经典英语

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用英语表达拒绝的经典好句？！ 1. Stop complaining! 别发牢骚！ 2. You make me sick! 你真让我恶心！ 3. What’s wrong with you? 你怎么回事？ 4. You shouldn’t have done that! 你真不应该那样做! 5. You’re a jerk! 你是个废物/混球！ 6. Don’t talk to me like that! 别那样和我说话! 7. Who do you think you are? 你以为你是谁？ 8. What’s your problem? 你怎么回事啊？ 9. I hate you! 我讨厌你！ 10. I don’t want to see your face!我不愿再见到你！ 11. You’re crazy! 你疯了! 12. Are you insane/crazy/out of your mind? 你疯了吗？（美国人绝对常用！） 13. Don’t bother me. 别烦我。 14. Knock it off. 少来这一套。 15. Get out of my face. 从我面前消失！ 16. Leave me alone. 走开。 17. Get lost.滚开！ 18. Take a hike! 哪儿凉快哪儿歇着去吧。 19. You piss me off. 你气死我了。 20. It’s none of your business. 关你屁事！ 21. What’s the meaning of this? 这是什么意思？ 22. How dare you! 你敢！ 23. Cut it out. 省省吧。 24. You stupid jerk! 你这蠢猪！ 25. You have a lot of nerve. 脸皮真厚。 26. I’m fed up. 我厌倦了。 27. I can’t take it anymore. 我受不了了！ [ 本帖最后由 liping1019 于 2009-1-27 20:31 编辑 ]

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商务英语合同中经常用到的经典词组 词组　　释义 to make a contract 签订合同 to place a contract 签订合同 to enter into a contract 签订合同 to sign a contract 签订合同 to draw up a contract 拟订合同 to draft a contract 起草合同 to get a contract 得到合同 to land a contract 得到合同 to countersign a contract 会签合同 to repeat a contract 重复合同 to carry out a contract 执行合同 to execute a contract 执行合同 to implement a contract 执行合同 to fulfil a contract 执行合同 to perform a contract 执行合同 to cancel the contract 撤消合同 to break the contract 撕毁合同 to tear up the contract 撕毁合同 to approve the contract 审批合同 to honour the contract 重合同 to annual the contract 废除合同 to terminate the contract 解除合同 to alter the contract 修改合同 to abide by the contract 遵守合同

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1.you look great today.（你今天看上去很棒。）【每天都可以用！】 2. you did a good job. （你干得非常好。）【国际最通用的表扬！】 3. we’re so proud of you.（我们十分为你骄傲。）【最高级的表扬！】 4. i’m very pleased with your work.（我对你的工作非常满意。）【正式、真诚的赞扬！】 5. this is really a nice place.（这真是个好地方！）【随口就说、但效果很好的表扬！】 6. you’re looking sharp!（你看上去真精神/真棒/真漂亮。）【与众不同的表扬！】 7. you always know the right thing to say. = 8. you’re very eloquent.（你总是说话得体。）【高层次的表扬！】 9. nice going! = you did a good job.（干得好！）【极其地道的表扬！】 10. the food is delicious.（好吃！）【最普通、但非常重要的表扬！】 11. everything tastes great.（每样东西都很美味！） 12. your son/daughter is so cute.（你的孩子很可爱。）【外国人绝对喜欢听的表扬！】 13. what an adorable baby!（多么可爱的孩子。）【只管大胆用！】 14. i admire your work. = 15. i respect your work.（我对你的工作表示敬意。）【世界通用！】 16. you’ve got a great personality.（你的个性很好。）【一个非常安全的表扬！】 17. you have a good sense of humor.（你真幽默。）【美国人极其喜欢的表扬！】 18. your chinese is really surprising.（你的中文令人惊讶。）【绝对和其他人不一样的表扬！】 19. your english is incredible.（我真不敢相信你的英语。）【用了六星级形容词！】 20. you have a very successful business.（你的事业很成功。）【现代人非常喜欢听！】 21. you’re very professional.（你非常专业。）【专业化的表扬！】 22. your company is very impressive.（你的公司给我留下深刻印象。） 23. you’re so smart.（你非常聪明。） 24. i envy you very much.（我非常羡慕你。） 25. your wife is very charming.（你的妻子很有魅力！） 26. you two make a lovely couple.（你们真是天生的一对！） 27. you’re really talented.（你很有天赋。） 28. you look nice in that color.（你穿那种颜色很好看。） 29. you have a good taste.（你很有品位。） 30. you look like a million dollars. = you look outstanding.=you look like a movie star.（你看上去帅呆了。）

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Money is not everything. There's Mastercard & Visa. 　　 钞票不是万能的,有时还需要信用卡. 　　 　　 One should love animals. They are so tasty. 　 每个人都应该热爱动物,因为它们很好吃. 　　 　　 Love the neighbor. But don't get caught. 　　 要用心去爱你的邻居,不过不要让她的老公知道. 　　 　　 Behind every successful man, there is a woman. And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two. 　　 每个成功男人的背后都有一个女人，每个不成功男人的背后都有两个女人。 　　 　　 Every man should marry. After all, happiness is not the only thing in life. 　　 再快乐的单身汉迟早也会结婚,幸福不是永久的嘛. 　　 　　 The wise never marry, and when they marry they become otherwise. 　　 聪明人都是未婚的,结婚的人很难再聪明起来. 　　 　　 Success is a relative term. It brings so many relatives. 　　 成功是一个相关名词,他会给你带来很多不相关的亲戚（联系）. 　　 　　 Never put off the work till tomorrow what you can put off today. 　　 不要等明天交不上差再找借口, 今天就要找好. 　　 　　 Love is photogenic. It needs darkness to develop. 　　 爱情就象照片,需要大量的暗房时间来培养.

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1.What is language for?some people seem to think it's for practicing grammar rules and learning lists of words---the longer the words the better.that's wrong.language is for the exchange of ideas,for communication. (语言到底是用来干什么的呢？一些人认为它是用来操练语法规则和学习一大堆单词--而且单词越长越好。这个想法是错误的。语言是用来交换思想，进行交流沟通的！） 2.The way to learn a language is to practice speaking it as often as possible. (学习一门语言的方法就是要尽量多地练习说。） 3.A great man once said it is necessary to dill as much as possible,and the more you apply it in real situations,the more natural it will become. (一位伟人曾说，反复操练是非常必要的，你越多的将所学到的东西运用到实际生活中，他们就变的越自然。） 4.learning any language takes a lot of effort.but don't give up. (学习任何语言都是需要花费很多努力，但不要放弃。） 5.Relax!be patient and enjoy yourself.learning foreign languages should be fun. (放松点！要有耐性，并让自己快乐！学习外语应该是乐趣无穷的。） 6.Rome wasn't built in a day.work harder and practice more.your hardworking will be rewarded by god one day.god is equal to everyone! (冰冻三尺，非一日之寒。更加努力的学习，更加勤奋的操练，你所付出的一切将会得到上帝的报答，上帝是公平的。） 7.Use a dictionary and grammar guide constantly.keep a small english dictionary with you at all time.when you see a new word,look it up.think about the word--use it.in your mind,in a sentence. (经常使用字典和语法指南。随身携带一本小英文字典，当你看到一个新字时就去查阅它，想想这个字---然后去用它，在你的心中，在一个句子里。） 8.Try to think in english whenever possible.when you see something think of the english word of it;then think about the word in a sentence. (一有机会就努力去用英文来思考。看到某事时，想想它的英文单词；然后把它用到一个句子中去。） 9.Practice tenses as much as possible.when you learn a new verb,learn its various forms. (尽可能多的操练时态。学习一个动词的时候，要学习它的各种形态。） 10.I would also like to learn more about the culture behind the language.when you understand the cultural background,you can better use the language. (我想学习和了解更多关于语言背后的文化知识，当你理解了文化背景，你就能更好地运用语言。）

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A-accept（接受） “世上没有十全十美的人”。记着，你爱他，就必须接受他的一切，甚至他的缺点。 B-belief（信任） 不信任对方，经常以怀疑的口吻盘问对方，这种互相猜忌的爱情就只有分手下场。 C-care（关心） 关心的程度正好表现你对对方的重视程度，间或打个电话给对方关心地问候一句：“工作辛苦吗？”又或者传呼他：“天气凉了，记得多加点衣服”。这些关心未必有实际用途，但起码能令对方暖在心头。 D-digest（理解） 我们不是圣人，总有情绪起伏的时候，若对方是“凸”的时候，你何不做“凹”去忍耐一下他，安慰一下他呢？ 　 E-encouragement（激励） 夫妻之间互相欣赏，互相激励，尤其是在逆境和一些关键时刻，来自伴侣的激励的能量远比想象的要强的多。 　 F-freedom（自由） 纵然已婚，也应给予对方应有自由及保持秘密的权利。你的另一半不是你的终生奴隶，不要让他认为跟你结婚就等于被困笼中。 G-give（付出） 爱情这样东西不一定是你付出“一”，便会收回“一”。但不付出便一定没有收获。对你的爱人，应有如对自己一样，毫无保留地付出，这才算得上真爱。 H-heart（心） 爱情最重要的道具是心，你必须真心对待，用心去爱。没有心，又怎称得上真心相爱？ I-independence（独立） 甜言蜜语的人会说：“我是为了你而生。”其实，每个人都有自己的生存意义，不应过分依赖对方，成为对方的沉重负担，甚至累赘。 J-jealousy（妒忌） 适当的妒忌、呷醋能表示你对对方的重视，但切记是合情合理的呷醋；反之，毫不讲理，大发雷霆地呷醋，必惹反感。 K-kiss（吻） 一吻胜过千言万语，轻轻的一吻已能代表你惜他、爱护他，所以请不要吝啬你的红唇。 L-love（爱） 都说是爱情，没有爱又怎会有情呢？爱跟喜欢不同，爱一个人，你必定愿意为他做任何事，这是最高的境界。亲时不妨跟对方说句“我爱你”，担保比任何礼物来得甜蜜开心。 M-mature（成熟） 为什么一般人的初恋总会无声无色地惨败，因为年轻人都恋爱得较幼稚。况且，没有一个人会喜欢对方长年没头没脑地蹦蹦跳跳。人成熟一点，你的爱情变会早熟一点，直到开花结果。 N-natural（自然） 很多人初拍拖时都会把一切的缺点隐藏起来，变成另一个人。日子久了，缺点才一箩箩地出现，令对方吃不消。其实，不做作，流于自然的爱情才是细水长流的。 O-observe（观察） 经常细心观察爱侣的喜好，不但能更了解对方，更能给他惊喜。那份心意必定比礼物来得珍贵。 P-protect（保护） 做男朋友的当然要保护女朋友，但做女朋友的亦要保护对方的尊严，不应容许别人中伤、侮辱你的另一半。 Q-quarter（宽大） 宽大是基本的要诀，对爱侣的错误，你应以宽大的态度原谅他，因为你是最爱他的人。 R-receive（接收） 对于爱侣为你所做的，请不要表现得无动于衷，令他气馁。他付出，你便应以欣赏的态度去接受，这才能令感情更进一步。 S-share（分享） 若你爱他，就必能与他分享他的喜与哀，这是作为一个伴侣最简单的责任。 T-tender（温柔） 歌都有得唱《Love me tender》啦！爱人当然要温柔地爱，因为男人女人缺乏温柔都不可爱。 U-understand（明白） 不明白对方的想法，对方跟你说话，你永远只独自发呆，那就是一段缺乏沟通的爱情。多站在对方立场，将心比心地想，必定能更了解你的另一半。 V-veracity（诚实） 对爱情，必须一百倍的诚实，你也不想你的另一半是个“大话精”吧！时常互相欺骗的感情又怎能天长地久呢？ W-wait（等待） 等待是维系一段感情的基本元素。最重要的是你要与他同步成长，这样，等待虽是痛苦的，也是幸福的。 X-“X”（乘法符号） 把你对他的爱每天以倍数地乘上去，爱情自然变成无限大，爱情走也走不掉。 Y-yearn（想念） 工作或不在一起时，不妨多想念对方，间或致电或传呼他说句“我很挂念你”必能令对方甜在心头，更起劲地工作。 Z-zest（热情） 像小龙女般虽然貌若天仙，却冷若冰霜的情人，除了杨过，相信都没有人愿意跟她一生一世。所以，做爱侣的，适当的热情能增添不少乐趣，但切忌过分热情。

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本公司断定我们所提供的货色优良, 价格公道, 感谢贵公司给我们一个机会, 使我们的要求得以实现。 We are certain that we are offering a sound article at popular price, and we should appreciate an opportunity to substantiate our claims. 贵公司5月6日函悉, 本公司无法承购贵公司开价的商品。此复。 In answer to your favour of the 6th May, we inform you that we are unable to take the goods offered by you. 关于贵公司所询麦麸一事, 现可提供该货20吨。 In answer to your inquiry for bran, we offer you 20 tons of the same. 贵函收悉, 此地商场仍保持平静。 Answering to your letter, we state that the market remains quiet. 至今未复5月8日贵函, 甚感歉疚, 还望原谅。 Kindly excuse our not replying to your favour of the 8th May unitl today. 本月8日贵函敬悉。??先生是位诚实可靠的人, 特此告知。 In response to your letter of the 8th inst., I am pleased to say that Mr. ?? is a man of trustworthy character. 关于所询H.先生的情况, 谨此高兴地告知, 他是一位足以信赖的人。 In response to your inquiry respecting Mr. H., we have pleasure in stating that he is a thoroughly reliable man. 关于S.公司的情况, 我们特此欣然函复。 We are glad to answer your inquiry concerning S. & Company. 关于J.先生的情况, 谨此高兴地告知, 我们认为他是绝对可以信赖的人。 Answering to your inquiry respecting Mr. J., we are pleased to say that we found him absolutely reliable. 17日贵函关于结帐一事, 谨此告知, 我们将很快寄去支票。 Replying to your letter of the 17th respecting the account, I will send you a cheque shortly. 谨复贵公司本月10日函询; 我们不能提供贵公司特定的那种餐盘的报价。 Replying to your inquiry of the 10th inst., we are unable to offer you plates of the size you specify. 贵函收悉, 我们已将样品提交本公司的买方, 特此奉告。 In reply to your letter, we are pleased to inform you that we have shown the sample to our buyer. 你方6月12日的来函收悉, 兹寄去面额为150美元的支票一张, 谨此奉复。 In reply to yours of 12th June, I send herewith a cheque, valuing $150.

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Production of Quality Goods and Service Facing Business Challenges at Harley-Davidson Staying on the Road to Higher Sales 　　When Japanese manufacturers began selling heavyweight motorcycles in the United States during the early 1970s， Barley-Davidson remained calm. The Milwaukee company controlled 99.7 percent of the market and saw no reason to panic. After all， if your customers love your product so much that they tattoo your logo on their chests， can't you count on their loyalty？ 　　The company was mistaken. The Harley was no longer the superb machine it once had been. It leaked oil， vibrated wildly， and broke down frequently. Harley's older customers patiently rebuilt their motorcycles， but younger riders were not so forgiving. Increasing numbers of them chose the trouble-free， smooth-riding imports， and Harley's U.S. market share eventually tumbled to 23 percent. 　　During the 1980s， Harley decided to open the throttle on quality production. The company changed its design and manufacturing systems to stress quality and reliability， and it carefully controlled the number of motorcycles produced so that their quality could be maintained. This turnaround reestablished Harley's worldwide reputation for superior quality. Customers liked the new motorcycles， and sales began to climb. 　　By the early 1990s， market share had returned to 64 percent， a number that could have been higher if the company hadn't presold its entire output by the middle of every year. With $1.2 billion in sales， Harley's biggest problem now was to make enough motorcycles to keep up with soaring demand in the United States and abroad. Dealers were frustrated because they couldn't give customers what they wanted， As dealer Debra Meyers put it： "eople don't understand. Not only can't they have the color they want， they can't have the bike. Period." 　　The last thing Harley CEO Richard F. Teerlink wanted was to frustrate dealers and customers. Although he recognized that higher production would lead to higher sales and profits， he refused to increase output at the risk of damaging the company's new reputation for quality. Faced with a sea of clamoring customers and anxious dealers， how could Teerlink boost Harley's production while keeping a firm grip on the quality that had brought the company back to its dominant position in the motorcycle industry？ What could the CEO do to monitor the production process and keep it on track and on time？ How could he make Harley flexible enough to handle the constant change needed to compete with rivals all over the globe？ 　　Meeting Business Challenges at Harley-Davidson 　　Even though Harley-Davidson had regained its reputation for building dependable motorcycles， higher demand created a new dilemma for CEO Richard Teerlink： how to increase production and boost sales without sacrificing quality. Even though motorcycle enthusiasts in Europe， Japan， and Australia were eager to buy， Harley agreed to limit international exports to 30 percent of all sales until production caught up with demand in North America. Now Teerlink turned his attention to production and operations， the areas that had fueled Harley's return to prominence in the late 1980s. 　　Following Honda's lead， Harley installed the HT system of inventory management. Among other things， HT lowered the number of parts and supplies held in waiting， so Harley could spend more on research to improve quality and to speed up the manufacturing process. Harley adapted to HT by changing everything from its purchasing practices to the layout of its factories. It also forged closer relationships with a smaller group of suppliers who could deliver high-quality parts on time. Because Harley was using fewer suppliers， it was able to place larger orders and qualify for bulk discounts. 　　In addition， Harley redesigned its production machinery and created more standardized parts for multiple bike models. With this approach， the company could build individual models in smaller batches， which allowed for more frequent product upgrades. The smaller batches also cut down on the number of defective parts. 　　Now Teerlink decided that Harley had to do more. He appointed a vice president of continuous improvement to oversee further reductions in waste， defects， and variability. He also moved Harley deeper into flexible manufacturing， and he set up a create-demand team， a production team， and a product support team to tap the knowledge of people who had experience in a variety of functions. 　　This emphasis on quality and world-class manufacturing has kept Harley well ahead of second-place Honda. Revamping its production and operations processes has even positioned Harley to turn the tables on Japanese companies： Harley-Davidson is now the best-selling imported motorcycle in Japan.

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Facing Business Challenges at Top of the Tree Baking Company 　　Baking Up Millions 　　You can use a lot of words to describe Gordon Weinberger， the founder of Top of the Tree Baking Company. Verbose. Determined. And， of course， tall - 6 feet 9 inches. Another man might have shrunk from the task that Weinberger had set for himself a couple of years ago， but Weinberger didn't. For two straight weeks， he would rush home from his day job in Boston， throw back some dinner ， and then head upstairs to his study to work the phones from 6 P.M. to 11 P.M. 　　He worked from a list of more than 70 prospective investors： cousins， aunts， uncles， in-laws， colleagues of his father， and friends of the family - many of whom he hadn't talked to in years. This meant he had a lot of catching up to do before he could even begin to tell them about the new company he hoped to start. Even for Gordon Weinberger， a man with an extraordinary gift of gab ， convincing them to invest in his idea might be hard work. 　　But Weinberger needed money - $100，000 to be exact. In the previous 4 months， he had honed his pie recipe， drawn up a detailed business plan， and sounded out the buyers from area supermarket chains. Almost everywhere he went， the feedback was positive. But without money， he knew his pies weren't going to get much farther than the local county fair. 　　Each time Weinberger reached for the phone， he drew in a deep breath. Then when the moment arrived， he did what he does best： He told his story. “Hi； this is Gordon. How are you doing？ Hey， I'm starting this new company， and I was wondering…” By the end of the night， his ear would be sore and his vocal chords scratchy . But it was worth the trouble. 　　Though it took a few months and a few more phone calls before the money began to roll in， he “sold” his idea to 11 investors， each of whom contributed about $10，000. The structure of the private stock offering was quite simple. The investors agreed that they would have no direct control or say in the affairs of Top of the Tree. In exchange， they were promised double their money back in 5 years. 　　Although entrepreneurs are often strong on developing their ideas， many stumble when it comes to raising money. Weinberger had little financial experience beyond negotiating a home mortgage . So the question is： How did Weinberger succeed where so many others had failed？ If you were Gordon Weinberger， how would you prepare to market your small-business idea to investors？ Where might you go for financing ？ How hard would you be willing to work to turn your vision into reality？ What would you include in your business plan？ 　　Meeting Business Challenges at Top of the Tree Baking Company 　　Gordon Weinberger knew he had his work cut out for him1. After all， the pie industry was very competitive indeed. Behemoths2 like Mrs. Smith's and Entenmann's dominated the price-sensitive end of the spectrum3， and anyone who wanted something akin to4 what grandma used to make headed for the bakery department. 　　In his informal research of the bakery pies， Weinberger learned two things： First， appearances aside， pies were rarely baked on premises. Second， in his view， they didn't taste half as good as his pies. Taking a cue from Ben & Jerry's Homemade ice cream， Weinberger believed there was room in the market for a relatively expensive， fresh apple pie. And apparently， some people agreed including Jerry Weissman， a businessman and friend of the family. 　　Weissman took Weinberger's business plan to a few friends who were enthralled . The plan had short-term goals， long-term goals， and a ladder-type path to reach those goals. And Weissman liked something else， something far less tangible than Weinberger's well-thought-out plan. Weissman sensed that Weinberger had the character and commitment to carry out the plan and he was right. 　　Weinberger's entrepreneurial pie odyssey began at a 1992 Old Home Day fair in Londonderry， New Hampshire， where he won the apple pie baking contest with his great-grandmother Anne's family pie recipe. After twice repeating his victory， he began to think he might have a recipe for success， not to mention a way to leave his job running the public relations division for a Boston advertising agency. 　　To develop interest in his pies， Weinberger approached individual branches of supermarkets， Shop & Save in New Hampshire and Star Marketing in Boston， conducting in-store tastings and parking lot pie-eating contests. For meetings with supermarket buyers， Weinberger spread checkered tablecloths on the executives' desks， played a tape-recorded jingle， and served up warm pie and cold milk. 　　During their first summer， a period when pie sales notoriously are in the doldrums ， Weinberger and company hitched an 11-foot-tall fiberglass apple to the back of their truck for a tour through Boston and four other New England cities. Once they arrived， they threw open the doors and began handing out thousands of free pies and pints of frozen yogurt. It was a public relations coup ， earning Weinberger spots on the evening news and attention in local newspapers. 　　By the end of 1995， his first year in business， Top of the Tree was churning out 3-pound pies at the rate of 6，000 a week and had racked up about $1 million in sales. The figures were almost exactly what Weinberger projected in his business plan， even though the route wasn't exactly as he had envisioned . That's because his sales got an unexpected boost from a stint selling his pies on the QVC home shopping network. During the original segment， which has since turned into a monthly event， he sold 2，700 pies in less than 2 minutes！ 　　To raise funds for branching out and automating his pie works， Weinberger undertook some unusual methods to market his pies. For example， to increase awareness and get people excited about his pies， Weinberger and his pie staff toured the United States in a refurbished school bus， serving up apple pie to would-be consumers. Not only was it an effective marketing tool， but the bus became a mobile fund-raiser. In the “Find the Dough Campaign，” headed by pie specialist Scott Mayo， the bus was used to seek out more capital. By using valet parking outside swank restaurants and hotels， the pie staff had ready access to potential investors. 　　One recent weekend the pie staff embarked on a tour of Boston， where they picked people up， fed them pie， and dropped them off at their destinations - just like Mass Transit， only with dessert. Afterward they parked outside of the Ritz Carlton， where Weinberger and his pie staff provided information on Top of the Tree. “It's incredible，” says Weinberger. “We are touching people in ways that they never envisioned.” 　　To date， Weinberger has secured $1 million in additional capital with his unusual marketing tactics， and he's intent on raising more money without giving up a significant amount of control of the company. "I don't want to give up half the company for $2 million，" says Weinberger. The perfect investors， according to Weinberger， would have a lot of money in their wallet but be willing to step back and let him run the company. 　　From its fledgling roots， Top of the Tree has blossomed， almost tripling its sales during its second year of operation. There is no doubt that Weinberger's dynamic marketing strategies will see him through to his goal： to become a $20 million company within the next 3 or 4 years.

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FACING BUSINESS CHALLENGES AT MICROSOFT 　　Struggling to Survive Success 　　Shrewd business deals and sheer luck propelled the pio??neering software company into a leading role at the cen??ter of the ever-changing， hotly competitive computer in??dustry. However， Microsoft's success brought its own management problems. Spectacular 50 percent annual growth left the company unwieldy and disorganized， even as software companies such as Lotus and Novell were tak??ing aim at its market share. Computer technology con??tinued to evolve at a rapid pace， consumers grew more demanding， and rival programmers worked around the clock to create new and better applications. For founder and chief executive officer Bill Gates， managing Microsoft required heroic effort. 　　Visionary leadership played a large role in Microsoft's wild success. When Gates dropped out of Har??vard to found the company in 1975， personal computers were toys for the “hard-core technoid，” as he once de??scribed himself. Nevertheless， Gates envisioned a com??puter in every home and in every office， with Microsoft software in every computer. He made an early alliance with computer giant IBM， putting Microsoft's basic op??erating program into 80 percent of the United States's 50 million personal computers. He also led Microsoft boldly into Europe and Asia. His energy and technical knowl??edge motivated Microsoft employees to continually im??prove the company's products and to develop new soft??ware offerings for the home and office. 　　As the company grew， however， good ideas were no longer enough. Gates found he was so busy that he could hardly handle day-to-day operational details， much less develop the vision he needed to stay ahead of the com??petition in the twenty-first century. Organization was lacking， and planning became increasingly difficult. Time after time， his company targeted a new market only to in??troduce a mediocre product the first time out. Gates per??sonally took charge of five important product lines but then couldn't find the time to tailor them to customer needs. Projects died， and customers got angry. 　　Gates also worried about a threat to his leadership： He feared losing touch with his employees， the people who put his vision into action. In the relaxed atmosphere of Microsoft， talking shop with the CEO was an important morale booster as well as a way to introduce employees to company values. Gates relished personal contact with employees， but their number had grown into the thousands， and they were spread around the world. 　　Although Gates had always made the big decisions at Microsoft， more decisions were needed， and he was al??ready working in excess of 65 hours a week. How could he plan for the long term and still manage daily affairs ef??fectively？ What could he do to reach the staff and spread his vision？ How could he ensure Microsoft's success in the twenty-first century？ 　　On the Job： Meeting Business Challenges at Microsoft 　　As projects slipped behind schedule and competitors stepped up their attacks， Microsoft chief executive officer Bill Gates knew he had to take himself out of day-to-day operations. Microsoft had great ideas， but it was failing to plan and implement effec??tively. Now the company's reputation was on the line. 　　So Gates got help. He turned over daily operations to a three-person office of the president， which freed Gates for more creative work： envisioning products for the twenty-first century and planning for the company's long-term future. Then he re??organized the company into three major groups： products， sales and support， and operations. This new organization was de??signed to increase the company's efficiency and its responsive??ness to customer needs. However， Gates didn't want to lose the entrepreneurial spirit that characterized the company's early years. The organization's structure was planned around small， self-sufficient working groups that encouraged individual em??ployees to feel greater responsibility for their work. 　　Even though Gates could now effectively lead his man??agers， he was still concerned that his growing staff might lose touch with him and his strategic goals. He didn't have to look far for the solution： Microsoft established an electronic network that now links over 20，000 employees around the world. This network includes an electronic-mail system that lets vir??tually any employee communicate directly with the CEO. Dozens do so daily， and Gates tries to respond the same day he receives a message. Employees feel they have direct access to the top. They say Gates's messages are blunt and sometimes sarcastic??but always entertaining. By staying in touch with every level and every employee at Microsoft， Gates ensures that his vision is acknowledged and understood by everyone at Microsoft. 　　Gates's vision and drive have helped Microsoft achieve a commanding lead in the race for a piece of the software mar??ket. As much as 85 percent of all personal computers now run on Microsoft operating programs. Also， Gates is boldly moving the company into new frontiers. In recent years， Microsoft has acquired several start-up companies that possess cutting-edge Internet technologies. The company is integrating Internet fea??tures into many of its popular home and business programs. Gates is also looking at ways of marrying the computer and the television set to create a combination entertainment-information device. A major step was the launch of MSNBC， a cable news channel and companion Web site that the company developed with NBC. More recently， Microsoft purchased WebTV Net??works， a company whose products allow you to surf the Inter??net on your television while watching your favorite programs. 　　Although Microsoft's future growth will not be as ex??plosive as it was in the early years， Gates knows that effective management on all levels is what will keep the company on top.

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FACING BUSINESS CHALLENGES AT AJ WRAPS 　　Alice Thomson and Judith Nantook are identical twin sisters whose passion for food led them into a gutsy decision： opening a chain of fast-food restaurants??starting with one， of course. 　　AJ Wraps “probably began when we were teenagers working in fast-food restaurants，” says Alice. “Then our parents gave us a trip to Paris as a graduation present，” adds her twin Judith. “We fell in love with gourmet French cuisine.” They had wanted to stay and study with the masters of French cooking， but it just wasn't feasible. So they went home to Illinois to finish college （Alice majored in psychology， Judith in premed zoology）。 Then Judith met and married Jeff Nantook， following him to San Francisco where he worked as a CPA and tax adviser. 　　Before long， Judith was begging Alice to move to San Francisco and attend the California Culinary Academy with her. During the week they were learning about sauces and soufflés ， and on weekends they were tasting and sampling the city's gourmet offerings while endlessly discussing the restaurant they planned to open after graduation. They were fascinated by the local trend toward multiethnic combinations——and by a "new" eating invention called the wrap. Some say it evolved from a Mexican burrito filled with unexpected ingredients. Others say the idea of a meal wrapped in an easy bundle shows up in every culture sooner or later. 　　Whatever its origin， the twins saw gold. They started planning a fast-food restaurant that would sell multiethnic， gourmet “wraps” containing exotic ， fresh “fusion” （hot and cold） cuisine. They imagined a flavored red tortilla filled with Thai chicken， jasmine-lime rice， and fresh snap peas??or a green one filled with blackened red snapper， Spanish rice， Napa cabbage， and lime-horseradish sour cream. They even started making samples in Judith's home kitchen， much to Jeff's delight. 　　The twins knew wraps appealed to anyone with a hectic lifestyle??and who doesn't fall into that category at least occasionally？ Commuters want to eat behind the wheel， parents want to pick up dinner on the way home， and single people are looking for fresh， healthy， inexpensive meals. Wraps could satisfy all these needs， the twins believed. A National Restaurant Association survey on ethnic cuisine showed that consumers were eager to try more ethnic foods； moreover， a look at the Internet Food Channel's “Ultra Trend Tracker” showed them that the wrap was leading the sandwich category， where focaccia was fading. From coast to coast， newspaper reviews were hailing wraps as the best new fast-food discovery. 　　Now Judith and Alice face some hard business decisions. Jeff has agreed to share his expertise as financial adviser， but who will manage the food and who will handle the books？ How will they share ownership， pay taxes， and compensate themselves？ What will they offer financial backers？ How will the business grow？ Alice and Judith have absolute confidence in their teamwork and their culinary expertise. But they also know that if they don't set the business on the right structural foundation， it could fail overnight??as a lot of well-meaning friends keep pointing out. 　　Meeting Business Challenges at AJ Wraps 　　For a time， Alice Thomson and Judith Nantook thought their plans to open AJ Wraps were falling through . Judith's husband Jeff was offered a partnership in a large accounting firm??the catch was， he'd have to move to Los Angeles. However， with a little more research， the twins' enthusiasm was restored. They read about a company partly owned by actor Woody Harrelson： Yoganics， an organic food-delivery service， was apparently reaping tax benefits from a location in South-Central Los Angeles. A 1992 racial uprising left a scarred community that needed to rebuild itself， and the area was designated a “revitalization zone.” State officials were offering tax incentives to spur businesses into the area. It was working beautifully， creating new jobs and a positive， thriving atmosphere. 　　Alice and Judith loved this idea. As financial adviser， Jeff thought the tax savings would help them get rolling ， and an eager work force couldn't hurt. Reassured ， the twins revised their plans. Their headquarters would be in South-Central Los Angeles， with the first two restaurants nearby. The third they'd open farther south， in bustling ， middle-class Orange County. After three AJ Wraps were running successfully， Judith， Alice， and Jeff would sit down and prepare a plan for selling franchises. When it reached that stage， they'd probably want to incorporate ， but in the meantime， the business would function as a partnership . Now they had to decide how to divide the responsibilities??and the compensation. 　　At first， they considered including Jeff as a third partner-after all， his input during the planning stages had been invaluable. But in private meetings Judith and Alice decided that giving Jeff equal management control could eventually interfere in the long-practiced， twin-bonded ， team tactics that worked so well between the two of them. They were so attuned to each other's way of thinking and doing that they had always been able to make decisions in a snap. 　　For a while， they toyed with the idea of offering Jeff a limited partnership （eliminating his management responsibilities and limiting his liability） but realized they frequently needed his advice to make management decisions. As a limited partner， he wouldn't be compensated for that weekly time investment. They also considered writing a general partnership agreement that limited Jeff's management participation， but that approach could lead to some uncomfortable situations （such as having to tell him when to back off and when he was needed）。 Finally， the twins decided the best option was the simplest one： Alice and Judith would share the business as general partners， hiring Jeff as a consultant and paying him hourly for his expertise. Besides， as Judith pointed out， he'd be sharing in the restaurants' profits anyway as her husband. （At first Jeff's feelings were a little hurt when they told him he wouldn't be a partner. But then he saw the wisdom of it??not to mention the lack of pressure and the easy income. He agreed wholeheartedly.） 　　Next， Alice and Judith decided that their financial backers （their aunt and uncle， at this stage） would be offered a limited partnership. When and if AJ Wraps incorporated， their backers would be given the option of selling their partnership back to the company or investing further as shareholders in the closed corporation. This would all depend on the company's success， the twins realized， and they knew they could only plan so far ahead； first， their wraps must become a big hit in the new neighborhood. 　　One of the twins' early planning discussions was about the nature of their business： Were they a service provider or a goods producer？ They decided they were both： When interacting with customers， they would provide attentive service with a meal that was fast， inexpensive， and healthful. When working in the kitchen， they'd use all their culinary arts to “manufacture” the best wraps in Los Angeles??or the West！

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Facing Business Challenges at Levi Strauss 　　Can a company be socially responsible and successful？ 　　Levi Strauss & Company chairman and chief executive officer Bob Hass had some problems on his hands. After taking over leadership of the world-famous blue-jeans maker in 1984， Haas had worked hard to revitalize the company's long-standing commitment to ethical and socially responsible behavior. However， changes in consumer tastes and stiff competition from rival clothing manufacturers were hitting the company hard on all sides. In order to remain competitive， Hass would have to make some tough decisions that could threaten the company's principles. 　　The original Mr. Levi Strauss had a simple business mission—make and sell quality work pants for San Francisco's gold-rush miners. However， Strauss also demonstrated a strong social conscience and commitment to employees early on. During the Great Depression ， workers were paid to lay a new floor in the factory until business picked up. By the 1960s， the company had become a vocal advocate for racial integration and a leader in corporate diversity programs. 　　However， by the time Bob Haas （great-great-grand-nephew of Levi Strauss） took over in 1984， the company seemed to have lost its social conscience. Levi's had expanded aggressively into product lines that were ultimately unprofitable. The company was bloated ， profits were falling， and management was more concerned with numbers than with values. Haas believed that public shareholders and stock analysts had blurred the company's vision by demanding short-term profit gains over long-term goals. So with the help of friends and family， Haas bought up the remaining public stock and set out to turn the company around. 　　Haas began to streamline the company， which meant taking the painful step of cutting the work force by a third. To reward and motivate those who remained， he developed an aspirations statement with companywide goals based on ethics， diversity， environmental stewardship ， teamwork， trust， and openness. He backed up his statement by training employees in leadership， diversity， and ethical decision making and also by linking employee compensation to performance in these areas. “A company's values —what it stands for， what its people believe in—are crucial to its competitive success，” Haas exhorted . “Indeed， values drive the business.” Levi's also spent large sums to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment. At the same time， the company shed unprofitable clothing styles and refocused on traditional jeans and the new casual “Dockers” products. With revitalized company values， soaring staff morale， and revamped product lines， Levi Strauss enjoyed double-digit gains in sales revenues and profits. 　　However， the 1990s brought new crises. First， reports of widespread human rights abuses in some Asian countries led the company to question the ethics of its operations there. Second， Levi's discovered that some of its suppliers in Asia were making Levi's products with child labor. And third， Levi's own failure to spot new clothing trends， modernize its production facilities， and keep retailers happy resulted in declining jeans sales. The situation worsened as new competitors undercut Levi’s pricing by manufacturing the majority of their products overseas. （Levi's still made half of its products in the United States）。 With demand shrinking， Levi's again found it had too many plants and employees in the United States. But large-scale layoffs could undermine the social values that had once again become synonymous with the Levi's name. Haas had to find a way to ensure the company’s long-term profitability while standing by Levi's principles. 　　If you were Bob Haas， how would you balance your company's economic needs with its goals for ethics and social responsibility？ How would you deal with suppliers who don't adhere to your company's values？ Would you take a stand against human rights abuses？ How would you handle the problem of excess capacity and employees？ 　　Meeting Business Challenges at Levi Strauss 　　Bob Haas knew that Levi Strauss & Company faced an uphill battle . The company had uncovered violations of its ethical standards among its Asian suppliers. Meanwhile， consumer tastes had shifted while Levi's looked the other way ， and competitors were beating Levi's on price and service. But Haas determined to tackle these problems by refocusing on the original company strengths： strong commercial instincts and a commitment to social values and to the work force. 　　In the early 1990s， Haas developed global guidelines addressing specific workplace issues， such as length of work periods， fair wages， respect for the environment， and prohibitions against child labor. To add muscle to these guidelines， the company began sending inspectors around the world on surprise visits to look for violations. It was during one of these global audits that Haas discovered some manufacturing contractors in Asia employed underage workers， a clear violation of the guidelines. However， most of the children were significant contributors to family incomes， and losing their jobs would force them into more inhumane ways of earning money. Wanting to retain Levi Strauss as their customer， the factory owners asked Levi's management what to do. Some companies with strong values confronting this issue might simply instruct contractors to discharge underage workers. But Levi Strauss devised a unique solution with positive benefits for everyone. 　　The contractors agreed to suspend underage workers but still pay their salaries and benefits. For its part， Levi Strauss paid for school tuition and other education-related expenses with no obligations. When the children reached working age， they were all offered full-time jobs in the manufacturing plants. Everyone gained. The children were able to continue their education and their family income contributions， the contractors kept their good customers， and Levi Strauss retained its quality contractors while protecting company values. 　　Levi's faced more ethical problems in China， where widespread abuses of human rights clashed directly with the company's ethical principles. So Haas decided to phase out most of Levi's operations in that country over a period of several years. Although some critics argued that the move was just a public relations stunt， and that losing its $50 million annual business in China was small compared to the favorable publicity the company would receive， Levi’s maintained that its only objective was to uphold its own ethical standards. “Our hope is that conditions will change and improve so that we can revisit our decision at some time in the future，” stated one Levi's executive. 　　The company could turn to its established ethical guidelines to handle the challenges it faced in Asia， but the another challenge would be harder to deal with. Demand for Levi's products was sagging， so the company had far more manufacturing capacity than it needed. The problem had several causes： （1） The company had failed to notice certain fashion trends that competitors recognized early （such as teenagers' preferences for extra-baggy jeans）， （2） the company had no consistent marketing message （which resulted in its blue jeans being perceived as “preppy” or for older generations）， （3） the company's slow product-delivery and restrictive pricing policies angered many retailers and prompted some to carry more competing brands， and （4） many competitors produced the majority of their products overseas using more advanced production technology and thus requiring fewer employees， which enabled them to undercut Levi’s prices. 　　To overcome these threats， Haas began a new campaign to listen to the needs of consumers， cut production costs， improve relations with retailers， and refocus its marketing message. Unfortunately， the situation required Hass once again to face the difficult task of laying off large numbers of workers. In early 1997 the company laid off 1，000 management and clerical employees to save $80 million in costs. Nine months later the announcement was made that Levi's would close 11 U.S. plants and lay off nearly 6，400 production workers， a full one-third of its U.S. work force. The decision was not an easy one， but Haas and the rest of Levi's senior managers saw it as necessary in order to keep the company profitable in the years ahead. Nevertheless， Haas was not about to let employees just walk out into an uncertain future. Some had been with Levi's for many years. So true to the company’s high standards for social responsibility， Levi's spent $200 million on severance pay and additional benefits. 　　Under the generous plan， each laid-off worker received 8 months' paid notice before the job cuts took effect； up to 3 weeks of additional pay for every year of service with the company； a $500 bonus upon finding a new job； paid health benefits for 18 months； and a $6，000 allowance for relocating， retraining， or starting a new business. In addition， Levi's provided career counseling to employees for up to 6 months， and the Levi Strauss Foundation gave $8 million in grants to assist communities affected by the plant closings. 　　Conventional wisdom holds that the costs of these progressive solutions placed Levi Strauss at a competitive disadvantage. But Bob Haas believes that decisions emphasizing costs alone do not serve a company's best interests. And Haas has taken action on this belief time and again.

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Facing Business Challenges at Holiday Inn Worldwide 　　Sending Invitations Across the Globe 　　In the 1960s a family vacation in the United States usually meant loading the kids into the station wagon and driving off down the highway toward a tourist destination. And when weary vacationers needed to rest for the night， they often looked for the familiar green signs with “Holiday Inn” written in script and a colorful star for emphasis. All across the United States， this sign welcomed travelers to Holliday Inn hotels with promises of quality， comfort， and value. 　　By 1968 Holiday Inn was so well known in the United States that it began opening franchises in Europe. In 1973 the company opened its first Asian hotel in Japan， and in 1984 it became the first U.S.-based hotel to open for business in China. For 25 years Holiday Inn enjoyed great success in the European and Asian markets， opening 600 hotels and earning a reputation as upscale ， professional， and well run. 　　However， in the 1980s Holiday Inn's fortunes were beginning to fade in the United States. Many of the franchises were outdated and substandard . Family vacationers were being replaced by business travelers as the hotel industry's bread and butter ， and aggressive competitors with superior marketing strategies were targeting this growing segment . In addition， overbuilding had set off a wave of price discounting . As a result， both Holiday Inn's share of the lodging market and its image took a nosedive . 　　But in the 1990s this icon of the U.S. highway was brought back to life after being purchased by Bass PLC， a British conglomerate. Bass moved quickly to make Holiday Inn Worldwide the leading hotel chain， not just in the United States but around the globe. In the United States， Holiday Inn pursued a strategy that segmented the market into different types of travelers and created a unique type of lodging for each group. Under names like Holiday Inn Express， Holiday Inn Select， Sunspree Resorts， and Crowne Plaza， the company offered different accommodations and amenities at different prices to suit the diverse needs of business and leisure travelers. Combined with a campaign to bring all of the franchises back up to a high standard of quality， the strategy quickly began to pay off. 　　Even so， the top brass at Holiday Inn Worldwide knows that the greatest growth potential is not in the saturated U.S. market but in the evolving markets of Europe， Asia， and Latin America. With increasing tourism and business development in these regions， the demand for comfortable， consistent， and affordable accommodations is booming . Holiday Inn needs a strategy for tapping this vast potential. Would the strategies that fueled Holiday Inn's turnaround in the United States bring similar results internationally？ Large-scale construction of new hotels will play a major role， so what kinds of hotels should they be？ How can the company best meet the needs of a wide variety of international travelers？ Should Holiday Inn expand through franchises or by opening company-owned hotels？ Should the same type of promotion be used for the entire global market or should it be localized to each geographic area？ These are questions that Raymond Lewis faces daily as vice president of marketing. If you were Lewis， how would you answer them？ 　　Meeting Business Challenges at Holiday Inn Worldwide 　　Part of Raymond Lewis's job is to monitor and predict changes in the ever-evolving global market . Among the trends he has observed is the increasing similarity between the needs and desires expressed by consumers and businesses around the world in certain product categories such as lodging. On the other hand， Lewis knows that various countries and cultures approach purchases differently， and that people of various cultures respond differently to product promotion . His challenge， then， is to figure out how to satisfy both the similar and the diverse needs of each new market. 　　Lewis also knows that all travelers， regardless of where they are from or where they are going， share many of the same desires， fears， and expectations when they are traveling. They may not speak the same language or live the same lives while at home， but when they're on the road， all travelers are （1） away from home and out of their personal comfort zones， （2） in different and often unfamiliar surroundings， and （3） subject to the same hassles and hardships. Therefore， Holiday Inn focuses on delivering a consistent product around the world. This way， whether the hotel is in South Korea， India， Buenos Aires ， or Israel， travelers know that they will always receive a comfortable room at a fair price. 　　In addition， the strategy of segmenting the market by types of travelers that proved so successful in the United States also works abroad， but in a different way. Segmentation in the hotel industry is a relatively new concept in Europe， and in Asia it is virtually nonexistent. This is largely because in many of the developing nations of Asia， travel has only recently become an option for the majority of people. As a result， not every type of Holiday Inn hotel will be successful in every country. The company must know each market very well before it decides which type of hotel to open. Does the area draw mainly tourists or business travelers？ How long do visitors usually stay？ Do people from surrounding areas travel often？ What types of accommodations do competitors offer in the area？ By knowing the answers to questions like these， Holiday Inn is able to decide which type of hotel will best serve the needs of travelers to the area. For example， the company opened a SunSpree Resort in Arequipa， Peru， close to Machu Pichu， a popular international tourist destination. Holiday Inn's management team feels that Sunspree has a great chance for success in this location because the hotel caters to tourists. 　　In the same way， Holiday Inn management expects a mix of business and leisure travelers to visit Seoul， South Korea. Therefore， the new Holiday Inn Seoul appeals to a broad range of travelers by offering a business center， banquet facilities ， four restaurants， a fitness center ， and a gift shop. 　　Just as in its early days of expansion in the United States， Holiday Inn is accomplishing its international expansion through a mix of wholly owned facilities and franchises， depending on the availability of resources and potential for profit in each local market. Although franchising agreements place less risk on Holiday Inn Worldwide， they also require the company to give up more control than it would by opening wholly owned facilities. However， franchises must adhere to strict quality standards if they intend to operate under Holiday Inn's famous name. 　　Lewis and his team also recognize that even though travelers have similar expectations for the quality and value they get in a hotel， sometimes they like to stay in places that don't feel like hotel chains. Therefore， the company has opened hotels in Europe， Australia， and South Africa that have a style and character unique to their locations. In this way， Holiday Inn is able to tailor its global product to local markets. 　　Nonetheless， Holiday Inn's promotion strategy is decidedly global， regardless of which markets it enters. Lewis bases the strategy on two themes： “Welcome” and “Stay with somebody you know.” Although the ad copy is translated when necessary， even the visual format is the same from country to country. Of course， cultural differences must be accommodated from time to time. For example， travelers in Britain preferred an ad that focused on a friendly doorman， whereas U.S. and German travelers preferred a more sentimental ad showing a businesswoman receiving a fax of a drawing from her child. 　　The inspiration for this global strategy came to Lewis， not surprisingly， while he was traveling. When boarding a plane at Dulles Airport outside of Washington， D.C.， he passed a group of Russian teenagers gathered around a guitar player singing “Puff the Magic Dragon，” a folk song that was popular in the United States a few decades ago. This connection between cultures helped convince Lewis that the world's people were alike in many ways， particularly in the field of pleasure and business travel. 　　It remains to be seen how successful Holiday Inn's global strategy will be in the long run . The company is off to a flying start. However， competitors such as Marriott and Choice Hotels are moving quickly to make sure Holiday Inn doesn't outpace them in the hot new global markets. But one thing is sure， Lewis and the rest of the management team are not content with Holiday Inn being a leading hotel chain in the United States. They want Holiday Inn to be the leader around the world.

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1. Foundations and challenges of business Facing Business Challenges at Gateway 2000 　　From Farm Boy to Billionaire 　　Computers. The odds are slim you will survive， much less thrive， in this industry. You have to guess what customers will want more than a year in advance， even though technology is changing at an incredibly fast pace. It's hardly a business for cowboys-unless you're Ted Waitt. 　　Son of a fourth-generation cattle broker ， Waitt （currently 34 and worth an estimated $1.7 billion） rides herd over Gateway 2000 . They tell stories about Waitt， and not just in Sioux City， South Dakota -Gateway's homeland. They talk about how he built a fortune by trusting his instincts and making gutsy calls that led the industry. How he borrowed $10，000 from his grandmother to start a mail-order computer business ， and how he turned a two-man， farmhouse operation into a global giant-in only ten years. And they talk about the pony-tailed farm boy clad in deck shoes and a polo shirt who knew that someday he was going to run his own company. 　　It all began while Waitt was working for a local computer store； he was amazed by how easy it was to sell computer equipment to acknowledgeable computer users over the phone. So in 1985 Waitt （the marketer ） teamed up with his buddy Mike Hammond （the technical whiz）， and the two started a small mail-order computer business of their own. Waitt and Hammond worked long hours-from their upstairs office in Waitt's family farmhouse. 　　Their big break came in 1987， when Texas Instruments （TI） decided to stop manufacturing its own computers and instead sell only industry-standard IBM-compatible personal computers （PCs）。 Of course， owners of TI computers could trade in their equipment for newer IBM-compatible computers， but first they would have to cough up $3，500. Waitt and Hammond knew they could provide the same computer equipment TI was offering-and at a much cheaper price （$1，955）。 They did this by finding the best deals on cutting-edge computer components， and assembling the components to build top quality custom PCs . Because all sales were made-to-order and transacted over the phone ， Gateway could afford to give customers more computer for their money-a strategy from which the company has never veered . 　　Within three short years， the company was shipping 225 PCs a day （each one in a black-and-white cow-spotted box）， and sales reached $70 million. By 1993 sales topped $1.7 billion， and the company sold its stock to the investing public. In spite of Gateway's speedy trip to the top， the company was at a treacherous intersection . Gateway was run essentially by one guy-Ted Waitt-who relied on his instincts. And the company was getting too big to depend on only one man's judgment. In order to survive in this competitive industry， Gateway would have to find ways to expand its customer base and manage the company's growth. 　　If you were Ted Waitt， what steps would you take to beef up business ？ Would you compete on price， speed， quality， or innovation？ Would you consider other sales approaches besides telephone selling？ 　　Meeting Business Challenges at Gateway 2000 　　Relying on his instincts， Ted Waitt made a number of critical calls that put Gateway in the lead. Of course， Waitt was no longer a one-man show. Beginning in 1991， he brought in experienced executives （from top companies like Digital Equipment， Texas Instruments， and IBM） to help manage the company's growth. Together they brought Gateway to new heights while sticking with its efficient， bare-bones assembly operation-no showroom， little inventory， and no retail outlets. In fact， Gateway's simple direct-sales operation allows the company to compete on speed， quality， and price. 　　Speed and quality in manufacturing give Gateway the biggest advantage. Not only can speed and quality win customers， but they win the right kind of customers-those who are willing to pay a bit more for computer equipment. Gateway moves like lightning： It gets new computers out the door in a hurry. They include all the latest technology-like top-quality color monitors， the latest operating system and software， and the most powerful computer chip. 　　Of course， buying a computer over the telephone and not seeing the equipment until the truck delivers the cow-spotted boxes to your doorstep is not for everyone. Gateway attracts computer-savvy buyers who need a lot less hand-holding and are comfortable purchasing from a catalog or an advertisement. Here's how it works： The customer calls in and， over the phone （or Internet）， designs a custom-configured computer system using cutting-edge technology. In about five days， the custom system is built and shipped. Because there is no inventory to speak of （computers are made-to-order）， as technology gets cheaper， Gateway can compete on price by changing prices daily and passing the savings on to customers. 　　Relying on word of mouth and a strong advertising campaign （about $90 million a year）， Gateway rode a wave of success fueled by computer buyers hunting for good equipment at bargain prices. Gateway's success， however， did not come without its share of growing pains. Gateway's first portable laptop computer was a disaster. Failing to recognize that customers had to see and touch the product to appreciate its smaller size and capabilities， Gateway ran into a wall because the company's computers were not sold in retail stores where customers could experience the product's features. This lesson would not be forgotten. Other mishaps included sending out machines that did not work and busy phone lines that kept customers waiting-sometimes for hours. Fortunately， Waitt corrected these problems early on by instituting various quality-control measures to increase customer satisfaction. And his efforts paid off. By 1996 Gateway was shipping 5，000 to 6，000 computers daily and sales skyrocketed to roughly $5 billion. 　　That same year Gateway launched a product that was way ahead of its time. Called Destination， it was a combo PC and 31-inch television set with a wireless keyboard， a mouse， and a home-theater sound system. Learning from past mistakes， Waitt knew he would have to get the product in front of consumers so that they could see its features. This time Gateway cut deals with retail stores. None had ever carried Gateway's stuff before. 　　But Waitt's biggest challenge has been trying to crack the corporate market. Whereas Gateway sold most of its computers to individual users and small businesses， rival Dell set its sights on the lucrative Fortune 1000 corporate accounts and made some expensive investments-like $22 million in research and development （Gateway spent practically zip）。 Despite doubling its sales force， Gateway discovered that selling computers to corporate customers was not an easy task. First of all， competitors like IBM and Hewlett-Packard （HP） have large， well-trained sales and service staffs who have been doing business with big companies for years. Furthermore， IBM and HP products can be purchased at traditional retail stores. 　　Still， relying on a cost-efficient， bare-bones， direct-sale operation is Gateway's stronghold in this cutthroat industry. The company has no plans to alter its fundamental selling strategy. "If you come see us in the next century， we'll be bigger， better， and smarter， but fundamentally we'll be the same，" notes Waitt. That is， Gateway will stick to what it does best： churning out huge volumes of PCs that are equipped with the latest technology at affordable-but not rock bottom-prices and selling them to customers over the phone.

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01、I love you not because who you are,but because who I am when I am with you. 　　我爱你不是因为你是谁，而是我在你面前是谁。 02、No man or woman is worth your tears,and the one who is, won't make you cry. 　　没有男人或女人值得你流泪，值得的那位不会让你哭泣。 03、A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. 　　一个真正的朋友是向你伸出手，触动你心灵的人。 04、The worst way to miss some one is to be sitting right beside him knowing you can't have him. 　　想念一个人最糟糕的方式就是坐在他身旁，而知道你不能拥有他。 05、Never frown,even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile. 　　就算你不快乐也不要皱眉，因为你永远不知道谁会爱上你的笑容。 06、To the world you may be one person,but to one person you may be the world. 　　在世界上你可能只是某人，但对于某人你可能是世界。 07、Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened. 　　不要因为完结而哭泣，要为曾经发生而微笑。 08、Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you. 　　在你尝试了解他人和盼望他人了解你之前，先把你变成一个更好的人和了解自己的人。 09、Don't try so hard, the best things come when you lease expect them to. 　　不要太努力去找，最好的事情是在最预计不到的时候出现的。 10、Life is a pure flame, and we live by an invisible sun within us. 　　生命是一束纯净的火焰，我们依靠自己内心看不见的太阳而存在。

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1. Do not, for one repulse, forgo the purpose that you resolved to effort. ( Shakespeare ) 　不要只因一次挫败，就放弃你原来决心想达到的目的。（莎士比亚） 2. The man who has made up his mind to win will never say " Impossible".( Napoleon ) 　凡是决心取得胜利的人是从来不说“不可能”的。（拿破仑） 3. Miracles sometimes occur, but one has to work terribly for them. ( C. Weizmann ) 　奇迹有时候是会发生的，但是你得为之拼命蒂努力。（魏茨曼） 4. There is no such thing as darkness; only a failure to see. ( Muggeridge ) 　没有黑暗这种东西，只有看不见而已。（马格里奇） 5. Time is a bird for ever on the wing. ( T. W. Robertson ) 　时间是一只永远在飞翔的鸟。（罗伯逊） 6. If you do not learn to think when you are young, you may never learn. ( Edison ) 　如果你年轻时不学会思考，那就永远不会。（爱迪生） 7. A day is a miniature of eternity. ( Emerson ) 　一天是永恒的缩影。（爱默生） 8. Morality may consist solely in the courage of making a choice. ( L. Blum ) 　品德可能仅仅在于有勇气作出抉择。（布鲁斯） 9. If there were less sympathy in the world, there would be less trouble in the world. ( O. Wilde ) 　如果世界上少一些同情，世界上也就会少一些麻烦。（王尔德）

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Life is like a box of cholocate,you never know what you will go to get. 《阿甘正传》 if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal — as we are! ’ -------如果上帝赐予我财富和美貌，我会使你难于离开我，就像现在我难于离开你。上帝没有这么做，而我们的灵魂是平等的，就仿佛我们两人穿过坟墓，站在上帝脚下，彼此平等——本来就如此！” 《简爱》 it’s a good day to die!《星际争霸》 hey ,are you all right? Do you think because I am poor, obscure, plain and little I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you and fully as much heart。 Tara! Home! I‘ll go home, and I‘ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day. 《乱世佳人》 I Guess it comes down to a simple choice. Get busy living or get busy dieing! 《The Shawshank Redemption 》 love means you never have to say you're sorry.《love story》 I'm a prisoner in the block untill the gunshot sets me free.《Man of Fire》 Listen, Rose. You’re going to get out of here. You’re going to go on. You’re going to make lots of babies, and you’re going to watch them grow. You’re going to die and old, an old lady in her warm bed, not here, not this night, not like this. Do you understand me?《泰坦尼克号》

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Q： Can you sell yourself in two minutes？ Go for it. （你能在两分钟內自我推荐吗？大胆试试吧！） A： With my qualifications and experience, I feel I am hardworking, responsible and diligent in any project I undertake. Your organization could benefit from my analytical and interpersonal skills.(依我的资格和经验，我觉得我对所从事的每一个项目都很努力、负责、勤勉。我的分析能力和与人相处的技巧，对贵单位必有价值。) Q：Give me a summary of your current job description. (对你目前的工作，能否做个概括的说明。) A：I have been working as a computer programmer for five years. To be specific, I do system analysis, trouble shooting and provide software support. (我干了五年的电脑程序员。具体地说，我做系统分析，解决问题以及软件供应方面的支持。） Q：Why did you leave your last job？(你为什么离职呢？) A： Well, I am hoping to get an offer of a better position. If opportunity knocks, I will take it.（我希望能获得一份更好的工作，如果机会来临，我会抓住。） A：I feel I have reached the "glass ceiling" in my current job. / I feel there is no opportunity for advancement. （我觉得目前的工作，已经达到顶峰，即沒有升迁机会。) Q：How do you rate yourself as a professional？(你如何评估自己是位专业人员呢？) A： With my strong academic background, I am capable and competent. (凭借我良好的学术背景，我可以胜任自己的工作，而且我认为自己很有竞争力。） A：With my teaching experience, I am confident that I can relate to students very well. (依我的教学经验，我相信能与学生相处的很好。) Q： What contribution did you make to your current (previous) organization？(你对目前/从前的工作单位有何贡献？) A： I have finished three new projects, and I am sure I can apply my experience to this position. (我已经完成三个新项目，我相信我能将我的经验用在这份工作上。) Q：What do you think you are worth to us？(你怎么认为你对我们有价值呢？) A：I feel I can make some positive contributions to your company in the future. (我觉得我对贵公司能做些积极性的贡献。) Q：What make you think you would be a success in this position？ (你如何知道你能胜任这份工作？） A：My graduate school training combined with my internship should qualify me for this particular job. I am sure I will be successful. (我在研究所的训练，加上实习工作，使我适合这份工作。我相信我能成功。) Q：Are you a multi-tasked individual？(你是一位可以同时承担数项工作的人吗？) or Do you work well under stress or pressure？(你能承受工作上的压力吗?) A：Yes, I think so. A：The trait is needed in my current（or previous) position and I know I can handle it well. (这种特点就是我目前（先前）工作所需要的，我知道我能应付自如。) Q：What provide you with a sense of accomplishment. （什么会让你有成就感？） A：Doing my best job for your company. (为贵公司竭力效劳。) A：Finishing a project to the best of my ability. (尽我所能，完成一个项目。) Q：If you had a lot of money to donate, where would you donate it to？Why？(假如你有很多钱可以捐赠，你会捐给什么单位？为什么？) A：I would donate it to the medical research because I want to do something to help others. (我会捐给医药研究，因为我要为他人做点事。) A：I prefer to donate it to educational institutions. (我乐意捐给教育机构。) Q：What is most important in your life right now？(眼下你生活中最重要的是什么？) A：To get a job in my field is most important to me. (对我来说，能在这个领域找到工作是最重要的。) A：To secure employment hopefully with your company. (希望能在贵公司任职对我来说最重要。) Q：What current issues concern you the most？(目前什么事是你最关心的？) A：The general state of our economy and the impact of China' entry to WTO on our industry. (目前中国经济的总体情況以及中国入世对我们行业的影响。) Q： How long would you like to stay with this company？(你会在本公司服务多久呢？) A： I will stay as long as I can continue to learn and to grow in my field. (只要我能在我的行业力继续学习和长进，我就会留在这里。) Q：Could you project what you would like to be doing five years from now？(你能预料五年后你会做什么吗？) A：As I have some administrative experience in my last job, I may use my organizational and planning skills in the future. (我在上一个工作中积累了一些行政经验，我将来也许要运用我组织和计划上的经验和技巧。) A：I hope to demonstrate my ability and talents in my field adequately. (我希望能充分展示我在这个行业的能力和智慧。) A：Perhaps, an opportunity at a management position would be exciting.（也许有机会，我将会从事管理工作。） 如果不愿正面回答，也可以说： It would be premature for me to predict this. （现在对此问题的预测，尚嫌过早。） 甚至还可以打趣的说： Hypothetically speaking, I might be able to do your current job as a director.（或 CEO 或 president）((说不定，我也能做你现在主任的工作呢！) Q： What range of pay-scale are you interested in？(你喜欢那一种薪水层次标准？) A： Money is important, but the responsibility that goes along with this job is what interests me the most. (薪水固然重要，但这工作伴随而来的责任更吸引我。) A： 假如你有家眷，可以说： To be frank and open with you, I like this job, but I have a family to support. (坦白地说，我喜欢这份工作，不过我必须要负担我的家庭。) Q：What is your strongest trait(s)？(你个性上最大的特点是什么？) A：Helpfulness and caring.（乐于助人和关心他人。） A：Adaptability and sense of humor.（适应能力和幽默感。） A：Cheerfulness and friendliness.（乐观和友爱。） Q： How would your friends or colleagues describe you？（你的朋友或同事怎样形容你？） A： (pause a few seconds) (稍等几秒钟再答，表示慎重考虑。) They say Mr. Chen is an honest, hardworking and responsible man who deeply cares for his family and friends. (他们说陈先生是位诚实、工作努力，负责任的人，他对家庭和朋友都很关心。) A：They say Mr. Chen is a friendly, sensitive, caring and determined person. (他们说陈先生是位很友好、敏感、关心他人和有决心的人。) Q：What personality traits do you admire？(你欣赏哪种性格的人？) A： (I admire a person who is）honest, flexible and easy-going. (诚实、不死板而且容易相处的人。) A： (I like) people who possess the "can do" spirit. (有"实际行动"的人。) Q：What leadership qualities did you develop as an administrative personnel？(作为行政人员，你有什么样的领导才能？) A：I feel that learning how to motivate people and to work together as a team will be the major goal of my leadership. (我觉得学习如何把人们的积极性调动起来，以及如何配合协同的团队精神，是我行政工作的主要目标。) A：I have refined my management style by using an open-door policy. (我以开放式的政策，改进我的行政管理方式。) Q：How do you normally handle criticism？(你通常如何处理別人的批评？) A：Silence is golden. Just don't say anything; otherwise the situation could become worse. I do, however, accept constructive criticism. (沈默是金。不必说什么，否则情况更糟，不过我会接受建设性的批评。) A：When we cool off, we will discuss it later. (我会等大家冷靜下来再讨论。) Q： What do you find frustrating in a work situation？(在工作中，什么事令你不高兴？) A： Sometimes, the narrow-minded people make me frustrated. (胸襟狭窄的人，有时使我泄气。) A：Minds that are not receptive to new ideas. (不能接受新思想的那些取。) Q：How do you handle your conflict with your colleagues in your work? (你如何处理与同事在工作中的意见不和？) A：I will try to present my ideas in a more clear and civilized manner in order to get my points across. (我要以更清楚文明的方式，提出我的看法，使对方了解我的观点。) Q：How do you handle your failure？(你怎样对待自己的失敗？) A： None of us was born "perfect". I am sure I will be given a second chance to correct my mistake. （我们大家生来都不是十全十美的，我相信我有第二个机会改正我的错误。）

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经典文学英语 Time flies. 光阴似箭. Time is life. 时间就是生命. Times change. 时代在改变. Time is money. 时间就是金钱. Life is sweet. 人生是美好的. Love is blind. 爱情是盲目的. Extremes meet. 两极相通，有无相生。 Like knows like 人识其类。 Let well alone. 不要画蛇添足. /事已成功,不必多弄. Marry thy like. 结婚须找同类人. One man,no man. 个人是渺小的. Hsitory is bunk. 历史是一堆废话。 Time marches on. 岁月如流 Murder will out. 恶行终会败露。 Never say "die'. 永远不要说" 完了". Care is no cure. 忧虑治不了病。 Beware beginning. 慎始为上。 Deeds, not words. 行动胜于空谈. No mill, no meal. 不磨面,没饭吃. Like begets like. 龙生龙，凤生凤。 Love begets love. 爱爱相生. In doing we learn. 我们在干中学习. No cross,no crown. 未经苦难,得不到荣冠.　 Care killed a cat. 忧虑能杀人。 Boys will be boys. 男孩子总是男孩子. No song, no supper. 不出力,不得食. The truth will out. 真相总会大白. Time works wonders. 时间能创造奇迹. To think is to see. 思考就是明白 Truth will prevail. 真理必胜 A lie begets a lie. 谎言生谎言。 Years bring wisdom. 年岁带来智慧. In love is no lack. 爱情不会感到缺乏. Easy come, easy go. 来得容易去得 . /悖入悖出. Every little helps. 点滴都有用. Forgive and forget. 恢弘大度，勿念旧恶。 Manners maketh man. 举止造人品. Laugh and grow fat. 心宽体胖 。 Knowledge is power. 知识就是力量. Let the world slide. 人世沧桑,听其自然. Love me,love my dog. 爱屋及乌. Life means struggle. 生活就是斗争. Fair play's a jewel. 比赛风格好,胜过珠宝. Early sow,early mow. 种得早,收得早. Grasp all, lose all. 贪多必失. What's lost is lost. 失者不可复得。 Waste not, want not. 不浪费,不会穷. Tomorrow never comes. 切莫依赖明天. / 我生待明日,万事成蹉跎. No man is infallible. 没有人不犯错误。 Alms never make poor. 施舍穷不了人. Love will find a way. 爱心所至,金石为开. Manners make the man. 举止见人品。 Patience is a virtue. 忍耐是一种美德. Pity is akin to love. 怜悯生爱. Call a spade a spade. 是啥说啥，难听不怕。 Delays are dangerous. 因循出危险. Diamond cuts diamond. 强中自有强中手. Counsel is no command. 劝告不是命令. Poverty tries friends. 贫穷考验朋友. Once bitten,twice shy. 吃一次亏,学一次乖. Pain past is pleasure. 痛苦过去即欢乐. Leal heart lied never. 心诚无谎言。 Hot love is soon cold. 过热的爱情冷得快. As good lost as found. 有得必有失. /得失同喜. Every dog has his day. 瓦块也有翻身日，人人都有运来时。 Wise fear begets care. 懂得担心,就会小心. "Never”is a long word. 不要轻易说“决不”。 After wind comes rain. 风是雨的头。 Nurture passes nature. 教养胜过天性. Time tries all things. 时间检验一切. Time cures all things. 时间是最好的医生. /时间能医愈一切创痛. Truth needs no colour. 真理不需要打扮. Silence gives consent. 沉默就是赞成。 Still waters run deep. 静水流深。 [ 本帖最后由 liping1019 于 2009-1-27 19:37 编辑 ]

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　第1名“坦白说，亲爱的，我不在乎。”———《乱世佳人》（1939年） 　　“坦白说，亲爱的，我不在乎。”即使那些没有看过《乱世佳人》的人，可能也听过白瑞德给郝思嘉的这句临别之言。在美国电影学院日前评选出的“美国电影百佳台词”中，这句经典台词排名第一。 　　第2名：“我要开出一个他无法拒绝的条件。”——《教父》（1972年） 　　去年7月逝世的巨星马龙·白兰度的两句台词分别排在第二、第三位，这两句台词分别出自两部令他荣膺奥斯卡影帝的影片，一句是《教父》中的“我要开出一个他无法拒绝的条件”. 　　“我要开出一个他无法拒绝的条件”英文版 　　"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." The Godfather, 1972 　　第3名：“你不明白！我本可以进入上流社会。我本可以成为一个上进的人。我本可以当个有脸面的人物，而不是像现在这样当个小混混 　　另一句是《码头风云》中他扮演的码头工人特里与哥哥查理的对话：“你不明白！我本可以进入上流社会，我本可以是个竞争者，我本可以是个有头有脸的人物，而不是现在这样一个无业游民。” 　　英文版，"You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." On the Waterfront, 1954 　　第4名：“托托，我有一种感觉我们再也回不了家了。”——《绿野仙踪》（1939年） 朱迪·加兰在《绿野仙踪》中扮演的少女多罗茜对她的小狗托托说的这句话成了后来人们对无法回到鼎盛时期的感叹 　　英文版："Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." The Wizard of Oz, 1939。 　　第5名：“孩子，就看你的了。”——《卡萨布兰卡》（1942年） 　　在1942年的电影《卡萨布兰卡》中，亨弗莱·鲍嘉对英格里·褒曼说的“孩子，就看你的了。”排名第5 　　英文版："Here's looking at you, kid." Casablanca, 1942。 　　第6名：“来吧，让我也高兴高兴。”——《拨云见日》（1983年） 　　6名：“来吧，让我也高兴高兴。”——《拨云见日》（1983年） 　　英文版："Go ahead, make my day." Sudden Impact, 1983 　　第7名：“好了，德米勒先生，我为特写镜头做好准备了。”——《日落大道》（1950年） 　　英文版："All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Sunset Blvd., 1950 　　第8名：“愿原力与你同在。”——《星球大战》（1977年） 　　英文版："May the Force be with you." Star Wars, 1977 　　第9名：“紧上安全带，今晚将会非常颠簸。”——《彗星美人》（1950年） 　　英文版："Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." All About Eve, 1950 　　第10名：“你是在对我说话吗？”——《出租车司机》（1976年） 　　英文版： "You talking to me?" Taxi Driver, 1976