苦差之旅

情景：柯特和丽莎正在讨论到印度尼西亚出差的事宜，为公司签订一位新的承包商。

Lisa: So, Curt, we need to talk about the trip next month.

Curt: To the factory in Indonesia, you mean?

Lisa: Yes. It's a very important trip, you know, and we really need to make a good impression on our partners there. I heard from Kevin in Planning that the intention is to expand our operations in Indonesia quite considerably next year.

Curt: Really? I'm surprised. I thought we were going to open a new factory in Guangzhou.

Lisa: You didn't hear? That deal fell through.

Curt: Oh. No, no, I hadn't heard anything. I was out of the loop on that project.

Lisa: The guy we were dealing with - a Hong Kong businessman - lost a bunch on another project, so he closed up everything he was running over the border in Guangzhou and Shenzhen and skipped back to Hong Kong. Apparently there's a queue of creditors outside his old factories now.We're well out it.

Curt: That's why they're backing Indonesia?

Lisa: Yes, though I'm not sure Indonesian business is any more stable - less, if anything. But the people we're dealing with have a good name.

Curt: So we're flying on the 16th?

Lisa: Out of New York, yes, across to LA, and then over the Pacific. Via Singapore. But here's the thing - the domestic flight is going to be business, but the long-haul flight is in economy.Premium economy, but …

Curt: God. That's going to be a long time not to be in business class. Cramped, too.

Lisa: Premium economy gives you a lot more leg room, at least. And, honestly, I'd rather we were cutting expenses than cutting jobs.

Curt: What about the hotel?

Lisa: It's just going to be a three or four star place. It's just as well you're a guy, or I think they'd even have stuck us together rather than giving us separate rooms! But don't expect any great luxuries - we're lucky to get a bathroom.

Curt: Aren't the Indonesians paying for it?

Lisa: They're paying for all our travel when we get there. So that should be good - but you have to remember, don't mention we were in economy. We still need to keep up appearances.

Curt: Gotcha.

Lisa: And you need to be suited up, of course. They're meeting us straight off the flight.

Curt: I really can't stand wearing a suit on a flight. They're just not designed for it.

Lisa: I know, I know. I'll make sure you're spruced up at the other end.

Curt: So what's our schedule look like?

Lisa: Um … we get into Jakarta on the morning of the 18th, because of the time difference – we're going forward fifteen hours, I think, plus the length of the flight. Very early in the morning. And then they take us to the factory straightaway.

Curt: I think we should change that - we really need to drop by the hotel and freshen up first.Fifteen hours - we'll be awfully jetlagged, as well.

Lisa: Maybe I can persuade them to give us the morning to ourselves, and then take us to the factory after lunch. That would be more sensible.

Curt: What exactly are we doing at the factory? Neither of us are engineers, it's not as if we can really assess the place.

Lisa: Just smile, nod, ask basic questions, and be polite. They're just showing us their operation, extending trust, really.

Curt: What's next?

Lisa: They're taking us for dinner in the evening, and we're supposed to talk about some points of the deal then. I'll hash it out before we go.

Curt: Are we really negotiating, or just making nice?

Lisa: The full-on negotiations are the next day; we have the whole day pencilled in for meetings.First of all they're introducing us to a lot of their staff, and then we're sitting down to discuss the final deal.

Curt: How are we going to play it?

Lisa: Let's talk about that when we get there and can see what the situations like. Now, I heard from Gena, from when she went before, that they negotiate like the Japanese - they like to tire you out. But they're not as good at it, and they're eager for this deal, so I don't think it'll be that gruelling. And then there's another dinner.

Curt: And the last two days? It's four days total, yes?

Lisa: An island trip on the third day …

Curt: Sounds nice.

Lisa: To their warehouse facilities, apparently …

Curt: Ah. I was imagining a boat, seas, sun …

Lisa: Hah, not so much. But the final afternoon's free, before we fly back. Meetings in the morning, but if everything goes smoothly they shouldn't overrun.

Curt: Well, I don't know what we're going to squeeze in an afternoon, but maybe I can do some shopping for Karen or something.

Lisa: I'm going to try and go to a temple, I think. I hear they're beautiful.

Curt: Oh, do we need to get visas sorted out?

Lisa: Yes, bring your passport in and give it to HR. They're doing everything that way. You might have to sign some application forms, that's all.

Curt: Let's talk more nearer the time.

Lisa: Excellent! Speak to you later!

丽莎：那么，柯特，我们得讨论讨论下个月的出差。

柯特：你是说去印尼的工厂？

丽莎：是的。你知道，这次出差非常重要，我们必须给那边的合作伙伴形成一个好印象。我听策划部的凯文说明年计划大规模地扩大我们在印尼的业务。

柯特：真的？我挺吃惊的。我还以为我们计划在广州开一家新工厂呢。

丽莎：你没听说吗？那个交易泡汤了。

柯特：噢。没，没有，我什么都没听说。我不插手那个项目。

丽莎：我们洽谈的那个家伙——一个香港商人——在另一个项目上损失惨重，所以他就结束了深圳和广州那边所有的生意，溜回香港了。很显然现在他的旧工厂外面肯定排着一长排要债的。我们幸亏没掺和进去。

柯特：这就是他们为什么又倾向印尼了？

丽莎：是的，虽然我不确定印尼的商业是不是比中国的稳定——更可能的是，比中国的更不稳定。但是跟我们做生意的人名声不错。

柯特：那么我们16号飞？

丽莎：是的，从纽约出发，穿过洛杉矶，然后飞过太平洋。再转道新加坡。但是情况是这样的，国内航班是商务舱，但是远程航班是经济舱。头等经济舱，但是……

柯特：天啊。不坐商务舱的话会很难熬。再说经济舱也很狭窄。

丽莎：至少，头等经济舱脚下的空间大一点。而且，说实在的，我宁愿我们减少开支而不是裁员。

柯特：旅馆怎么样？

丽莎：会是三星或者四星级的。幸亏你是个男士，要不然我觉得他们甚至会把咱们安排在一起而不是给咱们单独的房间！但是别指望会很奢华——有浴室就够幸运了。

柯特：印尼方面不支付吗？

丽莎：我们在那边的费用是他们支付的。所以招待的应该会不错——但是你必须记得，不能提我们坐的是经济舱。我们还是需要“摆谱”的。

柯特：知道啦。

丽莎：当然，你得穿西装。一下飞机他们就跟我们碰面。

柯特：我真的不能忍受坐飞机的时候穿西装。西装又不是为坐飞机设计的。

丽莎：我知道，我知道。我会确保你到了之后再穿戴整齐。

柯特：那我们的行程是什么样的？

丽莎：嗯……我们18号早晨到雅加达，因为时差的原因——我想时间前调了15个小时，再加上飞行的时间。一大早就会到。然后他们直接带我们到工厂。

柯特：我觉得我们应该改变一下行程——我们真得需要到酒店停一下，先梳洗一下。15个小时——而且到时候我们的时差反应也会很强烈。

丽莎：或许我能说服他们把整个上午留给我们，然后午饭之后再带我们到工厂去。这样的话会更合理。

柯特：我们去那家工厂到底要做什么？我们都不是工程师，好像我们俩还真能评估工厂似的。

丽莎：就微笑、点头、问一些基本问题、有礼貌。他们只是向我们展示他们的生产操作，增强信任，真的。

柯特：接下来是什么？

丽莎：晚上他们带我们去吃晚饭，到时候我们会谈一下合同里的一些内容。在我们走之前好好讨论一下，定下来。

柯特：我们是要真得谈判，还是只是扮乖？

丽莎：全面的谈判在是第二天；我们安排了一整天来开会。首先他们把咱们介绍给他们那边的许多员工，然后大家坐下来讨论最终的合约。

柯特：我们打算怎么做？

丽莎：等我们到了那边看看情形再商量。首先，我听吉娜说，根据她原来到那边的经验，他们像日本人似得谈判——喜欢打“疲劳战”。但是他们不太擅长这个，而且他们渴望得到这个合同，所以我觉得不会很熬人。然后还有一顿晚饭。

柯特：那最后两天呢？总共四天对吧？

丽莎：第三天到岛上去……

柯特：听上去不错。

丽莎：很显然，去参观他们的仓储设备……

柯特：啊。我还在幻想小船、大海、阳光呢……

丽莎：哈，没有那么好。但是最后一天下午是自由的，在我们飞回来之前。上午开会，但是如果一切顺利的话不会拖过上午。

柯特：哦，我不知道只有一个下午我们能做什么，但是或许我能为凯伦买点东西什么的。

丽莎：我想争取去一趟庙里。我听说它们很漂亮。

柯特：哦，我们需要把签证准备好吗？

丽莎：是的，把护照带来交给人事部。他们都是这么办的，你可能得签点申请表什么的，就没什么事了。

柯特：到时候我们再详细谈一下。

丽莎：太好了！晚点商量!

Notes

1. fall through

意为“失败、成为泡影”。

例句：He didn't quite understand why the deal fell through.

他不太明白为什么这场交易失败了。

Should they fall through in their present plans, the consequences will be fatal.

他们现在的计划一旦落空，后果将极为严重。

2. to be out of the loop.

意为“对某件事情的前因后果不甚了解”。

例句：People out of the loop

圈外人士

I didn't know Jack was leaving. I was out of the loop on that one.

我不知道杰克要走的事情，我对此事毫不知情。

3. close up

意为“关闭（某物）；（使）愈合；（使）相互靠拢；（使）关店”。

例句：The road has been closed up for repairs.

因为修路, 那条道路不通了。

This herbal ointment will help to close up your wound quickly.

这种草药膏会帮助你的伤口很快愈合。

The captain ordered his men to close up.

上尉命令士兵靠拢。

The shop is closing up. I must ask you to leave.

本店要关门了, 我们必须请你们离开。

4. if anything

意为“更可能的是；总之；如果不同的话”。

例句：Her family, if anything, was richer than mine.

要说有什么区别的话，她家比我家有钱。

Joe isn't a bad boy. If anything, he's a pretty good one.

乔不是一个坏男孩。总之, 他是一个非常好的男孩。

5. keep up appearances

意为“装门面、撑场面、装阔气、假装若无其事”。

We must keep up appearances even if it means little sacrifices here and there.

就算有许多小牺牲我们也必须摆花架子。

Things may be unpleasant, but we will keep up appearances.

事情可能不太好，但是我们会装作若无其事。

6. suit up

意为“穿上制服、穿上西服”。

例句：When you've suited up, come into the machine room.

穿好工作服到机房来。

7. spruce up

意为“打扮整齐；装修房子”。

例句：They were all spruced up for the party.

他们都打扮得漂漂亮亮的去参加聚会。

We spent nearly 30, 000 yuan on sprucing up the house.

这次我们装修房子花了近30000元。

8. freshen up

意为“使精神饱满、梳洗一番”。

例句：I feel freshened up after that little sleep.

小睡片刻后我觉得精力恢复了。

They went back to the hotel to freshen themselves up.

他们回到旅馆去梳洗打扮一番。

9. hash out

意为“通过长时间讨论后解决”。

例句：The teacher asked them to sit down together and hash out their differences.

教师要他们坐在一起讨论讨论以消除分歧。

Let's just sit down and hash it out.

让我们坐下来，好好地讨论解决一下这个问题。

10. tire out

意为“使极度劳累、使筋疲力尽”。

例句：Looking after the children really tires me out.

照料这些孩子把我累坏了。

Hours of gardening in the sun has quite tired me out.

几小时在太阳底下锄草浇花已使我十分疲劳了。

Links

疲劳战术

“疲劳战术”，商务谈判常见策略之一，指通过拉锯战，使对方疲劳、生厌，以扭转己方在谈判中的不利地位，到了对手精疲力竭时，己方反守为攻，促使对方接受己方条件的一种策略。

在商务谈判中，实力较强一方的谈判者常常咄咄逼人，锋芒毕露，表现出居高临下、先声夺人的气势。对于这种谈判者，疲劳战术是一个十分有效的应对策略，通过许多回合的拉锯战，逐步消磨此类谈判者的锐气，同时也扭转己方在谈判中的不利地位，等到对手精疲力竭、头脑昏胀之时，己方即可反守为攻，力促对方做出让步。