怎么判断一道逻辑题是因果关系还是果因关系？

billsq

求助

Since the mayor's publicity campaign for Greenville's bus service began six months ago, morning automobile traffic into the midtown area of the city has decreased seven percent. During the same period, there has been an equivalent rise in the number of persons riding buses into the midtown area. Obviously, the mayor's publicity campaign has convinced many people to leave their cars at home and ride the bus to work.

像这道题，我认为是因果结构，因为在文中先说了原因后说了结果。但老师说是果因结构，他的意思是这段话先说了结果后说了原因，很困惑，因为开头有个since, 应该先说的是原因。求助？

haoye12321

Do you know the main conclusion of this argument?

billsq

yes, I know.  Conclusion: 乘公车的人增加了，和开车的人减少了。Reason: Mayor's publicity.

   我认为这道题的逻辑关系应该是： Mayor's publicity→Bus: Increase; Automobile: decrease.
但老师讲的逻辑关系是： Bus: Increase; Automobile: decrease←Mayor's publicity。我不理解为什么这道题是老师讲的那种果因结构，而不是我认为的那种因果结构？ 因为在文中开头先说的是Since the mayor's publicity campaign， 然后才说的是结论。
谢谢

mingminglouer

What you show is just the facts. And the word Since does not introduce a premise in this case. It simply introduce a time constraint. Since = During the period subsequent to the time when; not because

The word Obviously is an indicator for conclusion. So the sentence following Obviously is the main conclusion of the argument: the mayor's publicity campaign has convinced many people to leave their cars at home and ride the bus to work.

It is pointless to argue about 因果关系 or 果因关系 without a clear understanding of the premise and the main conclusion of the argument.

billsq

明白了，非常感谢。