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家族企业的诱惑(下)
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难怪一些继承人决定保留他们的股份或董事会席位,但在其他地方追求事业。
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双语精读
No wonder some heirs decide to hold on to their shareholdings, perhaps a board seat, but pursue a career elsewhere. Not all Waltons work for Walmart; it is hard to find Hoffmanns among executives at Roche, the Swiss drugmaking giant founded by their forebear in 1896.
难怪一些继承人决定保留他们的股份或董事会席位,但在其他地方追求事业。并不是所有的沃尔顿家成员都在沃尔玛工作,在罗氏的高管中也很难找到霍夫曼家的人,罗氏是一家瑞士制药巨头,由霍夫曼家的祖辈于1896年创立。
They thus avoided being accused of belonging to the "lucky sperm club", as Warren Buffett calls those who might well possess the managerial skills to lead a large organisation but never had to jump through the same hoops as everyone else.
这些人因此免于被指责属于“幸运精子俱乐部”,沃伦·巴菲特称这些人可能完全具备领导一个大型组织的管理技能,但不必像其他人那样吃同样的苦头。
Hilton and Marriott, two of the world's biggest hotel chains, as well as Lego, a toymaking giant, are examples of companies which did not produce a strong successor and eventually ended up in the hands of professional managers.
希尔顿和万豪这两家世界上最大的连锁酒店,以及玩具制造巨头乐高,都是没有培养出强有力的继承者,最终公司由职业经理人掌管的例子。
For those who nevertheless decide to take an active role in the family business, it does not have to be a poison. Some of the logic that historically made family firms de rigueur continues to stand.
对于那些仍然决定在家族企业中发挥积极作用的人来说,家族企业不一定是毒药。过去曾让家族企业符合社会习俗的一些逻辑如今依然成立。
For example, designated heirs-like Mr Arnault's five children, all of whom now run parts of LVMH-are groomed early on, so by the time they are ready to take over they have already acquired some industry knowledge by osmosis.
例如,指定的继承人--就像阿尔诺的五个子女,现在都管理LVMH的部分业务--很早就要培养好,这样当他们准备接手时,他们已经耳濡目染地获得了一些行业知识。
At the personal level, work is not solely about money but also about empowerment and prestige. Your name on the door may bestow a sense of purpose. Preserving the legacy of an empire can be rewarding, so long as the heir displays passion and persistence.
在个人层面,工作不仅仅关乎金钱,还关乎赋权和声望。门上印着你的名字,这可能会给人一种使命感。只要继承人表现出激情和坚持不懈,保护帝国的遗产就会带来回报。
They can probably forget being one of the gang when it comes to office gossip, but they can earn their colleagues' and subordinates' respect with modesty and hard work. The serious heir knows that showing up simply because it is easier than venturing out on their own doesn't cut it.
当谈论办公室八卦时,他们可能会忘记自己是家族的一员,但他们可以通过谦虚和努力工作来赢得同事和下属的尊重。严肃的继承人知道,仅仅因为出现在自家公司比外出打拼容易就留在自家公司,这并没有想象中的美好。
Ultimately, being entrusted with a business by people who share your DNA is something you ought to earn, not expect.
归根结底,受到和你有共同基因的人的委托,而去经营一家企业,这应该是你努力赢得的,而不是凭空期望的。
As the adage goes, "A family business is not a business you inherit from your parents, it is a business you borrow from your children."
正如谚语所说:"家族企业不是你从父母那里继承来的企业,而是你从子女那里借来的企业。"
Disregard for this nugget of wisdom is what makes "Succession" such riveting television-and Waystar Royco so dysfunctional.
《继承之战》如此精彩以及剧中的威士达传媒集团如此崩坏的原因就在于对这一智慧的漠视。
词汇预习
gossip [高考]
美[ˈɡɑːsɪp] | 英[ˈɡɒsɪp]
n. 流言蜚语;爱说长道短的人;闲话 vi. 散播(流言蜚语)
giant [高考]
美[ˈdʒaɪənt] | 英[ˈdʒaɪənt]
n. 巨人;巨物;大公司 adj. 巨大的
elsewhere [高考]
美[ˌelsˈwer] | 英[ˌelsˈweə(r)]
adv. 别处
passion [高考]
美[ˈpæʃn] | 英[ˈpæʃn]
n. 激情;酷爱;强烈情感;盛怒 v.〈诗〉感觉[表现]热情
nevertheless [高考]
美[ˌnevərðəˈles] | 英[ˌnevəðəˈles]
adv. 尽管如此;不过;仍然 conj. 然而;不过
pursue [高考]
美[pərˈsuː] | 英[pəˈsjuː]
v. 追求;追捕;继续执行;从事
logic [高考]
美[ˈlɑːdʒɪk] | 英[ˈlɒdʒɪk]
n. 逻辑;逻辑学;条理性;推理
persistence [高考]
美[pərˈsɪstəns] | 英[pəˈsɪstəns]
n. 坚持;毅力
empowerment [高考]
美[ɪm'poʊrmənt] | 英[ɪm'paʊəmənt]
n. 授权
legacy [高考]
美[ˈleɡəsi] | 英[ˈleɡəsi]
n. 遗赠物;先人或过去遗留下来的东西 adj. [计算机]旧系统的
inherit [高考]
美[ɪnˈherɪt] | 英[ɪnˈherɪt]
v. 继承;遗传
eventually [高考]
美[ɪˈventʃuəli] | 英[ɪˈventʃuəli]
adv. 最后;终于
thus [高考]
美[ðʌs] | 英[ðʌs]
adv. 这样;如此;因此;从而
wisdom [高考]
美[ˈwɪzdəm] | 英[ˈwɪzdəm]
n. 智慧;明智;才智;聪明;至理名言
possess [高考]
美[pəˈzes] | 英[pəˈzes]
vt. 拥有;持有;支配
ought [高考]
美[ˈɔːt] | 英[ˈɔːt]
aux. 应该;应当;本该 vi. 应该,应当;大概
organisation [高考]
美[ˌɔːrɡənəˈzeɪʃn] | 英[ˌɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃn]
n. 组织;团体;条理
take over [高考]
美[teɪk 'oʊvər] | 英[teɪk 'əʊvə]
v. 接收;接管;接任;承袭
ought to [高考]
美[ˈɔːt tə] | 英[ˈɔːt tə]
应该;应当
gang [高考]
美[ɡæŋ] | 英[ɡæŋ]
n. 一群;一伙;(歹徒等的)一帮 v. 结成一伙;结伙袭击
empire [四级]
美[ˈempaɪər] | 英[ˈempaɪə(r)]
n. 帝国;大企业;帝权
solely [四级]
美[ˈsoʊlli] | 英[ˈsəʊlli]
adv. 独自地;单独地;完全
heir [四级]
美[er] | 英[eə(r)]
n. 继承人
managerial [四级]
美[ˌmænəˈdʒɪriəl] | 英[ˌmænəˈdʒɪəriəl]
adj. 管理的
historically [四级]
美[hɪsˈtɔrɪklɪ] | 英[hɪ'stɒrɪklɪ]
adv. 历史上地
so long as [四级]
美[soʊʊ lɔːŋ æz] | 英[səʊ lɒŋ æz]
只要(多指否定)
hold on to [四级]
美[hold ɑn tu] | 英[həuld ɔn tu:]
紧紧抓住;坚持;不放弃
rewarding [四级]
美[rɪˈwɔːrdɪŋ] | 英[rɪˈwɔːdɪŋ]
adj. 有报酬的;有益的;值得的
prestige [六级]
美[preˈstiːʒ] | 英[preˈstiːʒ]
adj. 有威信的;名贵的
successor [六级]
美[səkˈsesər] | 英[səkˈsesə(r)]
n. 接班人;继任人
modesty [六级]
美[ˈmɑːdəsti] | 英[ˈmɒdəsti]
n. 谦逊;虚心;端庄;朴实;中肯
bestow [六级]
美[bɪˈstoʊ] | 英[bɪˈstəʊ]
v. 授予;给予;[古]使用;[古]放置
Swiss [专八]
美[swɪs] | 英[swɪs]
adj. 瑞士的 n. 瑞士人
重点讲解
No wonder some heirs decide to hold on to their shareholdings, perhaps a board seat, but pursue a career elsewhere. Not all Waltons work for Walmart; it is hard to find Hoffmanns among executives at Roche, the Swiss drugmaking giant founded by their forebear in 1896.
难怪一些继承人决定保留他们的股份或董事会席位,但在其他地方追求事业。并不是所有的沃尔顿家成员都在沃尔玛工作,在罗氏的高管中也很难找到霍夫曼家的人,罗氏是一家瑞士制药巨头,由霍夫曼家的祖辈于1896年创立。
accuse v. 控告,指责
【例】She accused him of lying.
她指责他说谎。
【拓展】the accused 被告
【例】The accused was found innocent.
被告被判定无罪。
jump through hoops (为达到目的而)经受磨难
【例】You have to jump through so many hoops to get a job like this.
您必须经受很多磨难才能获得这样的工作。
They thus avoided being accused of belonging to the “lucky sperm club”, as Warren Buffett calls those who might well possess the managerial skills to lead a large organisation but never had to jump through the same hoops as everyone else.
这些人因此免于被指责属于“幸运精子俱乐部”,沃伦·巴菲特称这些人可能完全具备领导一个大型组织的管理技能,但不必像其他人那样吃同样的苦头。
accuse v. 控告,指责
【例】She accused him of lying.
她指责他说谎。
【拓展】the accused 被告
【例】The accused was found innocent.
被告被判定无罪。
jump through hoops (为达到目的而)经受磨难
【例】You have to jump through so many hoops to get a job like this.
您必须经受很多磨难才能获得这样的工作。
Hilton**** and Marriott****,**** two of**** the world’s biggest hotel chains****,**** as**** well**** as**** Lego****,**** a toymaking giant,**** are examples**** of**** companies which did not produce a strong**** successor and eventually**** ended up**** in**** the hands of**** professional**** managers****.****
希尔顿和万豪这两家世界上最大的连锁酒店,以及玩具制造巨头乐高,都是没有培养出强有力的继承者,最终公司由职业经理人掌管的例子。
For those who nevertheless decide to take an active role in the family business, it does not have to be a poison. Some of the logic that historically made family firms de rigueur continues to stand.
对于那些仍然决定在家族企业中发挥积极作用的人来说,家族企业不一定是毒药。过去曾让家族企业符合社会习俗的一些逻辑如今依然成立。
logic n.
1. 思维方式;逻辑
【例】I fail to see the logic behind his argument.
我不明白支持他论据的是什么逻辑。
2. (做某事的)道理,合乎情理的原因
【例】Linking the proposals in a single package did have a certain logic.
把这些提议联系起来成为一揽子提议确有一定的道理。
3. 逻辑学
【例】Philosophers use logic to prove their arguments.
哲学家用逻辑推理来证明他们的论点。
de rigueur a. 合乎礼节;按照习俗
【例】Evening dress is de rigueur at the casino.按照习俗在赌场要穿晚礼服。
For example, designated heirs—like Mr Arnault’s five children, all of whom now run parts of LVMH—are groomed early on, so by the time they are ready to take over they have already acquired some industry knowledge by osmosis.
例如,指定的继承人--就像阿尔诺的五个子女,现在都管理LVMH的部分业务--很早就要培养好,这样当他们准备接手时,他们已经耳濡目染地获得了一些行业知识。
groom v. & n.
1. 作动词
(1)(给动物)擦洗,刷洗;梳毛
【例】The horses are all well fed and groomed.
这些马都喂得饱饱的,刷洗得干干净净。
(2)使做好准备;培养
【例】Our junior employees are being groomed for more senior roles.
我们的初级雇员正在接受培训以承担更重要的职责。
2. 作名词
(1)马夫;新郎
【例】I’d like to propose a toast to the bride and groom.
我提议为新郎新娘的幸福干杯!
early on 在初期;在开始阶段
【例】I knew quite early on that I wanted to marry her.
我老早就知道我想娶她。
take over
1. 占上风;取而代之
【例】Try not to let negative thoughts take over.
尽量别受消极的想法左右。
2. 接替;接任
【例】Paul's daughter took over the job in 2017.
保罗的女儿于2017年接任工作。
3. 控制,接管(政党、国家、公司等)
【例】CBS Records was taken over by Sony.
哥伦比亚广播公司的唱片公司已被索尼公司收购。
At the personal level, work is not solely about money but also about empowerment and prestige. Your name on the door may bestow a sense of purpose. Preserving the legacy of an empire can be rewarding, so long as the heir displays passion and persistence.
在个人层面,工作不仅仅关乎金钱,还关乎赋权和声望。门上印着你的名字,这可能会给人一种使命感。只要继承人表现出激情和坚持不懈,保护帝国的遗产就会带来回报。
persistence n.
1. 坚持;锲而不舍
【例】Her persistence paid off when she was offered the job of manager.
她得到了经理的职位,不懈坚持终于有了回报。
2. 持续存在;维持
【例】the persistence of high unemployment 居高不下的失业率
(not) cut it (不)如预想的一般好;(不)像所需要的那么好
【例】He won't cut it as a professional singer.他的歌艺未达到专业歌手水平。
They can probably forget being one of the gang when it comes to office gossip, but they can earn their colleagues’ and subordinates’ respect with modesty and hard work. The serious heir knows that showing up simply because it is easier than venturing out on their own doesn’t cut it.
当谈论办公室八卦时,他们可能会忘记自己是家族的一员,但他们可以通过谦虚和努力工作来赢得同事和下属的尊重。严肃的继承人知道,仅仅因为出现在自家公司比外出打拼容易就留在自家公司,这并没有想象中的美好。
persistence n.
1. 坚持;锲而不舍
【例】Her persistence paid off when she was offered the job of manager.
她得到了经理的职位,不懈坚持终于有了回报。
2. 持续存在;维持
【例】the persistence of high unemployment 居高不下的失业率
(not) cut it (不)如预想的一般好;(不)像所需要的那么好
【例】He won't cut it as a professional singer.他的歌艺未达到专业歌手水平。
Ultimately, being entrusted with a business by people who share your DNA is something you ought to earn, not expect.
归根结底,受到和你有共同基因的人的委托,而去经营一家企业,这应该是你努力赢得的,而不是凭空期望的。
ought to do sth. 应该做某事
【例】You really ought to quit smoking.
你真的应该把烟戒了。
nugget n.
1. (某些食品或金属的)小圆块
【例】chicken nuggets
鸡肉块
2. 有价值的小东西;有用的想法(或事实)
【例】a useful nugget of information
一条有用的信息
dysfunctional a. 机能失调的;功能障碍的
【例】children from dysfunctional families 有缺陷家庭的子女
As the adage goes, “A family business is not a business you inherit from your parents, it is a business you borrow from your children.”
正如谚语所说:"家族企业不是你从父母那里继承来的企业,而是你从子女那里借来的企业。"
ought to do sth. 应该做某事
【例】You really ought to quit smoking.
你真的应该把烟戒了。
nugget n.
1. (某些食品或金属的)小圆块
【例】chicken nuggets
鸡肉块
2. 有价值的小东西;有用的想法(或事实)
【例】a useful nugget of information
一条有用的信息
dysfunctional a. 机能失调的;功能障碍的
【例】children from dysfunctional families 有缺陷家庭的子女
Disregard for this nugget of wisdom is what makes “Succession” such riveting television—and Waystar Royco so dysfunctional.
《继承之战》如此精彩以及剧中的威士达传媒集团如此崩坏的原因就在于对这一智慧的漠视。
ought to do sth. 应该做某事
【例】You really ought to quit smoking.
你真的应该把烟戒了。
nugget n.
1. (某些食品或金属的)小圆块
【例】chicken nuggets
鸡肉块
2. 有价值的小东西;有用的想法(或事实)
【例】a useful nugget of information
一条有用的信息
dysfunctional a. 机能失调的;功能障碍的
【例】children from dysfunctional families 有缺陷家庭的子女
课后练习
The example of Hilton and Marriott shows that ____.
A. company heirs often lack managerial skills
B. company heirs don’t have to earn their living
C. it is not unusual for heirs to work outside the family business
D. it is the best option for businesses to hire professional managers
The example of the heirs of LVMH shows that ____.
A. the talent for business runs in the family
B. the competition among heirs starts early
C. it is important to train the heirs in advance
D. young heirs can bring vitality to the industry
The advice for heirs at the personal level is that ____.
A. they should prioritize achievement over money
B. they should work hard in the family business
C. they should treat their colleagues equally
D. they should refrain from gossiping about the family
The ultimate truth of family business is that ____.
A. the success of business depends on family bonds
B. family business is not a gift but a responsibility
C. few family businesses can endure the test of time
D. family members should collaborate rather than compete