BBC随身英语:Monkey Business 商场上动物行为的借鉴

Watching the monkeys grooming one another, Mr van Veen emphasises the importance of this kind of supportive behaviour at work. "We spend a lot of time in chit-chat, drinking coffee with each other," he told BBC reporter Katie Prescott. "That's grooming behaviour, like primates do."

The consultant says managers might neglect to do this sometimes, but it is a vital part of keeping a happy environment in the workplace.

Exploring the similarities in behaviour between man and monkeys might be a new idea for a business, but the theory behind it is well known.

Sonya Hill, a research officer at Chester Zoo, points out that there's only a 1.4% difference in genetic material between humans and chimpanzees.

The course, held in several countries across Europe, has also given Mr van Veen the opportunity to do some observation of his own about the way different cultures react in the corporate world. He says that Germans are very hierarchical, but open-minded about changes in management style. The Dutch, according to the consultant, tend not to like change.

A visit to the zoo can prove inspiring and help people to understand the politics at play in theworkplace. So, next time you want to see who is really King Kong in your office, pay close attention to who is grooming who.

Quiz 测验 1. What are Patrick van Veen's two careers?

He is a business consultant and a biologist.

2. Why do women nod when Mr van Veen describes behaviour in the office?

Because they think men in their office behave like dominant male monkeys.

3. What else do humans and monkeys have in common, apart from behaviour?

Genetic material.

4. Is the following statement true, false or not given? In Germany each office worker tends to make his own decisions.

False. According to Mr van Veen, Germans are very hierarchical.

5. What action is described in the article as one of praise and grooming?

To slap each other's backs.

Glossary 词汇表 a work colleague同事 a business consultant商业顾问 a CV (curriculum vitae)简历 alive and well盛行的 the workplace工作场所 to nod点头 dominant主导 to slap each other's backs拍对方的后背 to stamp their feet跺脚 to draw themselves up tall把身体挺得笔直，摆出威风凛凛的样子 to groom培训 chit-chat聊天 to neglect忽视 genetic material遗传基因 a chimpanzee黑猩猩 corporate企业 hierarchical等级制度的 open-minded思想开放的，愿接受新事物的 management style管理风格