新视野大学英语第四册
Culture makes the business world go round
永远在一起的英文文化推动商业世界的运转
Edward Hall, a leader in the field of intercultural studies, famously said: "The single greatest barrier to business success is the one erected
by culture." Can cultural differences have as big an impact on
international business ventures as financial planning and visionary leadership? The surprising answer is: Yes!
他曾说过一句名言：“商业成功的最大障碍是由文化竖立的障碍。”对国际企业来说，文化差异难道真的和财务规划及前瞻性领导有着同样大的
影响吗？答案是出人意料的：的确如此！
A good example is the role of relationships in business dealings.
While relationships play only a minor role in US business culture, they
play a major role in Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries. In
开源是什么意思the cultures, in varying degrees, relationship building is like a torch
that lights and guides the way for business to occur.
装聋作哑的意思一个很好的例子，人际关系在生意往来中所起的作用。尽管人际关系
在美国商业文化中作用不大，但在亚洲、非洲及中东国家却十分重要。在
这些文化中，人际关系的经营在不同程度上就好像是照亮和引导生意
Let's take the example of Kevin Johnston, a nior vice-president of
a US company specializing in hospitality management. Kevin was put in charge of finalizing a merger with a company in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE). Virtually all of the complicated negotiations had been completed. What r
emained was a 3-day trip to the UAE for face-to-face meetings between the partners to sign the paperwork and clo the deal.
让我们以美国一家酒店管理公司高级副总裁凯文?约翰斯顿的故事为例说明。凯文被指派负责敲定与阿拉伯联合酋长国（阿联酋）一家公司的
适当的读音合并事宜。几乎所有复杂的谈判均已完成，剩下的就是花三天时间前往阿
联酋与对方面谈，以签署协议文件并完成整个交易。
Kevin was determined that nothing would detain him from succeeding. He nt out a memorandum across his company, enthusiastically describing the planned merger with the UAE partners. Having compiled all the necessary documents and graphs, with every
法律的功能
figure and decimal in place, and having prepared a thorough exposition
certifying the quality of his company, he packed his briefca and
headed for the UAE.
凯文坚信，任何事情都不会阻碍他此行成功完成任务。他给公司上下
发了一份备忘录，热情洋溢地描述了与阿联酋方面的这一合并计划。在他
整理好了所有必备的文件和乃至数据及小数点都精确到位的各种图表，并
准备了一份证明公司资质的详尽说明后，他就装好了公文包，奔赴阿联酋。
Kevin arrived in the UAE excited to al the deal. He was treated
with extraordinary hospitality: an elaborate hotel, blue ribbon foods,
elegant convertibles with drivers to tour the city, a parade of天麻炖鸡的功效与作用
entertainment, and beautiful gifts to commemorate the visit. He tried repeatedly to bring out his files, open the conversation and get down to business. But, surprisingly, for the three days he spent in the UAE, none
of his Emirate colleagues emed ready to hear his financial briefing.
Each time Kevin tried to speak about the deal, his prospective partners emed to "kidnap" the conversation, diverting it to other topics. They
would inquire about his health, his family or his views on education and
other important issues.
凯文到了阿联酋，对于此行来完成这项交易感到兴奋无比。他受到了
超规格的殷勤接待：奢华的宾馆、一流的佳肴、配有专职司机的优雅的敞
篷车带他游览全城、接连不断的娱乐活动、精美的纪念品。他多次试图取商业地产招商运营
出带来的文件资料，想打开话题谈生意，但奇怪的是，在他停留的三天里，阿联酋的同仁们却好像没有一个人愿意听他准备的财务情况简介。每当凯
文试图谈及交易时，有望成为合作伙伴的对方似乎总是“”谈话内容，岔开话题。他们会转而询问他的健康、他的家人，或他对教育和其他重要
问题的看法。Upon leaving the UAE, Kevin felt exasperated and
defeated. He hadn't been able to receive the thorough interrogation of
the materials for which he had so carefully prepared. His progress
toward closing the deal was exactly where it was when he left the US:
nil.
离开阿联酋时，凯文感到既恼火又丧气。对于自己精心准备的材料，
他根本就无法获得对方的详细询问。
至于完成这项交易的计划，则与他离开美国时毫无二致：零进展。
The above ca is a classic example of how a friction between different cultural expectations caus delay that, if not handled appropriately, will bring the deal to an abrupt end and leave both sides reeling. The substantial loss of revenue can never be refunded and can leave a struggling company falling without a parachute.
上述例子很经典，它说明了不同文化期望值之间的冲突会如何导致延误。这种延误若未能恰当处理的话，就会使一笔生意戛然中断，让双方都
不知所措。所造成的巨大的收入损失永远无法弥补，甚至还会让一家在困
境中挣扎的公司突然倒闭，就像没用降落伞从高空坠落一样，毫无缓冲。苏炳添年龄
Kevin made the mistake of assuming that the "certifications"
involved in aling the deal were in his briefca. He charged into the meetings like a bull. For many cultures, a person's certifications are established not only by their accomplishments, their education and abilities, but also by more personal connections. In this ca, the UAE partners wanted to know if Kevin was a good man, a family man, a trustworthy man. This type of rating establishes a trusting relationship for them. Had Kevin patiently taken the time to establish relationships, he would likely have been asked to share his carefully prepared documents and have clod the deal.
凯文错误地以为，生意成交只要靠自己公文包中的各种证明文件就行。他风风火火地去参
加会谈，就像一头误打误撞的公牛。但对于很多文化来说，一个人确立自己的资质不仅要靠业绩、教育背景或个人能力，而且要
