英語四級必讀的美文：領導靠幽默與魅力發跡

Leaders Who Use Humour and Charm to Reach the Top

領導靠幽默與魅力發跡

Humour and charm are a surprisingly powerful combination as a means of ascent in life.

作為人生髮跡的'手段之一，幽默和魅力是一對效力驚人的組合。

I have met a number of entrepreneurs who have built fortunes on the back of their wit and general popularity -and not much else. They disarm us with self-deprecation, we enjoy their company-so why wouldnt we want to do business with them? Of course, it all has to be done well; sycophancy and flat jokes do not weave the same spell.

我遇見過許多憑藉風趣機智和好人緣白手起家的企業家。他們謙和自斂，讓我們生不起氣來。我們與他們相處愉快一一所以我們為什麼不與他們做生意呢?當然，這裡面必須講求技巧。一味溜頸拍馬，開一些乾巴巴的玩笑，不會產生同樣的魔力。

The British feel that some light relief amid the drudgery is essential for existence to be tolerable. It seems to be a cornerstone of our psychology and culture. In London, to say someone has no sense of humour is to condemn them utterly. Many important meetings I attend start with a little friendly banter to break the ice, a ritual to remind us that we are all human-rather than simply robots of commerce.

英國人認為，人生在世，就得苦中作樂。這似乎是我們心理學和文化的一條基本原則。在倫敦，說一個人缺乏幽默感，等於是說他一無是處。我出席的許多重要會議，都以一些善意的玩笑開場，以此打破沉默。這種慣例提醒我們，我們都是凡人，而不完全是商業機器。