更多精彩见公-号：英语读世界
导读
在本次选篇中，作者讲述了什么是效能，其间用到了产金蛋的鹅的故事。这是西方的一个经典寓言。说的是有个农夫意外在他的鹅圈里发现了一个金蛋，喜出望外。他每天早上去取一个金蛋，很快变成了富翁。但是他渐渐地变得越来越贪婪而且急躁，每天一个金蛋已经无法满足他。他想把鹅肚子里的金蛋全部取出来，剖开鹅肚子后却发现里面一个金蛋也没有。鹅死了，他再也无法得到金蛋。
作者把人所拥有的资产分为物质资产（physical asset），金融资产（financial asset） 以及人力资产（human asset）。物质资产很好理解，比如一台割草机，它的产出是修整过的草坪，你要是从来都不保养它，它的产能会很快下降。作者把一个人的挣钱能力和人际关系也都看成具备生产能力的资产，进行了产能产出的分析。
原文
True effectiveness is a function of two things: what is produced (the golden eggs)and the producing asset or capacity to produce(the goose). Effectiveness lies in the balance-what I call the P/PC Balance. P stands for production of desired results, the golden eggs. PC stands for production capability, the ability or asset that produces the golden eggs.
Our most important financial asset is our own capacity to earn. If we don't continually invest in improving our own PC, we severely limit our options. We're locked into our present situation, running scared of our corporation or our boss's opinion of us, economically dependent and defensive. It simply isn't effective.
In the human area, the P/PC Balance is equally fundamental, but even more important, because people control physical and financial assets.
When two people in a marriage are more concerned about getting the golden eggs, the benefits, than they are in preserving the relationship that makes them possible, they often become insensitive and inconsiderate, neglecting the little kindnesses and courtesies so important to deep relationship. They begin to use control levers to manipulate each other, to focus on their own needs, to justify their own position and look for evidence to show the wrongness of the other person. The love, the richness, the softness and spontaneity begin to deteriorate. The goose gets sicker day by day.
And what about a parent's relationship with a child? Suppose you want your daughter to have a clean room--that's P, production, the golden egg. And suppose you want her to clean it--that's PC production capability. Your daughter is the goose, the asset, that produces the golden egg. If you have P and PC in balance, she cleans the room cheerfully, without being reminded, because she is committed and has the discipline to stay with the commitment. She is a valuable asset, goose that can produce golden eggs. But if your paradigm is focused on production, on getting the room clean, you might find yourself nagging her to do it. You might even escalate your efforts to threatening or yelling, and in your desire to get the golden egg, you undermine the health and welfare of the goose.
词句解析
True effectiveness is afunction of two things: what is produced (the golden eggs)and the producing asset or capacity to produce(the goose). Effectiveness lies in the balance-what I call the P/PC Balance. P stands for production of desired results, the golden eggs.PC stands for production capability, the ability or asset that produces the golden eggs.
function: 名词，常见含义为功能。这里表示函数，应变量，即随他物的变化而变化的事物。
【例】Height is a function of age in children.儿童身高随年龄而增长。
producing asset: 名词短语，表示生产性资产，即具备生产能力的资产。
capacity: 常见表示（人的）能力，文中表示的是（机器的）生产能力。
【例】your capacity to enjoy life 你那享受生活乐趣的能力 （人的能力）
【例】The factory is working at full capacity. 这家工厂在开足马力生产。（机器的生产能力）
lie in: 动词短语，表示在于。
【例】The problem lies in deciding when to intervene. 问题在于决定何时介入。
stand for: 动词短语，表示代表，是……的缩写。
【例】“FYI” stands for “for your information.”FYI是for your information的缩写。
PC stands for...eggs.这句话的主干是逗号前面的部分，逗号后面核心结构是一个名词短语the ability or asset，作前面production capability的同位语，两者指的是同一个事物，that produces the golden eggs是定语从句，修饰the ability or asset，表明这种能力或资产是能够产生金蛋的。前一句中的the golden eggs同样是desired results的同位语，两者指同一样东西，后者对前者进行解释说明。渴求的结果就是金蛋。
参考译文：真正的效率是两件事的函数:生产什么(金蛋)和生产资产或生产能力(鹅)。效率在于平衡——我称之为P/PC平衡。P代表产生期望的结果，金蛋。PC代表生产能力，生产金蛋的能力或资产。
Our most important financial asset is our own capacity to earn. If we don't continually invest in improving our own PC, we severely limit our options.We're locked into our present situation,running scared of our corporation or our boss's opinion of us, economically dependent and defensive. It simply isn't effective.
continually: 可以先联想到动词continue, 表示继续。continually是它的副词形式，表示连续地，不断地。
【例】He is continually experimenting with new recipes. 他在不断地尝试做些新的菜肴。
invest in sth: 动词短语，表示投资于。
【例】He invested his life savings in his daughter's business. 他把一生的积蓄投资到了女儿的企业。
lock: 常见用法为名词，表示锁。这里为动词，表示锁住，固定住。
【例】They threatened to lock him in jail.他们威胁要把他关进监狱。
run: 动词，常见含义为跑步。这里为run+adj.用法，表示变得，成为。
【例】The river ran dry (= stopped flowing) during the drought. 这条河在干旱期间断流了。
【例】You've got your rivals running scared. 你已经使对手感到恐惧了。
We're locked into...defensive.这句话主干是We're locked into our present situation。running scared of...为分词作状语修饰主句，动作为主句主语主动发出，故用了-ing形式，economically dependent and defensive核心结构是dependent and defensive，为形容词短语作补语修饰主语we。
It simply isn't effective.这里的it指代本段we don't continually invest in improving our own PC。作者在前一段说到效能（effectiveness）在于产出和产能的平衡，那么这里如果不去投资自己的产能，那么必然是不符合高效的原则的。
参考译文：我们最重要的金融资产是我们自己的赚钱能力。如果我们不继续投资改善我们自己的生产能力，我们将严重限制我们的选择。我们被困在目前的处境中，对公司或老板对我们的看法战战兢兢，在经济上依赖，处于守势。它根本不高效。
In the human area, the P/PC Balance is equally fundamental, but even more important, because people control physical and financial assets.
physical: 形容词，常见含义为物理的，这里表示有形的，实物的。
【例】physical evidence 实物证据
参考译文：在人力领域，P/PC平衡同样重要，但更为重要，因为人们控制着实物和金融资产。
When two people in a marriage are more concerned about getting the golden eggs, the benefits, than they are in preserving the relationship that makes them possible, they often become insensitive and inconsiderate, neglecting the little kindnesses and courtesies so important to deep relationship.They begin to use control levers to manipulate each other, to focus on their own needs, to justify their own position and look for evidence to show the wrongness of the other person. The love, the richness, the softness and spontaneity begin to deteriorate.The goose gets sicker day by day.
be concerned about: 形容词短语，表示对……关注的，感兴趣的。
【例】She was more concerned with flirting than with getting the job done. 比起完成工作，她对打情骂俏更感兴趣。
insensitive: 形容词，为sensitive加否定前缀in-形式，sensitive表示体贴的，善解人意的，敏感的，insensitive表示（对他人的感受）未意识到的，漠不关心的
【例】She's completely insensitive to my feelings. 她全然不顾我的感情。
inconsiderate: 形容词，和insensitive一样，由形容词词根加否定前缀in-变化而来，considerate表示体贴的，考虑周到的，inconsiderate表示不为别人着想的，不体谅别人的。
【例】It was inconsiderate of you not to call. 你连个电话也不打，不够体谅人。
When...relationship: 这句话的主干是they often become insensitive and inconsiderate，后面的neglecting...为-ing分词作状语，其中还包含了一个定语从句，还原完整为neglecting the little kindnesses and courtesies (which are) so important to deep relationship, which指代的就是kindnesses and courtesies。这句话前半部分为when引导的时间状语从句，从句总体结构为two people are more concerned ...than..., than后面补充完整是they are concerned in preserving...，由于concerned前面已经出现过了，than结构比较的就是concerned的程度，因此concerned被省略了。that makes them possible是定语从句，修饰relationship，其中them指代的是the golden eggs，the benefits（the benefits是the golden eggs的同位语，是对它的解释说明，两者指的其实是同一个事物）。
control lever: 名词短语，表示控制杆，这里是个比喻。其中lever表示（车辆或机器的）操纵杆。
【例】Pull the lever towards you to adjust the speed. 把操纵杆向你身体一侧拉动以调节速度。
manipulate: 动词，基本含义为操作，使用，例如to manipulate the gears and levers of a machine 熟练地操纵机器的排挡和变速杆，但是它的另一层由此演变过来的含义更为常用，表示（暗中）控制，操纵，表示这层含义时含贬义。文中即表示操纵。操纵某人让其做某事常用结构manipulate sb. Into doing sth.
【例】As a politician, he knows how to manipulate public opinion. 身为一位政客，他知道如何左右公众舆论。
【例】They managed to manipulate us into agreeing to help. 他们设法促使我们答应帮忙。
justify: 动词，表示证明……有理。
【例】No argument can justify a war. 没有任何理由能证明一个战争有理。
position: 名词，常见含义为位置，这里表示立场，观点。
【例】She has made her position very clear. 她明确表示了自己的立场。
richness: 名词，常见含义为富裕，这里表示丰富，浓烈。
deteriorate：动词，表示恶化。
【例】Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
The goose gets sicker day by day.整句话是个比喻。goose在这一段当中指的婚姻关系，鹅一天天病重，也就是两人的关系越来越恶化，于是就没有办法产金蛋，两人都没法从中受益。
参考译文：当婚姻中的两个人更关心得到金蛋——那些利益，而不是维护使它们成为可能的两人关系时，他们往往变得对对方漠不关心，缺乏体谅，忽视对（维系）深厚的关系如此重要的那一点善意和谦恭。他们开始使用控制杆来控制对方，关注自己的需求，证明自己的立场是对的，并寻找证据来证明对方的错误。爱，丰富，温柔和自发性开始恶化。那只鹅的病情一天比一天严重。
And what about a parent's relationship with a child? Suppose you want your daughter to have a clean room--that's P,production, the golden egg. And suppose you want her to clean it--that's PC production capability. Your daughter is the goose, the asset, that produces the golden egg. If you have P and PC in balance, she cleans the room cheerfully,without being reminded, because she is committed and has the discipline to stay with the commitment. She is a valuable asset, goose that can produce golden eggs.But if your paradigm is focused on production, on getting the room clean, you might find yourself nagging her to do it. You might even escalate your efforts to threatening or yelling, and in your desire to get the golden egg, you undermine the health and welfare of the goose.
production: 名词，常见含义为生产，这里表示产出。
without doing sth: 介词短语，表示不做某事。
【例】He left without saying goodbye. 他不辞而别。
【例】Without wanting to criticize, I think you could have done better. 我不是想要批评谁，只是认为你本可以做得更好一些。
committed: 形容词，它的动词形式是commit，表示承诺，保证。常用commit oneself to doing sth.结构，表示承诺做某事。相应地，形容词committed表示尽心尽力的，坚定的。后半句的commitment则是它的名词形式，表示承诺要做的事。
【例】They are committing themselves to the pursuit of truth. 他们致力于追求真理。
【例】We're very committed to the cause. 我们对这项事业尽心尽力。
【例】I can't coach my daughter's basketball team. I have too many commitments already. 我无法执教我女儿的篮球队。我已经承接了太多的事情。
discipline: 名词，表示自制力。
【例】He'll never get anywhere working for himself—he's got no discipline. 他为自己工作是不会有什么成就的—他毫无自制力。
stay with: 动词短语，表示继续做。
【例】I know the work is hard, but if you just stay with it for a while longer, it'll be done. 我知道这活儿不容易，但如果你再坚持一会儿，就能完成。
She is a valuable asset, goose that can produce golden eggs.主干是She is a valuable asset，逗号后面goose that can produce golden eggs核心结构是goose, that...eggs为定语从句，修饰goose, that指代的就是goose。逗号后面整个部分是asset的同位语，对其进行解释说明，两者其实是同一样事物。
find: 动词，常见含义为找到，这里表示发觉（处于某状态、在做某事）。常用find oneself doing sth.结构表示发现自己在做某事。用这个结构时，这件事常常并非是自己的本意，而是在打算之外，不知不觉发生的。
【例】I suddenly found myself running down the street. 我不知不觉突然在街上跑了起来。
nag: 动词，表示唠叨，不停地抱怨。
【例】She had been nagging him to paint the fence. 她一直唠叨，要他把围栏油漆一下。
escalate A into/to B: 动词短语，表示使A恶化/加剧至B。
【例】The conflict has been escalated into an all-out war. 这场冲突已升级为一场全面战争。
undermine: 动词，由前缀under-和词根mine构成。mine作动词时表示挖矿，undermine基本含义表示挖…的墙脚，从根基处破坏，这里表示逐步削弱。
【例】The events of the past year have undermined people's confidence in the government.去年发生的事件使人们对政府逐渐失去了信心。
welfare: 名词，常见含义为福利，这里表示（个体或群体的）幸福，安全与健康，相当于well-being。
【例】We are concerned about the child's welfare. 我们关注那个孩子的福祉。
参考译文：那么父母和孩子的关系呢?假设你想让你的女儿有一个干净的房间——干净的房间就是P，即产出，金蛋。假设你想让她清理房间——这就是产能。你的女儿是鹅，是产金蛋的资产。如果你让P和PC保持平衡，她会愉快地打扫房间，不需要别人提醒，因为她尽心尽力，而且有遵守承诺的自制力。她是一笔宝贵的财富，一只会下金蛋的鹅。但如果你的思维模式聚焦在产出，在打扫房间上，你可能会发现自己在唠叨她。你甚至可能把你的唠叨上升到威胁或大喊大叫，在你想得到金蛋的渴望中，你破坏了鹅的健康和幸福。
回顾原文&把握全篇
True effectiveness is a function of two things: what is produced (the golden eggs)and the producing asset or capacity to produce(the goose). Effectiveness lies in the balance-what I call the P/PC Balance. P stands for production of desired results, the golden eggs. PC stands for production capability, the ability or asset that produces the golden eggs.
Our most important financial asset is our own capacity to earn. If we don't continually invest in improving our own PC, we severely limit our options. We're locked into our present situation,running scared of our corporation or our boss's opinion of us, economically dependent and defensive. It simply isn't effective.
In the human area, the P/PC Balance is equally fundamental, but even more important, because people control physical and financial assets.
When two people in a marriage are more concerned about getting the golden eggs, the benefits, than they are in preserving the relationship that makes them possible, they often become insensitive and inconsiderate, neglecting the little kindnesses and courtesies so important to deep relationship. They begin to use control levers to manipulate each other, to focus on their own needs, to justify their own position and look for evidence to show the wrongness of the other person. The love, the richness, the softness and spontaneity begin to deteriorate.The goose gets sicker day by day.
And what about a parent's relationship with a child? Suppose you want your daughter to have a clean room--that's P,production, the golden egg. And suppose you want her to clean it--that's PC production capability. Your daughter is the goose, the asset, that produces the golden egg. If you have P and PC in balance, she cleans the room cheerfully,without being reminded, because she is committed and has the discipline to stay with the commitment. She is a valuable asset, goose that can produce golden eggs. But if your paradigm is focused on production, on getting the room clean, you might find yourself nagging her to do it. You might even escalate your efforts to threatening or yelling, and in your desire to get the golden egg, you undermine the health and welfare of the goose.
这个选篇第一段提出什么是效能。后面讲述了两种资产：金融和人际。人际当中又讲了两类：婚姻和子女。全篇以金蛋和下金蛋的鹅作比喻。在金融当中，金蛋是你挣到的钱，而金鹅是你挣钱的能力。在婚姻中，金蛋是你希望对方为你做的事，鹅是两人之间的关系。在和子女的相处中，金蛋是你希望对方呈现的结果，而子女就是那只产金蛋的鹅。不管在哪个类别中，都要保持两者的平衡，才能走得长远，真正获益。杀鹅取蛋是低效而危险的。
