怎樣寫一篇作文？（19）

在英文寫作怎樣提升用詞準確度？這篇文章中，我提到提升用詞準確度需要多查詞典，有一名讀者問了一個問題：

但是有時候都不知道要用什麼詞語的時候怎麼查字典呢？

這個問題幾乎所有人都會遇到，解決的辦法有一個：靠平時的積累。

如果你不是像菲茨傑拉德和海明威那樣的大文學家，那麼你在英文寫作中應該盡量遵守一個原則：只寫自己讀過的或者聽過的正確的英文，不要自己創造表達。比如「注意力持續時間」，它在英文中的說法是attention span，你在寫作中應該遵守這種用法，而不是寫成attention lasting time.

但做到這一點的前提是我們已經之前已經接觸過該表達（不然就只能靠蒙），這要依靠平時的閱讀積累。幸運的一點是，對於考場寫作來說，類似attention span這樣的主題辭彙數量是有限的，數量大概在三四千個。平時只要多讀外刊，多讀範文，將這些辭彙積累起來，那麼我們考試中遇到的用詞問題也會越來越少。

今天要分析的作文題目是：

Some people think giving aid to poorer countries brings more negatives than positives. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

這是讀者投稿的版本：

習作/熊熊熊

The social and economic gap between the rich and poor countries is widening. Personally, whether it is beneficial for countries to aid their under-developed counterparts depends on the form of help.

On the positive side, international aid will benefit not only the recipients but also the donors. For one, the poorer countries receiving technical and financial aid can improve their infrastructure and social provisions. People in these areas will thus enjoy a better standard of life with access to better education, health care and advanced technologies. For another, the donor countries therefore set a positive role model and will earn respect and help from other nations with goodwill in the future. Eventually, a peaceful and cooperative global community can be formed, contributing to the well-being of all humans.

Nevertheless, some people might argue that financial assistance is often misused by poor countries where the government is already managing poorly. This can lead to more chaos, such as serious corruption, while the people suffer longer. Such argument may be true, so I would suggest that developed countries provide mainly technological help to avoid such concerns. For example, with easier access to the Internet introduced from the Silicon Valley in the US, citizens in impoverished regions can broaden their knowledge base and acquire essential skills through distance learning programs, securing themselves a more promising career prospect.

In conclusion, I believe that offering help to countries in need is undoubtedly significant, but it is the form of help that matters more. Technical help should come first for us to ensure a harmonious international society.

這是我的點評版本：

思路分析：

Some people think giving aid to poorer countries brings more negatives than positives. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

國際援助是否能真正對被救助國帶來好處是近年來經常被討論的話題。國際援助的出發點是好的，在很多情況下也確實幫助了不少國家。比如國際醫療援助減少了疾病在非洲的肆虐，幫助了全球很多遭受地震和洪水等自然災害的國家。中國對非洲國家的基礎設施援建也幫助他們發展了經濟。

但另一方面，國際援助常常能帶來很多負面影響，主要有以下幾點：

（1）很多被援助國家政府管理混亂，腐敗現象嚴重，國際援助常常被半路攔截，無法真正讓人民受益。在一些戰亂地區援助款項甚至會被用於購買武器，加劇地區衝突。

（2）國際援助也會衝擊當地經濟。一些國家的民眾會養成依賴援助的習慣，不從事生產，導致被援助國的經濟難以發展，陷入惡性循環中。

（3）很多歐美國家提供的援助還附帶經濟和政治條件，這可能會導致被援助國在經濟和政治上被他國操縱，得不償失。

下面是我寫的一個版本，以供參考：

習作/魏劍峰

For decades, it has been common practice for rich countries to give aid to their poor counterparts. However, in recent years there has been a growing belief that international aid could be harmful to the recipients. I agree that giving aid to poor countries could do more harm than good.

It is true that foreign aid has some benefits. Poor countries can use financial aid to build infrastructure such as roads and schools, thereby facilitating economic growth. Millions of Africans now have access to clean water wells, built with aid money, when previously many of them got sick drinking filthy water. When natural disasters befall poor countries, it is common for the international community to send medical assistance and food to them, thus helping to relieve the suffering of those affected and save lives.

However, international aid has far more drawbacks. Around the globe poor countries are often troubled by poor governance, and it is likely that aid to these countries will end up being embezzled by corrupt officials, rather than bringing real, tangible benefits to people in need. In war-torn areas, financial assistance may even be used to purchase weapons and in effect exacerbate conflicts. Foreign aid also has the effect of disrupting the local markets of the recipient countries. When farmers can receive free food on a regular basis they may lose the incentives to grow food on their own. This will hinder the growth of the food industry and create a culture of dependence that is harmful to a country』s long-term development. Moreover, some foreign aid comes with strings attached, meaning that the recipients could be exploited economically and politically by the donors.

In summary, although international aid does have its positive aspects, these remain limited in both scope and scale. In many cases, giving aid to poor countries often defeats its purpose, and governments the world over should be prudent when it comes to sending and receiving aid.