讀孫子兵法學英文／踢到鐵板

【經濟日報╱朱文章】 2010.12.10 03:31 am

踢到鐵板 catch a Tartar 電動遊樂場裡，除了太鼓達人、娃娃機，打地鼠機也很受喜歡：玩家手執棒槌，哪個洞冒出地鼠，就朝哪個洞打，有人得心應手，有人左支右絀，地鼠此起彼落打不勝打，這是遊戲的賣點。 賽局裡有個「連鎖店矛盾」很像打地鼠機：各大城市有連鎖店，潛在競爭者隨時虎視眈眈，遇競爭者加入戰局，因為仍有利可圖，按理性判斷，經營者可以選擇容 忍；但何以會像打地鼠般，明知削價競爭會兩敗俱傷，也要「殺一儆百」（make an example of someone），讓仿效者打退堂鼓（nip something in the bud）？這猛藥（Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies.）下得十分不理性，其道理何在？ 連鎖業者願意犧牲局部利益，寸土必爭（like a dog in the manger），花大力氣總之要讓挑戰者鎩羽而歸（beat a hasty retreat），當然是觀照到整體經營（across the board）考量。因為稍一不慎，讓競爭者養成氣候，像雨後春筍無所不在難以根治，這時寡占的優勢局面就會喪失殆盡。 用理性的思維，演出不理性的戲碼，箇中巧妙就是讓人防不勝防。這也是孫子：「三軍之眾，可使必受敵而無敗者，奇正是也；」以及：「戰勢不過奇正，奇正之變，不可勝窮也。奇正相生，如迴圈之無端，孰能窮之哉！」的兵法精髓。 連鎖業者盤據地方甚久，根深柢固，他只要全力對付一兩個先冒出頭的競爭者，用看似意氣用事（with his heart and not his head）的雙輸手法處理，內心老神在在（sure of his conviction），手法卻讓人摸不著頭緒，後來的競爭者不知道會不會也踢到鐵板（catch a Tartar），只好不敢輕舉妄動。 例："This was a public warning to make an example out of the company for anyone attempting to enter the market."「他們拿這家公司開刀，以警告有意仿效的其他業者。」 "Boss says we need to nip them in the bud before they get to be big problems."「老闆指示：在他們坐大前，務必將之剷除。」 "Something must be done to deter the competitors! Desperate diseases require desperate remedies."「為了遏阻競爭者，我們下重手也在所不惜。」 "Acting like a dog in the manger, we prevent those competitors from entering our market."「這小小地盤實不足惜，但我們就是使盡全力，不讓對方立足。」 "When they faced fierce resistance from the local shops, they beat a hasty retreat and left for good."「在地業者反擊力道強勁，他們就從此打了退堂鼓。」 "The incumbent chain store company took an across-the-board strategy to cope with the challenges from the continual entrants."「競爭者紛至沓來，現有在地連鎖業者全面備戰。」 "He acts as if he thought with his heart and not his head, but that is exactly how we get stuck in a big way."「他故意裝成不用大腦，卻因此讓大家上了大當。」 "He is so absolutely sure of his convictions, but makes them think he is hard to predict."「他內心老神在在，外表卻讓人難以捉摸。」"They learn to know that they will never want to catch a tartar in this market."「他們學到：進入這個市場要三思，免得踢到鐵板。」 （作者任教陸軍官校，suntzu@suntzu4u.com.tw） 【2010/12/10 經濟日報】