TED演讲:怎样让企业持续运行100年(3)（打印版）

If we went with Bob's philosophy, I think we'd actually end up with a more efficient immune system. 如果我们同意鲍勃的观点，我们实际上肯定了一种更为高效的免疫系统

And efficiency is always important in the short term. 而且效率在短期来说往往十分重要

Less complex, more efficient, more bang for the buck. Who could say no to that? 少些复杂，多些效率，更合算些。谁会拒绝这些好处呢？

Unfortunately, there's one very tiny problem, and that is that the user of this product, you or I, 不幸的是，有一个小小的问题，那就是如果你我有着这样的免疫系统

would probably die within one week of the next winter, 那么在遭遇新型传染病毒时

when we encountered a new strain of the influenza virus. 你我可能活不过下一个冬天的头一周

I first became interested in biology and business, and longevity and resilience, 我第一次对生物与商业以及持久性和抗压性感到有兴趣

when I was asked a very unusual question by the CEO of a global tech company. 是在被一个全球科技公司的CEO问了一个问题时

And the question was: What do we have to do to make sure that our company lasts 100 years? 那个问题是：怎样确保我们的公司能够持续运作100年？

A seemingly innocent question, but actually, it's a little trickier than you might think, 看上去是一个幼稚的问题，但是问题远没有你想的这么简单

considering that the average US public company now can expect a life span of only 30 years. 美国现在普通的公共公司通常只有30年的寿命

That is less than half of the life span that its employees can expect to enjoy. 这几乎是它的员工工作寿命的一半

Now, if you were the CEO of such a company, badgered by investors and buffeted by change, 现在，如果你是这样一个公司的CEO，被投资者纠缠不放，因变化而遭受打击

we might forgive you for not even worrying too much about what happens 30 years out. 可以理解你不为之后30年的事操心太多

But here's something that should keep you awake at night: 但有些事可能会让你难以入眠

the probability that your company will not be around in five year's time, on average, is now a staggering 32 percent. 你的公司在5年后倒闭的可能性平均在32%上下浮动

That's a one in three chance that your company will be taken over or will fail within just five years. 也就是有三分之一的几率，你的公司会在5年后被转手或是倒闭