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低头做事既有好处也有坏处(下)
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那些沉闷但勤奋的人现在可能格外有价值。随着公司越来越看重软技能，比如能够与各种人很好地沟通，情商高的员工应该会受到欢迎。
双语精读
The dull but diligent could be especially valuable now. As companies claim increasingly to prize soft skills, such as being able to communicate well with all sorts of people, emotionally intelligent workers ought to be in demand.
那些沉闷但勤奋的人现在可能格外有价值。随着公司越来越看重软技能，比如能够与各种人很好地沟通，情商高的员工应该会受到欢迎。
A volatile business environment in which firms face problems from recession to climate change, pandemics and war, favours the steady leader.
在动荡的商业环境中，公司面临着从经济衰退到气候变化、流行病、战争等各种问题，在这种情况下稳重的领导者会受到青睐。
Chief executives face tricky decisions about how much risk to take in pursuit of growth, as shareholders look on nervously. Startup bosses who proudly moved fast and broke things are now falling over themselves to look demure.
在股东们紧张的目光注视下，首席执行官们面临棘手的决定，即为了追求增长要承担多大风险。那些以行动迅速、摧枯拉朽为傲的初创公司老板们，现在不遗余力地让自己看起来严肃庄重。
"We are a very boring company," Oliver Merkel, head of Flink, a grocery-delivery startup, bragged to the Financial Times recently. The trend is visible in politics, too.
"我们是一家非常无趣的公司。"食品杂货快递初创公司Flink的老板奥利弗·默克尔最近这样向《金融时报》吹嘘。这一趋势在政坛也很明显。
Joe Biden in America and Rishi Sunak in Britain rose to their countries' top jobs partly because their boring dependability promised relief from their predecessors' noisy incompetence. Testing times call for cool heads.
美国的约瑟夫·拜登和英国的里希·苏纳克成为各自国家的最高领导人，部分原因是他们无趣但可靠的个性很有可能会把人民从喧嚣但无能的前任中解救出来。充满考验的时代需要冷静的头脑。
For all that, quietly competent types hoping for greater appreciation (and remuneration) should not sit still. To rise up the ranks, the boring would do well to raise their profiles, whether by speaking up in meetings or talking up their accomplishments.
尽管如此，希望得到更多赏识(和薪酬)的沉默能干的人不应安坐等待。要提升自己的地位，沉闷无趣的人最好提高自己的存在感，可以在开会时大胆发言，也可以夸一夸自己的成就。
If they bag bigger jobs they will anyway need to master show-offy things like glad-handing clients, chairing meetings and holding forth on strategy.
如果他们想坐到更高的位置，他们无论如何都需要学会一些装腔作势的事，比如对客户笑脸相迎、主持会议和提出战略。
Though Mr Judge's analysis revealed emotional stability and general diligence were crucial to managerial effectiveness, extrovert qualities such as sociability were also telling factors.
虽然贾奇的分析显示，情绪稳定和勤奋对管理效率至关重要，但善于社交等外向品质也是重要因素。
Companies' penchant for promoting the wrong people is deeply ingrained, despite management theorists' admonitions. By default, many of those dishing out promotions are themselves narcissists who advanced by wowing their superiors.
尽管管理学理论家经常发出告诫，但公司喜欢提拔不合适的人的现象依然根深蒂固。一般情况下，许多提拔员工的人本身就是自恋者，他们就是通过在上级面前表现自己来获得晋升的。
And showy sorts' shameless self-aggrandisement fulfils a convenient function for bosses, giving them a shortcut-no matter how misleading-to finding candidates for elevation.
而且，爱表现的人毫不脸红地自吹自擂，这为老板们提供了一种便利，为他们提供了一条寻找升职候选人的捷径——无论这种捷径有多大的误导性。
Many managers are too busy to patiently unearth genuine talent after all. They have other important things on their plates-like impressing their own bosses.
毕竟许多经理太忙了，没耐心挖掘真正的人才。他们手头还有其他重要的事情要做——比如给自己的老板留下好印象。
词汇预习
increasingly [高考]
美[ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli] | 英[ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli]
adv. 逐渐地；越来越多地
despite [高考]
美[dɪˈspaɪt] | 英[dɪˈspaɪt]
prep. 尽管；不管 n. 憎恨；轻视
emotional [高考]
美[ɪˈmoʊʃənl] | 英[ɪˈməʊʃənl]
adj. 感情的；情绪的
claim [高考]
美[kleɪm] | 英[kleɪm]
n. 索赔；宣称；声明；断言 v. 声称；宣称；认领；索取
visible [高考]
美[ˈvɪzəbl] | 英[ˈvɪzəbl]
adj. 看得见的；可见的；显而易见的 n. 物质世界；看得见的事物；直观教具
effectiveness [高考]
美[əˈfɛktɪvnɪs] | 英[ɪˌfek'tɪvnɪs]
n. 有效性；效力
tricky [高考]
美[ˈtrɪki] | 英[ˈtrɪki]
adj. 棘手的；狡猾的；巧妙的
competent [高考]
美[ˈkɑːmpɪtənt] | 英[ˈkɒmpɪtənt]
adj. 有能力的；足够的；胜任的
nervously [高考]
美[ˈnəvəslɪ] | 英['nɜ:vəslɪ]
adv. 神经质地；焦急地
emotionally [高考]
美[ɪˈmoʃənlɪ] | 英[ɪ'məʊʃənəlɪ]
adv. 感情上地；冲动地
pursuit [高考]
美[pərˈsuːt] | 英[pəˈsjuːt]
n. 追求；追赶；工作
diligent [高考]
美[ˈdɪlɪdʒənt] | 英[ˈdɪlɪdʒənt]
adj. 勤奋的；用功的
stability [高考]
美[stəˈbɪləti] | 英[stəˈbɪləti]
n. 稳定性；居于修道院
demand [高考]
美[dɪˈmænd] | 英[dɪˈmɑːnd]
n. 要求；需求 v. 要求；查问；需要
growth [高考]
美[ɡroʊθ] | 英[ɡrəʊθ]
n. 【U】增长；生长；发展；种植 n. 【C】生长物；【医】瘤;赘生物
trend [高考]
美[trend] | 英[trend]
n. 趋势；倾向；方位 vi. 倾向；转向
relief [高考]
美[rɪˈliːf] | 英[rɪˈliːf]
n. 减轻；解除；轻松；浮雕；救济(品)；安慰；替代 adj. 提供救济的；文本的
grocery [高考]
美[ˈɡroʊsəri] | 英[ˈɡrəʊsəri]
n. 杂货店 adj. 杂货的
steady [高考]
美[ˈstedi] | 英[ˈstedi]
adj.稳定的；稳固的；坚定的 v.使稳固；使稳定；(变得)稳固；使坚定 adv.稳定地，稳固地 n. 关系固定的情侣 ；固定支架
analysis [高考]
美[əˈnæləsɪs] | 英[əˈnæləsɪs]
n. 分析；解析
politics [高考]
美[ˈpɑːlətɪks] | 英[ˈpɒlətɪks]
n. 政治；政治学；政治活动；政治策略；政见
ought [高考]
美[ˈɔːt] | 英[ˈɔːt]
aux. 应该；应当；本该 vi. 应该，应当；大概
appreciation [高考]
美[əˌpriːʃiˈeɪʃn] | 英[əˌpriːʃiˈeɪʃn]
n. 欣赏；感激；鉴识；评价；增值
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
finding [高考]
美[ˈfaɪndɪŋ] | 英[ˈfaɪndɪŋ]
n. 调查(或研究)的结果；[律] 裁决
ought to [高考]
美[ˈɔːt tə] | 英[ˈɔːt tə]
应该；应当
crucial [高考]
美[ˈkruːʃl] | 英[ˈkruːʃl]
adj. 决定性的；关键的
genuine [高考]
美[ˈdʒenjuɪn] | 英[ˈdʒenjuɪn]
adj. 真诚的；真正的；真实的；地道的
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
forth [四级]
美[fɔːrθ] | 英[fɔːθ]
adv. 向前；向外；露出
recession [四级]
美[rɪˈseʃn] | 英[rɪˈseʃn]
n. 后退；（经济）不景气
managerial [四级]
美[ˌmænəˈdʒɪriəl] | 英[ˌmænəˈdʒɪəriəl]
adj. 管理的
patiently [四级]
美[ˈpeɪʃəntlɪ] | 英['peɪʃntlɪ]
adv. 耐心地
diligence [四级]
美[ˈdɪlɪdʒəns] | 英[ˈdɪlɪdʒəns]
n. 勤奋
relief from [四级]
美 | 英
减轻 ...
advanced [四级]
美[ədˈvænst] | 英[ədˈvɑːnst]
adj. 先进的；高级的
default [六级]
美[dɪˈfɔːlt] | 英[dɪˈfɔːlt]
n. 默认(值)，系统设定值；不履行，违约；；缺席，弃权 v. 违约，不履行义务，拖欠；默认，预设；弃权，未到场 adj. 默认的
elevation [六级]
美[ˌelɪˈveɪʃn] | 英[ˌelɪˈveɪʃn]
n. 提升；海拔；高度；提高；立视图
shortcut [六级]
美[ˈʃɔːrtkʌt] | 英[ˈʃɔːtkʌt]
n. 捷径；近路；快捷键 v. 抄近路；走捷径
extrovert [专四]
美[ˈɛkstrəˌvət] | 英[ˈekstrəvɜ:t]
n. 性格外向的人
unearth [专四]
美[ʌnˈɜːrθ] | 英[ʌnˈɜːθ]
v. 发掘；掘出；发现并披露
broke [专八]
美[broʊk] | 英[brəʊk]
adj. 一文不名的；破产的 v. 打碎；折断；违背；解决；中断（动词break的过去式）
showy [专八]
美[ˈʃoʊi] | 英[ˈʃəʊi]
adj. 鲜艳的；显眼的；卖弄的
ingrained [专八]
美[ɪnˈɡrend] | 英[ɪnˈgreɪnd]
adj. 根深蒂固的；深嵌入纺织品或纤维的
telling [专八]
美[ˈtelɪŋ] | 英[ˈtelɪŋ]
adj. 有效的；显著的
volatile [专八]
美[ˈvɑːlətl] | 英[ˈvɒlətaɪl]
adj. 不稳定的；反复无常的；易挥发的 n. 挥发物
sociability [考研]
美[ˌsoʃəˈbɪlɪti] | 英[ˌsəʊʃə'bɪlətɪ]
n. 社交性；好交际；善于交际
重点讲解
The dull but diligent could be especially valuable now. As companies claim increasingly to prize soft skills, such as being able to communicate well with all sorts of people, emotionally intelligent workers ought to be in demand.
那些沉闷但勤奋的人现在可能格外有价值。随着公司越来越看重软技能，比如能够与各种人很好地沟通，情商高的员工应该会受到欢迎。
claim v. & n.
1. 作动词
（1）声称，宣称
【例】She claimed to hate all art.
她声称讨厌所有艺术。
（2）索要，索取
【例】He's not entitled to claim housing benefit.
他无权索取住房补贴。
（3）夺走，夺去（生命）
【例】The car crash claimed three lives.
那次撞车事故导致三人死亡。
2. 作名词
（1）声称，断言
【例】The company had made false claims about its products.
公司对其产品的表述不实。
（2）索款，索赔
【例】You can make a claim on your insurance policy.
你可按保险单索赔。
A volatile business environment in which firms face problems from recession to climate change, pandemics and war, favours the steady leader.
在动荡的商业环境中，公司面临着从经济衰退到气候变化、流行病、战争等各种问题，在这种情况下稳重的领导者会受到青睐。
fall over oneself to do 特别卖力，不遗余力
【例】He was falling over himself to be nice to me.
他尽力对我友好。
【拓展】fall over
1. 被…绊倒
【例】I rushed for the door and fell over the cat in the hallway.
我冲向门口，在过道被猫绊了一跤。
2. （突然）发生故障，死机
【例】My spreadsheet keeps falling over.
我的电子表格程序不断出故障。
Chief executives face tricky decisions about how much risk to take in pursuit of growth, as shareholders look on nervously. Startup bosses who proudly moved fast and broke things are now falling over themselves to look demure.
在股东们紧张的目光注视下，首席执行官们面临棘手的决定，即为了追求增长要承担多大风险。那些以行动迅速、摧枯拉朽为傲的初创公司老板们，现在不遗余力地让自己看起来严肃庄重。
fall over oneself to do 特别卖力，不遗余力
【例】He was falling over himself to be nice to me.
他尽力对我友好。
【拓展】fall over
1. 被…绊倒
【例】I rushed for the door and fell over the cat in the hallway.
我冲向门口，在过道被猫绊了一跤。
2. （突然）发生故障，死机
【例】My spreadsheet keeps falling over.
我的电子表格程序不断出故障。
"We are a very boring company," Oliver Merkel, head of Flink, a grocery-delivery startup, bragged to the Financial Times recently. The trend is visible in politics, too.
"我们是一家非常无趣的公司。"食品杂货快递初创公司Flink的老板奥利弗·默克尔最近这样向《金融时报》吹嘘。这一趋势在政坛也很明显。
promise v. & n.
1. 作动词
（1）承诺，保证
【例】The college principal promised to look into the matter.
学院院长答应调查这个问题。
（2）使很可能，预示
【例】The plan seemed to promise a new beginning.
这个计划似乎预示着新的开端。
2. 作名词
（1）诺言，承诺
【例】He fulfilled a campaign promise to end the war.
他兑现了结束战争的竞选承诺。
（2）获得成功的迹象，征兆
【例】Her work shows great promise.
她的作品显示她大有前途。
Joe Biden in America and Rishi Sunak in Britain rose to their countries' top jobs partly because their boring dependability promised relief from their predecessors' noisy incompetence. Testing times call for cool heads.
美国的约瑟夫·拜登和英国的里希·苏纳克成为各自国家的最高领导人，部分原因是他们无趣但可靠的个性很有可能会把人民从喧嚣但无能的前任中解救出来。充满考验的时代需要冷静的头脑。
promise v. & n.
1. 作动词
（1）承诺，保证
【例】The college principal promised to look into the matter.
学院院长答应调查这个问题。
（2）使很可能，预示
【例】The plan seemed to promise a new beginning.
这个计划似乎预示着新的开端。
2. 作名词
（1）诺言，承诺
【例】He fulfilled a campaign promise to end the war.
他兑现了结束战争的竞选承诺。
（2）获得成功的迹象，征兆
【例】Her work shows great promise.
她的作品显示她大有前途。
For all that, quietly competent types hoping for greater appreciation (and remuneration) should not sit still. To rise up the ranks, the boring would do well to raise their profiles, whether by speaking up in meetings or talking up their accomplishments.
尽管如此，希望得到更多赏识(和薪酬)的沉默能干的人不应安坐等待。要提升自己的地位，沉闷无趣的人最好提高自己的存在感，可以在开会时大胆发言，也可以夸一夸自己的成就。
for all 尽管，虽然
【例】For all its clarity of style, the book is not easy reading.
这本书虽然文体清晰，但读起来并不容易。
【拓展】after all 毕竟，终究
【例】So you made it after all!
你毕竟成功了！
profile n. & v.
1. 作名词
（1）简介，概述
【例】a job/employee profile
工作／雇员简介
（2）印象；形象
【例】The deal will certainly raise the company's international profile.
这宗交易肯定会提高这家公司的国际形象。
（3）外形；轮廓
【例】the profile of the tower against the sky
天空映衬下塔楼的轮廓
2. 作动词：概述，写简介
【例】The new Chief Executive was profiled in yesterday’s newspaper.
昨天的报纸刊登了新任总裁的简介。
If they bag bigger jobs they will anyway need to master show-offy things like glad-handing clients, chairing meetings and holding forth on strategy.
如果他们想坐到更高的位置，他们无论如何都需要学会一些装腔作势的事，比如对客户笑脸相迎、主持会议和提出战略。
bag n. & v.
1. 作名词
（1）手提包，旅行袋
【例】He was carrying a heavy bag of groceries.
他背着沉重的杂货袋。
（2）一袋；很多
【例】Get in! There's bags of room.
进来吧！地方很空。
2. 作动词
（1）把…装进袋子
【例】The fruit is washed, sorted and bagged at the farm.
水果在农场洗净、分拣并装袋。
（2）抢占，占有
【例】Try to bag a couple of seats at the front.
想办法抢几个前面的座位。
（3）放弃，取消
They decided to bag the trip because they were short of cash.
因为缺钱，他们决定取消这次旅行。
hold forth 喋喋不休；大发议论
【例】The speaker was holding forth on the collapse of modern society.
演说者正在就现代社会的解体大发议论。
【拓展】on hold 推迟，中断
【例】She put her career on hold to have a baby.
她中断了事业以便生孩子。
Though Mr Judge's analysis revealed emotional stability and general diligence were crucial to managerial effectiveness, extrovert qualities such as sociability were also telling factors.
虽然贾奇的分析显示，情绪稳定和勤奋对管理效率至关重要，但善于社交等外向品质也是重要因素。
telling a.
1.强有力的，显著的
【例】a telling argument有力的论据
2. 显露真实面目的，说明问题的
【例】The number of homeless people is a telling comment on the state of society.
无家可归者的数量是社会状况的生动写照。
Companies' penchant for promoting the wrong people is deeply ingrained, despite management theorists' admonitions. By default, many of those dishing out promotions are themselves narcissists who advanced by wowing their superiors.
尽管管理学理论家经常发出告诫，但公司喜欢提拔不合适的人的现象依然根深蒂固。一般情况下，许多提拔员工的人本身就是自恋者，他们就是通过在上级面前表现自己来获得晋升的。
by default
1. 由于没有特别作出决定，默认
【例】By default bosses should fly in the same airline class as their colleagues do.
默认情况下，老板应该和他们的同事乘坐同一舱位。
2. 由于对手缺席（而胜出）
【例】He became world champion in 2007 by default.
由于对手的缺席，他于2007年成为世界冠军。
unearth v.
1. 挖掘，发掘
【例】The remains were unearthed last year by archaeologists.
考古学家去年发掘了这些遗骸。
2. 发现，找到
【例】The inquiry unearthed some disturbing evidence.
那次调查发现了一些令人不安的证据。
And showy sorts' shameless self-aggrandisement fulfils a convenient function for bosses, giving them a shortcut—no matter how misleading—to finding candidates for elevation.
而且，爱表现的人毫不脸红地自吹自擂，这为老板们提供了一种便利，为他们提供了一条寻找升职候选人的捷径——无论这种捷径有多大的误导性。
by default
1. 由于没有特别作出决定，默认
【例】By default bosses should fly in the same airline class as their colleagues do.
默认情况下，老板应该和他们的同事乘坐同一舱位。
2. 由于对手缺席（而胜出）
【例】He became world champion in 2007 by default.
由于对手的缺席，他于2007年成为世界冠军。
unearth v.
1. 挖掘，发掘
【例】The remains were unearthed last year by archaeologists.
考古学家去年发掘了这些遗骸。
2. 发现，找到
【例】The inquiry unearthed some disturbing evidence.
那次调查发现了一些令人不安的证据。
Many managers are too busy to patiently unearth genuine talent after all. They have other important things on their plates—like impressing their own bosses.
毕竟许多经理太忙了，没耐心挖掘真正的人才。他们手头还有其他重要的事情要做——比如给自己的老板留下好印象。
by default
1. 由于没有特别作出决定，默认
【例】By default bosses should fly in the same airline class as their colleagues do.
默认情况下，老板应该和他们的同事乘坐同一舱位。
2. 由于对手缺席（而胜出）
【例】He became world champion in 2007 by default.
由于对手的缺席，他于2007年成为世界冠军。
unearth v.
1. 挖掘，发掘
【例】The remains were unearthed last year by archaeologists.
考古学家去年发掘了这些遗骸。
2. 发现，找到
【例】The inquiry unearthed some disturbing evidence.
那次调查发现了一些令人不安的证据。
课后练习
Companies may value dull strivers more now because ____.
A. the diversity of workforce is regarded as important
B. a steady leader can cope with risks in a better way
C. reliable leaders can achieve more profit for the company
D. the over-confident leader tends to push the company in danger
The example of Joe Biden shows that ____.
A. leaders display different characters in different situations
B. good leaders should adapt their styles to people’s expectation
C. people increasingly prefer reliable leaders to over-confident ones
D. competence matters more than the leader’s character in politics
The author advises dull strivers to ____.
A. have more confidence in themselves
B. learn to network in the workplace
C. try to exhibit their merit to others
D. volunteer to take on more responsibilities
A possible reason why companies promote the wrong people is that ____.
A. the study on management gives misleading guidance
B. showy people are good at taking credit of others
C. showy people are more noticeable than quiet strivers
D. there is a lack of standardized criteria for promotion