2010年9月10日 星期五

讀孫子兵法學英文/同床異夢

【經濟日報╱朱文章】

2010.09.10 03:43 am


同床異夢(sleeping with the enemy)

某單位總經理出缺,三位候選人過關斬將,最後一道題目是:如何利用石頭、長繩和計時器,丈量建築物頂樓總經理室所在位置的高度,最接近答案者勝出。

研發經理爬到屋頂,用繩子拴住石頭垂到地面,擺動繩子,用計時器計出擺動需要的時間,算出高度200呎,誤差最多12吋。

製造經理從屋頂扔下石頭,用計時器測出墬地時間,根據重力定率算出高度200呎,誤差最多六吋。業務經理丟掉石頭、繩子,走進管理員室,把計時器送給管理員,看到設計圖,知道高度是200呎。最後,此兄果然以答案最準確而勝出。

任何問題都可能有最佳答案,按正規方法尋覓,就不會大海撈針(needle in a haystack)。不過,一旦牽涉到時間因素,就會讓沒有心理準備的人手忙腳亂,甚至產生做白工(wild goose chase)的情緒。這位業務經理十分機巧,略施小計(wheel and deal),就脫穎而出,可見精通業務技巧。

例:"Trying to find the right answer within time limit is like trying to find a needle in a haystack these days."「在時效內找到正確答案,其成功的機率,等於大海撈針。」"The victorious sales director knew how to wheel and deal and made the other two competitors look like on a wild goose chase."「業務經理機巧勝出,讓其他兩位競爭者做白工。」

所謂「重賞之下必有勇夫」(直譯:You can find brave men if the reward is big enough.),英文也有類似的說法:"for the right price",亦指:價碼對了的話,一切都好談。所以,勝出者能夠問出最關鍵、緊要的問題(the $64,000 question)的答案,原因有二:他能提供充分誘因,有人意願配合。

例:"For the right price, you can get any people to do anything; therefore, everybody else is expendable for the same reason."「人人用錢買得到,因此不必對他們太好。」

"He provided the right answer to the $64,000 question in time and won the competition."「他在緊要關頭,正確回答關鍵問題,遂贏得勝利。」

當前企業競爭慘烈,公司機密重要性自不待言;一旦洩密,就是巨大損失(to lose one's right hand)。孫子說:「凡軍之所欲擊,城之所欲攻,人之所欲殺,必先知其守將、左右、謁者、門者、舍人之姓名,令吾間必索知之。」意指同僚須同心(two birds in flight),如果同床異夢(sleeping with the enemy),機密洩露、禍起蕭牆,便是別人勝出的時候。

例:"The manager lost his right hand when his best sales representative chose to leave." 「手下最佳業務員求去,對經理而言,猶如斷其右臂。」

"Our management was not two birds in flight and that was why they did not last as a team. Our CEO was most like a hawk who wanted to soar and our chairman was a duck who mainly wanted to sit in the water and relax."「執行長非常積極任事,董事長消極無為,公司高層不同心,很快就拆夥。」

"Looks like we were sleeping with the enemy; John went right to our rival competitor when his contract expired instead of talking to us about an extension." 「老江契約到期,馬上投效敵營,看來他和我們同床異夢久矣。」

(作者任教陸軍官校,suntzu@suntzu4u.com.tw)

【2010/09/10 經濟日報】

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