全国战斗英雄刘子林:象棋与商业（Chess and Business）

太傻文书点评：象棋与商业（Chess and Business）
来源：太傻咨询中心 邱丽 录入：2007年10月31日
Chess and Business
Sixty-four alternately colored squares, eight from top to bottom and eight from side to side. Two opposing armies, each consisting of sixteen men, standing face to face, ready for the strategic war ahead. When my father first introduced me to the wonderfully intricate game of chess, its complexity intimidated but also intrigued me. Because there were so many chessmen, each of whom could move in several ways, I was unsure whether I would ever master the game.
After learning the basic pieces and their moves from my father, I began to wonder how to strategize. How did my father know which moves to make? How did he always know what move I would make next? Eventually I discovered that he did not really predict my next move but rather forced me into making one that was beneficial to him. As my skills progressed, I became more interested in chess and how the strategies players use are mimicked in everyday life.
The parallels with the business world were especially striking. During my four years of high school, my interest in business intensified. I studied many areas of this field, including finance, marketing and accounting. Along with these classes, my father and I would often converse about current events in the business world. It was during one of these conversations that I realized the extent to which my two passions were related. In the game of chess, players must be aware of all of their options and anticipate future actions in order to succeed. Along with these abilities, they must be willing to take advantage of their opponent’s weaknesses. All of these strategies, which are indispensable to winning a chess match, are also essential in the business world.
After I recognized the connection between chess and business, real-life examples vindicated my discovery. One day my father explained to me how Microsoft, and Bill Gates in particular, conduct business. Gates built a successful company by first strengthening one section of the business and then using that section to support the next. While the competition had to begin at ground zero, Microsoft could expand on its current products.
The analogy to chess was striking. In this game, one concentrates as many pieces as possible on one crucial square. If your opponent attacks one of your pieces, you can then back up the attacked piece with your supporting men and organize them for a larger counter-attack. Microsoft created a similarly strong supporting structure so that it could continue to expand.
Like most seventeen-year-olds, I am not certain what I want to do with my life. However, I do know what fascinates me now. Late at night, when I am lost in thought, I am often trying to work out chess games or predict what the next big business will be. Although I can not ensure that my interests will remain unchanged, I know that I will approach my future endeavors with the same curiosity and fervor as I do chess and business.
太傻点评：
作者巧妙地运用了自己对象棋的认识，联系到当今的商业， 把两者的共通点串联在一起，使这篇文章变得生动有趣并有连贯性。
通过这篇文章，作者表现出了自己三方面的特点：
首先是通过下象棋这个爱好表现出自己对感兴趣的事情的专注和研究精神。当父亲把这么高难度的一个游戏介绍给他时， 他并没有因为象棋的‘难’而产生抗拒。 反而被象棋的复杂性深深吸引了。 从父亲那里学会了下象棋的基本玩法后，并没有安于现状，而是不断的思考和研究下棋的策略，学会揣摸对手的心理，使自己上升到一个更高的阶段。
其次，通过下象棋，作者把其中学会的策略与当今社会的商业世界巧妙的集合在一起，并举出微软公司的成功例子去论证自己的观点。不仅仅表现出自己的思维能力，更体现出了自己对商业这一领域的兴趣不是泛泛而谈的，而是经过自己不断的学习和思考形成的。展现给对方学校一个非常有思考能力并且对商业有着非常大的热情的学生。
最后，作者重申自己仅是17岁，未来的路该怎么走还是未知之数。不单只给自己留下了可改变的空间，也让对方明白17岁的孩子要现在就决定将来的事也是不现实的。 但是现阶段自己最想追求的是什么作者却是非常的清楚，因此能朝着自己定的目标努力。展现对方学校一个非常积极向上，好学的形象。
译文：
象棋与商业
64个颜色一深一浅交错排列的小方格, 横纵各８格。两方对阵，各持有十六个棋子，面对面地站着，为即将发生的一场战争做好战略的准备。当我父亲第一次把这种极其复杂象棋游戏介绍给我时，我不禁的被其复杂性给吓倒，也同时感到迷惑不解。因为有这么多的棋子，每一个都可以用不同的方法移动，我不知道我是否能掌握这个游戏。
从我父亲那里学会了一些基本游戏规则和移动方法后，我就开始琢磨应该如何去策划每一步棋。我父亲是怎么知道下一步该怎么走？他又是怎么知道我的下一步会怎么走呢？最后，我发现他其实并不能估计到我的下一步棋，只是他可以迫使我走一步对他有利的棋。随着我的棋艺的进步，我开始对象棋越来越感兴趣，并把这些下棋的策略在日常生活中模拟。
与下象棋非常类似的商业世界同样的引起我的瞩目。在我高中的四年里, 我对商业这个领域越来越感兴趣。 因此我学习了这个领域的许多方面, 其中包括了财务、会计、和市场营销。与此同时，我父亲和我也经常谈论到当今的商业时事。在某一次的对话中，我突然发现原来我的两个最大的兴趣居然有许多的共通点。在象棋游戏中，选手们必须知道自己的行动方案，并且能够预计下一步的行动，这样才能成功。同时，他们也要愿意去利用对手的弱点。所有这些策略，都是与赢棋分不开的，同样也是商业世界基本要素。
当我意识到象棋和商业紧密联系后，活生生的例子便证明了我的发现。有一天我的父亲跟我在解释微软，比尔.盖茨是如何进行业务的。盖茨创建了一家成功的公司，原因是其首先是加强了商业领域的一个部分，然后再用这个部分区支持下一个部分。虽然在竞争中是从零开始，微软可以不断的扩展其现有的产品。
这跟下象棋有着惊人的相似度。在这场游戏，一方要在一个重要的方格里尽可能的专注几个棋子。如果对手攻击了你的一个棋子，你可以把其它的棋子组织起来，进行一个更大规模的大反击。微软正是创造了同样强劲支撑结构，因此可以使其不断的扩大。
跟大多数17岁的同龄人一样，我不敢确定我将来想做些什么。不过，我知道现在什么最让我着迷。每当夜深人静，当我陷入沉思时，我常常会试图找出赢棋的方法或者预测下一个大商业会是什么。虽然我不能确保我的兴趣会不会改变，但我知道我会抱着跟对象棋的同样的好奇和激情的态度去为我的未来而奋斗的。