這個系列文章希望通過幫助大家學習閱讀外刊，從而達到學習英文句型的目的。在完整的文章或句子中去學習一些句型，可以幫助大家更好地瞭解和記憶，這也對往後的句型運用能夠起到一定的幫助。
1.對某事物的利弊進行權衡
如何表達“對……進行權衡”，下面的外刊段落提供了一個句式（來自The Economist文章Pessimism v progress）
Worries about screen time should be weighed against the much more substantial benefits of ubiquitous communication and the instant access to information and entertainment that smartphones make possible.
上面標顏色的兩句話的意思是：人們常常只看到新技術的弊端，對它帶來的好處卻當作理所當然。人們對於使用屏幕時間過長的擔憂應該與智能手機所帶來的更多實質性好處相權衡。智能手機帶來的好處是它使無處不在的通信以及即時訪問信息和娛樂成為可能。
第二句話中有一個句型：worries about XX should be weighed against the benefits of…（對於XX擔憂應該和……所帶來的好處相權衡）。舉個例子：
Worries about the safety of nuclear energy should be weighed against the much more substantial benefits of fewer carbon emissions and lower energy prices.
句子中worries/benefits也可以換成其他相對立的事物，比如costs/gains, pros/cons等，比如：
The costs of advertising should be weighed against the likely gains from increased business.
這一句式也可以使用主動形式somebody weighs A against B，比如：We have to weigh the benefits of the scheme against the costs.
2.見證了……的發生
下面的句子選自The Economist對於大城市無家可歸問題的報道How to cut homelessness in the world’s priciest cities
Almost every European country is seeing a rise in the number of homeless people, including those who live in temporary accommodation, as well as the smaller number who live on the streets.
句子的意思是：幾乎在每個歐洲國家無家可歸者的人數都在增加，其中包括住在臨時住所中的人，以及流落街頭的少部分人。
通常要表達“某地正在發生某事”，可以說 something is taking place in XX，也可以參考句子中的說法 XX is seeing something，舉個例子，要表達“這所大學在多年來發生了很大變化”，除了可以說：
Great changes have taken place in this university over the years.
還可以說：
This university has seen great changes over the years.
句子的主語也可以是時間，比如要表達“過去十年間這個國家的汽車擁有率得到了提升”，可以說：
The past decade has seen a rise in car ownership in this country.
另一個單詞witness也有相同的用法，比如：Recent years have witnessed a growing social mobility.
3.某事的影響波及面很大
下面的句子選自The Economist對於加州互聯網數據法案的報道Companies should take California’s new data-privacy law seriously
The impact of the CCPA is being felt beyond boardrooms. Big Tech is lobbying lawmakers in Washington, DC, for a federal statute on the subject.
文章的背景是美國加州最近通過了“加州消費者隱私保護法案”（California Consumer Privacy Act），旨在更有效地保護互聯網用戶的隱私。但這一法案可能會給中小型企業帶來很大負擔，對大公司的影響反而不大。上面這句話的意思是：“加州消費者隱私保護法案”影響的是遠不止是公司決策層。大的科技公司正在遊說華盛頓特區的立法者就此議題制訂聯邦法規。
這裡有一個值得注意的句式：The impact of XX is felt beyond…（XX帶來的影響超出了……） ，比如BBC在報道席捲墨西哥的豬瘟時有這樣一句話：
As the virus spreads and new cases emerge around the globe, it seems inevitable that the economic impact will be felt beyond its borders.
隨著病毒不斷傳播以及新病例在全球各地出現，它帶來的經濟影響將會超出墨西哥本國範圍，這一點似乎不可避免。
這一句式在日常寫作中也有不少應用，比如在寫環保話題時我們可以說：
The impact of the Amazon rainforest fires will be felt beyond the borders of Brazil because the rainforest plays an important part in regulating the world's oxygen and carbon cycles. The destruction of the Amazon forest can have a knock-on effect on the global ecosystem.
句式中impact也可以換成effect/influence/repercussions/benefits等詞，例如下面的BBC例句：
Labour says Mr Miliband's pledge to improve bus provision outside London is part of his plan to ensure that the benefits of economic recovery are felt beyond the capital.
4.一個轉折句式
我在之前的文章中曾經介紹過一個轉折句型At first glance…A closer look, however, suggests… 今天這裡再補充一個：
It can be tempting to dismiss teenagers’ news-consumption habits. Most cannot vote, have limited spending power and are probably incapable of finding El Salvador on a map. Such sneers are misplaced.
句子的意思是：人們可能禁不住會對青少年的新聞閱讀習慣不屑一顧。他們當中大多數人無法投票，消費能力有限，並且可能無法在地圖上找出薩爾瓦多在哪裡。這樣的嘲諷是不恰當的。
從中可以學習一個句式：It can be tempting to dismiss…Such…is misplaced. 使用該句式時可以在dismiss後面接上文提到的觀點進行讓步，然後通過Such…is misplaced來對上文進行轉折。該句式的使用難點也在於如何構造這樣一個結構。
舉個例子，在關於“是否支持動物實驗”的話題中，我們可以說：
It can be tempting to dismiss animal testing as inhumane and worthless. Many argue that animal experiments often result in suffering or death for the animals. Such an argument is misplaced. There are huge benefits to be had by carrying out scientific experiments on animals. For example, hundreds of millions of people have benefited from the medical breakthroughs brought by animal testing.
總結：
本期一共介紹了以下幾個表達：
(1) worries about XX should be weighed against the benefits of…
(2) XX is seeing something
(3) The impact of XX is felt beyond…
(4) It can be tempting to dismiss…Such…is misplaced
