喬治·洛裏默/George Lorimer
While we're on this subject of favors I want to impress on you the importance of deciding promptly. Decision is a sharp knife that cuts clear and straight and lays bare the fat and the lean；indecision, a dull one that hacks and tears and leaves ragged edges behind it. Say yes or no—seldom perhaps.
When a fellow asks for a job in your department there may be reasons why you hate to give him a clear-cut refusal, but tell him frankly that you see no possibility of placing him, and while he may not like the taste of the medicine, he swallows it and it's down and forgotten. But you say to him that you're very sorry your department is full just now, but that you think a place will come along later and that he shall have the frst call on it, and he goes away with his teeth in a job. You've simply postponed your trouble for a few weeks or months. And trouble postponed always has to be met with accruedinterest.
Of course, I don't mean that you want to go rampaging along, trampling on people's feelings and goring every one who sticks up a head in your path. But there's no use shilly-shallying and doddering with people who ask questions and favors they have no right to ask. Don't hurt any one if you can help it, but if you must, a clean, quick wound heals soonest.
When you can, it's better to refuse a request by letter. In a letter you need say only what you choose；in a talk you may have to say more than you want to say.
With the best system in the world you'll find it impossible, however, to keep a good many people who have no real business with you from seeing you and wasting your time. Of course, the man whose errand could be attended to by the offce-boy is always the one who calls loudest for the boss, but with a little tact you can weed out most of these fellows, and it's better to see ten bores than to miss one buyer.
You've got to open a good many oysters to fnd a pearl.
現在，讓我們來談一談做事要當機立斷的重要性。當機立斷如同一把鋒利的刀，它可以幫你斬斷亂麻，讓你看清事物的本質；而優柔寡斷則如同一把未開刃的鈍刀，一刀下去，不僅不會斬斷亂麻，反而會留下更多麻煩。做事情要麽說“是”，要麽說“不”，千萬不要優柔寡斷。
如果有人希望從你的公司裏謀得一個職位，而你出於某些考慮不能直截了當地拒絕。那麽你可以坦白地對他說，公司裏恐怕沒有適合他的職位——他當然不想咽下這口苦水，但也隻能主動放棄，並漸漸忘記這件事情。相反，如果你對此優柔寡斷，連連抱歉，並告訴他公司現在已經飽和，卻又向其承諾如果以後有機會，一定會首先給他打電話，那麽他就會始終懷揣希望。你僅僅是將麻煩拖後了數周或數月，但麻煩會像待付的利息，終究會找上門。
當然，我的意思不是讓你成為一個獨斷專行的領導者，完全無視手下人的感受，讓所有人在你所指引的道路上舉步維艱。對那些原本沒有任何能力，卻希望從你這裏得到幫助的人，你無須優柔寡斷。你要竭盡所能地幫助任何人，然而在無可奈何時，當機立斷留下的傷口愈合得最快。
隻要條件允許，你最好能夠以書信的形式拒絕他人。信中隻是說出你的選擇即可，口述的麻煩可能會遠遠超出你的想象。
即便擁有最完善的管理係統，也不能防止那些與你無關的人找上你而浪費你的時間。毫無疑問，辦公室裏的勤雜工通常是最喜歡向老板提出各種無理要求的人。不過，略施小計便可以擺脫他們。更重要的是，每天看著十個這樣的庸才離去，總比失去一個客戶要好得多。
你必定要從許多個牡蠣中才能找到一顆珍珠。
心靈小語
著手前要深思熟慮，執行要果斷有力。
W詞匯筆記
ragged['r?ɡid]adj.粗糙的；鋸齒狀的；不規則的
例 She repaired the ragged doll.
她修補了破的洋娃娃。
accrued[?'krud]adj.應計的；增值的；權責已發生的
例 Accrued interest is added to the contract price of a bond transaction.
應計利息要加到債券交易合同價格中。
rampage[r?m'peid?]v.亂鬧；狂暴；發怒
例 Does he rampage around like this once a week or so?
他這樣橫衝直撞，是不是一星期左右來一次？
errand['er?nd]n.差事；差使；使命
例 Would you mind running an errand for me?
你介意替我跑跑腿嗎？
S小試身手
你要竭盡所能地幫助任何人，然而在無可奈何時，當機立斷留下的傷口愈合得最快。
譯________________________________________
隻要條件允許，你最好能夠以書信的形式拒絕他人。
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你必定要從許多個牡蠣中才能找到一顆珍珠。
譯________________________________________
P短語家族
Trampling on people's feelings and goring every one who sticks up a head in your path.
stick up：豎起；伸直；突出
造________________________________________
The man whose errand could be attended to by the office-boy is always the one who calls loudest for the boss.
attend to：注意；照料；致力於
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