56. Support the arts or protect the environment?

Nowadays companies contribute money to many worthy causes. In fact many cultural events only become possible through corporate sponsorship and financial support. The choice between supporting the arts and protecting the environment is not an easy one. However, the company should give money to protect the environment because a healthy environment is necessary in order to produce and enjoy the arts and also because every company has an obligation to secure the environment which it pollutes either directly or indirectly.

A healthy environment has served as inspiration to artists over the centuries and millennia. On all continents creative people have drawn from the positive effects of natural beauty to produce landmark pieces of art, and painters, writers, and musicians alike talk about the stimulating effects that nature has on their work. Furthermore, nature is the focal point of many works of art, for example, landscape painting. Therefore, a healthy environment becomes a prerequisite for art.

Protecting the environment will also ensure that people will be able to enjoy the arts in the future. After all, environmental pollution causes and contributes to many diseases and illnesses. Naturally, sick people are not very concerned with high culture but are more worried about getting healthy or staying alive. Thus, money spend on environmental protection will make it possible for people to continue to enjoy art because they will live healthier lives.

Lastly, every company contributes in some way to environmental degradation. Even the companies that don't cause pollution by means of manufacturing or production still ship products or use great amounts of electricity in their line of work. Since air pollution is a serious problem, much of which is caused by industrial transport, and because electricity is a scarce commodity, the production of which also causes environmental damage, businesses should invest in this area. Not only will the company fulfill its ethical obligation but it will benefit from the investment.

译文

56. 赞助艺术还是支持环保？

现在，企业常常向许多有意义的事业捐钱。实际上，正是因为有了企业的赞助或者财政支持，很多文化活动才得以举办。在支持文化活动还是支持环保两者之间做出选择并不是件容易的事。但是，企业应该拿出钱来保护环境，因为文化活动的产生和享用都需要一个健康的环境。同时还因为每个企业都有义务保护环境，因为它们直接或间接地污染了环境。

千百年来，健康的环境给艺术家带来灵感。在每一片土地上，受益于美丽的自然风光，富有创造力的人们创造出里程碑式的艺术品。同样，画家、诗人、音乐家也认为大自然能够激发他们创造作品。此外，大自然还是许多艺术品的表现重点，风景画就是一个很好的例子。因此，健康的环境是产生艺术的必备条件。

保护环境还保证了人们将来也能够欣赏艺术。毕竟，环境污染会引起许多疾病。很自然地，病人不会关心高雅的艺术，整天只会为自己能否好起来或者活下去而感到忧虑。因此，在环境保护上花钱能够保证人们更健康地生活，能够继续享受艺术。

最后，环境恶化每个企业都多少有责任。即使在生产过程中没有造成环境污染的企业也需要运输产品或者使用大量的电。空气污染是个非常严重的问题，很大一部分是工业运输造成的。电力是稀有商品，生产电同样也会破坏环境。所以企业应在这方面投资。这样不仅完成道义上的义务，同时也为自己带来了好处。

Word List

• contribute ［kənˈtribju:t］ v. 贡献，捐献
• prerequisite ［pri:ˈrekwizit］ n. 先决条件，首要条件
• worthy ［ˈwə:ði］ adj. 有价值的，值得的
• corporate ［ˈkɔ:pərit］ adj.共同的，全体的
• degradation ［ˌdegrəˈdeiʃən］ n. 降级，降格，退化
• obligation ［ˌa:bliˈgeiʃən］ n. 义务，职责，债务
• manufacture ［ˌmænjəˈfæktʃə］ v. 制造，加工
• inspiration ［ˌinspəˈreiʃən］ n. 灵感，启示，好主意
• scarce ［skεəs］ adj. 缺乏的，不足的
• millennia ［məˈleniə］ n. 千年
• commodity［kəˈma:diti］ n.消费品，日用品
• landmark ［ˈlændˌma:k］ n. 地界标，里程碑
• ethical ［ˈeθikəl］ adj. 伦理的，伦理上的
• investment ［inˈvestmənt］ n. 投资；可获利的东西
• stimulate ［ˈstimjəleit］ v. 刺激，激励
• focal ［ˈfəukəl］ adj. 焦点的，有焦点的
• landscape ［ˈlændˌskeip］ n. 风景，山水画；前景