Passage 7

In 1985 when a Japan Air Lines（JAL）jet crashed，its president，Yasumoto Takagi，called each victim’s family to apologize，and then promptly resigned.And in 1987，when a subsidiary of Toshiba sold sensitive military technology to the former Soviet Union，the chairman of Toshiba gave up his post.

These executive actions，which Toshiba calls“the highest form of apology，”may seem bizarre to US managers.No one at Boeing resigned after the JAL crash，which may have been caused by a faulty Boeing repair.

The difference between the two business cultures centers around different definitions of delegation.While US executives give both responsibility and authority to their employees，Japanese executives delegate only authority—the responsibility is still theirs.Although the subsidiary that sold the sensitive technology to the Soviets had its own management，the Toshiba top executives said they“must take personal responsibility for not creating an atmosphere throughout the Toshiba group that would make such activity unthinkable，even in an independently run subsidiary.”

Such acceptance of community responsibility is not unique to businesses in Japan.School principals in Japan have resigned when their students committed major crimes after school hours.Even if they do not quit，Japanese executives will often accept primary responsibility in other ways，such as taking the first pay cut when a company gets into financial trouble.Such personal sacrifices，even if they are largely symbolic，help to create the sense of community and employee loyalty that is crucial to the Japanese way of doing business.

Harvard Business School professor George Lodge calls the ritual acceptance of blame“almost a feudal（封建的）way of purging（清除）the community of dishonor，”and to some in the United States，such resignations look cowardly.However，in an era in which both business and governmental leaders seem particularly good at evading responsibility，many US managers would probably welcome an infusion（灌输）of the Japanese sense of responsibility.If，for instance，US automobile company executives offered to reduce their own salaries before they asked their workers to take pay cuts，negotiations would probably take on a very different character.

1.Why did the chairman of Toshiba resign his position in 1987？

A.In Japan，the leakage of a slate secret to Russians is a grave came.

B.He had been under attack for shifting responsibility to his subordinates.

C.In Japan，the chief executive of a corporation is held responsible for the mistake made by its subsidiaries.

D.He had been accused of being cowardly towards crises that were taking place in his corporation.

2.According to the passage，if you want to be a good manager in Japan，you have to______.

A.apologize promptly for your subordinates’mistakes

B.be skillful in accepting blames from customers

C.make symbolic sacrifices whenever necessary

D.create a strong sense of company loyalty

3.What’s Professor George Lodge’s attitude towards the resignations of Japanese corporate leaders？

A.Sympathetic.B.Biased.C.Critical.D.Approving.

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE？

A.Boeing had nothing to do with the JAL air crash in 1985.

B.American executives consider authority and responsibility inseparable.

C.School principals bear legal responsibility for students’crimes.

D.Persuading employees to take pay cuts doesn’t help solve corporate crises.

5.The passage is mainly about______.

A.resignation as an effective way of dealing with business crises

B.the importance of delegating responsibility to employees

C.ways of evading responsibility in times of crises

D.the difference between two business cultures

参考译文

1985年，当日本航空公司（JAL，简称日航）的飞机失事之后，日航总裁Yasumoto Takagi向每位遇难者家属打电话致歉，然后很快辞职了。1987年，当东芝公司的一家子公司向苏联出售敏感的军事技术时，东芝总裁因此辞去了职务。

这些被东芝公司称为“最高形式道歉”的行政行为对于美国的经理人可能觉得很奇怪。JAL事故之后，波音公司没有任何人辞职，而这起事故有可能是波音公司修理中出现故障而引起的。

这两种商业文化的差异集中表现在对于授权定义的不同理解。美国的企业领导向下属授权时，同时让其承担相应责任，而日本的领导则只对下属授权，而责任仍然是他们的。尽管向苏联出售敏感技术的子公司有其自己的管理体系，但对于“没有在整个东芝集团内创造一种气氛，即使是在独立运行的子公司里，使员工都不会产生出售敏感技术这一想法”，东芝高管认为他们“应承担个人责任”。

在日本，这种承担社团责任的行为并不仅限于商界。学校的校长就曾经为学生在课外时间犯罪而辞职。即使他们不辞职，日本行政官们将会以其他方式承担主要责任，比如当公司陷入财政问题时，行政长官们将会首先降薪。这种个人牺牲，虽然很大程度上是象征性的，却有助于形成一种集体意识和员工的忠诚度，这对日本人的经营之道是很关键的。

哈佛商学院的教授George Lodge将这种仪式性的承担过失称为“近乎是一种清除社团耻辱的封建方式”，这在一些美国人看来辞职是懦弱的表现。然而，在当今美国，在这个公司和政府的领导者都很善于逃避责任的时代，很多美国经理人可能都很欢迎日本的这种责任感。例如，如果美国汽车制造公司的管理者们在要求员工减薪之前主动减少自己的工资，那么和员工协商减薪一事的结果将是非常不同的。

解题之路

1.选C。细节题。从第三段的第二句可得知答案。美国主管将责任和权力同时给雇员，而日本主管只是将权力下放给雇员，责任仍然留给自己。这一句的delegate意思是授权，把……委托给别人。故在日本，即使子公司出错，公司总经理也要承担责任。

2.选A。推理题。美国和日本的公司围绕delegation（授权，委托）的解释，形成了不同的企业文化，而日本人无论是在公司还是学校，下属有错，第一负责人首先难辞其咎。

3.选C。细节题。根据第五段的第一句可得知答案。哈佛商学院的这名教授称这种老一套接受他人责备的方法为封建式洗刷集体耻辱的方法，故选C。

4.选B。从第三段的第二句可得知答案。“US executives give both responsibility and authority to their employees”，美国的企业管理者会把责任和职权都交给员工，说明他们认为责任和职权是一体的。其他选项A.见第二段第二句“No one at Boeing resigned after the JAL crash，which may have been caused by a faulty Boeing repair.”C.错在legal，校长不负法律责任；D.与文中意思刚好相反，见最后一句。

5.选D。考查对文章主旨的理解，只要理解全文就不难选对。

词汇精解

jet n.喷气式飞机

crash vi.碰撞，坠落，坠毁

president n.总统，校长，总裁

victim n.受害者，牺牲品，遇难者

apologize vi.道歉

quit vt.离开，放弃，解除

sacrifice n.祭品，供奉，献身，牺牲

largely adv.主要地，大量地，很大程度上

symbolic adj.符号的，象征性的

loyalty n.忠心，忠诚

promptly adv.敏捷地，迅速地，立刻

resign v.辞职

executive n.执行者，管理者

responsibility n.职责，责任

authority n.威信，权力，职权，权威

employee n.职员，雇员

delegate vt.委派，授权

subsidiary n.附属物，附件，子公司

sensitive adj.灵敏的，感光的，敏感的

management n.经营，操纵，处理，管理

atmosphere n.大气，空气，氛围

unthinkable adj.不可想象的，想象不到的

independently adv.独立地，自立地

primary adj.初步的，初级的，第一位的，主要的

ritual adj.典礼的，（宗教）仪式的

acceptance n.容忍，赞同，接受

blame n.责备，指责

feudal adj.封地的，领地的，封建的

purge vt.使净化，肃清，清除

dishonor n.蒙羞，耻辱

era n.纪元，时期，时代

particularly adv.独特地，尤其

evade vt.规避，躲避，逃避

infusion n.灌输

automobile n.（美）汽车

reduce vt.缩小，简化，减少

salary n.薪水，工资

negotiation n.商议，谈判

character n.特性，特质，品质，特点

难句解析

1.In 1985 when a Japan Air Lines（JAL）jet crashed，its president，Yasumoto Takagi，called each victim’s family to apologize，and then promptly resigned.

【参考译文】1985年，当日本航空公司（JAL，简称日航）的飞机失事之后，日航总裁Yasumoto Takagi向每位遇难者家属打电话致歉，然后很快辞职了。

【结构分析】句子的主干是its president…called each victim’s family…and promptly resigned，Yasumoto Takagi是主语president的同位语，不定式to apologize是family的宾语补足语，when…crashed是1985的定语从句。

【知识链接】Japan Air Lines日本航空公司

2.While US executives give both responsibility and authority to their employees，Japanese executives delegate only authority—the responsibility is still theirs.

【参考译文】美国的企业领导向下属授权时，同时让其承担相应责任，而日本的领导则只对下属授权，而责任仍然是他们的。

【结构分析】While…employees是时间状语从句，其后是主句，由破折号前后的两部分构成，破折号之后的句子是对前一句的延伸，theirs指代前面的employees。

【知识链接】give sth.to sb.给某人……

3.Although the subsidiary that sold the sensitive technology to the Soviets had its own management，the Toshiba top executives said they“must take personal responsibility for not creating an atmosphere throughout the Toshiba group that would make such activity unthinkable，even in an independently run subsidiary.”

【参考译文】尽管向苏联出售敏感技术的子公司有其自己的管理体系，但对于“没有在整个东芝集团内创造一种气氛，即使是在独立运行的子公司里，使员工都不会产生出售敏感技术这一想法”，东芝高管认为他们“应承担个人责任”。

【结构分析】这是一个主从复合句，让步状语从句的主干是：Although the subsidiary…had its own management，that…the Soviets是subsidiary的定语从句；主句比较复杂，可以切分为：the Toshiba top executives said[they“must take personal responsibility（for not creating an atmosphere throughout the Toshiba group//that would make such activity unthinkable，even in an independently run subsidiary.”//）]。中括号内是said的宾语从句，小括号内的介词短语for not…Toshiba group是结果状语，分隔号内是that引导的atmosphere的定语从句，in…run subsidiary是地点状语，run是过去分词，作subsidiary的定语。

【知识链接】top executive高层管理者；take responsibility for为……承担责任

4.Even if they do not quit，Japanese executives will often accept primary responsibility in other ways，such as taking the first pay cut when a company gets into financial trouble.

【参考译文】即使他们不辞职，日本行政官们将会以其他方式承担主要责任，比如当公司陷入财政问题时，行政长官们将会首先降薪。

【结构分析】这是一个主从复合句，Even if…quit是让步状语从句，they指代后面的Japanese executives；主句的主干是Japanese executives will often accept…responsibility，in other ways是方式状语，such as…cut是ways的后定语，when…trouble是时间状语从句。

【知识链接】even if即使（引导让步状语从句）；in other ways用其他方式；pay cut降薪；get into trouble陷入困境

5.Such personal sacrifices，even if they are largely symbolic，help to create the sense of community and employee loyalty that is crucial to the Japanese way of doing business.

【参考译文】这种个人牺牲，虽然很大程度上是象征性的，却有助于形成一种集体意识和员工的忠诚度，这对日本人的经营之道是很关键的。

【结构分析】这是一个主从复合句，even if they…symbolic是让步状语从句，they指代前面的sacrifices；主句的主语是Such personal sacrifices，谓语是help to create，宾语是the sense…loyalty，最后的that…business是宾语的定语从句。

【知识链接】sense of community集体感；be crucial to对……很关键；do business做生意

6.Harvard Business School professor George Lodge calls the ritual acceptance of blame“almost a feudal way of purging the community of dishonor.”

【参考译文】哈佛商学院的教授George Lodge将这种仪式性的承担过失称为“近乎是一种清除社团耻辱的封建方式”。

【结构分析】这是一个简单句，主语是Harvard…Lodge，谓语是calls，宾语是the…blame，引号内是一名词短语，作宾语的补足语。

【知识链接】Harvard Business School哈佛商学院

7.However，in an era in which both business and governmental leaders seem particularly good at evading responsibility，many US managers would probably welcome an infusion of the Japanese sense of responsibility.

【参考译文】然而，在当今美国，在这个公司和政府的领导者都很善于逃避责任的时代，很多美国经理人可能都很欢迎日本的这种责任感。

【结构分析】句子的主干是many US managers would probably welcome an infusion；in an era是时间状语，之后是in which引导的era的定语从句，主语是both business and governmental leaders，谓语是seem，表语是good at，动名词短语evading responsibility是at的宾语。

【知识链接】be good at善于……；sense of responsibility责任感

8.If，for instance，US automobile company executives offered to reduce their own salaries before they asked their workers to take pay cuts，negotiations would probably take on a very different character.

【参考译文】例如，如果美国汽车制造公司的管理者们在要求员工减薪之前主动减少自己的工资，那么和员工协商减薪一事的结果将是非常不同的。

【结构分析】这是一个主从复合句，主句的主语是negotiations，谓语是would probably take on，宾语是a very different character；if引导的条件状语从句的主语是US automobile company executives，谓语是offered to reduce，宾语是their own salaries，之后的before…pay cuts是时间状语从句，其中的不定式to take pay cuts是their workers的宾语补足语。

【知识链接】offere to do主动……；take on呈现