GRE作文范文 Issue-22

"Sometimes imagination is a more valuable asset than experience. People who lack experience are free to imagine what is possible and thus can approach a task without constraints of established habits and attitudes."

嘉文博译Sample Essay

Inevitably, there are times when imagination can be a much more valuable asset than experience. Life is full of examples of such situations. There are, however, times when the reverse is also true. No one would probably prefer, as cases in point, a first-time astronaut piloting a dangerous space mission or a newly commissioned officer leading an army into battle. But for many occupations and tasks, imagination leads to creative thinking and solutions that may be beyond the ken of someone with years of experience in that particular field.

One example that immediately comes to mind is that of the superiority of new computer software programmers. The computer software producing companies want to hire the latest graduates that have only the basic programming skills and abilities - and the creative ideas that may not have been presented to the industry before. Although years of computer programming experience may be advantageous for certain tasks, such as the building of computer network systems for businesses, the computer software industry must have the very latest in state-of-the-art design. Imagination leads to creativity that can take computer games and other types of software in directions that were never before thought possible. Innovative computer games and software can earn hundreds of millions of dollars for the company that produces them. The latest and most creative ideas come almost exclusively from the imaginations of fresh talent lacking any formal experience with computer software companies.

Another example that occurs frequently with management and human resources in business is the idea of forming cross-functional task forces to solve problems that arise in the course of doing business. Management creates cross-functional task forces by choosing individuals across several different functional areas, such as the marketing, finance, human resources and accounting departments, to form a team that will address the particular dilemma facing the company. The idea is to invite the idea of "thinking outside of the box", or looking beyond the normal solutions that would probably be proposed by management or the particular department that is affected by the problem. As an example given, suppose that an accounting department is facing a crisis caused by the application of Western accounting principles to Chinese business documentation. By inviting all departments of the organization to focus on the problem, even though most have little or no accounting experience, the company hopes to gain an imaginative solution beyond that of the experience of the accounting department alone.

Politicians give maybe the prime example of the battle between the comparative merits of imagination versus that of experience. The classic battle lines are formed when a new challenger with no political experience faces an incumbent politician with perhaps decades of experience. The newcomer will focus his or her campaign on imagination as he or she attempts to generate new ideas to solve either the age-old problems of government or newly arisen crises. The wizened old politician will focus his campaign and the issues in such a way as to maximize his experience in politics as the prerequisite for an elected leader. Generally, a given voting population opposes change. Therefore in politics, in the absence of problems that obviously require imagination and fresh ideas, the candidate with the greater experience will probably have the edge, all other things being equal.

It goes without saying that in many cases imagination can be a much greater asset than experience. What would the state of technology in the world be today without the imagination and ingenuity of Thomas Alva Edison, as an individual example, or the imagination and experimentation of the thousands of medical doctors that have dramatically advanced the medical sciences over the ages? Experience does have its advantages at times and in certain situations, but it is imagination that can take people outside of their current state of knowledge to solve problems.

参考译文

有的时候想象力是一种比经验更为可贵的财富。有的人虽然缺乏经验但是却能够自由地发挥想象力，这样他们就可以不受固有习惯和态度的约束而完成任务。

　　确实，有的时候想象力可以成为比经验更为可贵的财富。生活中我们可以看到许多这样的例子。然而，有时候，经验比想象力更为可贵也是一条不折不扣的真理。比如说，没有人会愿意看到一个初次飞行的宇航员执行一项危险的太空任务或者一个新任军官指挥部队进行战斗。但是，在许多职业或工作中，想象力可以给人们带来创造性的思维和解决之道，这是那些在这个特定领域有多年经验的人所望尘莫及的。

　　我们能够立刻想到的例子就是那些新的电脑软件编程人员所具有的优势。制作电脑软件的公司想要雇用的是刚刚毕业的学生，他们有的仅仅具有基础的编程技巧和能力，以及这个行业可能前所未有的创造性思想。虽然多年的电脑编程经验对于某些工作，比如建立商务电脑网络系统，可能会是一项优势，但电脑软件行业必须要有最新、最好的设计方案。想象力产生的创造力能将电脑游戏或其他软件向以往未曾想象到的新方向发展。革新性的电脑游戏和软件能给生产它们的公司带来数以亿计的大把美元。最新、最具创造性的思想几乎无一例外地都是来自那些从未在电脑软件公司有任何正式经验的人的奇思妙想。

　　另一个在商务管理及人力资源方面常常遇到的例子就是要组成跨部门的工作力量以解决商务运作中出现的问题这样一种理念。管理部门从几个不同的职能部门如市场、金融、人力资源和财务部门抽调人才创造出跨部门的工作力量，他们作为一个团队共同工作，去解决公司面临的困境。这个想法引进了"局外思维"的概念，寻求更好的、更有创新意识的解决办法，以别于管理部门或已被问题影响到的部门所通常提出的解决方案。举个例子，假设在将西方会计原理适用于中国商务文件的时候，财务部门遇到了紧急的难题。通过组织各部门共同对这个问题出谋划策，公司就有希望找到一个更富有想象力的解决方案，这一定比只依靠财务部门的经验要好得多。

　　政治家为"想象力和经验谁更占上风"这场争辩提供了最显著的例子。典型的斗争在毫无政治经验的新挑战者与或许拥有几十年经验的现任政治家之间进行。新的挑战者在选举中强调他或她的想象力会为解决老问题或新危机提出创造性的思路，而老朽的政治家则会最大程度地强调经验是被选举成为领导人的先决条件。通常，大部分投票选举的人都不反对变革，因此，在政治领域内，如果没有明显需要想象力和新鲜念头的问题出现，那么，其他方面处于平等位置而经验较为丰富的选手就会占有优势。

　　显然，在某些情况下想象力是比经验更为可贵的财富，如果没有托马斯·爱迪生的想象力和创造力（作为个人贡献的代表），如果没有成千上万名医生几个年代以来通过发挥想象力和进行试验大大提高医学水平的话，如今我们这个世界的技术状况将会处在怎样的一个水平？具有经验在有些时候、有些情况下确实非常有利，但是，唯有想象力才可以使人们超出他们现有的知识状态去创造性地解决问题。

 

GRE作文范文 Argument-22

The following is a recommendation from the personnel director to the president of Acme Publishing Company.

嘉文博译Sample Essay

"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."

In this argument, the personnel director has recommended to the president of Acme Publishing Company that all employees take a speed-reading course because other companies have reported that having their employees take the course has greatly improved their productivity. Additionally, the personnel director claims that one course graduate read a five-hundred page report in two hours while another course graduate was promoted from assistant manager to vice president in less than one year. He or she also states that the faster that one can read, the more information that one can absorb in one workday. This argument is based on problematic reasoning and it does not follow that the course will automatically bring the same results to Acme Publishing.

First of all, the personnel director claims that other companies have stated that having their employees take the speed-reading course has greatly improved their productivity. Even if this is true, it does not automatically mean that Acme would receive the same benefits from such employee training. It is possible that the speed-reading course is especially suitable for the employees of these other companies whereas it may be unhelpful for Acme employees. Different types of work can receive different types of benefits from such training, and it does not necessarily mean that Acme would benefit from this particular speed-reading course as well.

Secondly, the personnel director cites the examples of one course graduate who was able to read a five-hundred page report in two hours and one who was promoted from assistant manager to vice president in less than one year. In the first instance, simply reading a five hundred-page report in such a short time does not mean that the employee was actually able to comprehend the entire report. The personnel director states that the faster you can read, the more information you can absorb in a workday, but reading and comprehending are two different things entirely. In the second instance, there were likely other factors that contributed to the employee's movement from assistant manager to vice president, simply having taken the speed-reading course does not allow one to move up through the ranks so quickly. Without further evidence directly correlating the taking of the speed-reading course with the reading and comprehension of a five hundred-page report and with moving up quickly to the position of vice president, the argument fails to convince that the speed-reading course is in any way responsible for these events.

Thirdly, the personnel director says that the $500 per employee fee for the course is a small price to pay compared to the benefits that will accrue to Acme. There are some possible personal benefits cited in the argument, but no overall company benefits for Acme are identified. Here the personnel director attempts to draw a line between having all the employees take the speed-reading course and the benefits that Acme will receive, but there are no direct benefits listed for Acme. Other than a personal opinion statement, there is no evidence that Acme will benefit from having its employees take the course.

In summary, some anecdotal evidence is cited but there is no direct causal link demonstrated between the taking of the speed-reading course and any benefits for Acme or its employees. To strengthen the argument, the personnel director should show a cause and effect relationship between the skills that would be developed in the course and the benefits for both the employees and Acme Publishing Company. Without such support, the argument is stating a simple personal opinion.

参考译文

　　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。"

　　 在这段论证当中，人事部主任给阿克默出版公司总裁建议：公司全部雇员应参加一个快速阅读课程班的学习，其原因是其他公司声称让它们的雇员参加该课程学习已极大地改进了工作效率。此外，人事部主任还说，有一位该课程的结业者能在两小时内阅读500页的报告，而另一位则在不到一年的时间内从经理助理晋升为公司副总裁。他/她还声称，一个人阅读得越快，在一个工作日内所能获取的信息量就越多。这一论证基于错误的推理，而且它不能证明该课程会自然而然地给阿克默出版公司带来同样的效果。

　 首先，人事部主任说到，其他公司声称让它们的雇员参加这个快速阅读课程的学习已经大大地提高了工作效率。即便果真如此，这并不意味着阿克默公司会自然而然地从这类员工培训中获得同样的效益。很可能这一快速阅读课程仅仅适合于其他公司的雇员而对阿克默公司却无济于事。从这类培训中，不同类别的工作得到不同的效益，但这并不必然意味着阿克默公司也会从这一类专门的快速阅读课程中受益。

　　其次，人事部主任举例说，该课程的一位结业者能够在两小时内阅读一篇500页的报告而另一位结业者在一年内已经从经理助理升职至公司副总裁。在第一例中，在这么短的时间内阅读一篇500页的报告并不意味着这位雇员能够完全理解这篇报告。人事部主任声称，在一个工作日中你读得越快，你获得的信息就越多。然而，阅读和理解是完全不同的两码事。在第二例中，很可能有其他的因素有助于这位经理助理晋升为公司副总裁，单单参加快速阅读课程班学习并不会使人如此快地在获得职位晋升。因为这段论证没有提供进一步的证据来直接说明参加快速阅读课程与两小时内阅读和理解一篇500页的报告以及很快升到公司副总裁一职有关，所以它不能使人确信快速阅读课程与这些事件有何关系。第三，人事主任声称与阿克默公司将获得的效益相比，每位雇员500美元的学费只是一笔微不足道的花费。在论证中，引用了某些有可能产生的个人利益，但没有指明任何对阿克默公司总体上有益的证据。这里，人事部主任试图在让全部雇员参加快速阅读培训与阿克默公司将获得的利益之间划出一条分界线，但他却没有列举出对阿克默公司的直接利益为何。除了作为一个个人观点的陈述之外，这段论证并没有提供任何证据表明让其雇员参加快速阅读培训将会给阿克默公司带来益处。

　　总之，论证过程中引用了某些轶事趣闻式的证据，但它并没有说明参加快速阅读课程班与阿克默公司的利益或其雇员之间有任何因果关系。为了使他/她的论点更为有力，人事部主任应该说明，在该培训班所能帮助形成的技能与阿克默出版公司及其雇员的利益之间存在着因果关系。因为没有这一论点支持，这段论证仅仅是在陈述个人的观点。

嘉文博译郑重声明：