看懂时代周刊 必备词汇

all in the same boat

to be sharing the same difficult circumstances, often

with others who would normally be competitors

EXAMPLE:

When bad weather discouraged tourists from coming to the popular seacoast resort town, the managers of the different hotels in the town knew they were

all in the same boat and decided to work cooperatively with one another.

Armed to the teeth

equipped with everything one needs for action

EXAMPLE:

The worried company president had full financial statements, sales reports, new product ideas, letters of praise from major customers, and proposals for increased growth when he arrived to make his annual report to the hostile board of directors; he was armed to the teeth.

avant garde

Very modern in style; possibly experimental or self-consciously artistic

FRENCH military term “forward guard,” soldiers who lead an attack

EXAMPLE:

The young employees of the New York advertising agency always

wore dramatic, avant garde clothing so their clients would think they

were modern and knowledgeable about popular trends.

back to square one

An expression used to mean that it is necessary to stop whatever one

has done on a new project and to start again completely.

EXAMPLE:

When our experimental design for a new solar automobile failed totally on the first day of testing, our engineering department knew it was back to square one.

bag of tricks

The total skills, knowledge, and often secret abilities that a person has (a traditional reference to a magician’s bag).

EXAMPLE:

To be a successful in today’s competitive business environment, an executive has to use everything in his bag of tricks.

blow off steam

(verb phrase)

to release frustration or anger that has been building up; also to celebrate or do something in a loud or noisy way

EXAMPLE:

After a week of negotiations with the union, the workers decided to have a party and blow off steam.

blue chip

(adj.)

a type of stock highly valuesd for its long record of steady or long term earnings; also a valuable property

EXAMPLE:

The investor bought 100 shares of stock in a blue chip company.

bone of contention

(noun)

a disagreement, dispute, or argument about something; a strong difference of opinion; a conflict

EXAMPLE:

A bone of contention was the division of powers between the national and provincial governments.

brand x

a marketing classification describing a product that doesn't have a highly visible or recognized name like a well-known product or "brand name"

EXAMPLE:

It was decided to buy brand x because it was less expensive.

bread and butter

(noun)

the primary or leading means of financial support, existence, or survival

EXAMPLE:

Bicycle manufacturing provides the company's bread and butter.

20/20 hindsight

Being able to see has already happened; as contrasted with being able to see what will happen in the future. (HUMOROUS, USUALLY SARCASTIC)

EXAMPLE:

“When my pompous brother-in-law told me all the business mistakes I made last year, I complimented him on his 20/20 hindsight.”

24/7

Reference to any business service that is offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

EXAMPLE:

“Most web hosting companies provide 24/7 technical support to their clients, so clients can be confident that any emergency at any time can be handled promptly.”

A captain of industry

An important business executive who is an influential leader. SOMETIMES HUMOROUS

EXAMPLE:

“When the mayor began eating lunch here regularly, our downtown restaurant became popular with the city’s most illustrious captains of industry.”

a fair shake

A reasonable chance to succeed.

EXAMPLE:

“Although he was a little loud and vain, which troubled all of us a bit, we decided to give the new employee a fair shake before criticizing his behavior.”

a far cry from

A great distance from (OFTEN FIGURATIVE)

EXAMPLE:

“After reading the resort’s colorful brochure we had expected a luxury hotel, but the shabby old hotel was a far cry from our expectations.”

burn the midnight oil

(verb phrase)

to work hard very late into the night--and as if working only by the light of an oil lamp

EXAMPLE:

"The manager had so much work piling up on her desk she knew she was going to have to burn the midnight oil to finish it."

business is picking up

business is increasing, getting better after a slow sales period as more orders, products, or services are now being sold

EXAMPLE:

"After a year of poor sales, the automobile industry is receiving many orders for its new cars, and all the employees are happy to see that business is picking up."

cream of the crop

the best, very best, or best ever of something--the top choice or pick

EXAMPLE:

"At the art auction, Van Gogh's paintings were considered to be the cream of the crop and received the highest bids."

cut and dried

in accordance or agreement with a standard formula, exact method, guidelines, or procedure; routine

EXAMPLE:

During the 19th and early 20th century only males performed in the Peking Opera and the ways to become an actor were cut and dried.

dog and pony show

a presentation that has no substance and is just a shallow demonstration, entertainment, or "show" usually done by a corporation or business to bring attention to itself or one of its products.

EXAMPLE:

"The new e-commerce company put on a dog and pony show for potential investors."

door-to-door selling

a method of presenting and selling products or services in which a salesperson goes to the residences or homes of potential buyers, knocking on their doors to solicit business

EXAMPLE:

"Many homeowners dislike door-to-door selling and consider it to be disturbing to their privacy."

feasibility test

(noun)

a procedure or basis for evaluation or assessment to see if something is capable of being accomplished or brought about, or is possible

EXAMPLE:

"A business will often do a feasibility test on a product before spending money to market it to consumers."

feel the pinch

a financially difficult, tight, strained, or squeezed circumstance or situation

EXAMPLE:

"Experiencing little demand for its products, the company began to feel the pinch."

file thirteen

any container to discard or throw away unwanted paperwork; in an office setting a container for rubbish; the wastebasket

EXAMPLE:

"The salesperson crumpled the cancelled order and tossed it into file thirteen."

fat cat

a wealthy and privileged person

EXAMPLE:

"More than one fat cat has been seen visiting the offices of political candidates."

A month of Sundays

a long period of waiting, especially when someone is impatient for things to happen

EXAMPLE:

“It was a month of Sundays before the engineering department finally finished the design of our company’s ambitious new product.”

A square deal

a fair and honest business agreement or arrangement between two or more parties without false promises or hidden surprises

EXAMPLE:

“After many hours of negotiations the musicians, the music publishers and the Internet companies developed a distribution agreement that everyone felt was a square deal.”

Ace in the hole

a hidden advantage kept for later use that will help a person win (ace is a valuable playing card); alternatively, “an ace up your sleeve”

EXAMPLE:

“When he tried to get a job at the XYZ Corporation, John did quite well in the rigorous interview process, but he knew that his ace in the hole was the fact that his wife had a relative on the board of directors.”

Acid test

a decisive, crucial test of something’s true worth or someone’s true abilities (coming from the use of nitric acid to test the authenticity of gold samples)

EXAMPLE:

“We liked the new manager, but we knew the acid test would be how she did when she opened our new office in San Francisco by herself.”

Action item

a specific task that is identified as needing to be done quickly, often as a top priority

EXAMPLE:

“During our meeting we developed a list of specific action items for each department to accomplish before the next meeting.”

per diem

LATIN TERM "by the day,” used to mean a daily allowance of money for expenses incurred during business travel

Example:

The XYZ company allowed its employees $150 per diem for food, lodging, and taxi fares.

performance appraisal

formal evaluation of an employee's achievement of (or failure to achieve) previously established goals

example:

After their first six months, all new employees met with their supervisors and received a written performance appraisal; older employees had a performance appraisal every year.

planned obsolescence

the practice of building and selling a product with a limited useful life such that the customers feel they must buy a new version when their first purchase becomes old or inferior

Example:

A planned obsolescence strategy increased the profits of the U.S. automobile industry by increasing customers' desire to buy new car models with new features every few years.

reventive maintenance

the useful practice of routinely repairing, cleaning and replacing parts on schedule in order to prevent unexpected problems and more expensive repairs in the future

Example:

Following a new preventive maintenance schedule saved our company from experiencing the lost time and costly repairs that used to occur.

product life cycle

the marketing concept of a product having a natural period ranging from its introduction and rise in sales to its sales decline and expiration when customers purchase newer alternative products

Example:

Because the computer game industry changes so rapidly, the product life cycle of a popular computer game may be only 18 months or less.

quality control

a system for insuring that a standard level of quality is maintained

Example:

Our quality control division was separate from our manufacturing department so it was more effective at finding and correcting product mistakes before the products were shipped to customers.

To bring home the bacon

to earn an income to support one's household

Example:

In addition to studying for his MBA, the young husband had to bring home the bacon for his sick wife and two infant children.

To build a better mousetrap

to develop a new and improved product.

Example:

Some technology companies make the mistake of focusing on building a better mousetrap rather than focusing on the needs of their customers.

To come out of left field

BASEBALL TERM to be a complete surprise (often, something unexpected that changes everything)

Example:

When a typhoon came out of left field and destroyed the local airport, many tourist businesses on the tropical island failed.

To corner the market

to gain control of a market for one's product, or to control available supply of a product

Example:

The clever, small manufacturing company cornered the market on essential parts for its field and grew prosperous by selling those parts at high prices to the huge companies that were its competitors.

To crunch the numbers

to do the mathematical calculations required in a business assessment

Example:

The new product development idea sounded good but our president didn't want to comment on it until our accounting department had crunched the numbers and made a report to her.

Span of control

the number of people that one manager can supervise effectively

Example:

When two of our company managers quit suddenly last month, the other two had their span of control doubled, which made problems for everyone.

Take the bull by the horns

IDIOM to face a problem and solve it, usually by taking leadership and making necessary decisions

Example:

The old company needed a vigorous new manager who would take the bull by the horns, making the tough decisions and important changes the firm's old manager feared to think about.

Take-home pay

the money an employee receives after taxes, dues, savings contributions, or other monies have been deduced from his or her gross pay

Example:

I have so many deductions from my paycheck each month that my take-home pay is only 60% of my salary.

Team building

a method, and related theory in management, emphasizing employee morale, interpersonal communications, and mutual respect as key elements of a successful business

Example:

The XYZ Company's new president increased worker productivity by starting team building activities such as role-playing, communications workshops, and off-site retreats.

Test market

an experimental area or group of customers in which a new product or marketing approach is tested to reduce future risk. (NOTE: verb form is "to market test' something)

Example:

The XYZ Company gave its new, experimental product to 100 customers in an urban test market and asked that each of them report to XYZ how they used it and if they liked it.

vertical marketing

noun

1) a marketing process in which planning and operations are coordinated to include manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers

2) the practice of selling to a very limited segment of a market, such as affluent professionals in a particular region

EXAMPLE:

1) The vertical marketing campaign for our new wireless technology required more coordination and careful timing because we needed to insure that the available supply of our products could immediately meet the high demand we were expecting.

2) The expensive housecleaning service company determined that most of their customers were wealthy doctors and executives in the capital, so they developed a vertical marketing strategy targeted to a few affluent neighborhoods.

We’ll eat their lunch!”

INformAL

Humorous expression meaning: “We will be victorious over our business competitors!”

EXAMPLE:

“When our new product comes out next month at a lower price and a higher quality level than ever before,” the sales director said confidently, “our competitors will not know what hit them; we’ll eat their lunch!”

working capital

The amount of funds immediately available to pay current operating expenses.

EXAMPLE:

“A healthy supply of working capital enables our firm to take advantage of new opportunities as soon as they appear.”

Regular meeting

a permanently scheduled meeting that usually happens at the same time and often for the same purpose

EXAMPLE:

Our company president wants regular meetings every Monday morning at 10 a.m. to hear sales reports.

Rate of return

the yield, or amount of profit, produced from an investment

EXAMPLE:

The risk involved with investing in certain new technology companies was high, but they consistently produced a strong, 30 per cent rate of return.

Rule of 72

a common formula used to determine the years needed for money to double at compound interest; divide 72 by the interest rate to get the number of years

EXAMPLE:

According to the rule of 72, $10,000 invested at 6 per cent interest doubles to $20,000 in twelve years.

Seasonal variation

predictable changes in sales volume, business activity, or inventory due to the changes of seasons during the year

EXAMPLE:

Seasonal variation within the American toy industry is heavily influenced by Christmas holiday shopping.

service bureau

a business that regularly provides special work for other businesses

EXAMPLE:

For several years before we created a data processing department inside our company we took our accounts to a service bureau that handled most of our computer needs for a monthly fee.

sick leave

payment for specific number of days each year during which an employee may be absent due to illness

EXAMPLE:

After they have worked for one year, all the employees of the XYZ automobile company receive 5 days of sick leave each year.

small business

any business with a small number of employees (under 100), usually operated by one person, one family, or a small group of managers

EXAMPLE:

Many immigrant families open small businesses in the U.S. such as restaurants.

sole proprietorship

in the U.S. an unincorporated business owned wholly by one individual

EXAMPLE:

My uncle's tea shop was a sole proprietorship until my father joined him in a partnership.

to deliver the goods

to do well at your job, especially to fulfill high expectations of you

EXAMPLE:

“We were delighted by the young new salesman who made more sales than anyone else in his first week on the job, proving to us that he could really deliver the goods.”

to face the music

to take the consequences for one’s actions, usually unpleasant consequences

EXAMPLE:

The sales manager had made all his successful sales representatives so angry that they all quit last week, and so he had to return to meet his boss at headquarters and face the music.

to flesh out a proposal

to give or to create a more complete description of an idea

EXAMPLE:

“Our company’s president, Mr. Smith, liked the new idea our engineering chief, Ms. Jones, had suggested recently, and he asked her to flesh out her proposal before it was presented to our company’s board of directors.”

to get the pink slip

to get fired, or to get laid off (traditionally, an official

notice of termination was printed on pink paper.

EXAMPLE:

When the XYZ company’s sales fell in half for the second

year in row, many of it s employees got the pink slip.

to give away the farm

to enter a business deal as a seller in which too much is given to the buyer

EXAMPLE:

“The desperate salesman dropped the price of his products to make many deals, but his boss worried that he was giving away the farm.”

to go the extra mile

to make an extra effort in making a deal or providing service (from the Biblical proverb “if someone asks you to walk one mile, walk two miles”)

EXAMPLE:

“In order to provide the best customer service our computer systems company always went the extra mile and provided free installation and user training at the customer’s worksite.”

to go belly-up

in business, to collapse; to go out of business (“belly” means stomach, so going belly-up means to turn on your back and float like a dead fish)

EXAMPLE:

My brother’s company went belly-up last month when its revenues were far below its monthly debts, so now he’s looking for a job.

to have the inside track

to have a special advantage that helps you win (in a race on a circular racecourse the track closest to the middle is called the “inside track” and is shorter than outer tracks)

EXAMPLE:

Because Mr. Jones had worked in our industry for 20 years and knew all the customers and their particular needs, he had the inside track on getting the job as Vice President of Sales at our company.

to hit the nail on the head

to say or to understand the heart of a problem, issue or idea

EXAMPLE:

“The intelligent company president listened carefully to our department’s concerns and when he spoke we knew he understood the issues exactly; he really hit the nail on the head.”

unemployment compensation

local government payments to a former worker who has been fired (usually for six months)

EXAMPLE:

When the XYZ Company went out of business and laid off its employees, they received small unemployment compensation checks each week that helped pay their bills until they got new jobs at other companies.

user friendly

easy to operate (usually a computer term)

EXAMPLE

Built for home or business use, many new computers with

graphical interface software are much more user friendly than older computer systems that only data processing professionals could use effectively

看懂英文报纸新闻的第一步 时代周刊