2017地税通用申报表:讀孫子兵法學英文/一槌定音 show stopper

来源:百度文库 编辑:中财网 时间:2024/05/07 06:58:24

孫子說:「古之善用兵者,能使敵人前後不相及,眾寡不相恃,貴賤不相救,上下不相收,卒離而不集,兵合而不齊」。換言之,敵人任何動作,高手總能破解。

無往不利的人很多:他作多,牛市來臨;作空,剛好熊市,兩邊通吃;百貨業高手,跳樓價(cut rate sale)也好,加價(jack up the price)也罷,他左右逢源。

這種料事如神,一槌定音( show stopper)的本領,到底是怎麼回事?

電影裡,教父違法犯紀,口頭禪:「我給的條件,想必對方不會拒絕」(I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse.)這句話等於中文「霸王硬上弓」。流氓惡名在外,受他脅迫,多半讓人左右為難(in a cleft stick ),又不敢賈其餘勇(Dutch courage)和他硬拚,這是教父橫行無阻的原因。

靠拳頭打天下(Lead dog changes the view.)的世界,自有維繫既得利益者的行為準則(the pecking order),他們的話才算數。同理:「民不與官鬥」(you can't fight City Hall),草民有理講不清,因為官字兩個口,道理由他怎麼說都對。

巴涅特(Tom Barnett)被美國前國防部長倫斯斐譽為「策略大師」,在其著作《五角大廈新地圖:21世紀的戰爭與和平》指出,中國集馬列、黑幫二者於一身,但一旦加入國際貿易組織,美國就不怕:因為依法論理,美國實力強多了。言下之意是:任憑中共逞凶鬥狠,美國總能一槌定音,因為法條是他先前訂的。

例:"The street-smart businessman knows when to jack up the price or to offer cut-rate sales by activating demand through sixth sense marketing."

「這個生意人很精明,第六感極強,無論加、減價,促銷的成效可觀。」

"Dumbledore's opinion in dealing the Time Square student protest was a show-stopper."

「鄧老對於學生在廣場鬧事的意見,有著一槌定音的作用。」

"He's a businessman. I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."

「他見過世面,諒必不會拒絕我的條件。」

"The businessman appeared to be caught in a cleft stick when he read the message from "Don" Vito Cleone."

「獲悉教父維多?克里昂閣下的意圖,生意人陷入天人交戰。」

"Dutch courage could not be panacea to their struggling with mobsters."

「和流氓周旋,當然不能只靠愚勇。」

"If you're not the lead dog, the view doesn't change."

「當不成領頭狗的,只配當跟屁蟲。」

"We decide to brazen out the dilemma posed by the pecking order."

「大老橫行,形勢險峻,我們沉著應戰。」

"We know we can't fight city hall - but we can bargain with it."

「民不與官鬥;好聲好氣坐下來談,或許也可以達成目標。」

(作者任教陸軍官校,本專欄每周五刊登)