Silence Is Gold

　　1. 许多场合中“沉默是金”是正确的

　　2. 但也有例外的情形

　　3. 结论

　　【范文】

　　When we talk of the famous proverb "Silence is Gold", we should not simply label it as right or wrong, but explore it in depth.

　　This proverb is especially true under several situations. First, if we have made a promise not to let out a secret, we should always keep silent. Second, we should avoid talking over facts or statistics of which we are not sure. Third, whenever we are expressing our ideas, brevity is the soul of wit and talking too much will always lead to faults and mistakes.

　　Nevertheless, there are also some exceptions. If we find out a flaw in other's speaking or writing, we should not hesitate a moment to point it out. And to friends or acquaintances seeking advice, we should feel free to help them.

　　In a word, we can draw the conclusion that in most cases "silence is gold", but in certain circumstances, talking is the right choice.

　　【点评】

　　本文的特色在于其并未完全肯定或完全否定所提到的谚语，而是从正、反两个方面去分析，即第二段指出其正确性，第三段谈例外情况;末段总结，呼应全文。

　　范文首先提出所要讨论的谚语“沉默是金”。第二段分三个方面阐述其正确性，即发誓保守秘密，对于不确定的事情要保持沉默，而在表达自己的思想时，力求简洁。第三段指出例外，为别人指出错误或为朋友等提建议时，不要坚持“沉默是金”。末段总结，呼应第二、三段。

　　第一段中的label...as...表示“将……看作……”，而explore... in depth表示“深入探究……”。第二段第一点中的make a promise表示“允诺”，let out a secret表示“泄露秘密”，keep silent表示“保持沉默”;第三点中的brevity is the soul of wit也是个谚语，表示“言贵简洁”。第三段第二点中的acquaintance指“熟人”。