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The Plague of Meetings 恼人的会议

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课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

A common complaint heard around many offices is that too much time is wasted in meetings. In fact, many employees view meetings as the least pleasant aspect of their daily jobs. Most often, this aversion to meetings is rooted in a lack of advanced preparation, particularly when it comes to agendas.

很多办公室中经常可以听到的一种抱怨就是开会耗掉太多时间。事实上很多员工都把开会视为日常工作中最令人不快的差事。这种厌恶开会的心态经常缘自于事前缺乏准备，尤其是议程。

Meeting organizers occasionally forgo preparing an agenda in advance and simply send out a notice that a meeting will take place instead. While this leaves room for a flexible meeting structure, participants arrive with their own ideas and expectations and do not have a clear structure through which they can share their ideas. Though less structured meetings are sometimes conducive to brainstorming, chances are such meetings, with their lack of clear focus and purpose, will leave some participants disappointed.

会议筹办人偶尔会轻忽事前要先将议程准备好，而只是简单地送了一纸通知说要开会。这样一来，会议的架构虽然有相当大的弹性，但是与会者都有自己的想法和期待，同时也缺乏清楚的架构来分享各自的意见。虽然松散的会议架构可能有时有助于脑力激荡，但是因为缺乏明确的焦点和目标，可能会使得有些与会者相当失望。

A successful agenda should include not only a clear purpose, but also a clear list of the topics to be addressed and their respective time allocation. This allows participants to prepare their input in advance and ensure a more productive meeting. Once an agenda has been defined and circulated, it’s important to stick to it during the meeting.

成功的议程不仅应该包括明确的目标，还要清楚列出要讨论的主题和各个主题的时间分配，好让与会者事先准备发言内容以使会议成果更丰硕。一旦议程订定发了出去，按照议程来开会就相当重要。

Proper preparation will not cure the plague of meetings, but perhaps it can help ease the pain.

事先准备妥当虽不能完全免除会议之苦，但也许能降低痛苦的程度。

Vocabulary

单词发音

plague [pleg] n.【口】讨厌的人（或事物）

aversion [əˋvɝʃən] n. 厌恶，反感

forgo [fɔrˋgo] v. 忽视; 放弃，抛弃

participant [pɑrˋtɪsəpənt] n. 参与者

expectation [͵ɛkspɛkˋteʃən] n. 期待；预期

conducive [kənˋdjusɪv] adj. 有助的，有益的，促成的[F][（+to）]

brainstorm [ˋbren͵stɔrm] n. 集体研讨；集思广益

address [əˋdrɛs] v.（向……）提出

respective [rɪˋspɛktɪv] adj. 分别的；各自的

allocation [͵æləˋkeʃən] n. 分配，配置

Sentence of the Day

Meetings are a necessary evil of office life.

开会是办公生活里的一项必要之恶。

课文讲解

Sally and Luke are having a coffee break at the office:  休息时间，莎莉和路克在办公室喝咖啡：

S: Hey, you look like you need something stronger than a coffee. Working too hard?

嘿，你看起来需要喝比咖啡还要强效的东西。你工作太累吗？

L: Oh, we just finished our weekly team meeting. Our meetings have been out of control lately. Everyone talks at once, no one listens, and we always talk about the same issues over and over again.

噢，才刚结束我们每周的小组会议。近来的会议有点失控，每个人都在同一时间发言，也没有人在听，而且我们总是一再地讨论老问题。

S: Sounds frustrating. Our meetings used to be just as bad. When people simply stopped attending, we decided to make some changes. Who chairs your meetings?

听起来真令人泄气。以前我们的会议也一样糟糕。直到几乎没有人来开会时，我们就决定必须要好好调整一下。你们的会议谁是主席？

L: John used to be in charge, but since he moved departments it’s been sheer chaos. I may have to step into his shoes and manage the next meeting.

以前都是约翰当主席，不过自从他调到别的部门后就一团混乱。我可能必须代替他来主持下一次的会议。

S: What a job! You know, we found that keeping a record of what happens in meetings really helps move things along. Plus, making a record reduces confusion about past decisions.

真是桩苦差事！嗯，我们发现纪录会议的过程真的能让议事进行顺畅。再者，有会议纪录能减少对之前开会所做的决议事项发生混淆。

L: You’re right, someone has to start taking minutes. But how do you know when to stop a discussion and make a decision?

妳说得对，总得有人开始做会议纪录。不过妳们怎么晓得何时停止讨论来进行决议？

S: Well, once someone makes a motion to decide the issue, we vote on it. And we simply table the items we don’t get to for the next meeting.

这个吗，一旦有人提动议事项要表决提案，我们就进行投票。而且我们直截了当地搁置未讨论的议题，留待下次的会议讨论。

L: Hey, great advice. Now how about a doughnut with that coffee?

嘿，这个建议很好。现在，要不要来个甜甜圈配着咖啡吃？

－by David Wand

Vocabulary

单词发音

chair [tʃɛr] v. 主持（会议）

sheer [ʃɪr] adv. 全然，十足地

step into one’s shoes 继任, 接替 to take over a job or some role from someone

minute [ˋmɪnɪt] n. 会议记录

motion [ˋmoʃən] n.（会议上的）动议，提议

table [ˋteb!] v.【美】搁置（议案等）

doughnut [ˋdo͵nʌt] n. 油炸圈饼

Sentence of the Day

Without advance preparation, meetings can turn into a circus in no time.

如果事前缺乏准备，会议马上就会沦为一场闹剧。

circus [ˋsɝkəs] n.【贬】吵闹的活动（会议，地方等）