精美英文欣赏:杰西的手套

I do a lot of management training each year for the Circle K Corporation, a national chain of convenience stores. Among the topics we address in our seminars is the retention¹ of quality employees—a real challenge to managers when you consider the pay scale in the service industry. During these discussions, I ask the participants, "What has caused you to stay long enough to become a manager?" Some time back a new manager took the question and slowly, with her voice almost breaking, said, "It was a $19 baseball glove."

我每年都为全国连锁便利店索克公司做大量的管理培训。在经营管理研习会上，我们发言的题目中包括如何留住高素质的员工--考虑到服务业的薪工标准，这对经理们是一项巨大的考验。在这些讨论中，我问与会者：“是什么使你们在公司留了下来，并当上了经理？”过了一会儿，一名新经理接过问题，慢慢地、用悲伤的声音说道：“是因为一副十九美元的棒球手套。”

Cynthia told the group that she originally took a Circle K clerk job as an interim² position while she looked for something better. On her second or third day behind the counter, she received a phone call from her nine-year-old son, Jessie. He needed a baseball glove for Little League. She explained that as a single mother, money was very tight, and her first check would have to go for paying bills. Perhaps she could buy his baseball glove with her second or third check.

辛西娅告诉大家，她最初来索克做店员工作只是临时性的，同时她还在寻找更好的机会。就在站在柜台后的两三天，她接到了九岁儿子杰西的电话--孩子参加儿童棒球联盟需要一副棒球手套。她解释道，自己是个单身母亲，手头钱紧，第一个月的薪水要用来偿付账单。也许她只能用第二个月或第三个月的支票来给儿子买棒球手套了。

When Cynthia arrived for work the next morning, Patricia, the store manager, asked her to come to the small room in back of the store that served as an office. Cynthia wondered if she had done something wrong or left some part of her job incomplete³ from the day before. She was concerned and confused.

第二天早晨辛西娅到班上后，店铺经理帕特丽夏把她叫到了店后一间用做办公室的小屋。辛西娅以为她做错了什么，或是前一天有什么工作没有完成。她很担心，也很纳闷。

Patricia handed her a box. "I overheard⁴ you talking to your son yesterday," she said, "and I know that it is hard to explain things to kids. This is a baseball glove for Jessie because he may not understand how important he is, even though you have to pay bills before you can buy gloves. You know we can't pay good people like you as much as we would like to; but we do care, and I want you to know you are important to us."

帕特丽夏递给她一个盒子，说道：“昨天我偶然听到你和你儿子的谈话。我知道有些事情很难对小孩子解释。这是给杰西的棒球手套，因为他也许不会理解自己对你有多么重要，尽管你只能先付账单，后买棒球手套。你要知道，我们虽然无法付给像你这样好的员工更高的薪水，但是我们真的很关心你，也想让你知道你对我们有多重要。”

The thoughtfulness, empathy and love of this convenience store manager demonstrates vividly⁵ that people remember more how much an employer cares than how much the employer pays. An important lesson for the price of a Little League baseball glove.

这家便利店经理所表现出来的周到、体贴和爱心生动地说明，比起雇主所付的薪水，人们记忆更深的是他们的关心。这十九元钱的儿童棒球联盟手套，是多么重要的一课啊！

1 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

2 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

3 incomplete   

adj.不完全的，不完善的

参考例句：

• The building was left incomplete.那座楼没有完工就停下来了。
• His novel was incomplete when he died.他死的时候他的小说没有写完。

4 overheard   

adj. 串音的, 偶而听到的 动词overhear的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• We talked quietly so as not to be overheard. 我们低声交谈，以免别人听到。
• I told Lucy the news under my breath, but Joyce overheard me. 我低声地把这个消息告诉露西，可还是被乔伊斯听到了。

5 vividly   

adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地

参考例句：

• The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
• The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。