新視野大學(xué)英語第四冊-unit3A-Fred-Smith-and-FedEx-The-vision-that-changed-the-world

FredSmithandFedEx:Thevisionthatchangedtheworld弗雷德·史密斯與聯(lián)邦快遞：一個改變了世界的創(chuàng)想Everynightseveralhundredplanesbearingapurple,white,andorangedesigntouchdownatMemphisAirport,inTennessee.WhatprecedesthislandingarepackagepickupsfromlocationsallovertheUnitedStatesearlierintheday.Crewsunloadtheplanes'cargoofmorethanhalfamillionparcelsandletters.Therectangularpackagesandenvelopesarerapidlyreshuffledandsortedaccordingtoaddress,thenloadedontootheraircraft,andflowntotheirdestinationstobedispersedbyhand-manywithin24hoursofleavingtheirsenders.ThisistheculminationofadreamofFrederickW.Smith,thefounder,president,chiefexecutiveofficer,andchairmanoftheboardoftheFedExCorp.-knownoriginallyasFederalExpress-thelargestandmostsuccessfulovernightdeliveryserviceintheworld.Conceivedwhenhewasincollegeandnowinits28thyearofoperation,Smith'sexquisitebrainchildhasbecomethestandardfordoor-to-doorpackagedelivery.每天夜晚，在田納西州的孟菲斯機(jī)場，都有幾百架帶著白、紫、桔色圖案的飛機(jī)降落。而在每天此前的早些時候，這些飛機(jī)都在美國各地收集包裹。工作人員從飛機(jī)上卸下的包裹及信件數(shù)量超過五十萬之巨。長方形的包裹和信封又在這里依據(jù)收件地址被迅速整理分揀，然后裝載上其他飛機(jī)，飛往各自的目的地，在那兒再由人工投遞——到這時很多郵件離開寄件人之手還不到24小時。這是弗雷德里克·W·史密斯的終極夢想，他就是聯(lián)邦快遞集團(tuán)（最初為聯(lián)邦快遞）這一全球最大、最成功的隔夜送達(dá)服務(wù)企業(yè)的創(chuàng)始人、總裁、首席執(zhí)行官及董事會主席。如今，史密斯這一源于大學(xué)時代的妙想已在現(xiàn)實中經(jīng)營到了第28個年頭，并已成為包裹快遞入戶行業(yè)的標(biāo)桿。Recognizedasanoutstandingentrepreneurwithanagreeableandwinningpersonality,Smithisheldinhighregardbyhiscompetitorsaswellashisemployeesandstockholders.FredSmithwasjust27whenhefoundedFedEx.Now,somanyyearslater,he'sstillthe"captainoftheship".Heattributesthesuccessthecompanysimplytoleadership,somethinghededucedfromhisyearsinthemilitary,andfromhisfamily.史密斯被公認(rèn)為是一位和藹可親、性格迷人的杰出企業(yè)家。無論是他的競爭者、員工，還是他公司股票的持有人，都對他十分敬重。弗雷德·史密斯創(chuàng)建“聯(lián)邦快遞”時只有27歲?，F(xiàn)在多年過去了，他仍然坐在“掌門人”的位置上。他將公司的成功簡單地歸因于領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力，而這一推論則來自于他的軍旅生涯及其家庭的影響。FrederickWallaceSmithwasbornintoawealthyfamilyclanonAugust11,1944inMississippi.Hisfatherdiedwhenhewasjustfouryearsold.Asajuvenile,Smithwasaninvalid,sufferingfromadiseasethatlefthimunabletowalknormally.Hewaspickedonbybullies,andhelearnedtodefendhimselfbyswingingatthemwithhisalloywalkingstick.Curedofthediseasebytheageof10,hebecameastarathleteinhighschool,playingfootball,basketball,andbaseball.弗雷德里克·華萊士·史密斯1944年8月11日出生于密西西比州一個富裕的家族。他四歲時父親就離世了。史密斯年少時被視為病殘者，因為他得了一種病，使他無法正常行走。為此他常遭受壞孩子的侮辱捉弄，他學(xué)會了揮舞合金拐杖來保護(hù)自己。十歲時他的病治好了，到了高中他則成了學(xué)校里的體育明星，足球、籃球、棒球樣樣能行。Smith'spassionwasflying.At15,hewasoperatingacrop-dusterovertheskylineoftheMississippiDelta,aterrainsoflatthattherewaslittleneedforradarnavigation.AsastudentatYaleUniversity,hehelpedrevivetheYaleflyingclub;itsalumnihadpopulatednavalaviationhistory,includingthefamous"Millionaires'Unit"inWorldWarI.Smithadministratedtheclub'sbusinessendandranasmallcharteroperationinNewHaven.史密斯對飛行充滿了激情。15歲時，他就曾駕駛一架作物噴粉飛機(jī)在密西西比三角洲的天際翱翔，三角洲的地形平坦開闊，甚至都不需要雷達(dá)導(dǎo)航。在耶魯大學(xué)上學(xué)時，他參與重建了耶魯飛行倶樂部，在美國海軍航空史的每個時期都有這一俱樂部出來的校友的身影，包括一戰(zhàn)時期著名司沒有錢、辦公室沒有沙發(fā)和打字機(jī)的情況下，他們?nèi)匀婚_辟先例，保證員工享受很好的醫(yī)療和牙齒保健福利。Alongtheway,FedExpioneeredcentralizationandthe"hubandspoke"system,whichhassincebeenadoptedbyalmostallmajorairlines.ThephraseFedExithasbecomeafixtureinourlanguageasmuchasXeroxorGoogle.一路走來，聯(lián)邦快遞率先踐行了集中調(diào)控和“軸輻式”空中交通系統(tǒng)。自它以后，該系統(tǒng)被幾乎所有大航空公司所采納。而“聯(lián)邦快遞一下”也成為了像“復(fù)印一下”或“谷歌一下”這樣的固定說法，成為了我們的詞匯。Smithsayssuccessinbusinessboilsdowntothreethings.First,youneedtohaveappealingproductorserviceandacompellingstrategy.Thenyouneedtohaveanefficientmanagementsystem.Assumingyouhavethosethings,leadingateamisthesinglemostimportantissueinrunninganorganizationtoday.史密斯說生意上的成功歸根結(jié)底就是三點：首先你需要一項吸引人的產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)以及一套制勝的戰(zhàn)略；其次你需要一套高效的管理系統(tǒng)；在擁有這些之后，如何領(lǐng)導(dǎo)好一個團(tuán)隊就是當(dāng)今經(jīng)營一家公司最為重要的事了。AlthoughSmithavoidsthemediaandthetrappingsofpubliclife,heissaidtobeafriendlyandaccessibleemployer.Hevalueshispeopleandnevertakesthemforgranted.HereportedlyvisitsFedEx'sMemphissiteatnightfromtimetotimeandaddressessortersbyname.Foryearsheextendedanoffertoanycourierwith10yearsofservicetocometoMemphisforan"anniversarybreakfast".ThatembodiesFredSmith'sphilosophy:People,Service,Profit(P-S-P).Smithsays,"TheP-S-Pphilosophyislikeanunbrokencircleorchain.Therearenoclearlydefinablepointsofentryorexit.Eachlinkupholdstheothersandis,inturn,supportedbythem."Inarticulatingthisphilosophyandinpersonallyinvolvinghimselfinitsimplementation,FrederickSmithistheforerunnerofthenewsphereofleadershipthatsuccessinthefuturewilldemand.盡管史密斯回避媒體采訪和公眾生活的榮耀，但他卻被稱為是一位友善而平易近人的雇主。他重視自己的雇員，從不認(rèn)為他們理所應(yīng)當(dāng)該為自己工作。