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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
导言阅读
安德鲁·卡耐基(1835—1919),生于苏格兰,12岁随家人移居美国。是一位美籍苏格兰商人,卡耐基钢铁公司(后来更名为美国钢铁公司)的创始人,也是一位杰出的慈善家。他的成功,部分来自于他销售产品的能力,部分来自于经济萧条时期的扩充策略。在事业高峰期时,卡耐基是世界第二富豪,今天他更被视为人类近代历史上第二富,仅次于与他同时代的洛克菲勒。在本篇演讲中卡耐基从多个方面分析和论证了影响成功的因素,给世人指出了一条成功之道。
演讲实录
It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinatepositions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust uponthem at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom, and spent the firsthours of their business lives sweeping1 out the office. I notice we have janitors2 and janitresses nowin offices, and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of business education. Butif by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning, the boy who has the genius of thefuture partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. It does not hurt the newestcomer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.
Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is“aim high”. I would not give a fig3 for the young man who does not already see himself the partneror the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk,or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive . Say to yourself, “Myplace is at the top.” Be king in your dreams.
And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought,and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun in one line,resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery4, and know the most about it.
The concerns which fail are those which have scattered6 their capital, which means that theyhave scattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here there, andeverywhere. “Don't put all your eggs in one basket.” is all wrong. I tell you to “put all your eggs inone basket, and then watch that basket.” Look round you and take notice, men who do that notoften fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets thatbreaks most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which isapt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.
To summarize what I have said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touchliquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate ; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund;make the firm's interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put all your eggsin one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure7 always within revenue; lastly, be not impatient,for as Emerson says, “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves.”
参考译文
年轻人创业之初,应该从最底层干起,这是件好事。匹兹堡有很多商业巨头,在他们创业之初,都肩负过“重任”。他们以扫帚相伴,以打扫办公室的方式度过了他们商业生涯中最初的时光。我注意到我们现在办公室里都有保洁人员,于是年轻人就不幸错过了商业教育中这个有益的环节。如果碰巧哪天上午专职扫地的保洁人员没有来,某个具有未来合伙人气质的年轻人会毫不犹豫地试着拿起扫帚。在必要时新来的员工扫扫地也无妨。我自己就曾经扫过地。
假如你已经被录用,并且有了一个良好的开端,我对你的建议是:要志存高远。一个年轻人,如果不把自己想象成一家大公司未来的老板或者是合伙人,那我会对他不屑一顾。不论职位有多高,你的内心都不要满足于做一个总管,领班或者总经理。要对自己说:我要迈向顶尖!要做就做你梦想中的国王!
成功的首要条件和最大秘诀就是:把你的精力,思想和资本全都集中在你正从事的事业上。一旦开始从事某种职业,就要下定决心在那一领域闯出一片天地来;做这一行的领导人物,采纳每一点改进之心,采用最优良的设备,对专业知识熟稔于心。
一些公司的失败就在于他们分散了资金,因为这就意味着分散了他们的精力。他们向这方面投资,又向那方面投资;在这里投资,在那里投资,到处都投资。“不要把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里”的说法大错特错。我要对你说:“把所有的鸡蛋都放在一个篮子里,然后小心地看好那个篮子。”看看你周围,你会注意到:这么做的人其实很少失败。看管和携带一个篮子并不太难。人们总是试图提很多篮子,所以才打破这个国家的大部分鸡蛋。提三个篮子的人,必须把一个顶在头上,而这个篮子很可能倒下来,把他自己绊倒。美国商人的一个缺点就是不够专注。
把我的话归纳一下:要志存高远;不要出入酒吧;要滴酒不沾,或要喝也只在用餐时喝少许;不要做投机买卖;不要寅吃卯粮;要把公司的利益当作自己的利益;取消订货的目的永远是为了挽救货主;要专注;要把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里,然后小心地看好它;要量入为出;最后,要有耐心,正如爱默生所言,“谁都无法阻止你最终成功,除非你自己承认自己失败。”
Vocabulary Bank
1. subordinate [s?'b?:dinit ]adj 级别或职位较低的,下级的He was always friendly to his subordinate officers.
他对下级官员一向和蔼可亲。
2. thrust [θr?st ]v 迫使某人同意(做)某事She is rather annoyed at having three extra guests suddenly thrust on her.
因为突然多来了三个不速之客要接待,她非常生气。
3. threshold ['θre?h?uld ]n 起点,开端
He was on the threshold of his career.
他的事业刚刚起步。
4. salutary ['s?ljut?ri ]adj 有益的
The accident is a salutary reminder8 of the dangers of climbing.
这一事故忠告了我们攀登活动很危险。
5. partner ['pɑ:tn? ]n 合伙人,股东
She was made a partner in the firm.
她当上了该商行的股东。
6. extensive [iks'tensiv ]adj 广大的,广阔的Her knowledge of the subject is extensive.
她这方面的学识很渊博。
7. exclusively [ik'sklu:sivli ]adv 唯一地,排他地This special offer has been exclusively designed for readers of this magazine.
这一特价优惠是专为本杂志读者提供的。
8. machinery [m?'?i:n?ri ]n (泛指)机器,机械Much new machinery has been installed.
已经安装了许多新机器。
9. scatter5 ['sk?t? ]v 撒(某物),散布
Don't scatter your money around.
别到处挥霍。
10. apt [?pt ]adj 易于做某事,有做某事的倾向My pen is rather apt to leak.
我的钢笔易漏墨水。
11. tumble ['t?mbl ]v 倒下,坠落
Toddlers keep tumbling over.
学步的儿童老是摔跤。
12. speculate ['spekju?leit ]v 投机,做投机买卖She speculated on the stock market.
她进行证券投机。
13. expenditure [iks'pendi?? ]n (尤指金钱的)支出额Limit your expenditures9 to what is essential.
你要把开销限制在必要的范围内。
Language Guide
Pittsburgh
匹兹堡
匹兹堡位于美国东海岸的宾夕法尼亚州,是宾州第二大城市。匹兹堡是美国著名的传统工业城市,是美国钢铁工业的中心,有“世界钢铁之都”之称。在2008年的全球金融危机中,没有受到次债危机的太大影响,经济稳健发展,不仅失业率没有上升,反倒增加了就业人口,是全美少有的几个在全球金融危机时仍能保持财政盈余的城市。
Grammar Master
1. also,too这两个词都是副词,都表示“也是”的意思,但在修辞意味和使用场合上有所不同。它们的区别如下:一般说来,also用于比较正式的场合,语气比too庄重;too是惯用语,使用范围较广。其次,also在句中的位置要紧靠动词;too在句中的位置比较灵活,有时插入句中,前后用逗号分开,有时放在句末。还有,too只能用在肯定句中,不可用于否定句内,also则可以用在否定句中。
例 The Hong Kong Chief Executive also heads the university as Chancellor10.
香港行政长官也以大学校监身份领导大学。
例 Reading books is learning,but application is also learning and the more important form oflearning.
读书是学习,实践也是学习,而且是更重要的学习。
例 We have not heard such a thing.Also,we have never seen such a scene.
我们没有听过这种事情,我们也从来没有见过这种场面。
请注意,一般说来,also和too在句中的位置应紧靠动词,但有时为了强调其意,也可以将它放在句首或句末。
例 Here,too,the colon11 must be followed by a dash.
这里也一样,应当在冒号之后加破折号。
例 Mary,too,can play the piano.
玛丽也会弹钢琴。
-Could you speak Japanese?
-Yes,and Spanish also.
—您会说日语吗?
—会,我还会说西班牙语。
also虽然和too同义,但前者大都用于书面语,后者大都用于口语。
例 The lady washed the children and also gave them dinner.(书面语)The lady washed the children and gave them dinner too.(口语)2. 强调句型是英语中最常见的强调手段。It is / was + 被强调的部分 + that ...。
例 It was in the room that Li Lei was born.
李蕾就出生在这间房子。
例 It is Wei Fang12 who has broken the record.
就是魏方打破了纪录。
当原句是现在时或将来时,强调句用It is + 被强调的部分 + that ...,若原句是过去时,强调句用It was + 被强调的部分 + that ...。
例 Li Lei's father will work in America. = It is in America that Li Lei's father will work.
李蕾的父亲将在美国工作。
例 I studied at this school a few years ago. = It was at this school that I studied a few years ago.
几年前我就在这所学校读书。
即使被强调的部分是复数,It后面始终用单数形式。
例 Tom and Lucy gave us much help. = It was Tom and Lucy that gave us much help.
正是汤姆和露西给了我们很多的帮助。
例 I saw swans in the lake yesterday. = It was swans that I saw in the lake yesterday.
昨天我看到在湖里的就是天鹅。
当强调人时,可用who代替that,但若强调时间、地点、原因、方式时,不能用when,where, why, how代替that。
例 It is our teacher who / that helps us make great progress.
正是我们的老师帮助我们取得了很大的进步。
例 It is by bus that I go to school every day.
我每天就是乘公共汽车上学。
在强调not...until结构中的时间状语时,应将not移到until前,再将not until部分移到被强调的位置。
例 I didn't go to bed until twelve o'clock last night. = It was not until twelve o'clock last nightthat I went to bed.
昨天晚上我一直到十二点才睡。
在特殊疑问句中只有疑问词可以被强调,句型为:特殊疑问词+be + it that...?
例 What made him so angry? = What is it that made him so angry?
是什么事情使他如此生气?
例 Why did she cry? = Why was it that she cried?
是什么原因使他哭了起来?
![收听单词发音](/images/play.gif)
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sweeping
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adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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janitors
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n.看门人( janitor的名词复数 );看管房屋的人;锅炉工 | |
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fig
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n.无花果(树) | |
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machinery
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n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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scatter
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vt.撒,驱散,散开;散布/播;vi.分散,消散 | |
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scattered
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adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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expenditure
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n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出;使用,消耗 | |
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reminder
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n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示 | |
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expenditures
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n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 );使用;(尤指金钱的)支出额;(精力、时间、材料等的)耗费 | |
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chancellor
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n.(英)大臣;法官;(德、奥)总理;大学校长 | |
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colon
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n.冒号,结肠,直肠 | |
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fang
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n.尖牙,犬牙 | |
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