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创新并非灵光一现的神话
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创新并非灵光一现的神话
亚历山大·弗莱明注意到一盘细菌上长出了霉菌，并由此发现了青霉素。 
双语精读
The myths of corporate innovation
企业创新的神话
If innovation has an iconography, it involves a genius, a breakthrough and a dash of serendipity. Alexander Fleming notices mould growing on a plate of bacteria and discovers penicillin.
如果创新有某种图形象征，那必然包含一位天才、一项突破，以及些许机缘巧合。亚历山大·弗莱明注意到一盘细菌上长出了霉菌，并由此发现了青霉素。
A German chemist called August Kekulé falls asleep, dreams about snakes eating their tails and realises upon waking that the benzene molecule has the shape of a ring. Moments like these make for good film scenes, but they are precisely the wrong way to think about corporate innovation.
德国化学家奥古斯特·凯库勒梦见蛇咬住自己的尾巴，醒来后悟出了苯分子的环状结构。这样的时刻很适合拍成电影场景，但它们恰恰是思考企业创新的错误思路。
Firms make advances through sustained effort, the passage of time and teamwork. Wayve, a self-driving software firm that is now one of Europe's hottest artificial intelligence (AI) startups, was an outlier for years.
企业通过持续努力、时间积累、团队合作取得进步。多年来，自动驾驶软件公司Wayve一直是一个异类，如今它已成为欧洲最热门的人工智能初创公司之一。
Alex Kendall, a co-founder, was studying at Cambridge when he became convinced that the best way to solve the self-driving problem was to have an AI learn patterns of driving behaviour for itself. That made him unusual.
该公司的联合创始人亚历克斯·肯德尔还在剑桥大学求学时就确信，解决自动驾驶问题的最佳方式是让人工智能自行学习驾驶行为模式。这让他与众不同。
At the time the industry was trying to write rules for what a car should do when it encounters a specific situation. Wayve's approach is much more orthodox now; last month the firm signed a deal with Nissan to be part of the Japanese carmaker's autonomous-driving technology.
当时，自动驾驶行业正努力为汽车编写规则，规定汽车在遇到特定情况时应采取什么行动。Wayve的方法现在看来正统多了，上个月该公司与日产签署协议，为这家日本汽车制造商提供一部分自动驾驶技术。
But it's been an eight-year effort to get there. "The biggest bullshit is eureka ideas where you just wake up and have an idea that solves things," says Mr Kendall.
但Wayve付出了八年的努力才走到这一步。“最扯淡的就是那些灵光乍现的顿悟，一觉睡醒就有了一个解决问题的绝妙想法。”肯德尔表示。
A good idea can go nowhere if the circumstances are not right. By the same token, having tried something before is not a reason to ignore it in the future, as the case of Google shows.
如果时机不对，再好的想法也无济于事。同理，过去尝试过某事并不能成为未来忽视它的理由，谷歌的例子就说明了这一点。
Liz Reid, its head of search, says that many of the tech giant's successes were tried several times before they finally caught on. One example is reviews for restaurants on Google Maps, a feature that the team was sure would be useful but that initially asked too much of reviewers.
谷歌搜索业务负责人莉兹·里德表示，谷歌的许多成功做法在最终流行前都经历过多次尝试。一个例子是谷歌地图上的餐厅评价功能，团队确信这一功能会很有用，但这个功能最初对评价者的要求过高。
The arrival of notifications and location data was crucial. Before then, you had to remember to write a review or indeed where you had been to eat. After that, Google's knowledge that you had been to a specific restaurant, and its ability to prompt you to give a rating, made reviewing much simpler.
通知提醒和位置数据的到来至关重要。在此之前，你必须要记得写评价，还要记得自己去哪里吃过饭。在此之后，谷歌知道你曾去过某家餐厅，并能提醒你去打分，这让写点评变得简单多了。
Companies achieve breakthroughs all the time. Dramatic scenes can unfold. But for the most part corporate innovation is not cinematic. The myths of lone geniuses and moments of inspiration undoubtedly capture the imagination. But the reality-of problems solved by groups of determined people over many years-is an even better story.
企业不断取得突破，戏剧性的场景可能时而上演。但大部分情况下，企业创新并不像电影那样戏剧化。孤独天才和灵光乍现的神话无疑激发了人们的想象。但是一群意志坚定的人通过多年努力解决问题，这种现实堪称更为精彩的故事。
词汇预习
- inspiration [高考]
美[ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃn] | 英[ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃn]
n. 灵感；鼓舞人心(的东西)；吸气 - rating [高考]
美[ˈreɪtɪŋ] | 英[ˈreɪtɪŋ]
n. 等级；评定；收视率；额定值 - giant [高考]
美[ˈdʒaɪənt] | 英[ˈdʒaɪənt]
n. 巨人；巨物；大公司
adj. 巨大的 - founder [高考]
美[ˈfaʊndɚ] | 英[ˈfaʊndə(r)]
n. 创立者
v. 摔倒；失败；沉没；弄跛 - capture [高考]
美[ˈkæptʃər] | 英[ˈkæptʃə(r)]
vt. 捕获；占领；夺取；吸引；(用照片等)留存
n. 捕获；战利品 - 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 - precisely [高考]
美[prɪˈsaɪsli] | 英[prɪˈsaɪsli]
adv. 精确地 - unfold [高考]
美[ʌnˈfoʊld] | 英[ʌnˈfəʊld]
v. 展开；开放；显露 - undoubtedly [高考]
美[ʌn'daʊtɪdlɪ] | 英[ʌn'daʊtɪdlɪ]
adv. 无疑地 - molecule [高考]
美[ˈmɑːlɪkjuːl] | 英[ˈmɒlɪkjuːl]
n. 分子；微粒 - initially [高考]
美[ɪˈnɪʃəli] | 英[ɪˈnɪʃəli]
adv. 最初 - genius [高考]
美[ˈdʒiːniəs] | 英[ˈdʒiːniəs]
n. 天才；天赋 - data [高考]
美[ˈdeɪtə] | 英[ˈdeɪtə]
n. 数据；资料 - ignore [高考]
美[ɪɡˈnɔːr] | 英[ɪɡˈnɔː(r)]
vt. 忽视；不理；不顾 - approach [高考]
美[əˈproʊtʃ] | 英[əˈprəʊtʃ]
v. 接近；建议；接洽；着手处理
n. 方法；接近；路径；道路 - behaviour [高考]
美[bɪˈheɪvjər] | 英[bɪˈheɪvjə(r)]
n. 行为；举止；品行 - arrival [高考]
美[əˈraɪvl] | 英[əˈraɪvl]
n. 到达；达到；到达者；新生儿 - intelligence [高考]
美[ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns] | 英[ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns]
n. 智力；智慧；才智；（尤指关于敌国的）情报 - artificial [高考]
美[ˌɑːrtɪˈfɪʃl] | 英[ˌɑːtɪˈfɪʃl]
adj. 人造的；虚伪的；武断的 - software [高考]
美[ˈsɔːftwer] | 英[ˈsɒftweə(r)]
n. 软件 - self [高考]
美[self] | 英[self]
n. 自己；本性；自我
pron. 我自己；你自己；他或她自己
adj.同一的；纯净的；单一的
v. 近亲繁殖；自花授粉 - autonomous [高考]
美[ɔːˈtɑːnəməs] | 英[ɔːˈtɒnəməs]
adj. 自治的 - breakthrough [高考]
美[ˈbreɪkθruː] | 英[ˈbreɪkθruː]
n. 突破，突破性进展；关键问题的解决 - dash [高考]
美[dæʃ] | 英[dæʃ]
v. 猛冲；猛掷；泼溅；匆忙完成
n. 破折号；短跑；猛冲；冲 - chemist [高考]
美[ˈkemɪst] | 英[ˈkemɪst]
n. 化学家；药剂师；药房 - crucial [高考]
美[ˈkruːʃl] | 英[ˈkruːʃl]
adj. 决定性的；关键的 - mould [高考]
美[moʊld] | 英[məʊld]
n. 模具，铸模；类型，个性；霉，霉菌；框架，型芯；松软沃土，腐殖土
v. 使…成形，用模子制作，浇铸；影响，塑造；（使）紧贴于，吻合；（使）发霉
【名】（Mould）（英、美、爱）莫尔德（人名） - token [高考]
美[ˈtoʊkən] | 英[ˈtəʊkən]
n. 象征；标志；纪念品；代币；代价券；[语言学]语言符号
adj. 象征性的；装样子的 - where [高考]
美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]
adv. 在哪里；在那个地方
conj. 在 ... 地方 - would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式 - prompt [四级]
美[prɑːmpt] | 英[prɒmpt]
v. 促使，导致；鼓励，提示（说话者）；（计算机上）提示；（给演员）提词，提白
adj. 迅速的，立刻的；（人）利索的，敏捷的；及时的，准时的；（商品）即期要送的，即期要付的
n.（给演员的）提词；（计算机屏幕上显示准备接受指令的）提示； 鼓励，催促；（付款通知单上的）付款期限
adv.准时地 - tech [四级]
美[tek] | 英[tek]
n. 技术学校；技术；技术人员 - make advances [四级]
美 | 英
vi. 取得进步(有进步) - determined [四级]
美[dɪˈtɜːrmɪnd] | 英[dɪˈtɜːmɪnd]
adj. 坚定的；坚决的；果断的；确定的，既定的 - orthodox [六级]
美[ˈɔːrθədɑːks] | 英[ˈɔːθədɒks]
adj. 正统的；传统的；东正教的 - trying [专八]
美[ˈtraɪɪŋ] | 英[ˈtraɪɪŋ]
adj. 难受的；令人厌烦的 - penicillin [考研]
美[ˌpenɪˈsɪlɪn] | 英[ˌpenɪˈsɪlɪn]
n. 青霉素 - lone [考研]
美[loʊn] | 英[ləʊn]
adj. 孤单的；唯一的；单独的
重点讲解
The myths of corporate innovation
企业创新的神话
make for sth 促成某事；使某事形成
【例】Constant arguing doesn't make for a happy marriage.
不断争吵不可能带来幸福的婚姻。
【近义词】lead to 带来；导致
If innovation has an iconography, it involves a genius, a breakthrough and a dash of serendipity. Alexander Fleming notices mould growing on a plate of bacteria and discovers penicillin.
如果创新有某种图形象征，那必然包含一位天才、一项突破，以及些许机缘巧合。亚历山大·弗莱明注意到一盘细菌上长出了霉菌，并由此发现了青霉素。
make for sth 促成某事；使某事形成
【例】Constant arguing doesn't make for a happy marriage.
不断争吵不可能带来幸福的婚姻。
【近义词】lead to 带来；导致
A German chemist called August Kekulé falls asleep, dreams about snakes eating their tails and realises upon waking that the benzene molecule has the shape of a ring. Moments like these make for good film scenes, but they are precisely the wrong way to think about corporate innovation.
德国化学家奥古斯特·凯库勒梦见蛇咬住自己的尾巴，醒来后悟出了苯分子的环状结构。这样的时刻很适合拍成电影场景，但它们恰恰是思考企业创新的错误思路。
make for sth 促成某事；使某事形成
【例】Constant arguing doesn't make for a happy marriage.
不断争吵不可能带来幸福的婚姻。
【近义词】lead to 带来；导致
Firms make advances through sustained effort, the passage of time and teamwork. Wayve, a self-driving software firm that is now one of Europe’s hottest artificial intelligence (AI) startups, was an outlier for years.
企业通过持续努力、时间积累、团队合作取得进步。多年来，自动驾驶软件公司Wayve一直是一个异类，如今它已成为欧洲最热门的人工智能初创公司之一。
sustained adj. 持久的；持续的
【例】sustained economic growth 经济持续增长
to launch a sustained attack 发动持续攻击
【拓展】sustain v. 维持；使持续
sustainable adj. 可持续的
outlier n. 离群值；异常事物
【例】People who live past 100 are genetic outliers, whose longevity is unreachable for most of us.
寿命超过100岁的人有异于常人的基因，大多数人难以达到这种长寿。
【近义词】oddity n. 奇特反常的人或事物
Alex Kendall, a co-founder, was studying at Cambridge when he became convinced that the best way to solve the self-driving problem was to have an AI learn patterns of driving behaviour for itself. That made him unusual.
该公司的联合创始人亚历克斯·肯德尔还在剑桥大学求学时就确信，解决自动驾驶问题的最佳方式是让人工智能自行学习驾驶行为模式。这让他与众不同。
orthodox adj. 正统的；规范的
【例】the orthodox interpretation of the law
对法条的正统解释
【反义词】unorthodox adj. 非正统的；不规范的
【例】Chocolate filling is unorthodox for Chinese dumplings.
巧克力馅的饺子不是正统的中式饺子。
【近义词】conventional adj. 传统的；常规的
unconventional adj. 非传统的；非常规的
At the time the industry was trying to write rules for what a car should do when it encounters a specific situation. Wayve’s approach is much more orthodox now; last month the firm signed a deal with Nissan to be part of the Japanese carmaker’s autonomous-driving technology.
当时，自动驾驶行业正努力为汽车编写规则，规定汽车在遇到特定情况时应采取什么行动。Wayve的方法现在看来正统多了，上个月该公司与日产签署协议，为这家日本汽车制造商提供一部分自动驾驶技术。
orthodox adj. 正统的；规范的
【例】the orthodox interpretation of the law
对法条的正统解释
【反义词】unorthodox adj. 非正统的；不规范的
【例】Chocolate filling is unorthodox for Chinese dumplings.
巧克力馅的饺子不是正统的中式饺子。
【近义词】conventional adj. 传统的；常规的
unconventional adj. 非传统的；非常规的
But it’s been an eight-year effort to get there. “The biggest bullshit is eureka ideas where you just wake up and have an idea that solves things,” says Mr Kendall.
但Wayve付出了八年的努力才走到这一步。“最扯淡的就是那些灵光乍现的顿悟，一觉睡醒就有了一个解决问题的绝妙想法。”肯德尔表示。
by the same token 出于同样的原因；同理可得
【例】I don't think that prices will go up but, by the same token, I don't see them going down either.
我不认为物价会上涨，但出于同样的原因，我也不认为物价会下跌。
【搭配】a token of gratitude/respect 表示感谢/尊敬
A good idea can go nowhere if the circumstances are not right. By the same token, having tried something before is not a reason to ignore it in the future, as the case of Google shows.
如果时机不对，再好的想法也无济于事。同理，过去尝试过某事并不能成为未来忽视它的理由，谷歌的例子就说明了这一点。
by the same token 出于同样的原因；同理可得
【例】I don't think that prices will go up but, by the same token, I don't see them going down either.
我不认为物价会上涨，但出于同样的原因，我也不认为物价会下跌。
【搭配】a token of gratitude/respect 表示感谢/尊敬
Liz Reid, its head of search, says that many of the tech giant’s successes were tried several times before they finally caught on. One example is reviews for restaurants on Google Maps, a feature that the team was sure would be useful but that initially asked too much of reviewers.
谷歌搜索业务负责人莉兹·里德表示，谷歌的许多成功做法在最终流行前都经历过多次尝试。一个例子是谷歌地图上的餐厅评价功能，团队确信这一功能会很有用，但这个功能最初对评价者的要求过高。
catch on 流行开来；受欢迎
【例】He released several songs, but they never caught on.
他发过几首歌，但都没有火起来。
【拓展】catch on to sth 理解某事
【例】He is very quick to catch on to things.
他领悟能力很强。
The arrival of notifications and location data was crucial. Before then, you had to remember to write a review or indeed where you had been to eat. After that, Google’s knowledge that you had been to a specific restaurant, and its ability to prompt you to give a rating, made reviewing much simpler.
通知提醒和位置数据的到来至关重要。在此之前，你必须要记得写评价，还要记得自己去哪里吃过饭。在此之后，谷歌知道你曾去过某家餐厅，并能提醒你去打分，这让写点评变得简单多了。
prompt v. 促使；提示
【例】The incident prompted him to call a meeting of the staff.
该事件促使他召开了一次全体员工会议。
She was too nervous to speak and had to be prompted.
她紧张得说不出话来，必须听人提示。
【拓展】AIGC prompts AI生成内容提示词
Companies achieve breakthroughs all the time. Dramatic scenes can unfold. But for the most part corporate innovation is not cinematic. The myths of lone geniuses and moments of inspiration undoubtedly capture the imagination. But the reality—of problems solved by groups of determined people over many years—is an even better story.
企业不断取得突破，戏剧性的场景可能时而上演。但大部分情况下，企业创新并不像电影那样戏剧化。孤独天才和灵光乍现的神话无疑激发了人们的想象。但是一群意志坚定的人通过多年努力解决问题，这种现实堪称更为精彩的故事。
capture the imagination 激发想象力
【例】They use puppets to capture the imagination of younger audiences.
他们用木偶来启发小观众的想像力。
【拓展】capture one’s attention 吸引某人的注意力
capture one’s interest 让某人感兴趣
课后练习
What does the author think about the innovation stories of Fleming and Kekulé?
A. They are inspiring examples of corporate innovation.
B. They demonstrate the key role of genius in innovation.
C. They do not show the truth about how companies innovate.
D. They highlight the importance of coincidence in breakthroughs.What is the reason for Wayve's successful innovation?
A. A sudden inspiration that solves problems.
B. Sustained effort to pursue their own methods.
C. Collaborating with major carmakers like Nissan.
D. Learning from the approach of other industry players.Why didn't the restaurant review feature of Google Maps work well at first?
A. Because users didn’t trust online reviews.
B. Because location data violated users’ privacy.
C. Because it required too much effort from users
D. Because competitors had better review systems.What does the author think is a better innovation story?
A. Stories of lone geniuses and moments of inspiration.
B. Stories of innovations driven by unexpected incidents.
C. Stories of determination, teamwork and perseverance.
D. Stories of dramatic breakthroughs in short periods of time.
