ESL Podcast 412 - Corporate Spying

Joachim: I'm really having second thoughts about hiring a firm to do corporate¹ spying for us. I don't want to do anything that's ethically² questionable³.

Dawn: We have no choice but to do it. All of our competitors conduct corporate espionage⁴.

Joachim: I can understand spying on our competitors, but I draw the line at having us snoop on our own employees.

Dawn: We wouldn't unless our backs were against the wall. I know you're thinking about Hewer Placket hiring investigators⁵ to find a leak in their company. I'm sure it was a hard decision for them, but they couldn't allow anyone in their own company to leak trade secrets.

Joachim: True, it was necessary, but I don't like being deceptive⁶ with our own employees. I won't allow wiretaps or any invasion of privacy.

Dawn: Our first priority would be damage control, not privacy. In any case, we're not making a decision to spy within the company right now. We're only after our rival's information. The investigators we're hiring know the difference between legal and illegal spying. They'll schmooze at trade shows, scour⁷ legal records, and do other things like that. They'll know where to draw the line.

Joachim: I hope you're right. I don't want to end up on the front page of the Times!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 ethically   

adv.在伦理上，道德上

参考例句：

• Ethically , we have nothing to be ashamed about . 从伦理上说，我们没有什么好羞愧的。
• Describe the appropriate action to take in an ethically ambiguous situation. 描述适当行为采取在一个道德地模棱两可的情况。

3 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

4 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

5 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 deceptive   

adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• His appearance was deceptive.他的外表带有欺骗性。
• The storyline is deceptively simple.故事情节看似简单，其实不然。

7 scour   

v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷

参考例句：

• Mother made me scour the family silver.母亲让我擦洗家里的银器。
• We scoured the telephone directory for clues.我们仔细查阅电话簿以寻找线索。