（ 80 年代初读研期间的另一篇英语作文，经黄大闢先生修改过。） The Commercial Value of Whales and Their Protection Wu Yishan Through the persistent effort of mass media all over the globe, more and more people are now able to know what a lovely mammal the whale is. A few decades ago, many people paid little or no heed to whales at all, which some of the rest pinned their eyes only on what potential profit whales would bring them commercially. The usefulness of the whale is beyond doubt. Its meat is a dainty to some people. The Japanese enjoy it a great deal, though its major use is as feed for other animals and poultry in the form of “fishmeal”. Its oil is used for industrial lubrication and that from pilot whales provides us with high-grade lubricant for watches and other preision instruments. Besides, large quantities of it are also converted into fatty alcohols and acids which are widely used in cosmetics, detergents and soaps. Of all the spiecies of whales, especial mention shoule be made of the sperm whale. A good concentratin of wax is found in its head, which supplies raw materials for the manufacture of candels that brighten up our homes before the coming of electricity. Ambergris, a highly valuable cohesive agent in perfume, is also a rare product of the sperm whale. As it is the only large whale with teeth, so “ivory” forms another precious item it offers As the saying goes, “ A fattened swine is the cause of his own bane”, so the commercial value of whales was a tragedy to them in itself. About two dozen countries were vying with each other in whaling for many years. Japan and the Soviet Union are the most avaricious, each possessing a powerful whaling fleet at open seas. By the late 1950s, the blue whale was near extinction through overexploitation. Heavy pressure was then exerted on the fin whale, sei whale and sperm whale until 1970 when limitations on catches of the larger whales adopted by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) had more or less produced some effect. By and large, however, the observance of these limitations by IWC member states was rather lamentable, because IWC had no obligatory control over its members. In order to save this precious species of mammals from a drastic decline in number, we must, first and foremost, keep all the habitants on the earth informed of the grim situation. They should know that not only whales themselves but the knowledge of their natural history are also commercially valuable. Such a knowledge cannot be acquired unless we prevent them from extinction. It is foolish to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Secondly, since the no-obligation appeal of IWC members amounted next to nothing, it might be necessary to organise an ad hoc cruising force ( something similar in nature to that sent by the United Nations to Lebanon) for the protection of all endangered marine species. Thirdly, major industrialized countries should proclaim laws and regulations prohibiting their catch just as what the United States has done in 1971. Laws should be enacted internationally that any violation should be subject to legal sanctions by other countries. Various iternational conflicts and issues comlicate the situation and mar the implementation of many reasonable programs suggested in the conservation movement. No matter how arduous the task is, however, we must keep up the movement, otherwise, we would have to reap what we have sown.
（博主按：下面是我在 80 年代初读研期间写的一篇英语作文，经本所黄大闢先生批改过。他毕业于剑桥大学，英语很好。黄先生已仙逝，谨以此作文纪念他。 Annie 是我们当时英语课本中一篇短篇小说里的人物。） My View of Annie Annie was born in a work-class family. But all her behavior smelled of petit-bourgeois. It seems to me that her greatest desire in life was to raise herself up to a higher stratum. Every time she set her aspiration at a target not too high to attain; bue as soon as it is reached, at once she would set another a little higher. She never felt satisfied. Besides fulfilling her aspiration , there was nothing else she cared. At first she just wanted to lift herself out of her poverty-stricken family. Repressing the ideal that she should have a house equipped with beautiful furniture of her own besides getting a husband, she jumped at the chance of marrying Bob soon after their acquaitance. As a consequence of her mother-in-law’s death, she started to manage the house. One afternoon, when she was window shopping in a furniture store, her dream of refurbishing the house vevived. With a yielding and uxoriors huaband, her greed to grab what was there for her knew no limit. After nursing a period that taxed patience, she satisfied herself with selling the old furniture and replacing them with fashionable ones. Following the success, she managed to urge her husband to see Maud, intending to throw Old Thompson over to her. While he was away running her errand, she sold away the old man’s tall-backed chair too. Among a chain of events, these two were the last straw for Old Thompson. He uttered his wrath to his son and daughter-in-law: “I am waiting, just bidding my time till the good Lord decides to take me to her again. And you’ll just have to bide your time and wait for me." I think the reason why readers are more often than not disgusted with Annie is that she just could not fobear to wait. Her eagerness to get things done is in itself blameless. (To digress a little, many of us who are faced with the task of accelerating “four modernizations” lack this kind of eagerness.) Fortunately, Annie was not so base as to be devoid of all conscience. She did regret that she had sold the chair and her repentance would result in a better treatment of her father-in-law afterwards. After all, she should have realised that the world was not creted for her alone.
经济地位、贫富差距、收入差距等等会影响友谊（2007年英语专业八级考试英语作文题有感） 备注：这篇文章来源于个人qq空间，发表于2009年02月25日 23:39 。 近段时间在辅导大四的学生参加英语专业八级考试。 在做2007年八级考试真题的时候，作文题让我眼睛一亮： Some people think that financial disparity affects friendship. What do you think? Write an essay of about 400 words. 贫富差距，收入差距，经济地位的差距等等会影响到人际关系，尤其是朋友之间的关系。 可爱的朋友们，你们同意这样的观点吗？ 不同意也没办法，事实就是如此，不信，请看： 在过去的三十年中，中国经济经历了飞速发展。但是，在此过程中，由于经济发展水平不平衡，社会资源分配不公平和人们机会不均等，导致了明显的社会贫富差距。事实证明，贫富差距，收入差已经、正在并将继续广泛而且深入地影响社会生活的方方面面，其中也包含友谊。社会上普遍存在这样一种看法，经济地位的不同会影响到友谊，根据我的观察和经验，这种说法是合理的。（这种说法的存在是具有相当合理性的。） During the past three decades China has enjoyed dazzling economic booming. However in this progress due to the imbalance of economic conditions, unfairness of resources, allocation and un-equality of personal opportunities, obvious income gap has emerged at a worrying speed.Facts have proved that asset divergence have been affecting almost all aspects in our society, including our friendship. There is a notion that financial disparity may shade (dilute/murder) friendship.On the basis of my observation and experience, this notion is reasonable. 诚然（不可否认的是/不得不承认），真正的友谊往往是建立在精神层面上的，而非物质层面上的。只有朋友间的相互理解、信任、忠诚、坦诚相待和充分沟通，才能使友谊天长地久。这些构成友谊的核心要素似乎于金钱（孔方兄－Mr. Washington）没有太大的联系。此外，为了完善自我，现代人也将不得不与各阶层的人打交道，并不是完全考虑到钱。 Admittedly pure friendship is built upon spiritual level, rather than materiallevel. Only mutual understanding, trust, loyalty,frankness and full communication could make friendship last forever. These ingredients formulating friendship are not related to money at all. Also (in addition/whats more/furthermore) in order to acquire (achieve) self-enrichment the mainstream group struggles their energy to interact with (tackle/deal with/handle) people from different social classes without merely considering money. 然而，在物欲横流（充满诱惑/纸醉金迷/浮华堕落）的社会里，谁又能做到清心寡欲(purify the mind diminish desires)呐？友谊的建立、维持和发展是需要一系列社交活动支持的，比如说，吃饭、休闲和聚会等，而这些都无一例外地(unexceptionally)要消耗金钱。因此，友谊-这种貌似高尚的，精神层面上的交往-也不得不屈尊(condescend dignity)建立在一定经济基础之上。再者，如果朋友之间存在较大的经济实力差距，恐怕难以保证友谊不受到丝毫(not in the least)影响。这种现象是普遍存在的。 However in the material-dominated (material-is-everything) world, who could achieve mind purification and desire diminishing? Establishing, retaining and developing of friendship rely on series of social events, namely, dining, gathering, and relaxing, so on so forth. All are unexceptionally fortune consuming. Hence friendship seemingly upper-class and spiritual has to condescend its dignity to beg financial support. In addition if financial imbalance exists among friends relationship is un-assured not being influenced in the least. This is so very common! 导致这种现象产生的原因是，不同收入阶层的人在价值观，思维模式、消费观念、生活习惯和社交地点的选择上都有很大不同。显而易见，这些因素都会受到购买力的影响。在交往中，经济实力优越的一方往往会潜移默化地（imperceptibly）（无意识地）给经济实力窘迫predicament的一方施加无形的心理压力。这种压力可能会使弱势一方非常敏感、甚至非常脆弱。这种被心理学家称为心理错位的心态肯定（毫无疑问）对友谊是有伤害的。由此而产生的有裂痕的友谊（这种裂痕将必然随着时间的推移和收入差的进一步扩大而扩大），友谊将失去持续发展的根基。这也将会是一个阻碍（腐蚀）友谊发展的因素（诱因predisposing cause）。 The cause is that people from diverse wealth classes differentiate themselves from each other in terms of value ways of thinking concept of purchasing lifestyle and selection of social area. Apparently these are all money-sensitive. When conducting social events the economically-superior side may unconsciously add intangible psychological pressure on the economically-weak side. This pressure makes the unfavorable side feel sensitive and even fragile. The so-called psychological displacement mentality is harmful to friendship. The friendship scattered with seams which will enlarge as time goes by and with the widening of income gap will lose the root of healthy growth. Consequently predisposing cause which hampers friendship emerges. 综上所述，友谊是会受到经济实力影响的。只有正确看待友谊和金钱的关系，只有正确认识自己的收入水平，只有找到适合自己的朋友圈，才能拥有持久、真正的 undisguised友谊。 In conclusion friendship will be definitely influenced by financial power. Only proper handling of friendship and money proper income evaluation and proper circle positioning could enable us to acquire sustainable andundisguised friendship. 文章看完了，引起我们深思的东西也就出来了： 现代社会，物欲横流，友谊与金钱，哪一个更需要好好把握？ 或是因为囊中羞涩而舍弃友谊？或是为了友谊而大笔挥钱？ 这样的情况，完全是世俗使然： 比如依你现在的地位与经济状况，让那些高高在上的朋友很为难：与你继续交往吧，觉得没有钱途，甚至丢面子；而穷且益坚的你，不愿为五斗米折腰，也不愿为巴结如许之朋友而放弃自己的生活空间。 于是乎，友谊因为金钱、地位、收入等等状况的改变而发生了许多不必要的改变。社会在改变，人情世故在改变。 能否找到两者或者多者之间的平衡？ 这就需要我们摆正心态： 友谊可淡可浓，但决不可俗。 君子之交淡如水。 平平淡淡才是真。 这不是穷酸之极的酸语；更不是狂妄之极的诳语。 想想人活一辈子，最重要的就是不要迷失了自己。
标签: 英语作文
