乔布斯传 第76期:总裁斯科特(3)

 An early showdown came over employee badge numbers.

早期的一次争议出现在员工编号的分配问题上。

Scott assigned #1 to Wozniak and #2 to Jobs.

斯科特把 "1号"给了沃兹, ,"2号"给了乔布斯。

Not surprisingly, Jobs demanded to be #1.

不出所料，乔布斯要求当"1号"。

"I wouldn't let him have it, because that would stoke his ego¹ even more," said Scott.

斯科特说："我不会让他得逞的，那样只会让他更加自负。"

Jobs threw a tantrum, even cried.

乔布斯大发脾气，甚至痛哭流涕。

Finally, he proposed a solution. He would have badge #0.

最终，他提出了一个解决方案。他想要当"0号"。

Scott relented, at least for the purpose of the badge, but the Bank of America required a positive integer for its payroll² system and Jobs's remained #2.

斯科特在员工编号这件事上妥协了，但美国银行的工资系统中要求员工编号必须是正整数，所以乔布斯还是"2号"。

There was a more fundamental disagreement that went beyond personal petulance³.

除了个人性格外，他们两人之间还有更加实质性的分歧。

Jay Elliot, who was hired by Jobs after a chance meeting in a restaurant, noted⁴ Jobs's salient trait:

杰伊·埃利奥特是一次在餐厅偶遇乔布斯后被苹果公司雇用的，他注意到了乔布斯的显著特点：

"His obsession⁵ is a passion for the product, a passion for product perfection."

"他的执著是一种对产品的激情，对于完美产品的激情。"

Mike Scott, on the other hand, never let a passion for the perfect take precedence over pragmatism.

而迈克·斯科特从不会让对完美的追求凌驾于产品的实用性之上 。

The design of the Apple II case was one of many examples.

Apple II箱子的设计便是例证之一。

The Pantone company, which Apple used to specify⁶ colors for its plastic, had more than two thousand shades of beige.

苹果曾经在潘通公司的帮助下确定所用塑料的颜色，该公司有超过2000种不同的米黄色。

"None of them were good enough for Steve," Scott marveled.

"没有一种能让史蒂夫满意，"斯科特对此感到十分惊讶，

"He wanted to create a different shade, and I had to stop him."

"他想要创造一种全新的颜色，我不得不阻止他。"

When the time came to tweak the design of the case, Jobs spent days agonizing⁷ over just how rounded the corners should be.

在调整箱子设计的过程中，乔布斯花了好几天时间，苦苦思索边角应该多圆润。

"I didn't care how rounded they were," said Scott, "I just wanted it decided⁸."

"我根本不关心它到底多圆润，"斯科特说，"我只想赶快确定下来。"

Another dispute was over engineering benches.

另一场争论是关于工程师使用的工作台。

Scott wanted a standard gray; Jobs insisted on special-order benches that were pure white.

斯科特想要标准的灰色，而乔布斯坚持要定制纯白色的。

All of this finally led to a showdown in front of Markkula about whether Jobs or Scott had the power to sign purchase orders; Markkula sided with Scott.

这一切最终导致两人在马库拉面前摊牌，争夺采购订单的签署杈。马库拉站在了斯科特这一边。

Jobs also insisted that Apple be different in how it treated customers.

乔布斯还坚持要改变对待顾客的方式。

He wanted a one-year warranty⁹ to come with the Apple II.

他想让 Apple II带有一年保修期。

This flabbergasted Scott; the usual warranty was ninety days.

这个想法让斯科特目瞪口呆，因为保修期一般只有90天。

Again Jobs dissolved into tears during one of their arguments over the issue.

在他们对此问题的一次争论中，乔布斯又一次潸然泪下。

They walked around the parking lot to calm down, and Scott decided to relent on this one.

他们在停车场散步以平复心情，斯科特再次屈服了。

重点讲解：

1.assign to 选派；分配

例句：He continued to assign tothem the tasks: "Muras, call your four students, each put a bucket of water to the tomb, waiting for me. "

他继续分配任务：“穆拉斯，叫你的四名学生，每人提一桶水到墓室里等我。”

2.demand to 要求去做

例句：They set aside the wise old saying, "perfect is the enemy of good, " because reviews seem to demand tostrive for perfection.

他们不顾明智的古老格言“完美是良好的敌人”，因为审查似乎要求我们争取完美。

3.throw a tantrum 发脾气

例句：When others do not agree with him, he tends to throw a tantrum

别人不同意他时，他很容易大发脾气

4.at least 至少

例句：Most people believe that the strike will last for at least a week.

多数人相信，罢工至少会延续一个星期。

1 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

2 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

3 petulance   

n.发脾气，生气，易怒，暴躁，性急

参考例句：

• His petulance made her impatient.他的任性让她无法忍受。
• He tore up the manuscript in a fit of petulance.他一怒之下把手稿撕碎了。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

6 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

7 agonizing   

adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式)

参考例句：

• I spent days agonizing over whether to take the job or not. 我用了好些天苦苦思考是否接受这个工作。
• his father's agonizing death 他父亲极度痛苦的死

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 warranty   

n.担保书，证书，保单

参考例句：

• This warranty is good for one year after the date of the purchase of the product.本保证书自购置此产品之日起有效期为一年。
• As your guarantor,we have signed a warranty to the bank.作为你们的担保人，我们已经向银行开出了担保书。