2022届纽约时报社论竞赛获奖作品赏析（一）

“Ask a Gen Zer about his or her dream job. The answer will likely be anything but ‘a farmer.’

Younger people have pursued urban opportunities without a second thought in recent decades, deepening a generational distance from rural life. The result is a dwindling and aging population of farmers worldwide. The farming population in South Korea hit a record-low in 2019, with nearly half the farmers being 65 or older; young rural Africans are leaving their small farms at “alarming rates”; and the rural population in the United States has declined for the first time in history, with over 100,000 small farms disappearing in the past decade.”

Aralia名师解析：

在开篇中，作者重点强调了有关农业发展的背景。这段文字主要通过比较和对比的方式来强调当代年轻人不再像以前那样对农村生活和农业工作感兴趣，而是更倾向于追求城市机会，导致全球农村人口不断减少和老化的现象。

其中，该段落采用了精彩的的表达和修辞手法来使得文章可读性更强。首先作者通过一个问题进行引入，并在后续使用的比较的手法对不同地区的农业人口现状进行比较，结合使得读者更加直观地感受到问题的普遍性和严重性。同时，在本段中作者佐以数据支撑（韩国2019年的农业数据以及美国农村人口下降）来支持了该段的论点，增强了论证的可信度。

“Our world needs farmers more urgently than ever, and Generation Z is the only sprout of hope.

Farmers are wilting in a world where food demand only rises. In a New York Times article, author Ana Swanson details the mounting load of challenges modern farmers plow through each day, ranging from droughts and storms intensified by climate change to supply chain disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic. Coupled with countless international conflicts that ravage farmland, the farming sector approaches a looming demise.”

Aralia名师解析：

第一句是表述非常自然的过渡句，引入了后文的观点：呼吁Z时代的年轻人重视农业工作。这一段通过修辞手法来表达农民的价值和地位，结合纽约时报记者Ana Swanson关于该话题的文章观点，强调现代农民面临的困境和挑战。

此外，该段还通过夸张、比喻、具体事例的引用和贴近读者的表述等手法来加强表达的说服力和影响力。例如，该段提到Generation Z is the only sprout of hope “Z世代是唯一的希望之芽”，将年轻人比作希望的种子，形象地描述了年轻人对农业发展的重要性和责任感，读起来非常有趣生动。

“Turning a blind eye to this issue is not an option. Not only is agriculture the foundation of global food security, but the growth of its sector can also be twice as effective in reducing poverty than that of other sectors. The preservation of local and global biodiversity — the key to strengthening resilience to climate change and other crises — also depends on heeding farmers’ rich set of traditional agricultural knowledge.”

Aralia名师解析：

本段再次加强了文章的主旨：农业的重要性，作者呼吁人们不要忽视农业问题。通过本段的第一句话Turning a blind eye to this issue is not an option.“对这个问题视而不见不是一种选择” ，作者直接地表达了个人观点与立场直接表达立场，让读者更好地理解作者的意图。

该段的最后使用了排比的修辞手法，让文本更具有韵律感和美感。排比手法还可以突出文本中的重点信息，使读者更加深刻地记忆和理解。

“If the urgency for a greater pursuit of farming is so crystal clear, why does our generation remain so distant from it? The problem is our perception. Young people view farming as an archaic, unprofitable and unskilled occupation, the International Fund for Agricultural Development explains.”

Aralia名师解析：

本段的表述清晰明确，通过提出问题鼓励读者思考，同时使用了反问和散文等修辞手法，强调了主题的严肃性。在第一句话中，作者使用了反问句，这种修辞手法鼓励读者对主题进行思考。整个段落的优势在于，它清楚地陈述了问题，并提出了可能的解决方案。增添了论证的有效性。

“This notion couldn’t be further from the truth: The future of farms shines with bountiful innovations and technological upgrades. Satellite technology is being integrated into crop monitoring, vertical farms with highly-controlled environments are making efficient use of space and resources, and sensors, robots and drones are facilitating farming with unprecedented precision. The time is ripe for any blossoming environmentalist, physicist, biologist or engineer to make invaluable contributions to a new, sustainable farming system.”

Aralia名师解析：

可以通过本段的表述看出作者较为积极乐观的观点：未来的农业发展前景较好，会被创新和技术所支持。在第一句话中，作者使用了比喻的手法突出了农业的潜力和吸引力。在第二句话中，作者采用了排比，列出了几个创新技术的例子，强调了这些技术如何促进农业的发展。整个段落流畅的写作与乐观的语言激发了读者的热情，并传达了农业领域的光明前景。

“It’s time for us to steer the wheel of farming. As Gen Zers, we are more than familiar with technology, we understand the gravity of the global food crisis, and we have a knack for navigating our way through hardship.

So, start searching up some cool agricultural technology or visiting a nearby farm. Every small effort you make is a step closer to planting a promising chapter of agriculture ahead of us.”

Aralia名师解析：

文章最后的段落以第一人称的形式直接面向读者，引导读者从个人出发去思考和行动。这样的写作方式可以帮助吸引读者的注意力，使得读者的阅读沉浸感更强，更愿意从个人角度出发进行关注与思考。

同时，本段结合了具体的农业技术和可持续发展，在提出倡议的同时，提供了实际的支持和方向，增强了文章的说服力和可行性。

获奖文章原文链接：https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/16/learning/planting-the-next-chapter-of-farming.html