Downsizing in Vogue
裁员没商量
不管你是否喜欢自己的公司，说到裁员一定会令你坐立不安，因为谁都不愿这事落到自己头上。可真要是被裁，就只能自己安慰自己了。
In recent years corporate downsizing has been on the rise throughout the world. Downsizing is reducing costs by dismissing employees and reassigning their duties to the employees who remain. They usually call it restructuring, rightsizing, reallocating resources, or job separation. They sometimes use dieting metaphors like “trimming the fat,” “getting lean and mean,” or “shedding weight.” Whatever the euphemism, employees affected by these practices know what the words mean to them: layoff. And no “kinder, gentler” words can do much to alleviate the anxiety and distress that come with losing a job.
In their quest to lower costs to stay competitive, companies often wield the ax with little or no regard for the well-being of the people involved. For example, in the past years AT&T have dismissed thousands of managers and employees through downsizing, though many of these people have twenty or more years of loyal employment with the firm. Industry analysts assert that if. Organizations wish to consider themselves responsible, ethical corporate citizens, they must demonstrate concern for their employees, even when they have to tell them they are no longer employed.
Organizations concerned about easing their employees’ shock and stress at being laid off can do so through careful planning and preparation. Effective, honest and timely communication is always important, but when staff reductions are imminent, it becomes critical. Employees who know what is going on can prepare themselves for the inevitable and are much better able to cope when the ax finally does fall.
It is sometimes difficult to determine the right thing to do, but many firms are trying. IBM for instance, offers early retirement. AT&T offers job search help and career counseling to displaced employees. Organizations can also support employees whose positions have been eliminated by providing retraining or outplacement assistance and a reasonable severance package. Those being laid off are not, however, the only ones affected by the downsizing. By addressing the needs and concerns of remaining staff, showing sensitivity to their feeling of loss, and dealing with their anxieties about additional layoffs, an organization increases its chances of retaining their loyalty and trust.
Questions about the ethics of downsizing are sure to continue. Do responsible companies lay people off? Is it ethical to close factories? Must employers guarantee workers jobs for life? What are the ethical issues involved when organizations become so downsized they are no longer able to attain their goals (a situation known as “corporate anorexia)? What happens, for example, to patients in a hospital that has eliminated so many positions it is no longer able to provide the necessary level of care? If, as most experts agree, downsizing is here to stay, perhaps the real question is not, “Is it ethical to downsize?” but “How can companies downsize ethically?”
译文：
 近年来全球兴起了公司裁员之风。所谓的裁员，就是公司为了降低成本而解雇一些员工重新分配给其他人。裁员常被雅称为重组、合理精简、资源重新配置、岗位剥离等。有时也用“抽脂”、“瘦身”、“抛重”等减肥术语来比喻。不管是什么委婉措词，裁员之举波及到的员工都知道这对自己意味的是被解雇。而这些“更温柔，更关切”的措词对于缓解丢了工作所带来的焦虑沮丧也是于事无补的。
 为减低成本以保持竞争力，公司经常大举裁员却很少顾及受此影响的人们的安康。例如，在过去的几年中AT&T裁掉了成千上万的经理和雇员，而他们中有许多人已在该公司忠心耿耿工作了二十年甚至更长的时间。产业分析家们断言，如果公司还希望被看作是负责的、有道德感的企业人，他们就必须表现出对员工的关心，即使在不得不告知员工要解雇他们的时候。
 关注如何消除裁员给员工带来的冲击与压力的公司可以通精心筹划与准备做得妥善些。有效、诚恳与适时的沟通总是很得要的，而如果裁员行动突如其来，沟通就更为关键。了解情况的员工可以为不可避免的结果有所准备并在砍斧挥落时从容面对。
 有时很难决定怎样做才对，但是许多公司在努力做好。例如，IBM有提前退休计划，AT&T为裁员的员工提供求职帮助与职业指导。公司也可以为被解雇员工提供再培训或新职介绍帮助以及合理的解聘补偿，但是，受裁员影响的并非只有被裁掉的人，所以也要关心留岗人员的需求与担忧，细心体察他们的失落感并化解他们对以后的裁员行动的焦虑。这样做公司得以保持员工忠诚与信任的可能性就会更大。
 有关裁员的道德问题肯定会不断出现。有责任心的公司解雇员工吗？关闭工厂合乎道德准则吗？雇员必须给予员工终生工作保障吗？公司因规模减小而不能实现目标（俗称企业厌食症）会引起什么道德问题？例如，医院减掉许多岗位而不能提供必要的医疗水准会对病人造成什么影响？正如大多数专家所认同，如果裁员行动继续下去，或许真正的问题不在于“裁员是否道德”而是“公司怎样使得裁员更为人道？”

网络恐惧症
Cyberphobics1
 Cyberphobia is a term used to describe the feelings of anxiety, frustration, and inadequacy many people have when attempting to use the Internet.
 What causes these emotions? Cyberspace is expanding so fast that people hear about it everywhere and fear that they are going to be left behind by those who are more Internet savvy.
 One place people who cannot yet manage to boot up their computers can turn to for help is bookstores. There, Net neophytes can select from thousands of hardback and softcover internet-related publications, such as The ABCs of the Internet, Zen and the Art of the Internet, or Internet for Dummies.
 Back in the early days of the Internet, things were even more complicated than they are today. Then, Net surfers had to be familiar with such technologies as file transfer protocol (FFP), Internet Relay Chat, Unix programming, Gopher, and Archie. The World Wide Web and its graphical user interface (GUI) has made the exploration of cyberspace much easier.
 With the Internet easier to use than ever, why the rise in cyberphobia? The reasons is the spread of the Internet has induced more non-techies to use it. Some people are touching a computer for the first time when they try to log onto the Internet.
 The good news is, once one gets the hang of basic Net navigation, there is a huge amount of free information on how to trek through cyberspace more efficiently and effectively.
注解：
1. cyberphobic:网络恐惧症患者，phobic 表示“……恐惧症患者”。下文的cyberphobia指“网络恐惧症”。
2. savvy:具有实际知识的，有经验的。
3. boot up:启动。
4. neophyte:初学者，新手; Zen:禅;dummy:<口>笨人，傻瓜。
5. FTP:此处是指应用文件传输协议实现了文件传输的软件的名称；Internet Relay Chat:多用户现场会话机制；Unix Programming: Unix 操作系统，提供多用户、多任务的操作环境，其网络工具使得计算机运程式通讯、并行处理、资源分配等有了广阔的应用前景；Gopher:黄鼠工具，是许多图书馆在因特网上使用的一种卡片索引程序（因1991年初在明尼苏达大学首创，而黄鼠恰为该校吉祥物，故名）；Archie:阿奇工具，因特网上一种提供查找其标题满足特定条件的所有文档的自动搜索服务的工具。
6. GUI:图形用户界面。
7. non-techie:非专业人士。techie指“计算机技术人员，计算机迷”。
8. get the hang of:<口>掌握……的窍门，熟悉……的用法（或做法）；
9. trek through:遨游于（网络空间）。

电讯家庭办公
Telecommuting: Technology instead of Traffic
不用挤车赶路，不必衣冠楚楚，穿着睡袍，靠着沙发，白领一族在家上班多么悠哉！于是有了电讯家庭办公，于是有了SOHO，于是也有了麻烦。因为事情并不那么简单。
 In cities all over the United States, workers spend several hours a day in cars crawling along in traffic to get to offices many miles from home. They experience stress, waste time, and pay a lot for gas, car maintenance, and parking. Once they get to work, they make their way through a maze of cubicles, each with its computer, phone, and file cabinet. Nancy Alley, human resources manager at TBWA Chiat/Day, doesn’t. She stays at home in her pajamas with a pile of resume, talking with managers over the phone and fazing in paperwork. Instead of walking down the hall to chat with coworkers, she E-mails them. Nancy is a telecommuter, someone who works some or all of the time at home, and she is part of a trend. Since 1990, the number of U.S. telecommuters has grown from 4.2 million to 9.2 million, and by the turn of the century, 55 million people worldwide have been telecommuting.
 Highway congestion, the high cost of office space, federal clean-air laws, reduced work forces, and lifestyle needs—all these factors contribute to the growth of telecommuting. What makes it possible is technology. Desktop and laptop personal computers, networking, videoconferencing, fax machines, E-mail, and multiple phone lines provide the fast and efficient communication required for telecommuting.
 The experiences of many companies suggest that telecommuting can increase workplace flexibility and enhance productivity. At Georgia Power Company, for example, a pilot telecommuting project was so successful that the company decided to triple its number of telecommuters. The company reduced the cost of leased office space by $100,000 a year, increased productivity among the telecommuting employees of its customer service center, and saved the workers a combined 750 commuter miles a day.
 Telecommuting, however, is not without its obstacles. At one computer software firm, the information systems manager offered telecommuting as an option to her 100-person staff. After three months, the staff members reported that being away from the office was counterproductive to their work. Programmers missed being able to drop by analysts’ cubicles with questions, and everyone reported they were interrupted at home more often. As part of its cost-cutting initiative, Nestle required 140 sales employees to telecommute. Facing many technical problems with telephone lines and frustratingly slow computer networking, most of these telecommuters found it an aggravating experience. Telecommuting also makes many employees feel isolated and out of touch, leading to decreased motivation and less, not more productivity. By blurring the barriers between work and family, telecommuting often leads to more work hours and more interference with family life.
 Telecommuting is not universally applicable. Jobs and individuals must be suitable, and staff must be capable of managing telecommuters. In addition, technological improvements, such as high-speed modems, are crucial. Few people expect to conduct business regularly from a tropical island or mountain resort any time soon.
译文：
 在美国所有的城市，为赶到离家数英里外的办公室，上班族每天要花几个小时的时间开着车在马路上吃力行驶。他们承受紧张压力，浪费时间，还要为汽油、维修和泊车花一大笔钱。 上班后他们穿行在迷宫般的隔间中，每个隔间配有电脑、电话和文件柜。TBWA Chiat/Day公司人力资源部经理南茜•艾利可不这样。她穿着睡衣呆在家中，拿着一摞个人简历通过电话与经理们交谈并用传真机接收书面文件。用不着走到大厅和同事们聊天，她给她们发电子邮件。南茜是一位利用电讯设备在家里办公的人，即部分或全部时间在家上班，她属于新潮一族。自1990年，利用电讯设备在家办公的美国人从４２０万增加到９２０万，而到世纪之交，全球已有５５００万人加入这一行列。
 公路交通的拥挤、办公室空间的高额费用、联邦政府的洁净空气法、劳动大军的缩减以及生活方式的需要——所有这些因素促成了电讯家庭办公人数的增加。而使这一趋势成为可能的是科技。台式与便携式电脑、互联网、视频会议系统、传真机、电子邮件以及多路电话线为电讯家庭办公人员提供了快捷、高效的沟通渠道。
 许多公司的经验表明，电讯家庭办公可以提高工作单位的灵活性与办公效率。以佐治亚电力公司为例，该公司电讯家庭办公试点项目非常成功，所以公司决定把利用电讯设备在家上班人员的数量扩大３倍。公司办公室租金每年减少了１０万美元，客户服务中心电讯家庭办公人员的工作效率提高了，并省去了员工每天上班的行程共计７５０英里。
 电讯家庭办公不无弊端。在一家电脑软件公司，信息系统部经理使１００名员工拥有电讯家庭办公的选择权。３个月之后员工反映，离开办公室对他们的工作效率起反作用。程序员们无法带着问题到分析员的隔间里请教，同时大家都感到在家办公更常被打扰。作为一项节支动议，雀巢公司要求１４０位销售人员利用电讯设备在家办公。面临着电话线路及烦人的电脑网络‘塞车’等许多技术性问题，他们大都感到家庭办公也使许多员工产生孤寂和与世隔绝之感，从而造成工作的积极性降低及办事效率下滑。电讯家庭办公使办公室与家庭的界限模糊不清因而拉长了工作时间并干扰了家庭生活。
 电讯家庭办公并非普遍适用。工作与个人情况必须合适。而辅助工作人员必须对电讯家庭办公的员工进行管理。此外，技术的改进，如快速的调制解调器也很重要。不要期待在不久的将来有很多人会在热带岛屿或山间的度假胜地进行经常性办公。
注解：
1. telecommuting:电讯家庭办公，指通过电讯设备与办公室联系在家里上班。
2. crawl:费劲（或缓慢地）行进。
3. maze of cubicles:指办公室里用隔板分开的若干个独立的空间，从宏观上看像个迷宫。
4. TBWA Chiat/Day是美国纽约最大的广告公司之一。
5. federal clean-air laws:空气洁净法。1990年美国国会通过该法案，建立了一种买卖‘可交易的污染许可’的市场，即污染许证交易。
6. video conferencing:视频会议系统，可以使人们通过电讯视听设备在不同地点参加同一会议。
7. Georgia Power:是美国最大的供电公司之一南方公司的子公司，已经为佐治亚州供电一百年。
8. drop by:顺便拜访一下。
9. initiative:动议、创新行为。
10. aggravate:<口>激怒，使恼火。
11. staff:辅助性管理人员。公司管理构架一般分为一线部门，即业务部门（line management position）与辅助部门，即职能部门（staff management position）.
12. modem:调制解调器，一种对信号进行调制与解调的功能部件，调制解调器的功能之一就是使数字数据经由模拟传输设施进行传送。

人工话语
Artificial Speech
在科幻片中，我们可以看到这样的情景：主人公回到家拿起遥控器，轻轻一揿，电脑就开始有条不紊地向主人汇报工作，与主人开玩笑、调侃，俨然一位称职的管家和亲密朋友。将来是否会真有这么一天呢？
 Because speech is the most convenient form of communication, in the future we want essentially natural conversations with computers. The primary point of contact will be a simple device that will act as our window on the world. It will have to be small enough to slip into your pocket, so there will be a screen but no keyboard: you will simply talk to it. The device will be permanently connected to the Internet and will beep relevant information up to you as it comes in. Such devices will evolve naturally in the next five to ten years.
 Just how quickly people will adapt to a voice-based internet world is uncertain. Many believe that, initially at least, we will need similar conventions for the voice to those we use at present on screen: click, back, forward, and so on. But soon you will undoubtedly be able to interact by voice with all those IT-based services you currently connect with over the Internet by means of a keyboard. This will help the Internet serve the entire population, not just techno-freaks.
 Changes like this will encompass the whole world. Because English is the language of science, it will probably remain the language in which the technology is most advanced, but most speech-recognition techniques are transferable to other languages provided there is sufficient motivation to undertake the work.
 Of course, in any language there are still huge problems for us to solve. Carefully dictated, clear speech can now be understood by computers with only a 4-5per cent error rate, but even state-of-art technology still records 30-40per cent errors with spontaneous speech. Within ten years we will have computers that respond to goal-directed conversation, but for a computer to have a conversation that takes into account human social behaviour is probably 50 years off. We’re not going to be chatting to the big screen in the living room just yet.
 In the past insufficient speed memory have held us back, but these days they’re less of an issue. However, there are those in the IT community who believe that current techniques will eventually hit a brick wall. Personally, I believe that incremental developments in performance are more likely. But it’s true that by about 2040 or so, computer architectures will need to become highly parallel if performance is to keep increasing. Perhaps that will inspire some radically new approaches to speech understanding that will supplant the methods we’re developing now.
译文：
 由于说话是最方便的交流方式，我们希望将来和计算机进行基本上自然的对话。人机对话的基本接触点会是一个简单装置，相当于我们通往世界的窗口。它得小到可以装入你的衣兜，因此只有屏幕而没有键盘：人只要对着它说话就行。这个装置将与互联网永久连在一起，随时把有关信息传达给你。这种装置在未来５－１０年间自然就会问世。
 人们会多快适应基于语音的互联网世界还很难说。许多人认为，至少在一开始，语音输入需要一套类似目前屏幕上使用的常规操作法：点击、后退、前进等等。但毫无疑问，目前人们用键盘通过互联网连接的所有基于信息技术的服务业，很快就能用声音与之互动。这将有助于互联网为全人类服务，而不仅仅为技术怪人服务。
 这样的变化将席卷全世界。英语是科学使用的语言，它将很快可能继续成为表达最先进技术的语言，但是大多话语识别技术都可以转移到其他语言，只要有足够的动机来承担这项工作。
 当然，任何语言都仍然有很多难题等待我们去解决。计算机现在能理解仔细口授的、清晰的话语，错误率只有４－５％，但在识别自发话语时，即使最先进的技术也有３０－４０％的错误。十年内，我们将有应答特定话题的计算机，但想要计算机与我们对话时考虑到人的社会行为，大概要50年以后了。我们还做不到马上就与客厅里的大屏幕聊天。
 过去，计算机速度太慢、内存不足，扯了我们的腿，但当今这些都已不太成为问题。然而信息技术界有人相信，目前的技术最终会撞上南墙。我个人认为，机器性能不断改进的可能性更大。但是的确，到２０４０年左右，计算机的设计构造必须高度并行，性能才会不断提高。或许这将引发某些全新的思路解决话语理解问题，从而取代我们目前正在研制的办法。
注解：
1. The…contact: 直译为“基本接触点”，会显得突兀。在不影响语义的情况下，不妨把话说清楚些，译成“人机对话的基本接触点”。
2. a simple device that….这里that引导的从句若译成定语从句“一个……的简单装置”，中文听起来很累赘，不如译成流水句“一个简单装置，……”。
3. act as….起……的作用。这里可以译成“相当于……”。
4. window on the world:通往世界的窗口。这里的on不是‘在……上’的意思，有时不用on，用into.
5. simply:=just only（只需、只要）。
6. beep…up to…:beep本是象声词，意思是‘吡吡响’；beeper就是我们现在用的传呼机，又叫BP机。Beep…up to…直译是“吡吡把……传达给……”，不译“吡吡”也可以。
7. as it comes in:在它进来的任何时候。也就是“随时”。
8. evolve:发展、演化、进化。这里可以译为“问世”。
9. voice-based:基于语音的。
10. conventions:常规。这里指“常规操作法”。
11. the voice:这里指“语音输入”。
12. by voice:用语音。
13. IT-based services:基于信息技术的服务业。IT是information technology 的缩写。
14. over…通过……。
15. by means of:=by（用）
16. population:这里带有‘人类’的意思。
17. techno-freaks:技术怪人。
18. encompass:一般英汉词典给出的对应词是“包括，包含”等，这里都不合适，译成“席卷”似乎更恰当。
19. language of science:直译成“科学的语言”不好，会产生歧义，仿佛英语科学，其他语言不科学。这里的准确意思是“科学使用的语言”。
20. the language…advanced:这里的意思显然不是‘技术最选进的语言’，而是‘表达最先进技术的语言’。
21. provided:=provided that…(条件是……，只要……)。
22. state-of-art:最先进的。
23. records:这里‘记录’的意思不明显，可以当‘有’理解。
24. spontaneous:自发的，自然产生的。
25. goal-directed;直译是 “针对特定目的的”。这里可译为“特定语题”。
26. takes into account…:考虑到……。
27. 50 years off:=离现在50年。也就是“50年以后了”。
28. not…just yet:目前还不……。
29. insufficient:为了使译文搭配自然，一个insufficient这里可以译成两个不同的词——“……太慢”和“……不足”。
30. to hold…back:阻碍……的发展。口语化一些，可以译成“扯了……的后腿”。
31. less of an issue:不太成问题/不是问题的关键。
32. hit a brick wall：汉语有“撞上南墙”的说法，与这个短语有异曲同工之效。
33. performance:这里指机器的“性能”。
34. architectures:这里是计算机术语，意思是‘设计构造’，不能译成‘建筑’。
35. if: 有时候‘如果……，就必须……’可以反这来说成‘必须……才……’。这里if的作用就相当于‘才’。
36. supplant:取代。