礼节美语 Business Etiquette 256 Sensitivity Training - Money 2

 　　晚宴结束，Jason跟同事Harold一起往外走。Jason是从中国来的，对西方人交往时回避谈钱的问题感到不解，问这样做是不是为了不去刺激那些没什么钱的人。Harold回答说：

　　Harold: Yes, I think you hit the nail on the head. Also, I think many Westerners believe that if you're rich, you should be quiet about it. In fact, I believe many wealthy people in the West feel a little bit guilty.

　　J: Why would they feel guilty?

　　H: Because so many other people work very hard, but never become successful. When the wealthy turn on TV, they see so much pain and suffering.... but their own lives are so comfortable.

　　J: Ah....I can understand that. If I were a wealthy person I think I'd feel the same way.

　　Harold说Jason, you hit the nail on the head. 你说得一点没错。to hit the nail on the head 意思是一下子就说到了点子上，还有两种类似的说法，一种是you are right on. 另外一种说法是you are right on the money. 都是同样的意思。Harold说，因为西方很多人不喜欢炫富，有些人还会因为自己太有钱，而其他人生活贫苦而感到内疚。Harold 说：

　　H: It's interesting that some of the most successful entrepreneurs¹ such as John D. Rockefeller and Bill Gates ended up setting up charity organizations and giving away a large portion of the money they made.

　　J: So you're saying that Bill Gates, for example, doesn't necessarily think he deserves all the money he made....he knows a part of it was luck, right?

　　H: Yeah. Bill Gates is a computer genius, but he was there at the right place and the right time.

　　J: That's a good attitude. It's good to remember that hard work and good luck often go hand-in-hand. Okay, so one more time....what's the etiquette² when it comes to talking about money with Westerners?

　　Harold说，这也就是为什么比尔.盖茨和洛克菲勒这种成功的企业家最后都会end up setting up charity organizations成立慈善机构，把钱捐出去。虽说比尔.盖茨是电脑天才，但他的成功在很大程度上也是靠机遇，He was there at the right place and the right time. 他在正确的时间出现在了正确的地方，类似中文里说的天时地利人和。Jason很欣赏这种心态，因为hard work and good luck often go hand-in-hand. 勤奋和运气二者往往必须兼备才能成功。

　　H: If the person doesn't volunteer information about how much something costs...don't bring it up. Don't ask about personal savings³ or salary.

　　J: Is it OK to comment on or praise someone's possessions? If you have a really nice car, can I say, "Wow...nice car?"

　　H: Yes, that's fine. It only gets complicated when you start talking about specific prices.

　　J: I see your point. Topics like that could lead to embarrassment⁴.

　　H: Exactly. Maybe Mr. Jones' apartment was really expensive, but his company paid for it...or maybe he overpaid and got a bad deal....in either case, it's easier for everyone if we don't discuss it in public.

　　Harold最后总结说，在西方，除非别人主动告诉你，否则不要问人家赚多少工资，有多少存款，买东西花了多少钱这类问题，可以夸别人的东西好，但不要询问价钱，免得彼此尴尬。

1 entrepreneurs   

企业家( entrepreneur的名词复数 )； 主办人

参考例句：

• He is one of the entrepreneurs of the concert. 他是这场音乐会的主办人之一。
• Entrepreneurs are free to develop their businesses. 企业家们可以任意发展自己的企业。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

2 etiquette   

n.礼仪，礼节；规矩

参考例句：

• The rules of etiquette are not so strict nowadays.如今的礼仪规则已不那么严格了。
• According to etiquette,you should stand up to meet a guest.按照礼节你应该站起来接待客人。

3 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

4 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。