一间控制室内连续三周每晚都枕着有熏衣草花香的枕头就寝。科研人员对他们的睡眠状况进行了全程监测。第一星期，志愿者们继续服用他们平常服用的安眠药。他们睡得很香，但第二天醒来时感觉疲惫。第二周，志愿者们停止服用安眠药，结果是，他们睡得没有上个星期那么香，并觉得更为疲惫。至第三周，志愿者们睡眠的时间比前两个星期更长，且睡得更香。这表明，在一个较短的时间内，熏衣草已治愈了失眠症。“
（注：所谓偏方常指一种基于植物的治疗形式，为传统医疗形式所普遍采用，它们形成于现代医疗服务和技术出现之前。）。”

Argument 166

The following appeared in a local newspaper.
"People should not be misled by the advertising competition between Coldex and Cold-Away, both popular over-the-counter cold medications that anyone can purchase without a doctor's prescription. Each brand is accusing the other of causing some well-known, unwanted side effect: Coldex is known to contribute to existing high blood pressure and Cold-Away is known to cause drowsiness. But the choice should be clear for most health-conscious people: Cold-Away has been on the market for much longer and is used by more hospitals than is Coldex. Clearly, Cold-Away is more effective."
下述文字摘自某份地方报纸。
　　“民众不应该被Coldex和Cold-Away这两种药品之间的广告竞赛所误导，这两者均是任何人可在任何商店不需要大夫处方便可直接购买的、时下甚为流行的感冒药。每一种药都指责对方会引起某些众所周知的、令人生厌的副作用：Coldex会使既有的高血压症每况愈下，而Cold-Away则会引起嗜睡症。但是，对于大多数健康意识强烈的人们来说，他们所应作出的选择将是不言而喻的：Cold-Away药进入市场的时间比Coldex远长得多，且在更多的医院推广使用。显而易见，Cold-Away药具有更好的疗效。”

Argument 167

A folk remedy* for insomnia, the scent in lavender flowers, has now been proved effective. In a recent study, 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia slept each night for three weeks on lavender-scented pillows in a controlled room where their sleep was monitored. During the first week, volunteers continued to take their usual sleeping medication. They slept soundly but wakened feeling tired. During the second week, the volunteers discontinued their medication. As a result, they slept less soundly than the previous week and felt even more tired. During the third week, the volunteers slept longer and more soundly than in the previous two weeks. This shows that over a short period of time lavender cures insomnia.
　　作为一种治疗失眠的民间偏方，熏衣草花卉的芳香已被证明有其疗效。在近期的一项研究中，有30名志愿者——他们全都患有长期失眠症——在一间控制室内连续三周每晚都枕着有熏衣草花香的枕头就寝。科研人员对他们的睡眠状况进行了全程监测。第一星期，志愿者们继续服用他们平常服用的安眠药。他们睡得很香，但第二天醒来时感觉疲惫。第二周，志愿者们停止服用安眠药，结果是，他们睡得没有上个星期那么香，并觉得更为疲惫。至第三周，志愿者们睡眠的时间比前两个星期更长，且睡得更香。这表明，在一个较短的时间内，熏衣草已治愈了失眠症。“
（注：所谓偏方常指一种基于植物的治疗形式，为传统医疗形式所普遍采用，它们形成于现代医疗服务和技术出现之前。）

Argument 168

Typically, as people age, their bone mass decreases, making them more vulnerable to bone fractures. A recent study concludes that the most effective way to reduce the risk of fractures in later life is to take twice the recommended dose of vitamin D and calcium daily. The three-year study followed a group of French women in their eighties who were nursing-home residents. The women were given daily supplements of twice the recommended dose of vitamin D and calcium. In addition, the women participated in a light weightlifting program. After three years, these women showed a much lower rate of hip fractures than is average for their age.
　　普遍而言，随着人们日趋衰老，他们的骨质会减少，使其更易于招致骨折。一项近期的研究结论是，晚年生活中减少骨折风险的最有效方法是每日服用两倍于大夫所建议的维生素D和钙。此项为期三年的研究追踪了一组年届八旬的法国妇女，她们均为私人疗养院居民。这些妇女每天均被给予两倍于大夫建议的维生素D和钙剂量的补充药物。此外，这些妇女还参加了一项轻微的举重计划。三年之后，这些妇女显示出了比其年龄段平均发病率远低得多的臀部骨折。

Argument 169

The following appeared in a letter from a department chairperson to the president of Pierce University.
"Some studies conducted by Bronston College, which is also located in a small town, reveal that both male and female professors are happier living in small towns when their spouses are also employed in the same geographic area. Therefore, in the interest of attracting the most gifted teachers and researchers to our faculty and improving the morale of our entire staff, we at Pierce University should offer employment to the spouse of each new faculty member we hire. Although we cannot expect all offers to be accepted or to be viewed as an ideal job offer, the money invested in this effort will clearly be well spent because, if their spouses have a chance of employment, new professors will be more likely to accept our offers."
下述文字取自Pierce大学某系主任致校长的一封信。
　　"由同样也是坐落于某一小镇的Bronston学院所作的某些研究表明，无论是男性教授还是女性教授，当其配偶也受雇于同一地理区域时，他（她）们生活在小镇才会较为幸福。因此，为了吸引最才华横溢的教师和科研人员来我系，也为了振奋我系全体教职工的士气，我们在Pierce大学应向我们聘用的每一位新教职工的配偶提供就业。虽然我们无法期待所提供的每个就业机会都被接受，或被视作理想的岗位选择，但投入到该项尝试中的资金显然会物有所值，因为倘若其配偶能享受就业机会，新教授们将更有可能接受我们的聘任。"

Argument 170

For the past five years, consumers in California have been willing to pay twice as much for oysters from the northeastern Atlantic Coast as for Gulf Coast oysters. This trend began shortly after harmful bacteria were found in a few raw Gulf Coast oysters. But scientists have now devised a process for killing the bacteria. Once consumers are made aware of the increased safety of Gulf Coast oysters, they are likely to be willing to pay as much for Gulf Coast as for northeastern Atlantic Coast oysters, and greater profits for Gulf Coast oyster producers will follow.
　　"在过去的五年里，加州的消费者宁肯付高出墨西哥湾沿岸牡蛎一倍的价钱去购买大西洋北海岸的牡蛎。在发现墨西哥湾沿岸几例生牡蛎具有有害细菌后不久，就开始了这种倾向。但是，科学家现在已经发明了杀死这种细菌的方法。一旦使消费者明白墨西哥湾沿岸牡蛎已增强的安全性，他们可能会愿意付与大西洋北海岸牡蛎相同的价格去购买墨西哥湾沿岸的牡蛎，随之而来的就是墨西哥湾沿岸的牡蛎生产者更大的利润."

Argument 171

The following appeared in a memo from the marketing director of Bargain Brand Cereals.
"One year ago we introduced our first product, 'Bargain Brand' breakfast cereal. Our very low prices quickly drew many customers away from the top-selling cereal companies. Although the companies producing the top brands have since tried to compete with us by lowering their prices, and although several plan to introduce their own budget brands, not once have we needed to raise our prices to continue making a profit. Given our success selling cereal, Bargain Brand should now expand its business and begin marketing other low-priced food products as quickly as possible.”
下文出自“特价谷类食品”公司销售部经理的备忘录：
　　“一年前，我们推出了我们的第一个产品：“特价谷类食品”早餐系列。我们非常低的价位很快就从销量最好的食品公司吸引了众多顾客。尽管那些生产优质食品的公司继而降低产品价格试图与我们竞争，而且有几次计划推广他们自己的廉价产品，但是我们从未需要靠提高价格来维持赢利。考虑到我们销售食品的成功，“特价谷类食品”公司现在应该扩大它的业务，开始尽快地把其他低价食品推向市场。”

Argument 172

The Mozart School of Music should obviously be the first choice of any music student aware of its reputation. First of all, the Mozart School stresses intensive practice and training, so that students typically begin their training at a very young age. Second, the school has ample facilities and up-to-date professional equipment, and its faculty includes some of the most distinguished music teachers in the world. Finally, many Mozart graduates have gone on to be the best known and most highly paid musicians in the nation.
　　莫扎特音乐学校显而易见应该成为任何意识到其名望的音乐学生的首选。首先，莫扎特学校强调深度的练习与训练，因此学生们普遍在一个较早的年龄开展其音乐训练。其次，该校拥有充足的设施和先进的训练设备，该校的教员中囊括了世界上几位最著名的音乐教师。最后，许多莫扎特学校的毕业生继续深造，后来得以成为我国最著名的和收入最丰厚的音乐家。”

Argument 173

The following is a memorandum issued by the publisher of a newsmagazine, Newsbeat, in the country of Dinn.
"Our poorest-selling magazine issues over the past three years were those that featured international news stories on their front covers. Over the same period, competing news-magazines have significantly decreased the number of cover stories that they devote to international news. Moreover, the cost of maintaining our foreign bureaus to report on international news is increasing. Therefore, we should decrease our emphasis on international news and refrain from displaying such stories on our magazine covers.."
下述文字摘自Dinn国一份新闻杂志Newsbeat出版商的一份备忘录。
　　“在过去3年中，我们销量最差的几期杂志是那几期在首页封面上刊登了国际新闻故事的杂志。在同一时期，与我们竞争的其他几家新闻杂志大大减少了它们专门用来报道国际新闻的封面故事的数量。此外，维持报道国际新闻的海外部门的费用也呈上升趋势。因此，我们应该减少我们报道国际新闻的力度。并力避在我们杂志封面上展示这类故事。”

Argument 174

The following recommendation was made by the president and administrative staff of Grove College, a private institution, to the college's governing committee.
"We recommend that Grove College preserve its century-old tradition of all-female education rather than admit men into its programs. It is true that a majority of faculty members voted in favor of coeducation, arguing that it would encourage more students to apply to Grove. But eighty percent of the students responding to a survey conducted by the student government wanted the school to remain all female, and over half of the alumni who answered a separate survey also opposed coeducation. Keeping the college all-female, therefore, will improve morale among students and convince alumni to keep supporting the college financially."
下面的建议是格罗夫学院——一个私营机构——院长和管理人员写给学院和管理委员会的。
　　“我们建议，格罗夫学院坚持其具有百年传统的全女生教育，不接受男生入学。的确，大多数教师表决赞成男女同校，说这样可以鼓励更多的学生申请就读于格罗夫学院。但是，由学生管理机构进行的调查表明，百分之八十的学生希望学校坚持全女生教育，而且在另一个单独的调查中，过半的校友反对男女同校。因此，保持学院全女生教育，会在学生中振奋精神面貌，并促使校友继续从财力上支持学院。”

Argument 175

The following appeared in a letter to the school board in the town of Centerville.
"All students should be required to take the driver's education course at Centerville High School. In the past two years several accidents in and around Centerville have involved teenage drivers. Since a number of parents in Centerville have complained that they are too busy to teach their teenagers to drive, some other instruction is necessary to ensure that these teenagers are safe drivers. Although there are two driving schools in Centerville, parents on a tight budget cannot afford to pay for driving instruction. Therefore an effective and mandatory program sponsored by the high school is the only solution to this serious problem."
下文出自一封致森特维尔镇学校董事会的信函：
　　“所有在森特维尔高中就读的学生，都要求修司机教育课程。在过去的两年里，在森特维尔镇内或周围所发生的几起事故，都是十多岁的青少年司机。由于森特维尔的一些父母抱怨说，他们太忙不能教他们十几岁的孩子开车，因此其它某个机构就有必要采取措施保证这些十几岁的司机是安全的。尽管在林特维尔有两所司机学校，但是经济拮据的父母付不起学习开车的费用，因此，我们高中开设一门有效的且必修的课程，是解决该严重问题的唯一办法。”

Argument 176

The following is a memorandum from the sales director to the president of the Healthy-and-Good food company.
"A recent study indicates that Venadial, a new margarine currently produced only in the country of Alta, actually reduces cholesterol levels. Derived from the resin of pine trees, Venadial works by activating a metabolic response that is not yet well understood. However, cholesterol levels fell ten to fifteen percent among participants in the study who consumed Venadial daily, and the risk of heart attack by one-third. In addition, the new margarine is so popular that stores in Alta are unable to keep it on their shelves. Therefore, if our company obtains the exclusive right to sell Venadial internationally, our profits are sure to increase substantially within a very short time."
下文为销售主任致健康食品公司总裁的备忘录。
　　“最近的一项研究表明，Venadial产品，一种目前仅在Alta国生产制造的新人造黄油，实际上能降低胆固醇的含量。Venadial从松树的树脂中提取，其作用原理是激活一种尚未被充分理解的代谢应答。但是，在那些每日服用Venadial产品的该项研究的参加者中，胆固醇的含量下降了10－15％，心脏病的发病风险也下降了三分之一。此外，新的人造黄油如此广受欢迎，以致于Alta国的商店货架上供不应求。因此，如果本公司获得在国际上销售Venadial产品的专卖权，那么，我公司肯定能在很短的时间内大幅度提高利润。”

Argument 177

The following is a letter that recently appeared in the Oak City Gazette, a local newspaper.
"Membership in Oak City's Civic Club—a club whose primary objective is to discuss local issues—should continue to be restricted to people who live in Oak City. People who work in Oak City but who live elsewhere cannot truly understand the business and politics of the city. It is important to restrict membership to city residents because only residents pay city taxes and therefore only residents understand how the money could best be used to improve the city. At any rate, restricting membership in this way is unlikely to disappoint many of the nonresidents employed in Oak City, since neighboring Elm City's Civic Club has always had an open membership policy, and only twenty-five nonresidents have joined Elm City's Club in the last ten years."
下文为最近发表在一份地方报纸《橡木市报》上的一封信函。
　　"橡木市市民俱乐部是一个以讨论当地问题为主旨的俱乐部，其会员资格应继续限于那些在橡木市居住的居民。那些在橡木市工作但居住他乡的人并不能真正理解本市的商务与政治。将会员资格限制于本市居民是极为重要的，因为只有本市居民才付城市税，因此也只有本地居民才理解资金应如何能被最好地用来改善本市的条件。不管怎么说，以这种方式来限制会员资格不可能使许多受雇于橡木市的非居民失望，因为附近的榆木市市民俱乐部一直执行着一种开放性的会员资格政策，但在过去的10年中仅有25个非居民加入了榆木市的俱乐部。”

Argument 178

The following appeared in the annual report from the president of the National Brush Company.
"In order to save money, we at the National Brush Company have decided to pay our employees for each brush they produce instead of for the time they spend producing brushes. We believe that this policy will lead to the production of more and better brushes, will allow us to reduce our staff size, and will enable the company factories to operate for fewer hours—resulting in savings on electricity and security costs. These changes will ensure that the best workers keep their jobs and that the company will earn a profit in the coming year."
下文摘自国家制刷公司总裁的年度报告。
　　"为了省钱，我们国家制刷公司决定按每位雇员制刷数量计付工资，而不是按他们制刷所花的时间付酬。我们相信，这一政策将致使生产更多、更好的刷子，将使我们缩减工作人员，并将使公司的工厂工作时间缩减，其结果是节省用电和安全费用。这些变化，将会保证那些最优秀的工人继续有工作，公司在来年将获得利润。”

Argument 179

The following is a memorandum written by the director of personnel to the president of the Cedar Corporation.
"It would be a mistake to rehire the Good-Taste Company to supply the food in our employee cafeteria next year. It is the second most expensive caterer in the city. In addition, its prices have risen in each of the last three years, and it refuses to provide meals for people on special diets. Just last month three employees complained to me that they no longer eat in the cafeteria because they find the experience 'unbearable.' Our company should instead hire Discount Foods. Discount is a family-owned local company and it offers a varied menu of fish and poultry. I recently tasted a sample lunch at one of the many companies that Discount serves and it was delicious—an indication that hiring Discount will lead to improved employee satisfaction."
下述文字取自Cedar公司人事主任写给总裁的一份备忘录
　　“明年重新聘用Good-Taste公司来为我们职工食堂提供食物将是一大错误。该公司是本市第二最贵的餐饮承办商。此外，其价格在最近的三年中每年都在上涨，并且它拒绝为进行特种节食者供餐。就在上个月，三个职工向我投诉说，他们已不再在食堂就餐，因为他们觉得这一体验无可忍受。我们公司应相反聘用Discount食物公司。Discount公司是一家家庭所有制的当地公司，提供鱼禽等品种多样的菜谱。最近我在Discount公司所开设的许多家公司中的一家品尝了一份午饭样品，它味道美味可口——这标志着聘用Discount公司将会给本公司带来更大程度上的员工满意度。"

Argument 180

The following is a recommendation from the personnel director to the president of Acme Publishing Company.
"Many other companies have recently stated that having their employees take the Easy Read Speed-Reading Course has greatly improved productivity. One graduate of the course was able to read a five-hundred-page report in only two hours; another graduate rose from an assistant manager to vice president of the company in under a year. Obviously, the faster you can read, the more information you can absorb in a single workday. Moreover, Easy Read costs only $500 per employee—a small price to pay when you consider the benefits to Acme. Included in this fee is a three-week seminar in Spruce City and a lifelong subscription to the Easy Read newsletter. Clearly, Acme would benefit greatly by requiring all of our employees to take the Easy Read course."
下文是人事部主任给阿克默出版公司总裁的建议信。
　　“其他许多公司最近声称，让雇员参加简易阅读快速阅读课程使他们大大地提高了工作效率。有一位本课程结业者可以在两小时内阅读一篇500页的报告；另一位结业者在不到一年内从经理助理晋升为公司副总裁。显然，一个人阅读得越快，他/她在一个工作日内所获取的信息量也越多。而且，简易阅读课程仅花费每位雇员500美元——一旦考虑到它会给阿克默公司带来的利润，这仅是一项微不足道的开支。包含在该费用内的尚有在Spruce城举行的三周研讨会以及终生赠阅的简易阅读快报。很清楚，阿克默公司如果要求其所有雇员参加简易阅读课程班学习，将会获益匪浅。”

Argument 181

From a letter to the editor of a city newspaper
“One recent research study has indicated that many adolescents need more sleep than they are getting, and another study has shown that many high school students in our city are actually dissatisfied with their own academic performance. As a way of combating these problems, the high schools in our city should begin classes at 8:30 A.M. instead of 7:30 A.M., and end the school day an hour later. This arrangement will give students an extra hour of sleep in the morning, thereby making them more alert and more productive. Consequently, the students will perform better on tests and other assignments, and their academic skills will improve significantly.”
下述文字摘自一封致某家市报的信函：
　　"最近一项调查研究表明，许多青少年需要得到比他们现在更多的睡眠；另一项调查表明，我市许多高中生实际上对他们自己的学业并不满意。作为解决这些问题的方法，我市高中应该在上午8:30开始上课，晚一个小时放学。这一安排将在早晨给学生提供多一个小时的睡眠，从而使他们更精力充沛、学习更加有效。这样，学生将在考试和其他作业上表现得更好，他们的学业将会极大地改观。”

Argument 182

Butter has now been replaced by margarine in Happy Pancake House restaurants throughout the southwestern United States. Only about 2 percent of customers have complained, indicating that 98 people out of 100 are happy with the change. Furthermore, many servers have reported that a number of customers who still ask for butter do not complain when they are given margarine instead. Clearly, either these customers cannot distinguish margarine from butter, or they use the term "butter" to refer to either butter or margarine. Thus, to avoid the expense of purchasing butter, the Happy Pancake House should extend this cost-saving change to its restaurants in the southeast and northeast as well.
　　在美国西南部幸福饼屋餐馆里，黄油已被麦淇淋(人造黄油)所取代。只有约百分之二的顾客有不满之辞，换言之，100个人中有98人对这种变化都感到满意。再者，许多服务生声称，一些仍然要黄油的顾客在被提供麦淇淋时并没有表示不满。显然，这些顾客要么是不能区别麦淇淋和黄油，要么就是他们用“黄油”一词既表示黄油又表示麦淇淋。因此，为了避免购买黄油的昂贵花费，幸福饼屋公司应该把这一节省费用的变化推广到东南部和东北部的餐馆。

Argument 183

Many employees of major United States corporations are fearful that they will lose their jobs in the near future, but this fear is largely unfounded. According to a recent study, a majority of companies expected to make new hires in the coming year, while fewer companies expected to lay off employees. In addition, although it is very disturbing to be laid off, the proliferation of programs and of workshops designed to improve job-finding skills has made being laid off far less painful than it once was.
　　美国各大公司里的许多雇员担心，他们会在不远的将来失去工作。但这一担心是没有根据的。依照最近的一项调查研究，大多数公司打算在来年招聘新雇员，而打算辞退雇员的公司不多。此外，尽管被辞退是非常令人恼火的，但是专为改进找工作技能而设计的培训项目和讲习班数量激增，使失业给人引起的痛苦远少于以前。

Argument 184

In the Bayhead Public Library, books that are rarely borrowed continue to take up shelf space year after year, while people who want to read a recent novel frequently find that the library's only copy is checked out. Clearly, the library's plan to replace books that are borrowed no more than once a year with sufficient copies of more recent books will solve this problem. The protest we have heard since this plan was made public has come from a small, and thus unrepresentative, group of some thirty people and so should therefore be ignored。
　　 　　在Bayhead公共图书馆，那些很少被借阅的图书年复一年地继续占据着书架空间；相反，希望能读到近期小说的人们常常发现馆内唯一一册小说已被借走。显而易见，图书馆的一个计划——用足够册数的较近期图书替代那些借阅率不到一年一次的图书——将会解决这一问题。自本计划公布之日起，我们所听到的抗议声只是来自一个约30人的小群体，因此不具代表性，并应该忽略不计。

Argument 135

The following appeared in a letter from the owner of the Sunnyside Towers apartment building to its manager.
"One month ago, all the showerheads on the first five floors of Sunnyside Towers were modified to restrict the water flow to approximately 1/3 of its original force. Although actual readings of water usage before and after the adjustment are not yet available, the change will obviously result in a considerable savings for Sunnyside Corporation, since the corporation must pay for water each month. Except for a few complaints about low water pressure, no problems with showers have been reported since the adjustment. Clearly, restricting water flow throughout all the 20 floors of Sunnyside Towers will increase our profits further."
下文取自阳光塔公寓业主给其经理的一封信：
　　“一个月前，阳光塔公寓五层以下所有人的淋浴喷嘴都进行了改装，以便把水流控制在原水流的近三分之一。尽管在改装之前和之后的实际用水的读数目前尚未获得，但是这一变化显然会为阳光公司节省大笔开支，因为公司必须每月支付水费。除了几起投诉说水压低之外，自调整改装之后，还没有报告说有什么淋浴问题。显然，对阳光塔公寓全部20层实施限水，将进一步增加我们的利润。”

Argument 186

The following is a recommendation from the director of personnel to the president of Professional Printing Company.
"In a recent telephone survey of automobile factory workers, older employees were less likely to report that having a supervisor present increases their productivity. Among workers aged 18 to 29, 27 percent said that they are more productive in the presence of their immediate supervisor, compared to 12 percent for those aged 30 or over, and only 8 percent for those aged 50 or over. Clearly, if our printing company hires mainly older employees, we will increase productivity and save money because of the reduced need for supervisors."
下文是人事部主任给职业印刷公司总裁的建议：
　　“在最近一次对汽车工厂工人的电话调查中，说有工头在场就能提高生产效率的年龄较大的员工相对较少。在年龄为18岁至29岁的工人当中，有27%的人说当着他们顶头上司的面会工作起来更有效率；相对而言，年龄为30岁及以上的工人，这样说的仅有12％；年龄为50岁及以上的人仅为8%。显然，倘若我们印刷公司主要雇用年岁较大的雇员，那么我们将会提高生产效率并因减少工头而节省费用。”

Argument 187

The following appeared as part of an article in a health magazine.
"A new discovery warrants a drastic change in the diets of people living in the United States. Two scientists have recently suggested that omega -3 fatty acids (found in some fish and fish oils) play a key role in mental health. Our ancestors, who ate less saturated fat and more polyunsaturated fat, including omega -3 fatty acids, were much less likely to suffer from depression than we are today. Moreover, modern societies—such as those in Japan and Taiwan—that consume large quantities of fish report depression rates lower than that in the United States. Given this link between omega -3 fatty acids and depression, it is important for all people in the United States to increase their consumption of fish in order to prevent depression."
下文是一份健康杂志上某篇文章的一部分：
　　“一项新的发现证明，生活在美国的民众有必要在饮食上进行巨大的改变。最近有两位科学家暗示，Ω-3脂肪酸（发现于某些鱼类和鱼油中）对于大脑的健康有着重要作用。我们的祖先吃较少的饱和脂肪和较多的多不饱和脂肪，包括Ω-3脂肪酸，所以与我们今天相比，不易患忧郁症。再者，某些现代社会——例如食用大量鱼类的日本和台湾——据说比美国患忧郁症的比率低。考虑到Ω-3脂肪酸与忧郁症之间的这种联系，很有必要让所有的美国人增加食用鱼类，以便防止忧郁症。”

Argument 188

A new report suggests that men and women experience pain very differently from one another, and that doctors should consider these differences when prescribing pain medications. When researchers administered the same dosage of kappa opioids—a painkiller—to 28 men and 20 women who were having their wisdom teeth extracted, the women reported feeling much less pain than the men, and the easing of pain lasted considerably longer in women. This research suggests that kappa opioids should be prescribed for women whenever pain medication is required, whereas men should be given other kinds of pain medication. In addition, researchers should reevaluate the effects of all medications on men versus women.
　　一篇新的报告表明，男人和女人感受疼痛的方式彼此不同，因此医师在开具处方治疗头痛时应考虑到这些差异。当研究人员给拔智齿的28位男性和20位女性用同样剂量的卡巴止痛药时，女性反映说她们受的疼痛比男性少，而且缓解疼痛的时间在女性身上比较长。这一研究表明，当需要止痛药时，卡巴止痛药应该给女性服用，而男性应该服用其他类型的止痛药。此外，研究人员应该根据男女差异重新评估所有药物的疗效。

Argument 189

The following is a recommendation from the dean at Foley College, a small liberal arts college, to the president of the college.
"Since college-bound students are increasingly concerned about job prospects after graduation, Foley College should attempt to increase enrollment by promising to find its students jobs after they graduate. Many administrators feel that this strategy is a way for Foley to compete against larger and more prestigious schools and to encourage students to begin preparing for careers as soon as they enter college. Furthermore, a student who must choose a career path within his or her first year of college and who is guaranteed a job after graduation is more likely to successfully complete the coursework that will prepare him or her for the future."
下述文字取自一所小规模的文科学院——Foley学院——的教务主任向该院院长所提的建议。
　　“既然行将踏入大学校门的学生对毕业后的就业前景表现出了越来越强的关注，Foley学院就应该通过承诺为其学生毕业后寻找到工作，从而努力增加入学人数。许多行政管理者都觉得，此策略对Foley学院来说不失为一种有效的途径，藉以和较大的、较著名的院校进行竞争，并鼓励学生入学之初即开始为未来的职业作准备。此外，一个在大学一年级就必须选择职业道路并被保证毕业后必能就业的学生，更有可能成功完成那份将为其未来打下牢固基础的学业。”

Argument 190

The following is a letter to the editor of the Glenville Gazette, a local newspaper.
"Over the past few years, the number of people who have purchased advance tickets for the Glenville Summer Concert series has declined, indicating lack of community support. Although the weather has been unpredictable in the past few years, this cannot be the reason for the decline in advance ticket purchases, because many people attended the concerts even in bad weather. Clearly, then, the reason for the decline is the choice of music, so the organizers of the concert should feature more modern music in the future and should be sure to include music composed by Richerts, whose recordings Glenville residents purchase more often than any other contemporary recordings. This strategy will undoubtedly increase advance ticket purchases and will increase attendance at the concerts."
下述文字摘自Elm市立大学教职员工晋升和工资委员会的一份报告。
　　“在过去的几年里，预购格兰维尔夏季系列音乐会门票的人数有所下跌，这说明社区的支持力度不够。尽管在过去的几年里天气变化出人意料，但是这并不是预购门票下跌的原因，因为许多人甚至在坏天气时照样去听音乐会。显然，下跌的原因在于对音乐的选择，所以音乐会的组织者在未来应该演奏更多的现代音乐，应该保证演奏里查兹谱写的乐曲，因为比起任何其他当代作曲家的唱片，格兰维尔的居民更经常地购买他的唱片。这一策略将保证增加门票的预购数，并将增加听音乐会的人数。”

Argument 191

The following is a letter from a professor at Xanadu College to the college's president.
"The development of an extensive computer-based long-distance learning program will enhance the reputation of Xanadu College. This program would allow more students to enroll in our courses, thereby increasing our income from student tuition. Traditional courses could easily be adapted for distance learners, as was shown by the adaptation of two traditional courses for our distance learning trial project last year. Also, by using computer programs and taped lectures, faculty will have fewer classroom obligations and more time to engage in extensive research, thereby enhancing the reputation of Xanadu."
下文取自大都学院的一位教授给院长的一封信:
　　 　　“开发广泛的基于计算机的远程教育项目将提高大都学院的知名度。这一项目会使更多的学生学习我们的课程，从而我们可以从学生学费中增加我们的收入。传统的课程可以容易地进行改造，供远程学生使用，正如去年有两门传统课程在远程教育试改所示。此外，通过使用计算机程序和预录的课程，教员可以减少在课堂上所花的时间，而用更多的时间来进行广泛的学术研究，从而提高大都学院的知名度。”

Argument 192

The following is a letter to the editor of the Roseville Gazette
"Despite opposition from some residents of West Roseville, the arguments in favor of merging the townships of Roseville and West Roseville are overwhelming. First, residents in both townships are confused about which authority to contact when they need a service; for example, the police department in Roseville receives many calls from residents of West Roseville. This sort of confusion would be eliminated with the merger. Second, the savings in administrative costs would be enormous, since services would no longer be duplicated: we would have only one fire chief, one tax department, one mayor, and so on. And no jobs in city government would be lost—employees could simply be reassigned. Most importantly, the merger will undoubtedly attract business investments as it did when the townships of Hamden and North Hamden merged ten years ago."
下述文字摘自一封致《玫瑰市报》编辑的信函。
　　“尽管西玫瑰市某些居民表示反对，但是，赞同将玫瑰市和西玫瑰市两城合并的论点占据着绝对的优势。首先，两城的居民们在需要服务时对于应该联络哪个管理当局感到茫然不解。例如，玫瑰市的警务部门经常接到来自西玫瑰市的许多电话。这种混乱状况将随着两市的合并而被消除。其次，所节省的行政开支将是巨大的，因为所提供的服务将不会重复。我们将只有一个消防队主管，一个税收部门，一个市长，等等。市政府中也不会出现失业的情况——员工们只是将被重新进行工作调配。最重要的是，这样的合并将毫无疑问地吸引商业投资，正如 10年之前，Hamden市和北Hamden市合并时所发生的那样.”

Argument 193

The Department of Education in the state of Attra recommends that high school students be assigned homework every day. Yet a recent statewide survey of high school math and science teachers calls the usefulness of daily homework into question. In the district of Sanlee, 86 percent of the teachers reported assigning homework three to five times a week, whereas in the district of Marlee, less than 25 percent of the teachers reported assigning homework three to five times a week. Yet the students in Marlee earn better grades overall and are less likely to be required to repeat a year of school than are the students in Sanlee. Therefore, all teachers in our high schools should assign homework no more than twice a week, if at all.
　　Attra州教育厅建议，高中学生应该每天被布置做家庭作业。但是最近对高中数学和科学教师的一项全州范围的调查对每天做家庭作业的作用提出质疑。在三里区，百分之八十六的老师说每周布置三到五次作业，而在马里区，不到百分之二十五的老师说每周布置三到五次作业。但是马里区的学生总体成绩却比三里区的学生好而且较少需要留级。因此，我们高中所有老师如果真要给学生留作业的话，每周最多不应该超过两次。

Argument 194

A recent study suggests that people who are left-handed are more likely to succeed in business than are right-handed people. Researchers studied photographs of 1,000 prominent business executives and found that 21 percent of these executives wrote with their left hand. So the percentage of prominent business executives who are left-handed (21 percent) is almost twice the percentage of people in the general population who are left-handed (11 percent). Thus, people who are left-handed would be well advised to pursue a career in business, whereas people who are right-handed would be well advised to imitate the business practices exhibited by left-handers.
　　最近的一项调查表明，习惯用左手的人比习惯用右手的人更可能在企业里取得成功。研究人员研究了1000位优秀的企业主管的照片，发现百分之二十一的主管用左手写字。而习惯用左手的优秀企业主管的比率(21%)几乎是习惯用右手的总人数的比率(11%)的一倍。因此，那些习惯用左手的人应该在企业求职，而对于习惯用右手的人来说，模仿习惯用左手的人所表现出来的商业做法不失为一项明智之举。

Argument 195

The following is a letter from an editor at Liber Publishing Company to the company's president
"In recent years, Liber has unfortunately moved away from its original mission: to publish the works of regional small-town authors instead of those of big-city authors. Just last year, 90 percent of the novels we published were written by authors who maintain a residence in a big city. Although this change must have been intended to increase profits, it has obviously backfired, because Liber is now in serious financial trouble. The only way to address this problem is to return to our original mission. If we return to publishing only the works of regional small-town authors, our financial troubles will soon be resolved."
下述文字摘自Liber出版公司的一位编辑致公司总裁的一封信函：
　　在最近几年中，Liber公司已经很不幸地背离了它原初的使命：出版和发行地方性小镇作家的作品，而非大都市作家的作品。仅在去年我们所出版的小说中，有90%是由那些在大城市中维持居住状况的作家创作的。尽管这一变化旨在增加盈利，但它显然适得其反，因为Liber公司现已陷入严重的财务危机。解决这一问题的唯一途径是回归到我们原初的使命。如果我们重新开始只出版地方性小镇作家的作品，我们的财务麻烦便会很快迎刃而解。

Argument 196

Sadly, widespread negative images of businesspeople have been created in large part by television. Consider the fact that, although they make up a mere 10 percent of the characters in dramatic roles on television, businesspeople are responsible for about one-fifth of all the crime on television shows. In fact, in a recent survey of television producers, only 35 percent of the television roles for businesspeople were viewed as positive ones.
　　“令人悲哀的是，电视在很大程度上为商人树立起了广泛的负面形象。不妨考虑这样一个事实，即虽然商人仅构成了电视上戏剧角色中10％的人物形象，但他们却必须对电视节目里所有犯罪行为中的约五分之一负责。事实上，在最近对电视制作人所作的一项调查中，商人的电视角色中仅有35％的电视角色被视为正面形象。”

Argument 197

The following appeared as part of a recommendation made by a faculty member to the president of a large university
"Never once in our 150-year history as a university have we clarified our objectives. How, then, can we hope to adapt as an institution to the new challenges facing higher education. As a first step in this evolutionary process, therefore, we should send out questionnaires asking faculty members why they teach, asking students what they want from this university, and asking former students what they gained from their own education here. When the replies come in, we can tabulate them and formulate an official statement of our educational mission. This will surely result in improved programs at our university."
下述文字摘自一位老师向某大学校长提出的建议
　　在我校150年的历史中，我们还不曾有一次清晰地定义过我们的宗旨。在这种情况下，我们又如何能够希望作为一个教育机构适应高等教育所面临的新挑战呢？因此，作为这一演变过程的第一步，我们应该分发问卷调查表，问全体教职员工们他们为什么要从事教育职业，问学生他们希望从本校获得些什么，问以前的学生他们从这里的教育中获得了什么。当人们的答案返回来时，我们就可以将它们用列表的方式整理出来，并就我们的教学使命拟定一项正式声明。这将毫无疑问地改善我校的课程。”

Argument 198

There is a general idea that a translation always fails to preserve some of the qualities that distinguish the original work—i.e., that 'something always gets lost in translation.' Writers, critics, and the general reading public unthinkingly accept this clichè. But this belief is unwarranted: translators are sometimes distinguished authors themselves, and some authors may even translate their own works. As the translator pointed out in the preface to an English version of Dante's works, the violin and the piano make different sounds, but they can play what is recognizably the same piece of music.
　　“有一个普遍观念认为，翻译总是无法保留某些使原作显得与众不同的品质，换言之，“翻译过程中总有某些东西被遗漏掉。”作家、评论家以及广大的读者都不加思索地接受这一陈辞滥调。但这一看法毫无根据：有些时候，译者本人就是著名的作家，有些作者还亲自翻译他们自己的作品。正如《但丁作品英译本》的译者在前言中所指出的那样，小提琴和钢琴制造出来的音响不同，但它们所演奏的是清晰可辨的同一支乐曲。”

Argument 199

"There is a general idea that waiters and waitresses are more likely to receive larger gratuities from large groups of people. A recent research study suggests this is not true. The researchers examined the relationship between the size of tips in restaurants and the number of meals charged on the bill. They found that, while most tips were around 15 percent, the minimum percentage considered appropriate, people dining alone tipped consistently more (19 percent) and those dining in groups of four or more tipped considerably less (13 percent) than this 15 percent standard. These results strongly suggest that people dining in a group are less likely to feel personally responsible for leaving an adequate or generous tip."
　　一种普遍的观念认为，男女服务员更有可能从大群的人群那里获得更多的小费。最近的一项研究表明这并不属实。研究人员们分析了饭馆里小费的数额与餐费之间的关系。他们发现，虽然大多数小费为餐费的15％（被视为适当范围内的最低比例），但独自一人就餐的人所给的小费始终要比15％的标准来得高（为19％），而四个或四个以上的人一起吃饭时所给的小费始终要比15％这一标准远来得低，为13％。这些结果强列暗示，一群人一起就餐时，人们就不太可能觉得个人有责任留下一份充足的或慷慨的小费.

Argument 200

Statistics collected from dentists indicate that three times more men than women faint while visiting the dentist. This evidence suggests that men are more likely to be distressed about having dental work done than women are. Thus, dentists who advertise to attract patients should target the male consumer and emphasize both the effectiveness of their anesthetic techniques and the sensitivity of their staff to nervous or suffering patients.
　　“全从牙科医生们那里收集到的数据显示，在看牙科医生时，三倍于女性的男性会晕过去。这一证据暗示，与女性相比，男性对进行牙科作业更有可能产生心理压力。因此，通过做广告而吸引患者的牙医应该将重点放在男性患者身上，并且强调他们麻醉技术的有效性以及诊所的工作人员对那些神经紧张或遭受着痛苦心理折磨的患者的敏感性。”

嘉文博译郑重声明：