The english we speak(BBC教學)第176期:Corporate speak 企業用語
Finn: Hi Li. I didn't see you in the canteen today. I brought you a sandwich.
芬恩：嗨，莉。我今天在食堂沒看到你。我給你帶了個三明治。Li: That's very kind of you, Finn. I had to go and buy these...
莉：你真是太好了，芬恩。我必須要去買這些東西……Finn: An envelope and a nice picture of a sunny beach?
芬恩：一個信封還有一張陽光明媚的海灘的照片？
Li: It's the sky, Finn. My boss told me that we need blue-sky thinking and we need to push the envelope if we want to succeed in the current market.
莉：芬恩，那是天空。我老闆告訴我，我們需要藍色天空的想象力，所以如果想在現有的市場取得成功我們就要推進信封。Finn: Oh, right. And what are you going to do with this envelope, and this picture, Li?
芬恩：哦，好的。可是莉，你要這個信封和這張照片做什麼？Li: Well, the beach has a blue-sky... so maybe I need to push it into the envelope... and send it to... the clients? I'm not sure.
莉：嗯，海灘就是藍色的天空……所以可能我需要把這個放進信封裏……然後把它寄給客戶吧？我也不太確定。Finn: Li, I think what he wants has nothing to do with the sky or envelopes. These are two expressions people use in business nowadays. It's corporate language - or as we say, corporate speak.
芬恩：莉，我想你老闆的意思和天空或是信封都無關。這是現代人在工作中使用的兩個表達方式。這是企業語言，或者我們可以說是企業用語。Li: What do they mean?
莉：那這兩個詞是什麼意思？Finn: Well, in English, 'blue-sky thinking' means having ideas which are very original, even if they're not practical or realistic. Your boss wants you to be creative.
芬恩：嗯，在英語中，blue-sky thinking就是非常新穎的想法，這些想法可能不實用也不實際。你的老闆希望你要有創造力。Li: And what do I do with this envelope?
莉：那我要用這個信封做什麼？Finn: Well, the expression 'to push the envelope' means to go even further than others and do things that might be new or risky or even dangerous! That's: push the envelope.
芬恩：嗯，to push the envelope這個表達的意思是比其他人走得更遠，做一些可能是創新或是冒險或是甚至有些危險的事情！這就是：突破原有底線。Li: But why didn't he just say: be creative?
莉：可是他爲什麼不直接說“有創造力”？Finn: Well, the world of business has its own special terms. Let's hear some examples of how to use these two expressions in today's The English We Speak.
芬恩：嗯，企業界有它自己的專業術語。這就是今天的地道英語要學的兩個表達方式，我們來聽一些例句，看看它們如何使用。It's all about blue-sky thinking right now; mobile phones are no longer just for calls!
這就是天馬行空的想象力；手機不再只用來打電話了！We're not just a normal airline. We're going to push the envelope and offer balloon flights.
我們不僅僅是普通的航空公司。我們要突破原有的底線，我們要提供熱氣球活動。Li: Oh, so all my boss wants is for me to have ideas which are new and brave. What about your boss, Finn?
莉：哦，所以我老闆是希望我要有新穎而大膽的主意。芬恩，那你的老闆呢？Finn: Well, my line manager told me this morning: "I expect you to think out of the box. If you don't step up to the plate by end of play you'll have to face the music."
芬恩：嗯，我的直接主管今天上午告訴我：“我希望你打破思維定式。如果你在最後都不採取行動，那你必須要承擔後果。”Li: What on earth does he mean, Finn?!
莉：芬恩，他到底什麼意思？！Finn: I really have no idea. I think we'd need another four programmes to explain those examples of corporate speak. Another time. I'm tired just thinking about it. Bye.
芬恩：我也不知道。我想我們要再用四期節目來解釋這些企業用語的含義。下次再解釋。一思考我就很覺得很累。再見。Li: Bye.
莉：再見。
重點講解：
1. blue-sky
adj.新穎而未可行的；不能付諸實行的；
eg. He is one of those who are full of blue-sky ideas.
他是那種腦子裏裝滿不切實際念頭的人。
eg. Marketing is more than blue-sky ideas.
市場營銷不只是不切實際的無價值思想。
2. push the envelope
挑戰限制尺度；突破原有底線；
eg. There's a valuable place for fashion and design that pushes the envelope a bit.
在原有尺度上有所突破的時尚和設計受到人們的重視。
eg. No cinema director had a more profound effect in pushing the envelope of acceptable family entertainment.
在挑戰家庭娛樂片的接受程度方面，沒有哪個電影導演比他的影響更深遠。
3. out of the box
打破思維定式；
eg. Let's brainstorm some ideas here . Consentrate on some new and different solutions. We need to think out of the box.
大家來出出主意吧。有沒有什麼新的，與以往不同的解決方案。我們要敢想，要有創意。
eg. Think out of the box, you might discover something new.
突破你的思維定式，你或許會發現一些新的東西。
4. step up to the plate
開始行動；採取措施；
eg. Either way, you must step up to the plate quickly and determine your possible solutions so you can make the most sensible choice.
無論哪一種情況，你必須馬上採取措施，決定可能的解決方案。
eg. Every time you keep quiet and refuse to step up to the plate, you have one less chance to prove yourself.
每當你保持低調，不肯出面採取行動的時候，你就少了一次證明自己的機會。
5. face the music
承擔自己行爲的後果；接受批評（或懲罰）；
eg. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to face the music.
遲早我得自己承擔後果。
eg. He was caught red-handed and had to face the music.
他被當場逮到，因此必須接受懲罰。
