观点类大作文，社会类话题

Some experts suppose that when a country is already rich, any additional increase in economic wealth does not make its citizens happier. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

有观点认为如果一个国家已经很富有的话，那么任何经济增长是无法增加人民的快乐度的。同意反对？

这是一道讨论经济问题的社会类话题，很多同学上来看到经济类问题就被唬住了，感觉想不到观点，其实没有那么可怕。

我们先来看题目，“a country is rich”这个不难理解，一个国家很富有可以认为其GDP很高或者人均GDP很高。而“any additional increase”则是一个绝对词，一般看到绝对的观点，我们都是持反对意见。然后题目给出了一个限定范围“make its citizens happier”，因此，我们所有的讨论都需要围绕居民展开，不能光说国家有钱了怎么样，结果不提对居民的影响。下面月半鸭和大家具体来看下观点。

首先看更有钱不能让居民更快乐，主要在于当一个人衣食无忧足够富裕的时候，物质层面提升对幸福感提升的边际收益会变得非常低

但是国家不同于个人，其面临的问题会变得复杂许多。一个国家是永远不会嫌钱多的，因为有许多地方都需要花钱，而其居民的幸福感不仅仅来自于物质，也可以来自于精神层面。因此我们来看下为什么有钱能让居民更幸福

一是一个国家富裕不代表所有居民都有钱，其中必然会有贫困人口或者失业人口，因此更多的钱可以用来救济他们让他们生活变得更好，来提高其幸福感。

二是更多的钱意味着政府能够投入更多的资金在基础设施建设与维护、社会保障和福利上面，这些都能让居民过上更好更便利的生活。同时在不用为生计发愁的前提下，居民也有机会追求更多自己想做的事，这些都能够提高其幸福感。

三是一个国家有更多的钱，意味其可以投入更多经费在科技、军事等力量让自己变得强大，也可以用于援助其它国家，这些都能让国家的国际地位提升，进而提升居民的自豪感和幸福感。

There is a prevailing opinion that people in affluent countries are less likely to achieve higher satisfaction from further advances in economy. From my perspective, I tend to say such an assertion is irrational because of the lack of causal relationship between material wealth and happiness.

Granted, it is easy to understand why the concept in topic has crept into the understanding of many people. From the perspective of the protagonists of this, those living in developed countries have already led a decent life of high living standard, meaning that the growth in material possess does not make huge difference to their life. In this respect, they might be less likely to feel further happiness. One compelling example might be the millionaires in Saudi Arabia: it seems difficult for them to see the wealth growth as anything other than bland numbers in bank account.

Plausible though the assertion seems, I tend to say it does not necessarily mean that the citizens in rich countries are indifferent to the advance of economy. Those advocates of the theory in question are oblivious to the fact that it is simple-minded to calibrate happiness with the standard of material possesses, whether these be money, luxuries, cars or properties. Instead, citizens’ appreciation of lives might have come from various facets of booming economy; for example, the sense of achievement for their contributions to the prosperity, or the confidence for the continuing flourishing of the nation. In this respect, the sustainable economic development still deserves its relevance to people’s gratitude regardless how wealthy the country is.

In conclusion, it looks to me that it is narrow-minded to deny the relevance of further economic development to people’s happiness in rich countries.

Affluent 富裕

Protagonist 支持者

Enthusiastic 热情的

Indifferent 冷漠的

Calibrate 测量

Luxury 奢侈品

Prosperity 繁华

Flourish 发展

Gratitude 感激

Sustainable 可持续的