Talking Straight英文原文及中文翻译

Talking straight

You’re about to read the story of a man who’s had more than his share of success. But along the way, there were some pretty bad times, too. In fact, when I look back on my thirty-eight years in the auto industry, the day I remember most vividly had nothing to do with new cars and promotions and profits.

I began my life as the son of immigrants, and I work my way up to the presidency of the Ford Motor Company. When I finally got there, I was on top of the world. But then fate said to me:” Wait. We’re not finished with you. Now you’re going to find out what it feels like to get kicked off Mt.Everest!”

On July 13, 1978, I was fired. I had been president of Ford for eight years and a Ford employee for thirty-two. I had never worked anywhere else. And now, suddenly, I was out of a job. It was gut-wrenching.

As you go through life, there are thousands of little forks in the road, and there are a few really big forks-those moments of reckoning, moments of truth. This was mine as I wondered what to do. Should I pack it all in and retire? I was fifty-four years old. I had already accomplished a great deal. I was financially secure. I could afford to play golf for the rest of my life.

But that just didn’t feel right. I knew I had to pick up the pieces and carry on.

There are times in everyone’s life when something constructive is born out of adversity. There are times when things seem so bad that you’ve got to grab your fate by the shoulders and shake it. I’m convinced it was that morning at the warehouse that pushed me to take on the presidency of Chrysler only a couple of weeks later.

The private pain I could have endured. But the deliberate public humiliation was too much for me. I was full of anger, and I had a simple choice: I could turn that anger against myself, with disastrous results. Or I could take some of that energy and try to do something productive.

“Don’t get mad,”Mary reminded me.”Get even.”In times of great stress and adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.

As it turn out, I went from the frying pan into the fire. A year after I signed up, Chrysler came within a whisker of bankruptcy. There were many days at Chrysler when I wondered how I got myself into this mess. Being fired at Ford was bad enough. But going down with the ship at Chrysler was more than I deserved.

Fortunately, Chrysler recovered from its brush with death. Today I’m a hero. But strangely enough, it’s all because of that moment of truth at the warehouse. With determination, with luck, and with help from lots of good people, I was able to rise up from the ashes.

Now let me tell you my story.

坦诚相待1

你将要了解一个人的故事，他取得了非同一般的成功。但是在这一过程中，也有一些非常糟糕的事情发生。其实,我回首三十八年的汽车业生涯,我最记忆犹新的一天却是与新车促销和利润等等扯不上关系的。

我出生在移民者的家庭,凭着勤奋努力,最后当上了福特汽车公司总裁。当我终于到达世界之巅峰。命运却告诉我：“且慢,你的事还没有了结呢?现在要你尝尝跌落谷底是什么味道！”

1978年7月13日，我被福特公司开除了。我替福特汽车公司工作了32年,当了8年总裁。从来没有在别的地方工作过。而现在，我却突然失业了。这令我痛不欲生3。

人这一生，有数以万计的人生分岔路口，也有一些紧要关头需要去面多的时刻。这次我真的该好好想想自己该做些什么了。难道我应该放弃一切就此退休？我54岁了，已经功成名就了。我衣食无忧，满可以大大高尔夫球来享受余生。

但是，我并不认为我该停止脚步5。我要整装待发继续前进。

有时一个人的建树是在逆境中产生的。有时候,当你时乖运蹇,你只能振作起来,与自己的命运搏斗6。我深信,就是在仓库的那个早晨的遭遇促使我在不到几个星期之后就接受担任了克莱斯勒公司总裁一职。

自身的痛苦我是可以承受的。但是，蓄意把我当众羞辱是太过分了。我满腔怒火，我面前只有两种选择：一种是我可以大发雷霆，却最终会招致灾难性的后果。其次，我可以将这怒火戾气化为力量，然后去做点有意义的事。

“不要生气7，”玛丽提醒我，“要冷静。”当我感受到巨大的压力和不幸的时候，我总是尽最大的努力让自己忙碌起来，把自己的愤怒和精力转化为力量做些有意义的事上去。

结果，我才脱龙潭又入虎穴8。我签约一年之后，克莱斯勒公司濒临破产。期间，有好几天我在想我是怎么再一次让自己落到如此境地的。被福特公司解雇已经够糟糕的了。要是和克莱斯勒公司同归于尽的话，我也太冤了吧。

幸运的是，克莱斯勒公司起死回生了。如今，我成了英雄。但奇怪的是，这都归功于仓库的关键时刻。凭着决心、运气和许多好人的帮助，让我东山再起10。

现在让我给你们讲述我的故事。