阅读原文

When Liam McGee departed as president of Bank of American in August, his explanation was surprisingly straight up. Rather than cloaking his exit in the usual vague excuses, he came right out and said he was leaving “to pursue my goal of running a company.” Broadcasting his ambition was “vey much my decision,” McGee says. Within two weeks, he was talking for the first time with the board of Hartford Financial Services Group, which named him CEO and chairman on September 29.

McGee says leaving without a position lined up gave him time to reflect on what kind of company he wanted to run. It also sent a clear message to the outside world about his aspirations. And McGee isn’t alone. In recent weeks the No.2 executives at Avon and American Express quit with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO post. As boards scrutinize succession plans in response to shareholder pressure, executives who don’t get the nod also may wish to move on. A turbulent business environment also has senior managers cautious of letting vague pronouncements cloud their reputations.

As the first signs of recovery begin to take hold, deputy chiefs may be more willing to make the jump without a net. In the third quarter, CEO turnover was down 23% from a year ago as nervous boards stuck with the leaders they had, according to Liberum Research. As the economy picks up, opportunities will abound for aspiring leaders. The decision to quit a senior position to look for a better one is unconventional. For years executives and headhunters have adhered to the rule that the most attractive CEO candidates are the ones who must be poached. Says Korn/Ferry senior partner Dennis Carey: “I can’t think of a single search I’ve done where a board has not instructed me to look at sitting CEOs first.”

Those who jumped without a job haven’t always landed in top positions quickly. Ellen Marram quit as chief of Tropicana a decade ago, saying she wanted to be a CEO. It was a year before she became head of a tiny Internet-based commodities exchange. Robert willumstad left Citigroup in 2005 with ambitions to be a CEO. He finally took that post at a major financial institution three years later.

Many recruiters say the old disgrace is fading for top performers. The financial crisis has made it more acceptable to be between jobs or to leave a bad one. “The traditional rule was it’s safer to stay where you are, but that’s been fundamentally inverted,” says one headhunter. “The people who’ve been hurt the worst are those who’ve stayed too long.”

 

 

 

题目

26. When McGee announced his departure, his manner can best be described as being____.

[A] arrogant

[B] frank

[C] self-centered

[D] impulsive

 

 

27. According to Paragaph 2, senior executives’ quitting may be spurred by___.

[A] their expectation of better finacial status.

[B] their need to reflect on their private life.

[C] their strained relations with the boards.

[D] their pursuit of new career goals.

 

 

28. The word “poached”(Line 3, Paragraph 4) most probably means____.

[A] approve of

[B] attended to

[C] hunted for

[D] guarded against

 

 

29. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_____.

[A] top performers used to cling to their posts.

[B] loyalty of top performers is getting out-dated.

[C] top performers care more about reputations.

[D] it’s safer to stick to the traditional rules.

 

 

30. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

[A] CEOs: Where to Go

[B] CEOs: All the Way Up

[C] Top Managers Jump without a Net

[D]The Only Way Out for Top Performers

 

 

 

全文翻译

Liam McGee在八月辞去美国银行总裁职务时，给出的原因是那么令人惊讶地坦率。而不是通常用的含糊不清的理由去解释他的辞职，他很明白彻底的说他的离去是为了运营一家自己心目中的公司。McGee说，流传的他的雄心很是他的决定。在两周内，他第一次和哈特福德金融服务集团的董事会进行了谈判，他们任命McGee在九月二十九号做他们的CEO和主席。

McGee说在没有职位的情况下选择离职给他时间思考他想运营一所怎样的公司。这样也向外界清晰地表达了他的愿望信息。并且McGee绝不是唯一的。在最近两周，雅芳和美国运通公司的二号执行官辞去了职务，理由是他们想寻找一份CEO的职位。董事会在迫于股东们的压力后彻查了一次系列的持续计划，那些没有得到认可们的高管们也希望自己离开。杂乱无章的环境也使得高级管理者很谨慎防止让含糊的声明掩盖了自己的声望。

随着第一次经济复苏迹象的出现，副总裁可能更愿意在没有工作的情况下辞职。根据Liberum Research的研究，在第三季度，由于紧张的董事会卡住了他们的领导层，致使CEO的流通性比一年前降低了23%。由于经济的复苏，对有抱负的领导者们来说充满着机会。辞去高级职务去寻找更好的工作的决定不是传统的。这些年，高管们和猎头们已经遵循这么一条规则：最有吸引力的CEO是那些挖来的人。Korn/Ferry的资深合伙人Dennis Carey说：“我不认为我做的哪一项调查董事会不指示我首先看一下在任CEO们。”

在没有工作的情况下辞职的人们并不常常很快得到一份高职位的工作。Ellen Marram在十年前辞去Tropicana的主席职务时说她想找一份CEO的工作。一年前，她成为了一家小型基于互联网的商品交易所的领导者。2005年，Robert willumstad带着成为一名CEO的雄心离开了Citigroup。三年胡，他最终在一家大型金融机构找到了CEO的工作。

许多招募者说，对于顶级人才旧的耻辱正在渐渐地褪去。金融危机已经使得待业或者辞去不好的工作变得更加容易接受。一位猎头说：“传统的规则认为待在你原来额地方是安全的，但是现在已经从根本上颠倒过来了，受伤害最严重的人正是这些待得时间最长的人。”

 

逐句翻译

第一段

When Liam McGee departed(离去；去世；死者) as president of Bank of American in August, his explanation was surprisingly straight(直的；连续的；坦率地) up.

Liam McGee在八月辞去美国银行总裁职务时，给出的原因是那么令人惊讶地坦率。

 

 

Rather than cloaking(隐身；外套料；障眼法) his exit in the usual vague(模糊的；含糊的；不明确的；暧昧的) excuses(借口；理由), he came right out(彻底) and said he was leaving “to pursue my goal of running a company.”

而不是通常用的含糊不清的理由去解释他的辞职，他很明白彻底的说他的离去是为了运营一家自己心目中的公司。

 

 

Broadcasting his ambition was “vey much my decision,” McGee says.

McGee说，流传的他的雄心很是他的决定。

 

 

Within two weeks, he was talking for the first time with the board of Hartford Financial Services Group, which named him CEO and chairman on September 29.

在两周内，他第一次和哈特福德金融服务集团的董事会进行了谈判，他们任命McGee在九月二十九号做他们的CEO和主席。

 

 

第二段

McGee says leaving without a position lined up gave him time to reflect on what kind of company he wanted to run.

McGee说在没有职位的情况下选择离职给他时间思考他想运营一所怎样的公司。

 

 

It also sent a clear message to the outside world about his aspirations(愿望).

这样也向外界清晰地表达了他的愿望信息。

 

 

And McGee isn’t alone.

并且McGee绝不是唯一的。

 

 

In recent weeks the No.2 executives at Avon and American Express quit with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO post(岗位；邮件；标杆).

在最近两周，雅芳和美国运通公司的二号执行官辞去了职务，理由是他们想寻找一份CEO的职位。

 

 

As boards scrutinize(详细检查；细看；仔细或彻底检查) succession plans in response to shareholder(股东) pressure, executives who don’t get the nod(点头；打盹) also may wish to move on.

董事会在迫于股东们的压力后彻查了一次系列的持续计划，那些没有得到认可们的高管们也希望自己离开。

 

 

A turbulent business environment also has senior managers cautious of letting vague pronouncements(声明) cloud their reputations.

杂乱无章的环境也使得高级管理者很谨慎防止让含糊的声明掩盖了自己的声望。

 

 

第三段

As the first signs of recovery begin to take hold, deputy(代理人，代表；副的；代理的) chiefs(首长) may be more willing to make the jump without a net.

随着第一次经济复苏迹象的出现，副总裁可能更愿意在没有工作的情况下辞职。

 

 

In the third quarter, CEO turnover was down 23% from a year ago as nervous boards stuck with the leaders they had, according to Liberum Research.

根据Liberum Research的研究，在第三季度，由于紧张的董事会卡住了他们的领导层，致使CEO的流通性比一年前降低了23%。

 

 

As the economy picks up, opportunities will abound(富于；充满) for aspiring(有抱负的；追求……的)leaders.

由于经济的复苏，对有抱负的领导者们来说充满着机会。

 

 

The decision to quit a senior position to look for a better one is unconventional.

辞去高级职务去寻找更好的工作的决定不是传统的。

 

 

For years executives and headhunters have adhered(坚持；粘附；依附) to the rule that the most attractive CEO candidates are the ones who must be poached(偷猎；挖走).

这些年，高管们和猎头们已经遵循这么一条规则：最有吸引力的CEO是那些挖来的人。

 

 

Says Korn/Ferry senior partner Dennis Carey: “I can’t think of a single search I’ve done where a board has not instructed(受教育的；得到指示的；指示；教育) me to look at sitting CEOs first.”

Korn/Ferry的资深合伙人Dennis Carey说：“我不认为我做的哪一项调查董事会不指示我首先看一下在任CEO们。”

 

 

第四段

Those who jumped without a job haven’t always landed in top positions quickly.

在没有工作的情况下辞职的人们并不常常很快得到一份高职位的工作。

 

 

Ellen Marram quit as chief of Tropicana a decade ago, saying she wanted to be a CEO.

Ellen Marram在十年前辞去Tropicana的主席职务时说她想找一份CEO的工作。

 

 

It was a year before she became head of a tiny Internet-based commodities exchange.

一年前，她成为了一家小型基于互联网的商品交易所的领导者。

 

 

Robert willumstad left Citigroup in 2005 with ambitions to be a CEO.

2005年，Robert willumstad带着成为一名CEO的雄心离开了Citigroup。

 

 

He finally took that post at a major financial institution three years later.

三年胡，他最终在一家大型金融机构找到了CEO的工作。

 

 

第五段

Many recruiters say the old disgrace is fading for top performers.

许多招募者说，对于顶级人才旧的耻辱正在渐渐地褪去。

 

 

The financial crisis has made it more acceptable to be between jobs or to leave a bad one.

金融危机已经使得待业或者辞去不好的工作变得更加容易接受。

 

 

“The traditional rule was it’s safer to stay where you are, but that’s been fundamentally(根本地，从根本上；基础地) inverted(转化的；颠倒的事物),” says one headhunter. “The people who’ve been hurt the worst are those who’ve stayed too long.”

一位猎头说：“传统的规则认为待在你原来额地方是安全的，但是现在已经从根本上颠倒过来了，受伤害最严重的人正是这些待得时间最长的人。”

 

 

 

题目翻译

26. When McGee announced his departure, his manner can best be described as being____.

[A] arrogant

[B] frank

[C] self-centered

[D] impulsive

 

26. 当McGee宣布他的离职时，他的礼节最好可以用____形容。

[A] 自大的，傲慢的

[B] 坦率的

[C] 自我为中心的

[D] 冲动的

 

27. According to Paragaph 2, senior executives’ quitting may be spurred by___.

[A] their expectation of better finacial status.

[B] their need to reflect on their private life.

[C] their strained relations with the boards.

[D] their pursuit of new career goals.

 

27. 根据第二段，高管们的辞职可能是受到_____的刺激。

[A] 他们期待更好的经济地位。

[B] 他们需要思考他们的私人生活。

[C] 他们与董事会紧张的关系。

[D] 他们追求新的职业目标。

 

28. The word “poached”(Line 3, Paragraph 4) most probably means____.

[A] approve of

[B] attended to

[C] hunted for

[D] guarded against

 

28. 单词“poached”（第四段第三行）最有可能的意思是______。

[A] 赞同

[B] 参加

[C] 寻找

[D] 防止

 

29. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_____.

[A] top performers used to cling(坚持；依靠) to their posts.

[B] loyalty(忠诚；忠实) of top performers is getting out-dated.

[C] top performers care more about reputations.

[D] it’s safer to stick to the traditional rules.

 

29. 从最后一段我们可以推出____。

[A] 顶级人才过去执着于自己的职位。

[B] 顶级人才的忠实已经变得过时了。

[C] 顶级人才更加关注声望。

[D] 坚持传统的原则是安全的。

 

30. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

[A] CEOs: Where to Go

[B] CEOs: All the Way Up

[C] Top Managers Jump without a Net

[D]The Only Way Out for Top Performers

 

30.下面哪一个是文章最好的标题？

[A] CEO去向何方

[B] CEO始终这样

[C] 顶级管理者在没有工作的情况下跳槽

[D] 优秀员工的唯一出路