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1、【精品文档】如有侵权，请联系网站删除，仅供学习与交流新视野大学英语第四册 unit5B Culture makes the business world go round.精品文档.Culture makes the business world go round文化推动商业世界的运转Edward Hall, a leader in the field of intercultural studies, famously said: The single greatest barrier to business success is the one erected by culture. Ca
2、n cultural differences have as big an impact on international business ventures as financial planning and visionary leadership? The surprising answer is: Yes!他曾说过一句名言：“商业成功的最大障碍是由文化竖立的障碍。”对国际企业来说，文化差异难道真的和财务规划及前瞻性领导有着同样大的影响吗？答案是出人意料的：的确如此！A good example is the role of relationships in business deali
3、ngs. While relationships play only a minor role in US business culture, they play a major role in Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries. In these cultures, in varying degrees, relationship building is like a torch that lights and guides the way for business to occur.一个很好的例子，人际关系在生意往来中所起的作用。尽管
4、人际关系在美国商业文化中作用不大，但在亚洲、非洲及中东国家却十分重要。在这些文化中，人际关系的经营在不同程度上就好像是照亮和引导生意Lets take the example of Kevin Johnston, a senior vice-president of a US company specializing in hospitality management. Kevin was put in charge of finalizing a merger with a company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Virtually all of
5、 the complicated negotiations had been completed. What remained was a 3-day trip to the UAE for face-to-face meetings between the partners to sign the paperwork and close the deal.让我们以美国一家酒店管理公司高级副总裁凯文?约翰斯顿的故事为例说明。凯文被指派负责敲定与阿拉伯联合酋长国（阿联酋）一家公司的合并事宜。几乎所有复杂的谈判均已完成，剩下的就是花三天时间前往阿联酋与对方面谈，以签署协议文件并完成整个交易。Kev
6、in was determined that nothing would detain him from succeeding. He sent out a memorandum across his company, enthusiastically describing the planned merger with the UAE partners. Having compiled all the necessary documents and graphs, with every figure and decimal in place, and having prepared a th
7、orough exposition certifying the quality of his company, he packed his briefcase and headed for the UAE.凯文坚信，任何事情都不会阻碍他此行成功完成任务。他给公司上下发了一份备忘录，热情洋溢地描述了与阿联酋方面的这一合并计划。在他整理好了所有必备的文件和乃至数据及小数点都精确到位的各种图表，并准备了一份证明公司资质的详尽说明后，他就装好了公文包，奔赴阿联酋。Kevin arrived in the UAE excited to seal the deal. He was treated wit
8、h extraordinary hospitality: an elaborate hotel, blue ribbon foods, elegant convertibles with drivers to tour the city, a parade of entertainment, and beautiful gifts to commemorate the visit. He tried repeatedly to bring out his files, open the conversation and get down to business. But, surprising
9、ly, for the three days he spent in the UAE, none of his Emirate colleagues seemed ready to hear his financial briefing. Each time Kevin tried to speak about the deal, his prospective partners seemed to kidnap the conversation, diverting it to other topics. They would inquire about his health, his fa
10、mily or his views on education and other important issues.凯文到了阿联酋，对于此行来完成这项交易感到兴奋无比。他受到了超规格的殷勤接待：奢华的宾馆、一流的佳肴、配有专职司机的优雅的敞篷车带他游览全城、接连不断的娱乐活动、精美的纪念品。他多次试图取出带来的文件资料，想打开话题谈生意，但奇怪的是，在他停留的三天里，阿联酋的同仁们却好像没有一个人愿意听他准备的财务情况简介。每当凯文试图谈及交易时，有望成为合作伙伴的对方似乎总是“绑架”谈话内容，岔开话题。他们会转而询问他的健康、他的家人，或他对教育和其他重要问题的看法。 Upon leavin
11、g the UAE, Kevin felt exasperated and defeated. He hadnt been able to receive the thorough interrogation of the materials for which he had so carefully prepared. His progress toward closing the deal was exactly where it was when he left the US: nil.离开阿联酋时，凯文感到既恼火又丧气。对于自己精心准备的材料，他根本就无法获得对方的详细询问。至于完成这
12、项交易的计划，则与他离开美国时毫无二致：零进展。The above case is a classic example of how a friction between different cultural expectations causes delay that, if not handled appropriately, will bring the deal to an abrupt end and leave both sides reeling. The substantial loss of revenue can never be refunded and can leav
13、e a struggling company falling without a parachute.上述例子很经典，它说明了不同文化期望值之间的冲突会如何导致延误。这种延误若未能恰当处理的话，就会使一笔生意戛然中断，让双方都不知所措。所造成的巨大的收入损失永远无法弥补，甚至还会让一家在困境中挣扎的公司突然倒闭，就像没用降落伞从高空坠落一样，毫无缓冲。Kevin made the mistake of assuming that the certifications involved in sealing the deal were in his briefcase. He charged i
14、nto the meetings like a bull. For many cultures, a persons certifications are established not only by their accomplishments, their education and abilities, but also by more personal connections. In this case, the UAE partners wanted to know if Kevin was a good man, a family man, a trustworthy man. T
15、his type of rating establishes a trusting relationship for them. Had Kevin patiently taken the time to establish relationships, he would likely have been asked to share his carefully prepared documents and have closed the deal.凯文错误地以为，生意成交只要靠自己公文包中的各种证明文件就行。他风风火火地去参加会谈，就像一头误打误撞的公牛。但对于很多文化来说，一个人确立自己的
16、资质不仅要靠业绩、教育背景或个人能力，而且要靠更多的人际交往。在这一例子中，阿联酋合作伙伴很想知道的是，凯文是不是个好人，是不是个顾家和值得信赖的人。对他们而言，这种评判能够确立双方之间的信任关系。如果凯文当初能够花些时间耐心地去经营一下双方关系的话，他们也许就会让他介绍一下精心准备的材料并完成交易了。Sociologists agree that another key aspect influencing global business is the concept of face. Cross-cultural differences in the way we save face impact our perceptions of trust and respect, which in turn impact our relationships and group cohesion.社会学家一致认为，影响国际商务的另一关键因素是
