2022年经济学人 安永的拆分(1)

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Schumpeter: Bean-counters v lion-tamers

熊彼特：会计师还是驯狮手

In EY’s split, fortune may favour the dull

在安永的拆分中，财富可能会青睐乏味的那一方

In a Monty Python sketch¹ from 1969, the middle-aged² Mr Anchovy³, played by Michael Palin, wants to give up what he calls the desperately⁴ dull world of chartered accountancy in order to become a lion-tamer.

在1969年蒙蒂·派森剧团的一部小品中，迈克尔·帕林饰演的中年凤尾鱼先生想要放弃他所说的极其枯燥的特许会计行业，成为一名驯狮手。

His “vocational guidance counsellor”, aka John Cleese, suggests he consider an interim⁵ career path—banking, say—while he works towards lion-taming.

他的“职业指导顾问”--又名约翰·克里斯--建议他在致力于从事驯狮工作的同时，考虑一条过渡的职业道路--比如银行业。

“No, no, no, no, no,” Mr Anchovy interrupts.

“不不不不不，”凤尾鱼先生打断道。

“I don’t want to wait. At nine o’clock tomorrow I want to be in there, taming.”

“我不想等。我想明天9点到那里，开始驯服工作。”

Echoes of Mr Anchovy’s yearnings can be heard in the haste with which EY, one of the Big Four accounting⁶ firms, is considering spinning off its fast-growing consultancy practice from the unfashionable audit⁷ side of the business.

在四大会计师事务所之一安永匆忙考虑将其快速增长的咨询业务从过时的审计业务中剥离出来之际，可以听到凤尾鱼先生渴望的回声。

Not only is it a bold move by the standards of book-keeping firms—to the point, says Michael Izza of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, that EY’s three rivals, Deloitte, PWC and KPMG, will be considering their next steps in light of its decision.

英格兰及威尔士特许会计师协会的迈克尔·伊扎表示，按照记账公司的标准来看，这不仅是一个大胆的举措--以至于安永的三个竞争对手德勤、普华永道和毕马威将根据其决定考虑下一步行动。

There is also a hint of Pythonesque farce⁸ about it.

这件事还有一种皮东风格闹剧的色彩。

Such is the excitement that details of a proposed initial public offering (IPO) in 2023 were leaked to the Wall Street Journal, which published them on June 20th.

人们如此兴奋，以至于拟议中的2023年首次公开募股(IPO)的细节被泄露给了《华尔街日报》，该报于6月20日发表了这些细节。

They included the size of the potential bonanza⁹ for some of the firm’s 13,000 partners—something EY’s bean-counters of old would much rather have kept under their bowler¹⁰ hats.

其中包括安永13000名合伙人中一些人的潜在财富规模--这是安永的老会计们更愿意保密的东西。

The firm insists no final decision has been made.

该公司坚称尚未做出最终决定。

Yet a split would make sense.

然而，拆分是有道理的。

Regulators worry that consulting services generate conflicts of interest for firms also carrying out statutory audits¹¹.

监管机构担心，咨询服务会给同时进行法定审计的公司带来利益冲突。

After a string of accounting scandals in recent years they are urging the auditors¹² to stand on their own two feet.

在最近几年发生了一系列会计丑闻后，他们敦促审计师们自力更生。

As for an IPO, that is bound to set consultants’ hearts racing¹³.

至于首次公开募股，这肯定会让各大咨询公司心跳加速。

But like Mr Anchovy, they should think twice before they leap into the lion’s den¹⁴.

但就像凤尾鱼先生一样，它们在跳进狮子窝之前应该三思。

In the long run, audit may well be the more prudent¹⁵ bet.

从长远来看，审计很可能是更谨慎的选择。

Make no mistake, the advisory¹⁶ practice is the red-blooded side of the business.

毫无疑问，咨询业务是活跃业务。

It accounted for two-thirds of EY’s $40bn in revenues last year.

在安永去年400亿美元的营收中，它占到了三分之二。

Unshackling much of the tax, consulting, strategy and transactions work from audit would give the consulting arm more room for manoeuvre¹⁷ and free it from a partnership¹⁸ model that smothers¹⁹ quick decision-making.

将大部分税务、咨询、战略和交易工作从审计中解放出来，会为咨询部门提供更大的回旋余地，并使其摆脱阻碍快速决策的合作模式。

The new advisory firm could raise capital more easily to invest in technology, as well as developing trendy outsourcing businesses such as fully²⁰ running multinationals’ tax affairs.

新的咨询公司可以更容易地筹集资金，用于投资技术，并开发流行的外包业务，比如全面管理跨国公司的税务事务。

It could bolster²¹ its fortunes by offloading niche²² businesses.

它可以通过清理利基业务来增加自己的财富。

(Not that it needs to wait for an IPO to do that: last year PWC sold one that handles global companies’ foreign postings to a private-equity firm for $2.2bn, its biggest divestment in nearly two decades.)

(并不是说它需要等待首次公开募股才能做到这一点：去年，普华永道以22亿美元的价格，将一家处理全球公司海外派驻的公司出售给了一家私募股权公司，这是该公司近20年来最大的一笔撤资。)

1 sketch   

n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述

参考例句：

• My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
• I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。

2 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

3 anchovy   

n.凤尾鱼

参考例句：

• Waters off the Peruvian coast become unusually warm,destroying the local anchovy fishing industry.由于异常的高温，秘鲁海岸的海水温度变化异常，影响了当地的凤尾鱼捕捞业。
• Anchovy together with sweet-peppergarlic,milk,chicken stock,and add cheese toasted.奶油状的搅打鸡蛋，放在涂有凤尾鱼糊的吐司面包上。

4 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

5 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

6 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

7 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

8 farce   

n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹

参考例句：

• They played a shameful role in this farce.他们在这场闹剧中扮演了可耻的角色。
• The audience roared at the farce.闹剧使观众哄堂大笑。

9 bonanza   

n.富矿带，幸运，带来好运的事

参考例句：

• Bargain hunters enjoyed a real bonanza today.到处买便宜货的人今天真是交了好运。
• What a bonanza for the winning ticket holders!对于手持胜券的人来说，这是多好的运气啊。

10 bowler   

n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手

参考例句：

• The bowler judged it well,timing the ball to perfection.投球手判断准确，对球速的掌握恰到好处。
• The captain decided to take Snow off and try a slower bowler.队长决定把斯诺撤下，换一个动作慢一点的投球手试一试。

11 audits   

n.审计，查账( audit的名词复数 )v.审计，查账( audit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Requires that use of all bond funds is subject to independent audits. 需要使用的所有债券基金是受独立审计。 来自互联网
• Support the locations during customer-visits, audits and quality-improvement programs. 支持客户参观，稽核和提高品质等项目。 来自互联网

12 auditors   

n.审计员，稽核员( auditor的名词复数 )；（大学课程的）旁听生

参考例句：

• The company has been in litigation with its previous auditors for a full year. 那家公司与前任审计员已打了整整一年的官司。
• a meeting to discuss the annual accounts and the auditors' report thereon 讨论年度报表及其审计报告的会议

13 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

14 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

15 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

16 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

17 manoeuvre   

n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动

参考例句：

• Her withdrawal from the contest was a tactical manoeuvre.她退出比赛是一个战术策略。
• The clutter of ships had little room to manoeuvre.船只橫七竖八地挤在一起，几乎没有多少移动的空间。

18 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

19 smothers   

（使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的第三人称单数 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制

参考例句：

• Mary smothers her children with too much love. 玛丽溺爱自己的孩子。
• He smothers his hair with grease, eg hair-oil. 他用发腊擦头发。

20 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

21 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

22 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。