资源描述:
《bribery and business ethics英译汉》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在行业资料-天天文库。
1、BriberyandBusinessEthicsStudentstakingbusinesscoursesaresometimesalittlesurprisedtofindthatclassesonbusinessethicshavebeenincludedintheirschedule.Theyoftendonotrealizethatbriberyinvariousformsisontheincreaseinmanycountriesand,insome,hasbeenawayoflifeforcenturies.Su
2、pposethatduringanegotiationwithsomegovernmentofficials,theMinisterofTrademakesitcleartoyouthatifyouofferhimasubstantialbribe,youwillfinditmucheasiertogetanimportlicenseforyourgoods,andyouarealsolikelytoavoid“proceduraldelays”,asheputsit.Now,thequestionis:doyoupayup
3、orstandbyyourprinciples?Itiseasytotalkabouthavinghighmoralstandardsbut,inpractice,whatwouldonereallydoinsuchasituation?SometimeagoaBritishcarmanufacturerwasaccusedofoperatingafundtopaybribes,andofotherquestionablepracticessuchaspayingagentsandpurchasersanexaggerate
4、dcommission,offeringadditionaldiscounts,andmakingpaymentstonumberedbankaccountsinSwitzerland.Thecompanyrejectedthesechargesandtheywerelaterwithdrawn.Nevertheless,atthattime,therewerepeopleinthemotorindustryinBritainwhowerepreparedtosayinprivate:“Look,we’reinaveryco
5、mpetitivebusiness.Everyyearwe’resellingmorethana£1,000millionworthofcarsabroad.Ifwespendafewmillionpoundstokeepsomeofthebuyershappy,who’shurt?Ifwedidn’tdoit,someoneelsewould.”Itisdifficulttoresisttheimpressionthatbriberyandotherquestionablepaymentsareontheincrease.
6、Indeed,theyseemtohavebecomeafactofcommerciallife.Totakejustoneexample,theChryslerCorporation,thirdlargestoftheU.S.carmanufacturers,revealedthatitmadequestionablepaymentsofmorethan$2.5millionbetween1971and1976.Byannouncingthis,itjoinedmorethan300otherU.S.companiesth
7、athadadmittedtotheU.S.SecuritiesandExchangeCommissionthattheyhadmadepaymentsofonekindoranother—bribes,extradiscounts,etc.—inrecentyears.Fordiscussionpurposes,wecandividethesepaymentsintothreebroadcategories.Thefirstcategoryconsistsofsubstantialpaymentsmadeforpoliti
8、calpurposesortosecuremajorcontracts.Forexample,oneU.S.CorporationofferedalargesumofmoneyinsupportofaU.S.presidentialcandidateatatimewhenthecompan