【09.04.16 经济学人】经验赞歌

xiongshu

【原文标题】 Songs of Experience
【中文标题】 经验赞歌
【登载媒体】 Economist 经济学人
【来源地址】 http://www.economist.com/business/management/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13356222
【译   者】    xiongshu
【翻译方式】 人工
【声   明】    本翻译供Anti-CNN使用，未经AC或译者许可，不得转载
【原文库链接】http://bbs.m4.cn/thread-158710-1-1.html
【译   文】

EARLY on in Juan Antonio Fernandez and Laurie Underwood's book, one of the “international business pioneers” of the title recalls an incident during his first visit to China, in 1976. At Beijing's Friendship Hotel—“Russian-designed, drab, grim, grey—like a prison”—the managers had kindly laid on a disco for their distinguished guests. The festivities prove as dour as the venue, not least because of a complete absence of women. But shortly, after one guest—a South American—has complained, the doors burst open, and ten uniformed female troopers of the People's Liberation Army march in. “Hello, my name is Mei Lin. Do you wish to dance with me?” barks their leader. Soon, the guests and the duty-bound ladies are doing the Conga, and hearts (so our teller claims) are “melting”.

早在Juan Antonio Fernandez和Laurie Underwood合著的名为《国际商务先锋》一书中，就写了1976年作者第一次中国之行中的一件“轶事”。在“由俄国人设计的，装饰呆板、色调灰暗，就如监狱一般的”北京友谊饭店里，经理为各位贵宾举办了一次舞会。这场舞会没有一位女士参加，搞得就像“犯人审判”一样死气沉沉。但就在一位来自南美国家的客人抱怨舞会搞得不如意之后，大堂的门突然打开了，十名身着军装的中国人民解放军女战士整齐的步入大堂。“你好，我叫梅林，您愿意和我跳支舞吗？”，一位女兵对来访领导说道。不一会，来宾们就和“肩负责任”的女兵们跳起了康茄舞，大家的心中的隔阂也随着舞蹈渐渐消失了。

This distant recollection is a poignant reminder of how much China has opened up in the intervening years. Yet despite the country's remarkable transformation, it can still baffle foreign investors. For an entrepreneur planning a venture in China, an excellent first step would be to read this book. Juan Antonio Fernandez, a professor at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, and Laurie Underwood (interviewed here), a journalist and China specialist, have distilled the combined wisdom of 40 foreign entrepreneurs who have succeeded in China, selected from a variety of industries and countries in the developed and developing world. The chapters cover starting up, choosing partners, getting paid, hiring staff, corruption, negotiations, daily living and much more.

这段时隔已久的回忆记录了中国在当时时局动荡的年代对外开放的“心酸往事”。尽管如今的中国已经发生了翻天覆地的变化，但外国人还是对如何让这个国家开展投资充满困惑。对于打算在中国进行风险投资的企业家来说，首先读读这本书的确是明智之举。上海中欧国际商务学校的Juan Antonio Fernandez教授以及记者、中国问题专家Laurie Underwood在书中记述了四十位来自发展中国家及发达国家的外国企业家在中国的成功经历，并从中提炼出他们的智慧结晶。书中的章节包含起步阶段、挑选合作伙伴、获得报酬、招雇员工、应对企业腐败现象、谈判、日常商务生活等等。

The material is well-organised and clear, with summaries, case studies, call-outs and key rules providing effective aids for the impatient reader. Particularly illuminating are the insights into the importance of guanxi—the vital network of social and business connections that help in a crisis. Common risks, such as local staff stealing company secrets, or moonlighting with competing businesses, are effectively explained, as are how to avoid bribery in a “gift-giving” culture, wear down obstructive bureaucrats and deal with dodgy police. The familiar issues of expatriate life in emerging markets—increased purchasing power, transient friendships and relationships, and language problems—are all duly noted.

本书结构明晰有序，包含有内容摘要、案例研究、在线服务及关键守则，为急于了解中国的读者提供有效的帮助。本书对读者启发最大的地方在于对“关系”重要性的深入剖析---“关系”就是当身处危机中时能够提供帮助至关重要的商业社会联络网。本书对于诸如企业内部员工窃取公司机密，本部员工为竞争对手做兼职工作等这些所有企业都会面临的风险做了翔实有效的解释，同时也对在“送礼文化”中避免行贿行为，扫除阻碍企业发展的官僚主义风气及应对不定期检查的影响等方面都给出了相应的处理方法。对于将要来中国进行商业投资的外国企业家来说，亟待提高的企业购买力，飘忽不定的伙伴关系以及语言上的隔阂这些在外遇到的与上面类似的困难，在书中都有做应对的介绍。

Also valuable is the material that deals with the pitfalls of business negotiations. Interviewees explain that the typically “inefficient and meandering” discussions at meetings serve an important purpose—they are aimed at building trust rather than hammering out terms. Substantive issues are often covered during breaks (one interviewee declares he took up smoking so as not to miss these vital exchanges). Chinese interlocutors do not always express their disagreement openly in order to avoid giving offence, yet emotional outbursts as a negotiating ploy are common. And even when signed, the contract may be seen as a mere step towards closer understanding, rather than a binding deal, according to frustrated operators.

本书的另一价值体现在告诉读者如何应对商业谈判中的陷阱。对于会议中典型的“低效拖沓”的会谈，受访者解释道这种会谈有其重要的目的--旨在达成彼此信任的关系而不是为了一下子敲定谈判条款。实质性议程往往在休会时谈及。中方谈判代表一般不会对外表露自己的不满，以免冒犯对方，而情绪的突然表露也是很常见的谈判技巧。从遭遇过失败的谈判者这里可知，即使签订了合同，这份合同也仅仅是为达到更深层次了解所迈出一步而已，而并不是具有约束效力的条约。

Throughout the book, the interviewees spice things up with lively personal anecdotes, which tend to underline the “wild east” nature of the Chinese business environment at small-operator level. One particularly colourful one comes from Eric Rongley, an American entrepreneur, who recalls how, in the process of acquiring a licence for his business, he was forced to steal his computers from his own office after it had been closed by the police through the tittle-tattle of a rival, and found himself racing down the street, computer in hand, with his trousers falling down and a security guard clinging to his arm, while he screamed “this is mine!” in broken Mandarin to astonished onlookers. Such are the perils, apparently, of weak guanxi.

纵观全书，受访者们用生动的个人见闻本书增色不少，他们的这些个人见闻大多倾向于强调中国小型企业层次商业环境“荒蛮的东方”的本质。其中有一条来自美国企业家Eric Rongley的经历很有“个人特色”。他回忆道，为了能拿到商业执照，他不得不从因为闲聊“造反”而被警方查封的自己的办公室里“偷”出自己的电脑，结果扯着滑落的裤子抱着电脑在大街上一路狂奔，被保安逮着了扭着胳膊，还操着糟糕的普通话喊“这电脑是我的！”，引得行人驻足观望吃惊不已。很显然，造成这样的不好收拾的结果就是因为“关系”不好。

Any weaknesses in the book come not from what it contains, but from what it leaves out. The heavy reliance on the experiences and opinions of its interviewees, means there is a failure to deal with more complex questions, such as the impact of social upheaval, nationalism or consumerism on business life. Input from an economist or social scientist would have been welcome, as would the perspective of Chinese themselves, who after all are the main object of the book's commentary. The authors (although undoubtedly qualified to pronounce) proffer no “China theory” of their own, nor derive any special insight about the country's place in the world, which seems like an unnecessary limitation.

该书的不足之处并不在其内容方面，而是在其处理问题方面。本书在内容上过于依赖受访者的个人经历和见解，在处理诸如社会动荡造成的冲击，商业事务中的民族至上主义和用户至上主义这些复杂的问题时，就显得捉襟见肘。来自经济学家和社会学家的意见会受到读者的欢迎，而来自中国人自己的意见也会受到同等的待遇，毕竟本书最主要的评论对象就是中国人。两位作者在书中没有提到任何自己“对中国的看法”，也没有引述任何关于中国在世界上的地位这方面的专业见解，这样的“避嫌”看起来倒显得没有必要。

Ultimately, however, “China Entrepreneur” succeeds in its primary purpose—as an operational handbook for the newcomer to China. It will surely save its intended users time, money and many of the frustrations suffered by those who went before them.

为刚来中国打算投资的“菜鸟”提供一本操作手册---“中国企业家”一书就凭借这一基本目的得以热销。该书也一定能为慕名而来购买本书的读者节省时间，节约资本，还能让读者比没读过该书的投资者少走不少弯路。


翻译交流：沙发

不明白标题中的“赞”是何来源。为什么不直接译为“经验之歌”呢？
墨羽 发表于 2009-4-28 23:36

墨羽

不明白标题中的“赞”是何来源。为什么不直接译为“经验之歌”呢？

音乐盒

看来是很有意思的一本书，西方人眼中的中国与中国人。文章还蛮客观的。