A little more than a century ago, Michael Faraday, the noted British physicist, managed to gain audience with a group of high government officials, to demonstrate an electro-chemical principle, in the hope of gaining support for his work.
After observing the demonstrations closely, one of the officials remarked bluntly, "It's a fascinating demonstration, young man, but just what practical application will come of this" "I don't know," replied Faraday, "but I do know that 100 years from now you'll be taxing them."
From the demonstration of a principle to the marketing of products derived from that principle is often a long, involved series of steps. The speed and effectiveness with which these steps are taken are closely related to the history of management, the art of getting things done. Just as management applies to the wonders that have evolved from Faraday and other inventors, so it applied some 4,000 years ago to the working of the great Egyptian and Mesopotamian import and export firms...to Hannibal's remarkable feat of crossing the Alps in 218 B.C. with 90,000 foot soldiers, 12,000 horsemen and a "conveyor belt" of 40 elephants...or to the early Christian Church, with its world-shaking concepts of individual freedom and equality.
These ancient innovators were deeply involved in the problems of authority, divisions of labor, discipline, unity of command, clarity of direction and the other basic factors that are so meaningful to management today. But the real impetus to management as an emerging profession was the Industrial Revolution, Originating in 18-century England, it was triggered by a series of classic inventions and new processes; among them John Kay's flying Shuttle in 1733, James Hargrove's Spinning Jenny in 1770, Samuel Compton's Mule Spinner in 1779 and Edmund Cartwright's Power Loom in 1785.
- The anecdote about Michael Faraday indicates that _________
- politicians tax everything B. people are skeptical about the values of pure research
- government should support scientists D. he was rejected by his government
- Management is defined as _________
- the creator of the Industrial Revolution B. supervising subordinates
- the art of getting things done D. an emerging profession
- Management came into its own________
- in the Egyptian and Mesopotamian import and export firms
- in Hannibal's famous trip across the Alps
- in the development of early Christian Church D. in the eighteenth century
- A problem of management NOT mentioned in this passage is __________
- the problem of command B. division of labor
- control by authority D. competition
核心词汇注释
blunt adj．钝的，生硬的
fascinating adj．迷人的，醉人的，着魔的
evolve v．(使)发展，(使)进展，(使)进化
feat n．技艺，功绩，武艺，壮举，技艺表演 adj．漂亮的，合适的
Alps n．阿尔卑斯山
convey vt．搬运，传达，转让
innovator n．改革者，革新者
impetus n．推动力，促进
originate vt．引起，发明，发起，创办 vi．起源，发生
trigger vt．引发，引起，触发 n．扳机
长难句剖析
A little more than a century ago，Michael Faraday，the noted British physicist，managed to gain audience with a group of high government officials，to demonstrate an electro-chemical principle，in the hope of gaining support for his work．
[结构分析]本句主干是Michael Faraday…managed to gain audience with。A little more than a century ago是时间状语，the noted British physicist是主语的同位语，不定式to demonstrate短语做目的状语，而最后的介词词组in the hope of．．．是句子的伴随状语。
[参考译文]100多年前，英国著名的物理学家Michael Faraday邀请到一些政府高级官员，为他们演示一种电化原理，以期获得工作上的支持。
The speed and effectiveness with which these steps are taken are closely related to the history of management，the art of getting things done．
[结构分析]本句主干是The speed and effectiveness…are closely related to the history of management。主语后面紧接着是一个介词with前置的定语从句，the ant of．．．做the history of management的同位语。
[参考译文]每一步发展的效果与速度都与管理的历史密切相关，管理就是将事情办好的艺术。
So it applied some 4,000 years ago to the working of the great Egyptian and Mesopotamian import and export firms…to Hannibal's remarkable feat of crossing the Alps in 218 B．C．with 90,000 foot soldiers，12,000 horsemen and a“conveyor belt”of 40 elephants．．．or to the early Christian Church，with its world-shaking concepts of individual freedom and equality.
[结构分析]本句主干是it applied．．．to the working…to Hannibal's remarkable feat．．．or to the early Christian Church。Some4,000 years ago是时间状语。和apply搭配的介词to后面分别有三个并列的宾语，第一个是动名词结构the working of．．．firms，第二个是一个名词词组…feat后面由of加动名词修饰，最后是一个名词词组the…church，后面的with…做它的后置定语。
[参考译文]它同样适用于大约4000年前由伟大的埃及和美索不达米亚人民所开办的进出口公司里的工作方式……也适用于汉尼拔在公元前218年带领9000名步兵，12000个骑兵和一条由40头大象组成的“传送带”翻越阿尔卑斯山脉的壮举……或是适用于早期传播举世皆惊的个人自由平等理念的基督教。
全文参考译文
100多年以前，英国著名的物理学家Michael Faraday邀请了一些政府高级官员，为他们演示一种电化原理，以期获得工作上的支持。
仔细观察完演示之后，一位官员很生硬地说道“年轻人，这是一场精彩的演示，可这能带来什么实际应用啊”
Faraday回答说：“我不知道，不过我知道100年后你们将向它征税。”
从原理演示到以此原理为基础的产品在市场上销售常常是一个长期而复杂的发展过程。每一步发展的效果与速度都与管理的历史密切相关，管理就是将事情办好的艺术。就像管理适用于从Faraday和其他发明家发展而来的奇迹一样，它同样适用于大约4000年前由伟大的埃及和美索不达米亚人民所开办的进出口公司里的工作方式……也适用于汉尼拔在公元前218年带领9000名步兵，12000个骑兵和一条由40头大象组成的“传送带”翻越阿尔卑斯山脉的壮举……或是适用于早期传播举世皆惊的个人自由平等理念的基督教。
权威问题、劳动力分配问题、纪律问题、命令统一问题、明确方向问题和其他的一些对现代管理仍很有意义的基本因素同样困扰着这些古代的革新者，但是真正推动管理成为一种新兴职业的是工业革命。追溯到18世纪的英国，一系列杰出的发明和新工序触发管理的兴起，1733年John Kay的飞梭、1770年James Hargrove's的珍妮纺织机、1779年Compton的骡梭和1785年Cartwright's动力织布机均包括在其中。
题目答案与解析
1． 有关Michael Faraday的故事说明了________。 [答案]B
A．政客们对所有的东西都征税 B．人们对纯粹学术研究的价值持怀疑态度
C．政府应该支持科学家 D．他被政府抵制
[解析]本题可参照第二段。第二段中一官员问实验虽然精彩，但有什么用从这句话不难看出人们对于科学新发现都是持怀疑态度的。因此B项为正确答案。
2． 管理被定义为________。[答案]C
A．工业革命的缔造者 B．管理下属
C．将事情办好的艺术 D．一种新兴职业
[解析]本题的依据是文章第四段的第二句话…are closely related to the history of management，the art of getting things done，从中可知C项为正确答案。
3． 管理成为一种独立职业是_______。 [答案]D
A．在埃及和美索不达米亚进出口公司里 B．在汉尼拔翻越阿尔卑斯山脉时
C．在早期基督教的发展时期 D．在18世纪
[解析]本题的依据是文章最后一段的But the real impetus to management as an emerging profession was the Industrial Revolution，从中可知D项是正确答案。
4． 本文中未提到的管理问题是________。 [答案]D
A．命令的问题 B．劳动力的分工 C．权威控制 D．竞争
[解析]本题的依据是文章最后一段的the problems of authority divisions of labor, discipline，unity of command，clarity of direction，从中可知，提到了管理学上的政令、分工、 权威等因素，但没提到竞争。因此D项为正确答案。