经济学人396:通用电气和阿尔斯通 软实力

 　　GE and Alstom

　　通用电气和阿尔斯通

　　Soft power

　　软实力

　　How to open doors and influence people in France

　　如何打开法国的大门并进一步影响法国人

　　Indispensable for Immelt

　　对伊梅尔特不可或缺

　　THERE is a lull¹ before the renewed storm in the battle for Alstom, a French group whose turbines power generators² around the world and whose high-speed trains sprint³ across the countryside. Too small to compete in a tough global market, Alstom had all but agreed to sell its energy operations to General Electric, an American conglomerate⁴ with complementary interests. Fearing a loss of jobs, France's government encouraged Siemens, a German firm, to take a different tack⁵, offering to swap⁶ its transport activities for Alstom's energy operations and turning the rivals into a pair of European champions. Siemens says it may see its way to making a firm offer by June 16th. Meanwhile GE is in and out of the Elysee palace, chatting with President Franois Hollande and his aides, improving its offer in the light of their concerns and, it seems, winning supporters.

　　这是阿尔斯通争夺战的风暴卷土重来前的宁静。阿尔斯通作为一家法国集团，它的涡轮机组为全球的发电机提供电力，而它生产的高铁也疾驰在乡间。在残酷的全球市场下太过于微不足道，阿尔斯通除了把它的能源运营部分出售给美国综合性集团通用电气之外别无选择。担心失业，法国政府鼓励德国企业西门子采取一项不同的措施—提出用西门子的交通活动来交换阿尔斯通的能源经营部分以此将对手分成一对欧洲的盟友。西门子称其会在6月16号根据具体情况发出实盘。同时通用电气也在积极与爱丽舍宫方面联系，通过与法国总统奥朗德以及其助手沟通,根据他们关心的方面进行发盘的改进，这好像是在赢取支持者。

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　　All this says something about how France operates and how foreign firms must adapt to it. Political support for the acquisition is important, for Alstom is seen as one of France's industrial crown jewels. Even if the government hesitates to invoke⁷ the powers it conferred on itself in May to block such a deal in defence of its strategic interests, the public sector⁸ is still Alstom's main customer in France. So communication and building trust are vital.

　　这些都反映了法国是如何运作的并且国外企业必须适应这样的情况。收购的政治支持是非常重要的，因为阿尔斯通被视作法国工业桂冠上的明珠之一。即使政府犹豫五月份调用它的自己授予的能量阻止交易以保护它的战略性利益，在法国国营部门经济仍然是阿尔斯通的主要客户。因此沟通和信任的构建是至关重要的。

　　GE understands the importance of soft power. It should: it has been in France for more than 40 years, and its joint⁹ venture with France's Safran making jet engines has worked smoothly¹⁰ for almost as long.

　　通用电气理解软实力的重要性。它应该了解：它已经在法国经营了超过40年，它和法国的赛峰集团的联合风投使得飞机引擎产业平稳运行了很多年。

　　Accompanying Jeffrey Immelt, GE's boss, on his rounds in Paris is Clara Gaymard, an author and mother of nine with a quick wit, several languages and the fattest address book in town. The president of GE in France since 2006, she does not make big operational decisions. But as ambassador for the firm she is important, for she brings to the job her membership of three networks.

　　在其巴黎行程中陪伴着通用电气老总杰弗瑞·伊梅尔特的是克拉拉·盖马尔，她是一名作者同时也是九岁孩子的母亲，有急智、掌握多门语言、并且十分了解当地情况。自06年起担任法国通用总裁，她并没有做大的运营决定。但是作为这家公司的大使，她是很重要的，因为她为这项工作带来她的三个关系网络。

　　The first is that bedrock of the French meritocratic establishment, the Ecole Nationale d'Administration. It churns out presidents and prime ministers along with company bosses and senior public administrators¹¹, and they are only a telephone call away from each other. Mrs Gaymard married a fellow enarque, who was briefly¹² economy minister under Jacques Chirac until a housing scandal felled him. Mrs Gaymard's career has included a prestigious¹³ job at the Cour des Comptes, the national auditor's office, followed by a series of senior administrative¹⁴ posts.

　　第一个是法国精英建立的基石—国家行政学院。该校培养出了总统、总理还有公司老总以及高级公共行政人员。他们之间经常能互相联系。盖马尔女士曾经嫁给一位国家行政学院的成员，他曾经短暂担任雅克·希拉克时期的财政部长直到因为房地产丑闻下台。盖马尔女士曾在法国审计署、国家审计办公室担任要职，有一系列高级行政职位。

　　Mrs Gaymard's three years at the head of the Invest in France agency produced her second network, consisting of many of the world's top businessmen. From 2003 to 2006 she travelled the globe, often in the company of the heads of big French companies, trying to sell the likes of Warren Buffett and Apple's Steve Jobs on France as an investment destination.

　　盖马尔女士在法国政府投资部担任领导3年的经历带来了她的第二个关系网络，连接着世界上许多的顶尖商人。从2003年到2006年，她全球旅行，经常有法国大公司的领导同行，她试图劝说沃伦·巴菲特和苹果的乔布斯这类人将法国作为投资地

　　Her third network includes some of the relatively¹⁵ few women who are powerful in French business. Mrs Gaymard is a leading light in the Women's Forum¹⁶ at Deauville, an annual gathering¹⁷ often called “Davos for women”. So are Christine Lagarde, currently head of the International Monetary¹⁸ Fund, Laurence Parisot, recently retired¹⁹ as head of Medef, the employers' lobby, and others. The old girls' network is not as strong as the bond amongenarques but there is, as an observer puts it, “respect, and a certain solidarity”.

　　她的第三个网络包括一些法国商界相对较少的女强人。盖马尔女士是多维尔女性论坛的领袖性人物，该年度聚会也被称为“女性达沃斯”。 现任国际货币基金组织总裁克里斯蒂娜·拉加德、最近退休的雇主游说团体法国雇主协会会长劳伦斯·派瑞索女士以及其他的都是这个组织的成员。这些老女孩的网络并不像国家行政学院那样的坚实，就像一个观察员所说的，“尊重，以及一定的稳固性”。

　　What does all this add up to in practice? GE does not always get what it wants: in 2009, for example, it lost an attempt to take over state-owned Areva's power-transmission and distribution business to home-grown Schneider Electric and Alstom. And Mrs Gaymard is not GE's only emissary in its bid to win approval to buy Alstom.

　　这些全部运用到实践中怎么样呢？通用并不是总能得到它想要的：例如2009年，它输给了本土的施耐德电气以及阿尔斯通，失去了接管国有的阿海珐输电和配电业务的机会。并且盖马尔女士并不是通用投标购买阿尔斯通许可行动中的唯一特使。

　　Yet she may, with her insider's knowledge of how to play the game, have earned GE a slightly more sympathetic hearing in the corridors of power. While Alstom stayed mum about the talks until the news broke in April, incurring²⁰ ministerial ire, Mrs Gaymard tipped off the government in February that GE was interested, a gesture that was later appreciated. Although GE's chances look good, its bid may still fail. If it does, it will not be because the firm lacked the opportunity to make its case.

　　但是她可能已经用她对于如何进行操作内情的熟悉，帮助通用在高层赢得了一些的同情的声音。但是阿尔斯通知道媒体四月份曝光之前始终保持沉默，招致了内阁的愤怒，盖马尔女士安抚政府称通用对于这个项目有兴趣，这是一个在后来被赞扬的信号。尽管通用电气看起来机会不错，它的投标仍然可能失败。如果失败了，这不会是因为企业缺少机会导致的。

1 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

2 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sprint   

n.短距离赛跑；vi. 奋力而跑，冲刺；vt.全速跑过

参考例句：

• He put on a sprint to catch the bus.他全速奔跑以赶上公共汽车。
• The runner seemed to be rallied for a final sprint.这名赛跑者似乎在振作精神作最后的冲刺。

4 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

5 tack   

n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝

参考例句：

• He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
• We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。

6 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

7 invoke   

v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求

参考例句：

• Let us invoke the blessings of peace.让我们祈求和平之福。
• I hope I'll never have to invoke this clause and lodge a claim with you.我希望我永远不会使用这个条款向你们索赔。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

10 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

11 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

12 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

13 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

14 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

15 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

16 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

17 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

18 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

19 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

20 incurring   

遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。
• He spoke to the Don directly, taking a chance on incurring Michael's ill will. 他直接向老头子谈自己的意见，这显然要冒引起迈克尔反感的风险。 来自教父部分