0600自考高级英语-下册.doc

0600自考高级英语-下册.doc

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自考高级英语 下册

Lesson1TheCompanyinWhichIwork

InthecompanyinwhichIwork,eachofusisafraidofatleastoneperson.Theloweryourpositionis,themorepeopleyouareafraidof.Andallthepeopleareafraidofthetwelvemenatthetopwhohelpedfoundandbuildthecompanyandnowownanddirectit.

Allthesetwelvemenareelderlynowanddrainedbytimeandsuccessofenergyandambition.Manyhavespenttheirwholeliveshere.Theyseemfriendly,slow,andcontentwhenIcomeupontheminthehallsandalwayscourteousandmutewhentheyridewithothersinthepublicelevators.Theynolongerworkhard.Theyholdmeetings,makepromotions,andallowtheirnamestobeusedonannouncementsthatarepreparedandissuedbysomebodyelse.Nobodyissureanymorewhoreallyrunsthecompany（noteventhepeoplewhoarecreditedwithrunningit）,butthecompanydoesrun.

Inthenormalcourseofabusinessday…IamafraidofJackGreenbecausemydepartmentispartofhisdepartmentandJackGreenismyboss;GreenisafraidofmebecausemostoftheworkinmydepartmentisdonefortheSalesDepartment,whichismoreimportantthanhisdepartment,andIammuchclosertoAndyKagleandtheotherpeopleintheSalesDepartmentthanheis.

Greendistrustsmefitfully.Hemakesitcleartomeeverynowandthenthathewishestoseeeverythingcomingoutofmydepartmentbeforeitisshowntootherdepartments.Iknowhedoesnotreallymeanthis:

heistoobusywithhisownworktopaythatmuchattentiontoallofmine,andIwillbypasshimonmostofourassignmentsratherthantakeuphistimeanddelaytheirdeliverytopeoplewhohaveanimmediateneedforthem.Mostoftheworkwedoinmydepartmentis,inthelongrun,trivial.ButGreenalwaysgrowsalarmedwhensomeonefromanotherdepartmentpraisessomethingthathascomefrommydepartment.Heturnsscarletwithrageandembarrassmentishehasnotseenorheardofit.

Inmydepartment,therearesixpeoplewhoareafraidofme,andonesmallsecretarywhoisafraidofallofus.Ihaveoneotherpersonworkingformewhoisnotafraidofmewhoisnotafraidofanyone,notevenme,andIwouldfirehimquickly,butI’mafraidofhim…

Thepeopleinthecompanywhoaremostafraidofmostpeoplearethesalesmen.Theyliveandworkunderpressurethatisextraordinary.Whenthingsarebad,theyareworseforthesalesmen;whenthingsaregood,theyarenotmuchbetter.

Theyarealwaysontrial,alwaysonthevergeoffailure,collectivelyandindividually.Theystrain,eventhemostsecureandselfassuredofthem,tolookgoodonpaper;andthereismuchpaperforthemtolookgoodon.Eachweek,forexample,arecordofthesalesresultsoftheprecedingweekforeachsalesofficeandfortheSalesDepartmentasawholeforeachdivisionofthecompanyiskeptandcomparedtothesalesresultsforthecorrespondingweekoftheyearbefore.Thefiguresarephotocopiedanddistributedthroughoutthecompanytoallthepeopleanddepartmentswhoseworkisrelatedtoselling.Theresultofthephotocopyinganddistributingisthatthereisalmostcontinuouspublicscrutinyanddiscussionthroughoutthecompanyofhowwellorpoorlythesalesmenineachsalesofficeofeachdivisionofthecompanyaredoingatanygiventime.

Whensalesmenaredoingwell,thereispressureuponthemtobegindoingbetter,forfeartheymaystartdoingworse.Whentheyaredoingpoorly,theyaredoingterribly.Whenasalesmanlandsalargeorderorbringsinanimportantnewaccount,hiselationisbrief,forthereisdangerhemightlosethatlargeorderorimportantnewaccounttoasalesmanfromacompetingcompanythenexttimearound.Itmightevenbecanceledbeforeitisfilled,inwhichcasenooneiscertainifanythingwasgainedorlost.Sothereiscrisisandalarmevenintheirtriumphs.

Nevertheless,thesalesmenlovetheirworkandwouldnotchooseanyotherkind.Theyarevigorous,fun-lovingbunchwhentheyarenotsufferingabdominalcrampsorbroodingmiserablyaboutthefuture;ontheotherhand,theyoftenturncrankywithoutwarningandcomplainalot.Eachofthemcannameatleastonesuperiorinthecompanywhohefeelshasagrudgeagainsthimandisdeterminedtowreckhiscareer.

Thesalesmenworkhardandearnbigsalaries,withlargepersonalexpenseaccountsthattheysquandergenerouslyonotherpeopleinandoutofthecompany,includingme.Theyowngoodhousesingoodcommunitiesandplaygoodgamesofgolfongoodprivategolfcourses.Thecompanyencouragesthis.Thecompany,infact,willpayfortheircountryclubmembershipandallchargestheyincurthere,andrewardssalesmenwhomakeagoodimpressiononthegolfcourse.

UnmarriedmenarenotwantedintheSalesDepartment,notevenwidowers,forthecompanyhaslearnedfromexperiencethatitisdifficultanddangerousforunmarriedsalesmentomixsociallywithprominentexecutivesandtheirwivesorparticipatewiththeminresponsiblecivicaffairs.Ifasalesman’swifediesandheisnotreadytoremarry,heisusuallymovedintoanadministrativepositionafterseveralmonthsofmourning.Bachelorsareneverhiredforthesalesforce,andsalesmenwhogetdivorced,orwhosewivesdie,knowtheyhadbetterremarryorbeginlookingaheadtowardadifferentjob.

Strangelyenough,thesalesmenreactverywelltotheconstantpressureandrigidsupervisiontowhichtheyaresubjected.Theyarestimulatedandmotivatedbydisciplineanddirection.Theythriveonexplicitguidancetowardclearobjectives.Forthemostpart,theyarecheerful,confident,andgregariouswhentheyarenotirritable,anxious,anddepressed.Theremustbesomethinginthemakeupofamanthatenableshimnotonlytobeasalesman,buttowanttobeone.

Thesalesmenareproudoftheirpositionandofthestatusandimportancetheyenjoywithinthecompany,forthefunctionofmydepartment,andofmostotherdepartments,istohelpthesalesmensell.Thecompanyexiststosell.That’sthereasonwewerehired,andthereasonwearepaid.

ThepeopleinthecompanywhoareleastafraidarethefewinoursmallMarketResearchDepartment,whobelieveinnothingandareconcernedwithcollecting,organizing,interpreting,andreorganizingstatisticalinformationaboutthepublic,themarket,thecountry,andtheworld.Foronething,theirsalariesaresmall,andtheyknowtheywillnothavemuchtroublefindingjobspayingjustaslittleinothercompaniesiftheylosetheirjobshere.Theirbudget,too,issmall,fortheyarenolongerpermittedtoundertakelargeprojects.

Mostoftheinformationweusenowisobtainedfreefromtradeassociationsandsomegovernmentalorganizations,andthereisnowayofknowinganymorewhethertheinformationonwhichwebaseourowninformationfordistributionistrueorfalse.Butthatdoesn’tseemtomatter;allthatdoesmatteristhattheinformationcomefromareputablesource.PeopleintheMarketResearchDepartmentareneverheldtoblameforconditionstheydiscoveroutsidethecompanythatplaceusatacompetitivedisadvantage.Theyarenotexpectedtochangereality,butmerelytofinditiftheycanandsuggestingeniouswaysofdisguisingit.Toagreatextent,thatisthenatureofmyownwork,andallofusunderGreenworkcloselywiththeSalesDepartmentandthePublicRelationsDepartmentinconvertingwholetruthsintohalftruthsandhalftruthsintowholeones.

Iamverygoodatthesetechniquesofdeception,althoughIamnotalwaysableanymoretodeceivemyself.Infact,Iamcontinuouslyastonishedbypeopleinthecompanywhofallvictimtotheirownpropaganda.Therearesomanynowwhoactuallybelievethatwhatwedoisreallyimportant.Thishappensnotonlytosalesmen,buttotheshrewd,capableexecutivesintopmanagement.Ithappenstopeopleonmyownlevelandlower.Ithappenstojustabouteverybodyinthecompanywhograduatedfromagoodbusinessschoolwithhonors.Everytimewelaunchanewadvertisingcampaign,forexample,peopleinsidethecompanyarethefirstonestobetakeninbyit.Everytimeweintroduceanewproduct,oranoldproductwithadifferentcover,color,andnamethatwepresentasnew,peopleinsidethecompanyarethefirsttorushtobuyit---evenwhenit’snogood.

It’sawiseperson,Iguess,whoknowshe’sdumb,andanhonestpersonwhoknowshe’saliar.Andit’sadumbpersonwho’sconvincedheiswise.Wewisegrownupshereatthecompanygoslidinginandoutalldaylong,scaringeachotheratourdesksandtryingtoevadethepeoplewhofrightenus.Wecometowork,havelunch,andgohome.Wegoose-stepinandgoose-stepout,changeourpartnersandwanderallabout,andgobackhometillwealldropdead.Really,Iaskmyselfeverynowandthen,dependingonhowwellorpoorlythingsaregoingattheofficeorathomewithmywife,orwithmyretardedson,orwithmyotherson,ormydaughter,orthecoloredmaid,orthenurseformyretardedson,isthisallthereisformetodo?

IsthisreallythemostIcangetfromthefewyearsleftinthisonelifeofmine?

AndtheanswerIget,ofcourse,isalways---Yes!

…

Iamboredwithmyworkveryoftennow.EverythingroutinethatcomesinIpassalongtosomebodyelse.Thismakesmyboredomworse.It‘sarealproblemtodecidewhetherit’smoreboringtodosomethingboringthantopassalongeverythingboringthatcomesintosomebodyelseandthenhavenothingtodoatall.

Actually,Ienjoymyworkwhentheassignmentsarelargeandurgentandsomewhatfrighteningandwillcometoth