第八单元Money remains an important motivator but organizations should not imagine that it is the only one that matters. In practice, high performers tend to take for granted that they will get a good financial package. They seek motivation from other sources.金钱是一种重要的激励因素,但老板们不应当把钱看成是唯一起重要作用的激励因素.事实上,高效员工认为他们获得丰厚的薪酬是理所当然的.他们还寻求其他方面的动力.The challenge of the job is another essential motivator for high performers. Such people easily become demotivated if they sense that their organisation has little or no real sense of where it is going.具有挑战性的工作对于高效员工来说是另一个关键性的激励因素.高效员工如果觉得自己服务的企业对于未来的发展方向缺乏明确的认识,他们就会丧失积极性. If they find that it is not interested in them as people but only as high performing commodities, it will hardly be surprising if their loyalty is minimal. On the other hand, if an organization does invest in its people, it is much more likely to win loyalty from them and create a community of talent and high performance that will worry competitors.一旦他们觉得企业将自己仅仅作为高效商品来看待,而不是作为人来加以重视,他们的忠诚度一落千丈也就不足为奇了.相反,如果企业为员工的发展进行投资,就很可能赢得他们的忠诚,就能培育出高效创新的团队,这会让竞争对手感到惶惶不安.第九单元The World Trade Organisation has forced the European Union to phase out its old quota system that guaranteed West Indian growers market access, and there's no way she can match the rock-bottom prices最低价of the giant US corporations that dominate the market for the world's favourite fruit.世界贸易组织已经迫使欧盟废除了曾经确保西印度群岛农场主进入欧洲市场的传统配额制度. 在香蕉这种全世界最受欢迎的水果市场上,美国的一些商业巨头占据着绝对的主导地位,其价格优势是她(丹尼斯) 根本无法抗衡的.For its supporters, fair trade is an example of how world trade can and should be run to tackle poverty. Producers are all small scale and must be part of a cooperative or democratically run association of workers who observe high social and environmental standards.在其支持者看来,公平贸易以一种实例证明了世界贸易能够消除贫困,而且也应该如此.种植户的规模都很小,他们必须加入合作性的或者以民主方式运营的协会,这些协会成员遵守严格的社会和环境标准.It is ironic, though, that fair trade, which was designed to counter the injustices of the mainstream trading system, could itself become a victim of the WTO. Technically, it could be banned because WTO rules theoretically prohibit "differentiation" between products on the basis of their means of production.然而, 颇具讽刺意味的是,原本旨在减少全球贸易体系内种种不公平现象的公平贸易竟然也曾经成为世界贸易组织的牺牲品.从技术上讲,WTO有权封杀公平贸易,因为WTO的公则禁止根据生产方式给予商品差异化待遇.第十单元At a time when life has rarely been tougher for manufacturers in the developed world, Miele's strategy for survival is to break almost all the rules.眼下,正当发达国家的制造商面临着几乎是前所未有的困境之际,美诺的生存之道则是打破几乎所有的行规.Rather than outsource to low-cost suppliers, it makes 4 million electric motors a year (enough for all its products) in its own plant near Cologne.美诺没有将其发动机生产外包给低成本的供应商,而是在设在科隆附近的自有工厂里每年生产四百万台发动机(完全满足其产品的需要).Even though Miele's manufacturing costs are higher than those of its competitors, the company says these are justified by its ability to produce appliances that - despite their higher prices - people want to buy.虽然美诺的制造成本高于竞争对手,但是公司认为这样做完全正确,因为它能制造出人们想要购买的产品,尽管其价格昂贵.Miele faces a tough few years as it strives not just to keep ahead of competitors at the top end of the white goods market but also to interest new generations of increasingly cost-consciosconsumers in buying machines that -in terms of kitchens - are the equivalent of luxury Swiss watches.在未来几年里,美诺将面临严峻的形势.一方面它要在白色家电的高端市场上领先于竞争对手,另一方面它又需要吸引对价格越来越敏感的新生代家电消费者.就厨房电器而言,美诺产品的奢侈程度不亚于瑞士名表.第十一单元Big business 大企业;大公司is being asked to explain its approach to a growing number of social, ethical and environmental concerns.大企业纷纷被要求解释它们应对越来越多的社会,道德和环境问题的措施. Industries that until now had avoided the spotlight are finding attention is now focusing on them.一些一直成功地躲避了聚光灯的行业现在也发现自己正成为注意的焦点. Companies usually take actions when they face a real or potential threat to their reputation, as when Kraft announced in July it would cut fat and sugar in its food, limit portion sizes and stop marketing in schools. A lawsuit against Kraft over fatty acids was rapidly withdrawn after it said it would address the issue.企业在其声誉面临现实的或潜在的威胁时通常会采取行动,卡夫七月份宣布减少其食品中的脂肪和糖的含量,限制每份食品的大小,停止在学校进行营销活动.一场针对卡夫食品中的脂肪酸过量的诉讼,在卡夫宣布将解决这个问题后很快就撤诉了.Some sectors remain secretive, including hotels and leisure, and software andcomputer services. But they form a decreasing minority as investor interest, regulation and peer pressure combine to force greater disclosure.有些行业,包括宾馆业,休闲业以及软件和计算机服务业,依然在遮遮掩掩.然而,随着投资者的关注,政府的监管和来自同行的压力形成了要求披露更多信息的合力,这些行业正沦为数量越来越小的少数派.第十二单元The founder of the IKEA furniture empire travels economy class, drives a 10-year-old Volvo and buys his fruit and vegetables in the afternoons, when prices are often cheaper.这位宜家家具帝国的创始人乘坐经济舱旅行,开着一辆有十年历史的沃尔沃汽车,总是在下午买水果和蔬菜,因为这时价格往往便宜些.What began as a mail-order business in 1943 has grown into an international retailing phenomenon across 31 countries with 70,000 employees.宜家创建于1943年,当时仅仅从事邮购业务,现如今已经发展成为在全球31个国家经营,员工总数超过7万的国际化零售业巨头.The concept behind Ikea's amazing success is unbelievably simple: make affordable, well-designed furniture available to the masses.宜家之所以取得了令人惊异的成功,首先是因为它那简单的令人难以置信的经营理念:向老百姓提供设计精美而又买得起的家具.He is determined that the group will not go public, because short-term shareholder demands conflict with long-term planning.他下决心不让宜家集团上市,因为股东的短期要求和企业长期的规划会有冲突. Mr Kamprad has been slowly withdrawing from the business since 1986, when he stepped down as group president. He maintains that he is still "too much involved and in too many details", although he admits to a distinct reluctance to withdraw altogether(完全地=completely).自1986年从集团总裁位置上退下来以后,坎普拉德先生就慢慢从业务中淡出.尽管他承认自己非常不愿意完全退出,但他仍然坚持说自己是“参与过多,过问的细节太多.”。