gwd-3-16

Maggieyin

Q16:

Economist:  Tropicorp, which constantly seeks profitable investment opportunities, has been buying and clearing sections of tropical forest for cattle ranching, although pastures newly created there become useless for grazing after just a few years.  The company has not gone into rubber tapping, even though greater profits can be made from rubber tapping, which leaves the forest intact.  Thus, some environmentalists conclude that Tropicorp has not acted wholly out of economic self-interest.  However, these environmentalists are probably wrong.  The initial investment required for a successful rubber-tapping operation is larger than that needed for a cattle ranch.  Furthermore, there is a shortage of workers employable in rubber-tapping operations, and finally, taxes are higher on profits from rubber tapping than on profits from cattle ranching.

题中的这句话理解不了，望指点。

The company has not gone into rubber tapping, even though greater profits can be made from rubber tapping, which leaves the forest intact.  Thus, some environmentalists conclude that Tropicorp has not acted wholly out of economic self-interest.  

which 应当是指代rubber tapping，畜牧经营几年后通常是草场useless, 但是rubber tapping(挤橡胶）却可以让森林完整保留。我的理解对吗？

act out of economic self-interest 怎么理解？是指该公司自私自利，还是恰恰相反？

谢谢。

lawyer_1

1。which指代句子：The company has not gone into rubber tapping

2。act out of economic self-interest =because of economic self-interest 即T公司还没有完全只考虑自身经济利益

Maggieyin

谢谢大律师过目。解释很清楚，但是第一条我不太理解，“which指代句子”。

从语法角度来看，which指代The company has not gone into rubber tapping 中的 “rubber tapping”，而且，which指代句子在语法考试中是绝对错误之一。逻辑考试中能认可吗？which指代句子难于理解。 但是，从逻辑角度来看，which只能指代句子“The company has not gone into rubber tapping”，才可以推出which leaves the forest intact. 否则无法理解上下文意思，正如我的提问一样。

那么是不是在逻辑题中，which可以指代句子。请指正，谢谢！

[此贴子已经被作者于2004-11-16 13:12:35编辑过]

lawyer_1

1。如果指代rubber tapping，意思就反了。原文是说没开发使森林完好，而不是开发使森林完好。

2。定语从句不但可以修饰词，也可修饰句子一部分，更可以修饰整个句子。they have invited me to visit their country, which is very kind of them.  The activity was postponed, which was exactly what we wanted.

Maggieyin

谢谢律师，我明白了。看来逻辑和语法改错的思路不能一概而论了。