郭台銘英文演說稿中真正的意思是…

四月二日，鴻海併購夏普的正式典禮上，鴻海董事長郭台銘以流利不落俗的英文開場致詞，據說郭董的英文基礎乃自學，奠定於早年他勤跑美國出差，開著租來的車，在點到點的交通時間裡收聽廣播。正因為英文的啟蒙是廣播對話，吸收的全是務實的日常生活言語，因此本次致詞內容較白話，實用多過華麗。

由鴻海通路事業群負責人胡國輝先擬定的講稿，郭台銘直到當天半夜3點都還在修改，講稿上可見他細心地標示斷句（文末附上）。以內容來說，本次致詞邏輯清楚，沒有引經據典或使用太多酷炫文字，加上諸多條列式（bullet point）衍生性說明，絕對是郭台銘style。

讓我最欣賞的莫過於以下幾點：

簡單用字，搭配口語化表達

光是第一段，就非常有意思。一開場，郭說I love visiting Japan（我愛造訪日本），一般正式場合鮮少用love這麼強烈且代表個人情感的字，多半用enjoy（享受）或改說I have a strong connection with Japan（我和日本有很強的連結）。郭在此大膽使用love，表示他刻意露出感情，讓聽眾感受他全面擁抱日本。

在這第一段三句話中，郭連續用了四個"I"。通常在正式演講中，我們盡量避免過分強調自我，但郭在此連四"I"，反倒強化他對日本的情感，讓當天普遍為日籍的在場聽眾，在第一時間就被攏絡了心。

這篇講稿很多地方，郭可以使用更專業或深奧的文字，譬如說第二段在講鴻海去年和日本產生多少金額的交易，他大可用技術術語trade surplus／deficit，但卻選擇用淺顯易懂的import（進口）export（出口），拉近聽眾距離。另外一個例子，他提到這次策略投資將面對的挑戰，換作其他講者，或許就會用downplay（淡化）甚至euphemize（婉轉削弱）這種商業談判上比較常見的用字，但郭用的是sugar-coat the challenges（挑戰糖衣化），白話指數高人一等，讓聽者感到在面對困境時，郭不是拐彎抹角、顧左右而言他的人。

暗埋伏筆，淺移默化影響聽者

前幾段讚揚夏普的優點，從innovation（創新） quality（品質）到attitude／DNA（精髓），郭在品質那一段埋了伏筆。他說了一個故事，關於一位在中國科學院的大陸友人，從美國帶回一台夏普製造的電冰箱，用了三十年還良好如初。關鍵在於，這是一位中國消費者，在美國購買了日本製的產品，並將之帶回中國。這完全呼應後面郭提到夏普是一家global company全球企業，且早在三十年前夏普就已經志在世界，因此當今和另外一家同是全球企業的鴻海合併，這絕對是世界級的聯盟。

整篇講稿的鋪陳，郭讓聽者感受到，對於夏普的敬佩乃至於投資興趣，絕非一夕蹴成。郭先從其個人對日本的情感 a deep and active business and personal relationship with Japan for over 40 years出發，搭配鴻海與日本的大規模金流往來，慢慢闡述夏普歷年來的產品創新與技術領導，以及流在夏普工程師血液中的never-say-die attitude（百折不撓、永不放棄的態度），這會讓聽者，覺得是一場命中註定的併購案。再加上郭補充，對於夏普的深層認識來自於他多年前對大阪堺工廠的投資，聽者更會覺得今日的局，是水到渠成的結果。

設計情境，逐一鏟除懷疑

自鴻海併購夏普的消息傳開後，各界輿論紛紛，有褒有貶。這次的宣布會在大阪舉行，郭演說的最重要目的之一，當然是在穩住軍心，讓一票日本工程師心安。

既然疑慮一堆，他就條列式一一說明。看似開誠佈公，實際上每一單點回答都在引導聽者進入預設的情境。首先，郭說"The world is flat"（世界是平的，商業無國界），企業共同目標是maximize benefit to shareholders（股東利益最大化）。當聽者頻頻點頭接受了這個真理後，郭接著強調夏普跟鴻海分別不是日本和台灣公司，這兩家都是global company（全球企業）。既然兩家都是全球企業，就沒有什麼台灣或中國吃日本的無稽之談。一時間，定位抬高。

再者，談到corporate cultures（企業文化）的差別，郭僅用一句話表達他的看法：these differences are assets that we both bring to this new alliance（這些差別是兩家公司為合併帶來的資產）。他不給聽者機會挑剔企業文化差異可能會帶來的傷害。他直接下結論說企業文化差異會帶來正面價值。沒有商量的餘地或許霸道，但在變動的時刻，這種斬釘截鐵的表達反倒是局中者最希望聽到的說法。

郭的英文演講，甚至還夾帶些許幽默。（在講到8K display時，他自嘲透過這顯示技術，66歲的他再度看來年輕起來－it is making a sixty-six year-old man look young again）

喜歡他總結的簡單扼要－Let us not fear to scale new heights. I have a clear roadmap in my heart. I am committed to providing the leadership requirement to turnaround this historic company.（無懼、心中有譜、決心改變）

更佩服他勝利而不驕－I look forward to learning from Sharp on how to become a 100 year-old company. In return I have committed to giving my full support to ensure that Sharp enjoys another 100 years of innovation and success worldwide.（我期待向夏普學習如何成為百年企業。我也決心支持夏普，確保下一個百年它將繼續創新並在世界各地成功發展。）

期待有一天，Youtube上瘋狂轉載的不是臉書創辦人佐伯格講中文，或蘋果執行長庫克發表新機，而是鴻海郭董用英文開講企業經營理念。

郭語錄經典英文

I have never been afraid of a bad economy as long as we have direction and the ability to compete.
只要有方向和競爭的能力，我從不畏懼壞景氣

We are as good as our customers DEMAND us to be.
客戶愈是要求高，我們可以做得更好。

【郭台銘講稿內容】

April 2 Speech for Chairman Terry Gou

Distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen good afternoon.

I love visiting Japan. I have had a deep and active business and personal relationship with Japan for over 40 years. When I first visited Osaka  it was my thirtieth birthday. I am now 66 years old.

In last year alone our company imported more than US dollars twenty one (21) Billion from Japan while exporting US dollars twelve (12) Billion.

Today is an important day for Hon Hai and Sharp.

I have great respect for the one hundred year history of Sharp. The important part Sharp has played as an innovator and leader  in technology.

The innovation the hard work and the integrity of Sharp’s well respected founder Ha-ya-ka-wa To-ku-ji lives on today in Sharp’s thousands of dedicated employees.

From the Ever-Sharp mechanical pencil to Sharp’s contributions to radio & TV technology calculators and home appliances Sharp has proved to be an innovator time and time again.

It is because of this DNA of innovation that I love Sharp.

Sharp also means quality. A friend of mine is a fellow at the Chinese Academy of Science. In 1986 he returned from the U.S. as a visiting scholar to Beijing he brought with him a new Sharp refrigerator. He proudly told me this thirty (30) year-old Sharp refrigerator is still running perfectly today in his home.

Similar to Sharp’s well-known quality the never-say-die attitude is seen in so many of Sharp’s talented engineers. This DNA has kept them going through good times and bad times working day and night to continue innovating to continue pushing the limits of technology and quality.

Much has been said about the reasons we have worked so hard to make this day possible. Investing in Sharp is less to do with price but more to do with the value of the company and especially the values that we can create together as strategic partners.

I have learned a great deal about Sharp since I invested in the Sakai factory a few years ago and I have come to respect Sharp’s engineering culture and their continued innovation in the display technology.

Speaking about the leading display technology please look at the display on my right. It is an 8K display. It is making a sixty-six (66) year-old man look young again.

Just imagine if we can use this technology for people worldwide to enjoy the OLYMPIC GAMES hosted by Tokyo in 2020. This 8K display represents a revolution in display technology,and I am proud to work with Sharp to share it with the world.

Sharp is one of the most important creators of the LCD industry. Sharp is leading I-G-Z-O technology in the world which is widely used in high-end phones tablets and notebooks.

Sharp is the FIRST ONE to put LCD technology into consumer products.

Sharp’s leadership has enriched the viewing pleasure of hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide.

I am not going to sugar-coat the challenges facing this strategic investment. The world economy is tough today. The economic powers seem to have lost the ability to continue to grow. The global economic outlook is NOT promising. As I have said in the past I have NEVER been afraid of a bad economy as long as we have the direction and the ability to compete.

I am aware that there are many questions about our investment. Let me take this opportunity to share with you directly my thoughts.

1. Some of you ask why a one hundred years old Japanese company joining forces with a company from Taiwan doesn’t work.I can tell you that:

a) The world is FLAT.Companies are social entities WITHOUT national borders. The common objective of all companies is to MAXIMIZE benefit to their shareholders and they are found all over the world.

b) Sharp is NOT a Japanese company. It is a global company.

c) Hon Hai is NOT a Taiwanese or Chinese company. It TOO is a global company.

d) This is a case of one global company investing in another global company because we know we can complement each other with our own unique resources and SUCCEED TOGETHER.

2. Hon Hai’s investment in Sharp will work because of our cultural differences.（慢一點說）

a) Any cultural differences between our two companies have little to do with physical borders. We have more than one million employees at Hon Hai and they come from all over the world. Sharp also has a global workforce which is another reason why both our companies are GLOBAL companies.

b) To those who ask about our different corporate cultures, I can tell you these differences are ASSETS that we both bring to this new alliance.

c) We are proud to work with the best companies in the world who are also the most difficult customers. If they were not the most difficult they would not be the best. We are challenged by our customers all the time. I can share this with you. Hon Hai has become a leader in our industry largely because our difficult customers push us to always be better. We are as good as our customers DEMAND us to be. There is NOTHING wrong with different corporate cultures.We can use our differences to push each other to scale greater heights.

d) I have heard a story from some people in the media.I am not sure if it applies here but it says that we are like a catfish in a sea of trapped sardines. That story goes on to say that if the sardines don’t wake up, swim hard, they will be eaten up by the catfish. I do not see our company as a catfish; I see us a Catalyst for Change. If we cannot drive changes in Sharp our global competitors will eat us alive. We must always swim hard to succeed.

e) I am banking on the differences in our corporate cultures to challenge us to create to innovate to be product-focused with a priority on speed quality and cost-to-deliver to the market. Only by leveraging our differences can we bring Sharp into a NEW phase of growth.

3. I know all of you are interested to know our plan to turnaround Sharp.

a) There is an old Chinese saying that the only fear of facing a high mountain is NOT having a roadmap in our heart.

b) Let me tell you.If I did not have a roadmap in my heart I would not have worked so hard and come to so far to make this important investment.

c) My direction for the turnaround is clear: 

i. We will focus on helping Sharp to transform its technologies into products in a speedy and cost-competitive way with highest quality.

ii. In doing this we will once again support the Sharp brand / to be a leading global consumer brand.

d) In terms of the details of the turnaround plan I am not prepared to go into them.

But I can say:

i. I am truly excited by the potential for us / to lead our industry by bringing new IoT technology to the market and to bring radical changes to the home with smart air filters, some can even catch mosquitoes, smart air conditioners, smart cooking appliances, and many more smart consumer products. These innovations will allow everyone to enjoy clean air clean water and clean food.Sharp will be the key player in this industry.

ii. Let me also share with you how committed I am to the Sharp turnaround. The one hundred (100) billion Yen deposited by us a couple of days ago is our commitment to immediately:

1. Action Number One, invest in display technologies such as the next-generation I-G-Z-O and O-LED as well as others / including camera & sensor technologies.

2. Action Number Two,develop smart home appliances with IoT systems that form a truly SMART home solution.

3. Action Number Three, increase production capacity using cutting-edge technologies to meet the growing demands of our customers around the world.

I look forward to learning from Sharp on how Hon Hai can become a one hundred (100)year-old company. In return, I have committed to give my full support to Sharp to ensure that Sharp enjoys another 100 years of innovation and success worldwide.

Let us not fear to scale new heights. I have a clear roadmap in my heart. I am committed to provide the leadership required to turnaround this historic company. I am asking all Sharp employees to join me on this great day to march forward to embark on a journey that will ensure that Sharp will be here for another one hundred (100) years.

This is a great day for both our companies, for our employees/ and for our shareholders.It is also a great day for the global electronics and IT industries.Thank you very much.I wish everyone here a great day.

※本文作者是津橋國際教育控股集團共同創辦人Susan Fang。13歲赴英國讀書，畢業自英國劍橋大學建築系所、蘇富比藝術學院。美國激勵大師安東尼羅賓、《有錢人和你想的不一樣》作者哈福艾克、《富爸爸窮爸爸》作者羅伯特清崎中英口譯師。2002年與先生創辦津橋留學顧問，串連中港台學子和英美高等學府，協助創建教育方針中西合併的學校。受邀針對中西比較教育、國際教育經營管理、女性創業、亞裔在英國移民就業等議題演講。更多信息請參閱以下網站：SusanFang 津橋留學顧問 學學教育 AcademicPowerHouse