外国语学院2002级英语教育4班　程丽英　赖宝玲　徐小丽　许垂玲

     In western countries where there are neighbors, there are fences. And as the proverb goes, “Good fences make good neighbors.” In terms of space, good fences mean the boundary which shows people live separately from each other. In terms of relationship, good fences mean the pattern by which people communicate for mutual profit without invading one another’s privacy. And what is the real significance good fences make?

      Individual space means a lot for man in modern society because we seek independence, particularity and creativity. Good fences can exclude the harassment from others and protect one’s privacy. And if one cherishes the enjoyable secrecy, it is just as plausible to suggest that he can learn to value what others desire. And certainly it is not wise to limit such an idea simply to interpersonal relations.

      By that, I mean it also applies to the relations between countries. To illustrate, nowadays, the major region why war looms so large before our eyes in Middle East is that they do not handle well the dispute of territory---the fences. Imagine they can make good fences then we can have pleasure to witness the homeless refugees returning to where they come from, to see new castles building upon the ruins, to listen to the innocent children singing hymns cheer-fully. Therefore, it is not just a wishful thinking to expect peace in the future
so long as they can consider the “good fences” seriously. Besides, good fences between cultures deserve our attention. On one hand, we should preserve our cultural characteristics to keep it alive. On the other hand, in order to develop it, we should build a good fence between ours and the foreign to help us distinguish what is useful and what is not. As a result, the world can flow with various colorful cultures.

    From the above analyses, it is obvious that from either a microcosmic or a macrocosmic view, good fences play a vital part in establishing harmony be it in space or in relationship. Only when we all observe the rule, can good fences make good sense and that is a universal hope.

（方燕老师　批阅）