GRE作文范文 Issue-33

“It is easy to welcome innovation and accept new ideas. What most people find difficult, however, is accepting the way these new ideas are put in to practice.”

嘉文博译Sample Essay

To a greater or lesser degree, all people are resistant to change, and change often begins with innovation and new ideas. Indeed, the human body has a built-in response mechanism for dealing with the anxiety that occurs in unfamiliar situations. Particularly in the world of business, the dynamics of affecting change in a company are becoming increasingly important but also increasingly difficult to do without creating dissension among the employees. Barring any difficulties in their current situation, people prefer the status quo to almost any changes. The resistance to change begins with the difficulty in the initial acceptance of innovation and new ideas, which then leads to difficulties in putting those ideas into practice.

People are most comfortable with that with which they are familiar. Depending upon the situation and the degree to which innovation or a new idea means changing one’s life, every person will feel a certain amount of discomfort when facing the unfamiliar. Whether it is a new job, new location or even meeting a new friend, psychologists and sociologists know that there is an automatic adrenaline response within the human body that occurs in response to the unfamiliar. It is a totally natural and ingrained response similar to the “fight or flight” idea that is left over from the days when humans were often faced with situations that determined whether they would survive to live another day.

Even in today’s more modern society, business management and human resources literature is filled with techniques and ideas for dealing with the dynamics of change within an organization. If human beings were well equipped to deal with innovation and new ideas, there would be no reason for managers to have to worry about getting employees to “go along” with a different business direction or method. Acceptance would be automatic and there would be no problem with putting the ideas into practice. The reluctance to change begins with accepting the idea rather than actually putting the new idea into practice.

Furthermore, history is littered with examples of human resistance to innovation and new ideas, even those that are routinely accepted and taken for granted in today’s world. As early as the 6th century BC, Pythagoras insisted that the world was round, but no one believed him. The idea was not widely accepted until actually proven by maritime explorers over one thousand years later. American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) invented the first cell phone in 1947 - yet it would not be commercially accepted until thirty-six years later. It would be several more than another decade before the general public decided that the cell phone had a practical use. In the late 1930’s, an inventor tried to sell his idea of “xerography” to two of the world’s largest companies, IBM and Kodak, among others. They flatly rejected his idea and sent him away. A little known company named Haloid-Xerox, now known as Xerox, bought the idea and debuted the first photocopier in 1960, which became an unprecedented success in the world of business. Human beings natural resistance to innovation and new ideas has been displayed throughout history; it continues to be a natural human trait even in today’s modern, high-tech society.

In summary, it is human beings’ natural resistance to change that presents the greatest challenge to accepting new ideas and innovation. Business managers struggle to overcome it, and history shows many examples of this human trait. Although putting these changes into action is also problematic, it is definitely not easy in the first place for people to welcome new ideas with open arms.

参考译文

迎纳革新和接受新思想，并非难事。然而，大多数人所感到困难的，是实施这些新思想的方式

　　在一定程度上，所有的人都不愿意变化，而变化常常始于革新和新思想。的确，人体具有一种内在的反应机制来处理不熟悉的环境中产生的焦虑。尤其在商业界，影响公司内部变化的动态因素日趋重要，而且日益难以处理，因为它常常在雇员当中造成不和。除非他们目前的情形中出现困难，否则人们还是宁愿选择维持现状而不愿选择任何变化。对变化的抵制始于最初难以接受革新和新思想，这又导致人们难以实践这些新思想。

　　人们能处在他们熟悉的环境中是最舒适不过的。因为环境的改变以及革新或新思想意味着改变他们的生活方式，所以人们在面对陌生事物时都会感到一定程度的不适。心理学家和社会学家研究得知，无论是找工作，迁移到新地方还是会见一位新朋友，人体内有一种不自觉的肾上腺素反应随着陌生事物的出现而发生。这完全是一种自然的而且是与生俱有的反应，它与古代所留下来的“打不赢就跑”的思想相似，在那个时代，人类常常会面临某些危险的境地，这些境地可以决定他们是否能生存下来，去享受另一天的生命。

　　即使在今天更具现代色彩的社会中，企业管理和人力资源文献中到处可见组织机构内部发生变动时的应变对策和理论。如果人们有很好的准备来应对革新和新思想，那么经理们也就没有理由去担心如何使雇员适应不同的工作指令或工作方式。接受将是自然而然的，实践新思想也就不会有问题。只接受新思想，而不真正将新思想付诸实践，这只能意味着拒绝变化。

　　再者，历史上不乏人类拒绝革新和新思想的实例，甚至是那些在今天看来是被很自然地接受且毫不置疑的思想。早在公元前6世纪，Pythagoras提出地球是圆的学说，但是没有人相信他的话。他的思想直到一千多年以后被航海探险家实际证实才被普遍接受。美国电话电报公司（AT＆T）1947年发明了第一部电池电话，但是它直到36年后才被商界接受。普通大众认为电池电话可以实际应用，那还是又过了十多年之后的事。在20世纪30年代，一位发明家试图把他的静电印刷术卖给世界上两家最大的公司IBM和Kodak。这两家公司断然拒绝他的想法并把他打发走。一家名不见经传的叫做Haloid—Xerox的公司——现在称为Xerox公司——买下了他的思想，于1960年首次使用了摄影复制机，并在商界取得了前所未有的成功。人类对革新和新思想的本能排斥，在整个历史上俯拾皆是，而且这一本能在今天现代的高科技社会仍然是人性的一个特征。

　　总之，正是人类对变化的本能抵制构成了接受新思想和革新的最大挑战。企业经理努力克服它，而且历史也展示了许多实例足以证明这一人性特点。尽管把这些变化付诸行动同样是一个问题，但是，让人们一开始便信奉新思想决非易事。

 

GRE作文范文 Argument-33

“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.”

嘉文博译Sample Essay

This arguer claims that a recent study suggests that left-handed people are more likely to succeed in business than right-handed people. For support, the arguer cites the results of a study where researchers studied photographs of one thousand prominent business executives and found that twenty-one percent wrote with their left hand. The arguer claims that the percentage of left-handed prominent business executives is almost twice that of left-handed people in the general population (eleven percent). The arguer then concludes that left-handed people should pursue a career in business while right-handed people should copy the business practices of left-handed people. This argument fails to convince on its premise because it is based on faulty reasoning.

First of all, there are problems with the research study itself. By studying only photographs rather than the actual people, there are two errors that may occur in drawing conclusions regarding which hand the subjects actually use to write. It is possible that although they were photographed with a pen in their left hand or apparently writing with their left hand, the business executives are in reality right-handed or ambidextrous. Merely looking at photographs is a poor substitute for actually observing or interviewing the business executives. Furthermore, in many cases with photographs, the negatives have been reversed when the photograph is printed, thereby reversing right and left. Although it may appear that the business executive is writing with his or her left hand, in reality he or she may have been using the right hand instead, or vice versa. The possibility of flaws in the research study itself critically weakens this argument.

Secondly, the arguer’s contention that the study suggests that people who are left-handed are more likely to succeed in business is wrong. Even assuming the accuracy of the study, only twenty-one percent of prominent business executives were said to write with their left hands. The vast majority of seventy-nine percent of prominent business executives wrote with their right hands. Simple mathematics shows that there are more right-handed prominent business executives than left-handed ones. Moreover, being a “prominent” business executive does not necessarily equal success in business. The arguer has framed the definition of success in business as becoming a “prominent business executive” when there are many other valid definitions of what makes one a success in business. One certainly does not have to be “prominent” nor a “business executive” to be successful in business. Failing to address these features of the research study further weakens this argument.

Finally, it simply does not follow that left-handed people should pursue a career in business and that right-handed people should imitate the business practices of left-handers. There are far too many other variables involved with success in business than solely which hand a person writes with. Inner-motivation, perseverance and just plain good luck are far more likely indicators of an individual’s success in business. To pursue any type of career or particular business practices based on such a flawed and ambiguous study would be the height of foolishness.

To summarize, the value of the research study itself is highly questionable because it is based on merely looking at photographs, which may be misleading. Furthermore, the arguer uses percentages that are not directly comparable with each other to attempt to show a correlation between which hand a person writes with and potential success in business. This argument is tenuous at best and should be rejected without better, more convincing evidence submitted for support.

参考译文

　　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。

　　这位论证者声称，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有可能在企业里取得成功。为了支持其论点，论证者引用了一项调查的结果，说研究人员研究了1000位优秀企业主管的照片，发现其中21%的人用左手写字。论证者说道，习惯用左手的优秀企业主管的比率几乎是习惯用右手的总人数的比率(11%)的一倍。论证者然后得出结论：习惯用左手的人应该在企业谋职而习惯用右手的人应该模仿用左手的人的商业行为。这一论证没能在其前提上令人信服，因为它是建立在错误的推理基础之上。

　　 首先，该项研究本身不乏某些问题。由于只研究人的照片而不是研究实际的人，因此，围绕着受试者实际用哪只手来写字，在得出结论时将会产生两种谬误。情况有可能是，尽管他们在拍照时左手持笔，或表面上作出左手写字的模样，这些企业主管们实际上却是惯于使右手的，或者是两手都善用的。只看相片，远比不上实际观察或面试这些企业主管。此外，就这些相片而言，在许多情况下，在相片冲洗时，底片被颠倒，从而将左右弄反。虽然给人的印象是某位企业主管正用其左手写字，但实际上他/她可能正好相反，所使用的却是右手。反之亦然。这项研究本身所有可能存在的缺陷严重削弱了本项论述。

　　其次，论述者所提出的论点，即该项研究表明惯于使左手的人更易于取得商业成功。这本身就是谬误的。即使假设该项研究精确无误，但也仅有21%的杰出企业主管据称使用左手写字。占79%的绝大多数著名企业主管使用右手写字。进行简单的数学计算就可表明，善使右手的杰出企业主管在数量上远超过善使左手的企业主管。除此之外，做一个杰出的企业主管并不必然等同于商业成功。当何谓“商业成功”实际上存在着如许多其他有效定义的时候，论述者对商业成功所下的定义却将其仅限于“成为一个杰出的企业主管”。毫无疑问，要取得商业成功，人们既没有必要成为“杰出人物”，也没有必要成为“企业主管”。该项研究由于没能探讨这些方面的内容而使论证缺乏力度。

　　最后，有一点是不合逻辑的，即凡是左撇子都应该追求一种商界生涯，而右撇子就应该去模仿左撇子的商业实践。商业成功涉及到许许多多其他可变性因素，而决非仅仅限制在惯于使用哪只手的问题。内在的动机、锲而不舍的精神以及好运气等更有可能来表明一种商业上的成功。如果以这样一种存在严重缺陷且又模棱两可的研究为依据去追求任何类型的职业生涯或某些特定的商业实践，将不啻于是愚蠢至极。

　　概而言之，该项研究的价值令人极感疑惑，因为它仅仅以看相片这一有可能产生误导作用的行为来作为其依据。其次，论述者使用了相互间并不具有直接可比性的两组百分比以期证明，在一个人写字时所使用的左手或右手与其商业上的潜在成败之间存在着某种逻辑联系。本项论述充其量也是极为薄弱的，在不能提供更为充分且更有说服力的证据来支持它的情况下应彻底予以摈弃。

嘉文博译郑重声明：