智慧人生篇章 第74期:何为优秀的领导者?

 　　With Parliament in recess¹, we don't hear much from our political masters. 在国会休会期间，政治精英们没有发表太多言论，

　　MP's, as well as many business leaders, are on holiday. 议员和商界领导正在度假。

　　I hope they have a good holiday.  祝他们假期愉快，

　　I hope that they'll not be like the 70% of smartphone users, 也祝他们不要像70%的智能手机用户一样

　　who was reported yesterday, stay wired to work ensuring that business can invade pleasure.  紧张地工作，得到了金钱，却失去了快乐。

　　I hope our nation's leaders get passionate² about other interests, so passionate that they might even be reticent³ to return. 希望我们的领导人能在度假时对其他事情产生兴趣，甚至流连忘返。

　　And I say this because of a story I read yesterday. I can tell it in a minute. It's about trees. 我这么说是因为我昨天读了一篇关于树的故事，请允许我花一分钟讲讲。

　　It's about how once upon a time the trees wanted to appoint a king over them.  从前树木想要选一棵树作为王来管理他们。

　　So they asked the olive tree first. And the olive tree refused.  他们先找到了橄榄树，但橄榄树拒绝了他们的请求，

　　It didn't want to leave behind its production of oil by which humanity was enriched.  人类要靠他制造的油发家致富，它不愿丢下他们。

　　Then the trees tried to get the fig⁴ tree to become king.  他们又找到了无花果树，请他来当王。

　　But the fig tree was unwilling⁵ to leave the production of fruit which was a delight those who ate it.  但无花果树不愿作王，它还想长出甜美的果实供人们享用。

　　The trees then turned to the vine and asked if it would become king.  树木又找到葡萄树，问他能否作他们的王。

　　But the vine also refused. It enjoyed producing grapes which became wine which was pleasing to everyone who drank it.  但葡萄树也拒绝了他们，他还想继续长出葡萄，酿成葡萄酒供人们畅饮。

　　So then the trees went to the thorn and asked if it would be king over them. 于是树木请荆棘来作他们的王。

　　And the thorn tree said, "If you really want to appoint me, come under my protection. Otherwise you will be scorched⁶ by fire.  荆棘回答说：“你们若真想封我为王，就要投在我的荫下。不然，你们将遭受火焰的炙烤。”

　　"That's it, the story about the trees trying to appoint a king. It's not one of Aesop's fables⁷. 这就是众树选王的故事，它并非伊索寓言，

　　It comes from the book of Judges and Bible, which, along with other things, is about leadership.  而是一则关于领导者的圣经故事。

　　It's a divinely inspired parable⁸ which suggests that those who have other passions will be reluctant to lead,  这一神学寓言告诉我们，另有追求的人不愿当领导，

　　whereas those who simply want to have power will jump at the chance of being the chief.  而那些一味追求权势的人会欣然登上首领之席。

　　And more than that, they will give dire⁹ warning of what might happen if they are not allowed to have their way.  可怕的是，如遇到有人阻碍，他们会不惜恐吓对方以达成自己的目的。

　　Hence the thorn tree, "If you really want to appoint me, come under my protection. Otherwise you will be scorched by fire.  正因如此，荆棘说道：“你们若真想封我为王，就要投在我的荫下。不然，你们将遭受火焰的炙烤。”

　　"There's something profound here with which I'm still wrestling,  我仍在试图想明白一些更加深刻的问题：

　　something about how people whose life is about more than being in charge have other yardsticks¹⁰, other perspectives,  那些看淡权势的人，是如何获得自己的做事标准、观点

　　other passions which enable them to make balanced judgments¹¹.  及热情，去权衡、判断的。

　　It raises the question as to whether the best leaders are those who achieve first class honours degrees  这引出了一个疑问：优秀的领导人是否应该是那些获得了一级荣誉学位，

　　and get catapulted to the top to organise¹² things the way they want.  有优秀的组织能力的人；

　　Or are the best leaders those who, like the olive and fig and vine, have flourished in other fields,  还是他们应该像橄榄树、无花果树和葡萄树一样，

　　which makes them grounded and experienced if also a little reticent? 脚踏实地、默默无闻地在其他领域做出杰出贡献。

　　The story asks whether those most worthy¹³ of power in the parliaments of the world, in finance, industry, the church,  这一故事促使人们去思考，在国会、工商业和教堂，

　　are those who crave¹⁴ power, or those who have other lodestars by which they live. 最有价值的力量是那些渴求权力的人，还是那些靠其他准则生存的人。

1 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

2 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

3 reticent   

adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的

参考例句：

• He was reticent about his opinion.他有保留意见。
• He was extremely reticent about his personal life.他对自己的个人生活讳莫如深。

4 fig   

n.无花果(树)

参考例句：

• The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。
• You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。

5 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

6 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

7 fables   

n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说

参考例句：

• Some of Aesop's Fables are satires. 《伊索寓言》中有一些是讽刺作品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Little Mexican boys also breathe the American fables. 墨西哥族的小孩子对美国神话也都耳濡目染。 来自辞典例句

8 parable   

n.寓言，比喻

参考例句：

• This is an ancient parable.这是一个古老的寓言。
• The minister preached a sermon on the parable of the lost sheep.牧师讲道时用了亡羊的比喻。

9 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

10 yardsticks   

比较或衡量的标准，尺度( yardstick的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Your success in life can be measured by many yardsticks. 你在生活方面的成功是可以用许多标准来衡量的。
• Common yardsticks for measuring success are cost, choice, performance, and security. 判断一个操作系统是否成功的通用尺度包括成本、普及度、性能和安全性。

11 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

12 organise   

vt.组织，安排，筹办

参考例句：

• He has the ability to organise.他很有组织才能。
• It's my job to organise all the ceremonial events.由我来组织所有的仪式。

13 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

14 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。