礼节美语 Business Etiquette 239-Taking-up-Golf-1

 　　Mark在公司门口看见同事Robert.

　　Mark: Hey Robert...going on vacation? Looks like you're planning on doing some golfing.

　　Robert: Yes, I will be playing golf, but I'm not going on vacation. I'm meeting up our New York office's senior management team. We'll be playing a few rounds and going over the merger¹ plans.

　　M: Really? So when did you take up the sport?

　　R: Around two years ago I began to realize that if I could get on the golf course with other senior executives, it could open a lot of doors for me. At first I didn't really enjoy it, but now I'm almost a golf fanatic².

　　Robert要跟纽约办公室的高层主管打高尔夫 play a few rounds，同时讨论并购的事。Mark 问他是什么时候开始打高尔夫球的，这里用的动词是 take up, to take up sth. 意思是开始做某件事情。Robert说，他两年前开始觉得，打高尔夫 could open a lot of doors for me. 可以帮助自己打开很多大门，得到更多机会。Robert说，他刚开始打的时候也不太喜欢，但现在已经快变成 golf fanatic 了。fanatic is spelled f-a-n-a-t-i-c, fanatic 是指对某件事疯狂的人，比如，a jazz fanatic 爵士乐迷，a basketball fanatic 篮球迷。Mark 听后说：

　　M: I see. So you meet a lot of business executives on the course, huh?

　　R: Yeah, definitely. It's a good way to network.

　　M: Isn't golf really expensive?

　　R: To be perfectly³ honest, golf is a bit of a status symbol...and yes...it can be an expensive game. There are green fees, caddy fees and charges for renting the golf cart.

　　M: But the business opportunities are worth it.

　　R: Absolutely. I read somewhere that a high percentage of senior business executives play golf.

　　M: It sounds like it's almost mandatory⁴ to learn golf if you want to climb the corporate⁵ ladder.

　　Robert说自己在高尔夫球场上能遇到很多商业界高层主管。这里说的 on the course 指的就是 golf course. It's a good way to network. 打高尔夫球是认识人，积累人脉的好办法，network在这里是动词，意思是建立人际关系。打高尔夫球确实需要钱，要交 green fees球场费；caddy fees球童费，cart rental⁶ fees 租车费，但是能认识更多的人，得到更多机会，还是值得的。Mark说，看来，如果想在企业里升迁 climb the corporate ladder 就必须学打高尔夫球。

　　R: Networking is a big plus....but I think another reason executives enjoy the golf course is that it gives them an excuse to get out in the fresh air and connect with nature.

　　M: I can understand that. If you turn off your cell phone or Blackberry you can hear birds chirping⁷ and enjoy a fresh breeze. It's a nice break from a hectic⁸ office.

　　R: It is a good way to recharge, but you're right: golf primarily is a social sport. You get a chance to talk and get to know people on a different level on the golf course than you do in the boardroom.

　　公司高层愿意出去打高尔夫球，除了建立人脉以外，也是为了能离开 hectic office 忙碌的办公室，投入大自然的怀抱，It's a good way to recharge. 是个充电的好办法。Robert 觉得，高尔夫主要还是一种 social sport 社交型运动，让你在董事会议事厅以外，换个环境，换个层面，在高尔夫球场上去彼此了解。

1 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

2 fanatic   

n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a football fanatic.亚历山大是个足球迷。
• I am not a religious fanatic but I am a Christian.我不是宗教狂热分子，但我是基督徒。

3 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

4 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

5 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。

6 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

7 chirping   

鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The birds,chirping relentlessly,woke us up at daybreak. 破晓时鸟儿不断吱吱地叫，把我们吵醒了。
• The birds are chirping merrily. 鸟儿在欢快地鸣叫着。

8 hectic   

adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的

参考例句：

• I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。
• The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。