公司小镇的古老魅力

丹麦的比隆是个只有7000多人的小镇，这里不仅是乐高玩具的诞生地，也是这家全球最大玩具公司的总部所在。

双语精读

The allure of the company town

公司小镇的诱惑

Billund is a small town in Denmark with a population that stands at a little over 7,000 people. It is also the birthplace and headquarters of the world's largest toy company. If you live in Billund, there is a decent chance you or one of your family works for Lego. The noun you hear most often is "brick".

丹麦的比隆是个只有7000多人的小镇，这里不仅是乐高玩具的诞生地，也是这家全球最大玩具公司的总部所在。如果你住在比隆，那么你或者你的家人大概率在乐高工作。在这儿你最常听到的词是“积木”。

Corning is a small town in upstate New York, with a population of around 10,000 people. There, the noun you hear most often is "glass". If you visit for work, you are probably there to see a Corning employee.

在美国纽约州北部，还有个叫康宁的万人小镇。这里最常被提到的词是“玻璃”。如果你去那里出差，十有八九是去见康宁的员工。

Company towns conjure up a bygone era: the textile hub of Lowell in Massachusetts, built by the Boston Manufacturing Company in the 19th century, or the faded coal town of Gary in West Virginia, named for the then chairman of US Steel, the company that built it.

公司小镇让人想起了一个过去的时代：19世纪由波士顿制造公司建造的马萨诸塞州洛厄尔纺织中心，或者美国钢铁公司打造的西弗吉尼亚州加里煤炭镇，该镇以当时的董事长命名，现已逐渐衰落。

They are out of whack with prevailing economic wisdom. Cities are where "agglomeration" spurs innovation: a larger population means that more people come together to swap ideas. A bigger labour pool makes it easier for managers to hire people. For employees, too, there are obvious risks in living in a place that is dependent on a single firm.

公司小镇与主流经济智慧脱节。城市应该通过人口集聚促进创新：人口基数越大意味着更多的人可以聚集在一起交流思想，充裕的劳动力也让管理者的招聘工作变得更加容易。对于员工来说，生活在依赖单一企业的社区也存在明显的风险。

But as the examples of Billund and Corning show, company towns are not just relics of the industrial past. And even if theory suggests that company towns have downsides, they also have some advantages.

但比隆和康宁表明，公司小镇并未成为工业时代的历史遗迹。尽管理论上存在缺陷，它们也具备某些优势。

Firms can easily draw on their heritage to instil a sense of culture among workers: Lego's corporate museum in Billund is located in the old family home of the company's founder.

企业可以依托历史积淀塑造文化认同——乐高在比隆的企业博物馆就位于公司创始人的故居。

Employees in company towns have fewer alternatives. Low rates of attrition do not just lessen the costs and disruption that stem from replacing people. They also lead to deeper institutional memories and stronger relationships: retired Corning scientists act as mentors to current ones, for example.

公司小镇的员工就业选择更少。低离职率不仅降低了人员更替的成本和干扰，还能强化机构记忆和人际关系——例如，康宁科学家退休后会继续指导现任团队。

Confidentiality is also easier to maintain in comparatively remote places. Bill Gates's decision to base Microsoft in Seattle rather than Silicon Valley was partly because it was easier to keep secrets there.

地理隔离也更有利于保密性。比尔·盖茨决定将微软总部设在西雅图而不是硅谷，部分原因就是来自于西雅图的保密优势。

Company towns seem to favour a more insular type of innovation as a result. By examining citations of prior patents, the researchers found that large firms in company towns drew disproportionately on their own previous work to make breakthroughs. New patents were in turn more likely to be cited by other inventors within the same firm than were patents filed in more diverse locations.

公司小镇似乎更倾向于内部创新。通过研究先前专利的引用情况，研究人员发现，小镇企业更依赖自有技术实现突破，相比于在公司更多元的地方提交的专利，其专利更多被内部引用。

Being the boss of a big firm in a small town is likely to change the way that decisions are made. If the consequences of corporate decisions affect your neighbours, friends and family members, the incentives to make more considered choices are sharper.

作为小镇大公司的老板，决策方式很可能会因此改变。如果公司决策的后果会影响到邻里亲朋，管理者决策就会更加慎重。

There is proxy evidence for this in research into the decision-making of hometown CEOs, who are likely to have a greater attachment to the place where their company is located and more concern for their local reputation.

在对本土CEO决策行为的研究中，有间接证据证明了这一点，这些CEO可能对公司所在地有更深的情感纽带，也更在意自己在当地的声誉。

Studies show that hometown bosses are less likely to cut research-and-development budgets in response to short-term pressures or to take corporate risks in the form of, say, greater leverage.

研究表明，家乡籍高管较少因短期压力削减研发预算，也不太可能采取提高财务杠杆等风险性经营策略。

Whether that sounds like long-termism or timidity depends partly on your point of view. Company towns can seem strange -- cultish, even -- to outsiders. But their persistence is not just an accident of history. They have qualities that are worth reflecting on.

这种特质应被解读为长期主义还是经营保守性，一定程度上取决于观察视角的差异。在外界眼中，公司小镇可能显得古怪——甚至带有封闭团体的特质。但其经久不衰并非历史偶然，这些社区展现的特质值得深思。

词汇预习

economic [高考]
美[ˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk] | 英[ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk]
adj. 经济的，经济学的；有利可图的；节约的
current [高考]
美[ˈkɜːrənt] | 英[ˈkʌrənt]
n. 趋势；(水、气、电)流
adj. 现在的；流通的
response [高考]
美[rɪˈspɑːns] | 英[rɪˈspɒns]
n. 反应；回答；响应；答复
maintain [高考]
美[meɪnˈteɪn] | 英[meɪnˈteɪn]
vt. 维持；维修；保养；坚持；断言
industrial [高考]
美[ɪnˈdʌstriəl] | 英[ɪnˈdʌstriəl]
adj. 工业的；产业的
n. 工业公司
founder [高考]
美[ˈfaʊndɚ] | 英[ˈfaʊndə(r)]
n. 创立者
v. 摔倒；失败；沉没；弄跛
corporate [高考]
美[ˈkɔːrpərət] | 英[ˈkɔːpərət]
adj. 法人的；公司的；社团的；共同的；全体的
innovation [高考]
美[ˌɪnəˈveɪʃn] | 英[ˌɪnəˈveɪʃn]
n. 创新；革新
dependent [高考]
美[dɪˈpendənt] | 英[dɪˈpendənt]
adj. 依靠的；依赖的；从属的
n. 依赖他人者；受赡养者
textile [高考]
美[ˈtekstaɪl] | 英[ˈtekstaɪl]
n. 纺织品
stem [高考]
美[stem] | 英[stem]
n. 柄；茎；干；船首
vi. 起源于
vt. 抽去 ... 的梗；给 ... 装柄；逆 ... 而行；阻止，遏制
lessen [高考]
美[ˈlesn] | 英[ˈlesn]
v. 减少；减轻
prior [高考]
美[ˈpraɪər] | 英[ˈpraɪə(r)]
adj. 优先的；在前的；更重要的
adv. 居先；在前
institutional [高考]
美[ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənl] | 英[ˌɪnstɪˈtju:ʃənl]
adj. 制度上的；惯例的；机构的；学会的
heritage [高考]
美[ˈherɪtɪdʒ] | 英[ˈherɪtɪdʒ]
n. 遗产；继承物
persistence [高考]
美[pərˈsɪstəns] | 英[pəˈsɪstəns]
n. 坚持；毅力
within [高考]
美[wɪˈðɪn] | 英[wɪˈðɪn]
prep. 在(某段时间、距离或范围)内；在…里面
adv. 在…里面
n. 内部
hire [高考]
美[ˈhaɪər] | 英[ˈhaɪə(r)]
v. 雇用；出租
n. 租金；雇用；租用
evidence [高考]
美[ˈevɪdəns] | 英[ˈevɪdəns]
n. 证据；证词；根据；迹象
v. 证明；证实
previous [高考]
美[ˈpriːviəs] | 英[ˈpriːviəs]
adj. 以前的；先于；在 ... 之前
theory [高考]
美[ˈθiːəri] | 英[ˈθɪəri]
n. 学说；理论；原理；意见
wisdom [高考]
美[ˈwɪzdəm] | 英[ˈwɪzdəm]
n. 智慧；明智；才智；聪明；至理名言
obvious [高考]
美[ˈɑːbviəs] | 英[ˈɒbviəs]
adj.明显的;显著的;平淡无奇的;自明
reputation [高考]
美[ˌrepjuˈteɪʃn] | 英[ˌrepjuˈteɪʃn]
n. 好名声；声誉，名声，名气
remote [高考]
美[rɪˈmoʊt] | 英[rɪˈməʊt]
adj. 遥远的；偏僻的；远程的；(感情等)距离很大
n. 远程操作
diverse [高考]
美[daɪˈvɜːrs] | 英[daɪˈvɜːs]
adj. 不同的；多种多样的
swap [高考]
美[swɑːp] | 英[swɒp]
v. 交换；用 ... 作交易
n. 交换；适合交换的东西
labour [高考]
美[ˈleɪbər] | 英[ˈleɪbə(r)]
n. 劳动；劳工；分娩
v. 努力；干苦力活；困难吃力地行进；反复说明
n. (英国)工党
brick [高考]
美[brɪk] | 英[brɪk]
n.砖；砖块；积木；可靠的朋友
v.用砖砌；用砖镶填；用砖围砌；用砖铺筑
adj.用砖砌的；砖似的
birthplace [高考]
美[ˈbɜːrθpleɪs] | 英[ˈbɜːθpleɪs]
n. 出生地；发源地
favour [高考]
美[ˈfeɪvər] | 英[ˈfeɪvə(r)]
n. 恩惠；支持；喜爱；偏爱
v. 支持；偏袒；有利于；长得像
in turn [高考]
美[ɪn tɜːrn] | 英[ɪn tɜːn]
依次；轮流；反之；反过来
research into [高考]
美[rɪˈsɚtʃ ˈɪntu] | 英[riˈsə:tʃ ˈɪntuː]
就…研究
dependent on [高考]
美 | 英
取决于, 依赖
in response [高考]
美[ɪn rɪˈspɑns] | 英[in riˈspɔns]
作为回答
draw on [高考]
美[drɔː ɑːn] | 英[drɔː ɒn]
vt. 穿上；引起；吸收；利用；临近；凭借；动用；引用；鼓励
means [高考]
美[miːnz] | 英[miːnz]
n. 方法；手段；收入；财产
v. 意思是，意味（动词mean的第三人称单数）
living [高考]
美[ˈlɪvɪŋ] | 英[ˈlɪvɪŋ]
adj. 活着的；生动的
n. 生活；生计
decent [高考]
美[ˈdiːsnt] | 英[ˈdiːsnt]
adj. 相当好的；体面的；适当的；正派的
era [高考]
美[ˈɪrə] | 英[ˈɪərə]
n. 纪元；时代；年代
where [高考]
美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]
adv. 在哪里；在那个地方
conj. 在 ... 地方
headquarters [四级]
美[ˈhedkwɔːrtərz] | 英[ˌhedˈkwɔːtəz]
n. 总部；司令部；指挥部
noun [四级]
美[naʊn] | 英[naʊn]
n. 名词
decision-making [四级]
美[dɪ'sɪʒn 'meɪkɪŋ] | 英[dɪ'sɪʒn 'meɪkɪŋ]
n. 决策
adj. 决策的
comparatively [四级]
美[kəmˈpærətɪvlɪ] | 英[kəmˈpærətɪvli]
adv. 比较地；相对地
short-term [四级]
美[ˌʃɔːrt ˈtɜːrm] | 英[ˌʃɔːt ˈtɜːm]
adj. 短期的
attachment [四级]
美[əˈtætʃmənt] | 英[əˈtætʃmənt]
n. 附件；附属物；忠诚；依恋；附著；依赖
n. [法律]扣押令
hub [四级]
美[hʌb] | 英[hʌb]
n. 中心；轮毂；轮轴
live in [四级]
美[liv ɪn] | 英[liv in]
v. 住进
stem from [四级]
美[stem frʌm] | 英[stem frɒm]
源于；来自于
out of [六级]
美[aʊt ʌv] | 英[aut ɔv]
prep. 离…一段距离；从…里；离开 ...；出于
allure [六级]
美[əˈlʊr] | 英[əˈlʊə(r)]
v. 诱惑；吸引
n. 诱惑力；吸引力
timidity [专四]
美[tɪˈmɪdətɪ] | 英[tɪ'mɪdətɪ]
n. 胆小；胆怯；羞怯
instil [专八]
美[ɪnˈstɪl] | 英[ɪnˈstɪl]
v. 逐步渗透；逐渐灌输
whack [专八]
美[hwæk, wæk] | 英[wæk]
v. 敲击；重打；瓜分
n. 重击；重打；尝试；一份
works [专八]
美[wəks] | 英[wə:ks]
n. 工厂；修建；机器部件；全套物品
insular [专八]
美[ˈɪnsələr] | 英[ˈɪnsjələ(r)]
adj. 岛的；岛民的；岛特有的；与世隔绝的；保守的
conjure [专八]
美[ˈkʌndʒər] | 英[ˈkʌndʒə(r)]
v. 变戏法；恳求；唤起；以咒文召唤
attrition [专八]
美[əˈtrɪʃn] | 英[əˈtrɪʃn]
n. 摩擦；消耗；人员耗损
disproportionately [考研]
美[ˌdɪsprə'pɔʃənətlɪ] | 英[ˌdɪsprə'pɔ:ʃənətlɪ]
adv. 不成比例地
disruption [考研]
美[dɪsˈrʌpʃn] | 英[dɪsˈrʌpʃn]
n. 分裂；破裂；毁坏
prevailing [托福]
美[prɪˈveɪlɪŋ] | 英[prɪˈveɪlɪŋ]
adj. 盛行很广的；盛行的，广泛流传的；主流的

重点讲解

The allure of the company town

公司小镇的诱惑

allure v. & n.

1. 作动词，吸引，诱惑

【拓展】alluring adj.迷人的，诱人的

【例】The town offers alluring shops and restaurants.

镇子里有诱人的商店和饭馆。

2. 作名词，吸引力，诱惑力，魅力

【例】 It's a game that has really lost its allure.

这是一场已经真正失去其魅力的比赛。

decent adj.

1. 像样的，相当不错的，尚好的

【例】a decent meal/job/place to live

相当不错的饭菜/工作/住所

2. 正派的；公平的；合乎礼节的

【例】Everyone said he was a decent sort of guy.

人人都说他是个品行端正的小伙子。

3. 得体的；合宜的；适当的

【例】a decent burial 体面的葬礼

Billund is a small town in Denmark with a population that stands at a little over 7,000 people. It is also the birthplace and headquarters of the world's largest toy company. If you live in Billund, there is a decent chance you or one of your family works for Lego. The noun you hear most often is "brick".

丹麦的比隆是个只有7000多人的小镇，这里不仅是乐高玩具的诞生地，也是这家全球最大玩具公司的总部所在。如果你住在比隆，那么你或者你的家人大概率在乐高工作。在这儿你最常听到的词是“积木”。

allure v. & n.

1. 作动词，吸引，诱惑

【拓展】alluring adj.迷人的，诱人的

【例】The town offers alluring shops and restaurants.

镇子里有诱人的商店和饭馆。

2. 作名词，吸引力，诱惑力，魅力

【例】 It's a game that has really lost its allure.

这是一场已经真正失去其魅力的比赛。

decent adj.

1. 像样的，相当不错的，尚好的

【例】a decent meal/job/place to live

相当不错的饭菜/工作/住所

2. 正派的；公平的；合乎礼节的

【例】Everyone said he was a decent sort of guy.

人人都说他是个品行端正的小伙子。

3. 得体的；合宜的；适当的

【例】a decent burial 体面的葬礼

在美国纽约州北部，还有个叫康宁的万人小镇。这里最常被提到的词是“玻璃”。如果你去那里出差，十有八九是去见康宁的员工。

conjure up 使人联想到；唤起（记忆或想象）

（英文释义：to make someone think of something）

【例】The sweet smell of fermented grapes always conjures up memories of France.

葡萄发酵的香气总让人想起法国。

【拓展】conjure v. 变魔术；变戏法；使…变戏法般地出现（或消失）

（英文释义：to do clever tricks such as making things seem to appear or disappear as if by magic）

【例】He could conjure coins from behind people's ears.

他可以从人们的耳朵后面变出硬币来。

Company towns conjure up a bygone era: the textile hub of Lowell in Massachusetts, built by the Boston Manufacturing Company in the 19th century, or the faded coal town of Gary in West Virginia, named for the then chairman of US Steel, the company that built it.

公司小镇让人想起了一个过去的时代：19世纪由波士顿制造公司建造的马萨诸塞州洛厄尔纺织中心，或者美国钢铁公司打造的西弗吉尼亚州加里煤炭镇，该镇以当时的董事长命名，现已逐渐衰落。

conjure up 使人联想到；唤起（记忆或想象）

（英文释义：to make someone think of something）

【例】The sweet smell of fermented grapes always conjures up memories of France.

葡萄发酵的香气总让人想起法国。

【拓展】conjure v. 变魔术；变戏法；使…变戏法般地出现（或消失）

（英文释义：to do clever tricks such as making things seem to appear or disappear as if by magic）

【例】He could conjure coins from behind people's ears.

他可以从人们的耳朵后面变出硬币来。

They are out of whack with prevailing economic wisdom. Cities are where "agglomeration" spurs innovation: a larger population means that more people come together to swap ideas. A bigger labour pool makes it easier for managers to hire people. For employees, too, there are obvious risks in living in a place that is dependent on a single firm.

公司小镇与主流经济智慧脱节。城市应该通过人口集聚促进创新：人口基数越大意味着更多的人可以聚集在一起交流思想，充裕的劳动力也让管理者的招聘工作变得更加容易。对于员工来说，生活在依赖单一企业的社区也存在明显的风险。

out of whack 处于不正常状态或不协调状态

【例】The ecosystem will be thrown out of whack.

生态系统将出现问题。

【拓展】out of whack with 与……不协调；与……不一致

【例】That performance was entirely out of whack with the past.

这样的表现同过去的确完全不同。

但比隆和康宁表明，公司小镇并未成为工业时代的历史遗迹。尽管理论上存在缺陷，它们也具备某些优势。

out of whack 处于不正常状态或不协调状态

【例】The ecosystem will be thrown out of whack.

生态系统将出现问题。

【拓展】out of whack with 与……不协调；与……不一致

【例】That performance was entirely out of whack with the past.

这样的表现同过去的确完全不同。

Firms can easily draw on their heritage to instil a sense of culture among workers: Lego's corporate museum in Billund is located in the old family home of the company's founder.

企业可以依托历史积淀塑造文化认同——乐高在比隆的企业博物馆就位于公司创始人的故居。

draw on 利用，依赖（信息或知识）

【例】His novels draw heavily on his childhood.

他的小说大多取材于自己的童年经历。

【近义词】draw upon 利用；依赖

instil v. 逐渐灌输，逐步培养（感受、思想或行为）

【例】to instil confidence/discipline/fear into sb

逐步使某人树立信心/守纪律/产生恐惧

attrition n.

1. （对敌人持久攻击使其力量）削弱

【例】It was a war of attrition.

这是一场消耗战。

2. （学生或雇员）人数减少

【例】a company with a high rate of attrition 员工流失率高的公司

stem from 起源于

【例】Many of the universities’ problems stem from rapid expansion.

大学的许多问题来源于快速扩张。

【近义词】come from 来自

Employees in company towns have fewer alternatives. Low rates of attrition do not just lessen the costs and disruption that stem from replacing people. They also lead to deeper institutional memories and stronger relationships: retired Corning scientists act as mentors to current ones, for example.

公司小镇的员工就业选择更少。低离职率不仅降低了人员更替的成本和干扰，还能强化机构记忆和人际关系——例如，康宁科学家退休后会继续指导现任团队。

draw on 利用，依赖（信息或知识）

【例】His novels draw heavily on his childhood.

他的小说大多取材于自己的童年经历。

【近义词】draw upon 利用；依赖

instil v. 逐渐灌输，逐步培养（感受、思想或行为）

【例】to instil confidence/discipline/fear into sb

逐步使某人树立信心/守纪律/产生恐惧

attrition n.

1. （对敌人持久攻击使其力量）削弱

【例】It was a war of attrition.

这是一场消耗战。

2. （学生或雇员）人数减少

【例】a company with a high rate of attrition 员工流失率高的公司

stem from 起源于

【例】Many of the universities’ problems stem from rapid expansion.

大学的许多问题来源于快速扩张。

【近义词】come from 来自

地理隔离也更有利于保密性。比尔·盖茨决定将微软总部设在西雅图而不是硅谷，部分原因就是来自于西雅图的保密优势。

公司小镇似乎更倾向于内部创新。通过研究先前专利的引用情况，研究人员发现，小镇企业更依赖自有技术实现突破，相比于在公司更多元的地方提交的专利，其专利更多被内部引用。

作为小镇大公司的老板，决策方式很可能会因此改变。如果公司决策的后果会影响到邻里亲朋，管理者决策就会更加慎重。

reputation n. 名声；声誉

【例】to earn/ establish/ build a reputation 赢得/确立/树立声誉

to have a good/ bad reputation 有好/坏名声

The weather in England is living up to its reputation.

英格兰的天气真是名副其实。

在对本土CEO决策行为的研究中，有间接证据证明了这一点，这些CEO可能对公司所在地有更深的情感纽带，也更在意自己在当地的声誉。

reputation n. 名声；声誉

【例】to earn/ establish/ build a reputation 赢得/确立/树立声誉

to have a good/ bad reputation 有好/坏名声

The weather in England is living up to its reputation.

英格兰的天气真是名副其实。

Studies show that hometown bosses are less likely to cut research-and-development budgets in response to short-term pressures or to take corporate risks in the form of, say, greater leverage.

研究表明，家乡籍高管较少因短期压力削减研发预算，也不太可能采取提高财务杠杆等风险性经营策略。

reflect on 仔细思考某事

【例】It will give people time to reflect on what you've just said.

这样会给人们时间来思考你刚才说的话。

【近义词】consider v. 仔细考虑

这种特质应被解读为长期主义还是经营保守性，一定程度上取决于观察视角的差异。在外界眼中，公司小镇可能显得古怪——甚至带有封闭团体的特质。但其经久不衰并非历史偶然，这些社区展现的特质值得深思。

reflect on 仔细思考某事

【例】It will give people time to reflect on what you've just said.

这样会给人们时间来思考你刚才说的话。

【近义词】consider v. 仔细考虑

课后练习

What do Billund and Corning have in common?
A. They both have large populations and are of large scale.
B. They are both small and home to major companies.
C. They are both wealthy and have high living standards.
D. They are both famous for their historical industries.
What economic wisdom is contrary to company towns?
A. Company towns are more likely to attract a diverse range of industries.
B. Company towns can promote innovation better than big cities.
C. A large population can better facilitate business development.
D. A place dependent on a single firm can provide secure living.
The advantages of company towns include ____.
A. more career opportunities and cross-industry innovation
B. large talent pools and easy access to diverse cultural resources
C. a stronger sense of culture and easier maintenance of confidentiality
D. less fierce competition and more breakthroughs driven by external innovation
What characterizes the decision-making of hometown CEOs?
A. They are more likely to cut research-and-development budgets.
B. They take more factors into consideration and make more cautious decisions.
C. They are more likely to seek external help in response to short-term pressures.
D. They tend to make riskier decisions as they are more familiar with the local situation.