Do Good vs. Do Well

善舉與致富

英文大師林語堂生前說過,「中國人學英文,每向深字打滾,而於……平常字,卻沒有辦法……。中國人寫英文,deeply concerned(極為關切)、profoundly touched(深深感動),外交官、社論家都很純熟,而道地英國話 I couldn't care less, that's not my cup of tea(我不在乎,那不對我的胃口),便運用不靈。」(註:英文的中譯均為筆者所加)

林先生所言甚是,本篇的 Do Good vs. Do Well即在呼應他的看法。Do good是做好事,即本文所說的「善舉」,而do well則是發達或致富之意。John Roberts went to the slum area to do good, but he ended up doing well by investing in real estate.(John Roberts去貧民區要做好事,可是卻因投資區內的房地產而致富。)

西方的大企業和公司有所謂 corporate social responsibility(公司的社會責任,英文簡稱 CSR),這些企業對CSR的基本看法是 Doing good can be an integral part of doing well.(善行與賺錢是分不開的。)

...本文未結束

免費訂閱!
商周最新出刊報‧隨時掌握最新趨勢