幽默和魅力组合将使你成功

Humour and charm are a surprisingly powerful combination as a means of ascent in life.
作为人生发迹的手段之一，幽默和魅力是一对效力惊人的组合。

I have met a number of entrepreneurs who have built fortunes on the back of their wit and general popularity – and not much else. They disarm us with self-deprecation, we enjoy their company – so why wouldn't we want to do business with them? Of course, it all has to be done well; sycophancy and flat jokes do not weave the same spell.
我遇见过许多凭借风趣机智和好人缘白手起家的企业家。他们谦和自敛，让我们生不起气来；我们与他们相处愉快——所以我们为什么不与他们做生意呢？当然，这里面必须讲求技巧。一味溜须拍马，开一些干巴巴的玩笑，不会产生同样的魔力。

The British feel that some light relief amid the drudgery is essential for existence to be tolerable. It seems to be a cornerstone of our psychology and culture. In London, to say someone has no sense of humour is to condemn them utterly. Many important meetings I attend start with a little friendly banter to break the ice, a ritual to remind us that we are all human – rather than simply robots of commerce.
英国人认为，人生在世，就得苦中作乐。这似乎是我们心理学和文化的一条基本原则。在伦敦，说一个人缺乏幽默感，等于是说他一无是处。我出席的许多重要会议，都以一些善意的玩笑开场，以此打破沉默。这种惯例提醒我们，我们都是凡人，而不完全是商业机器。

I am sure foreigners must think our levity is baffling. My defence is that Brits subscribe to Horace's view: “A jest often decides matters of importance more effectively and happily than seriousness.”
外国人肯定认为我们的轻浮举止不可理喻。要让我说，我们英国人是赞同贺瑞斯(Horace)的观点：“遇到大事，比起一本正经的态度，开开玩笑能够更有效、也更开心地解决问题。”

Some years ago, a partner of mine practised what I called “management by laughter”. He motivated and inspired by making the atmosphere at work fun, rather than the bullying and intimidation common in many workplaces.
几年前，我的一位合伙人实行我所说的“欢笑管理”。他鼓舞和激励士气的方法，是营造充满乐趣的工作氛围，不同于许多工作场所常见的威逼和胁迫的氛围。

But the 21st-century office can be a minefield for the amateur who enjoys a giggle. I was recently warned about a trap being sprung by a professional gang from eastern Europe. They plant an attractive female staff member in an organisation. At roughly the same time, a male co-conspirator also gets a job; the connection between them is unknown to the employer. After a little while, he sends a series of highly suggestive internet jokes to the pretty female. She complains of harassment and threatens to bring an embarrassing employment tribunal involving sexual discrimination – and, once she reveals that she has hired expert legal advisers and PR agents, the victim business settles quickly.
然而，对于不擅逗笑取乐的人来说，21世纪的职场可能会是个雷区。我最近听到警告，说一个来自东欧的专业犯罪团伙会设下这样的圈套：在一家机构安插一名漂亮迷人的女员工，再让一名男同伙也混进去。两人前后脚进入这家公司，他们的关系不为人所知。不久后，他就向那位美女发送了一堆黄色网络笑话。于是她投诉遭到骚扰，并威胁要以性别歧视为由，告到让人头大的就业法庭(employment tribunal)。而一旦她透露出已聘请了专业法律顾问和公关代理，受害企业就会赶紧花钱了事。

In these litigious, politically correct times, the perils of making cheap gags can be considerable. Recently, I attended a dinner at a trade conference. The speaker was a well-known executive who told a number of jokes in poor taste, some at the expense of influential figures in the room. Just as a vulgar best man's speech at a wedding can strike the wrong note, so I sensed as we chatted after the speech that the jibes would not be swiftly forgotten.
在这种动辄法庭上见、政治上正确的时代，讲低级笑话可能会相当危险。我最近出席了一个贸易会议举办的晚宴，席间一位颇有名气的高管发表了演讲。他讲了许多低级趣味的笑话，有些还是取笑在座的显要人物。演讲后我们在闲聊时，我感觉到，他的那些话不会被很快忘记，这与婚礼上伴郎讲话粗俗不合时宜一样。