海盗的福利待遇比你的工作还要好：英语精读讲义

So, how does this work exactly?

那么，这到底是怎么运作的呢？

If you'd like to be a pirate,

如果你想当海盗，

you need understand it is a business.

你需要明白这是一门生意。

You can't have a crew or a ship

你不可能拥有一群船员或一艘船，

or a brand without a business model to support them. 用詞

或者一个没有商业模式支持的品牌。

But pirate business is like any other.

但海盗这门生意和其他生意一样。

Make a product or provide a service to your customers in exchange for money, 短語搭配

为你的客户制造产品或提供服务以换取金钱，

then spend that money on equipment and personnel

然后把这些钱花在设备和人员上，

to make more product for more customers for more money.

为更多的客户制造更多的产品，赚取更多的金钱。

The difference with piracy incorporated is our customers don't wish to be serviced.

“海盗股份有限公司”的区别在于，我们的客户并不希望被“服务”。

No matter,

没关系，

with the correct spending on equipment and personnel,

只要在设备和人员上投入得当，

the business will service them regardless.

不管怎样，这门生意都会为他们提供“服务”。

Do you have to?

非得这样吗？

My boy,

孩子，

if we don't service our customers,

如果我们不为我们的客户“服务”，

someone else will.

别人也会这么做。

And the reward for our abstemiousness will be poverty.

而我们清心寡欲的下场，只会是贫穷。

In our societal and technological environment

在我们所处的社会和技术环境中，

an economic niche exists, 用詞

存在着一个经济生态位，

and this incorporation of pirates fills its shape

而这种海盗的组织形式正好填补了这个空缺，

as whiskey fills a barrel. 習語

就像威士忌装满酒桶一样。

Such is life,

生活就是这样，

the motions we choose but the sum of forces upon us.

我们所选择的行动，不过是作用于我们身上的各种力量的总和。

I became a pirate as the gold in this grail chose its form.

我成为海盗，就像这个圣杯中的金子选择了它的形状一样。

The both of us now cogs of this machine that profits on the high seas or perishes. 習語

现在的我们俩，都是这台机器上在公海上要么盈利要么毁灭的齿轮。

Okay,

好吧，

profit is income minus expenses, 用詞

利润就是收入减去支出，

and for a pirate company income means seizing the biggest booty.

而对于海盗公司来说，收入意味着夺取最大的战利品。

Seizing the biggest treasure while provoking the least cost-inducing resistance. 短語搭配

在夺取最大的宝藏的同时，激起最少会增加成本的反抗。

The captain is more than happy to explain how we accomplish that through branding. 短語搭配

船长很乐意解释我们如何通过品牌建设来实现这一点。

Branding built on the foundation of a solid business, mind you. 語氣意圖

请注意，品牌是建立在坚实的业务基础之上的。

Brands are memorable and battles flashy,

品牌让人印象深刻，战斗炫目，

but they don't happen without contracts and spreadsheets.

但没有合同和电子表格，它们就不会发生。

Thus, before we set sail, 短語搭配

因此，在我们起航之前，

there will be a contract for the voyage.

会有一份航行合同。

Though we choose not to live under the empire's law,

虽然我们选择不在帝国的法律下生活，

we still have rules of our own

我们仍然有自己的规矩，

to which all men have input and to which all men must agree before setting sail. 語法

所有人都可以提出意见，并且在起航前所有人必须同意。

The contract sets the voting methods, codes of conduct,

合同规定了投票方法、行为准则、

punishments for violating those codes,

违反这些准则的惩罚、

distribution of pay, workman's compensation, etc.

工资分配、工伤赔偿等。

Each pirate enterprise is a bit different,

每个海盗企业都有点不同，

but in general it works thusly.

但总的来说，它就是这样运作的。

There are two elected offices,

有两个民选职位，

the captain and the quartermaster.

船长和军需官。

The captain is not our boss but serves at the pleasure of the crew. 文化背景

船长不是我们的老板，而是为船员服务。

If they are unhappy with his strategic decisions,

如果他们对他的战略决定不满意，

the crew can replace him at any time by a majority vote. 短語搭配

船员随时可以通过多数票更换他。

There is no term length with one exception.

没有任期限制，只有一个例外。

Battle is no time for democracy. 表達脈絡

战斗时不是讲民主的时候。

Amidst pandemonium,

在一片混乱中，

the decider must be free to decide.

决策者必须能够自由地做出决定。

But this is the only time the captain cannot be removed.

但这是唯一不能撤换船长的时候。

And though our branding may give you the impression the captain is in charge of all things, 短語搭配

虽然我们的品牌可能给你一种船长掌管一切的印象，

the quartermaster keeps the ship running, 語法

但军需官维持着船只的运转，

overseeing the men, their quarters, their rations,

监督船员、他们的住所、他们的口粮、

their agreed-upon privileges, and punishments executed for contract violations.

他们约定的特权，以及对违反合同的惩罚的执行。

Everything needed to keep the ship effective and profitable.

一切维持船只高效和盈利所需的事项。

Quartermaster, Battle master. crew.

军需官，战斗大师，船员。

Now, at the dawn of this new century, 習語

如今，在新世纪的曙光中，

a lot of men are qualified to be crew,

许多人都具备成为船员的资格，

which means the cost of their labor is low.

这意味着他们的劳动力成本很低。

So, you're not going to pay me much?

所以，你不会付给我很多钱？

You misunderstand.

你误会了。

That you are here tells me you are not interested in traditional employment,

你在这里告诉我，你对传统就业不感兴趣，

working 9 to 5 on a ship of the empire for minimum wage, 文化背景

不想在帝国的船上为了最低工资朝九晚五地工作，

staying out of trouble and saving for retirement 短語搭配

不想为了不惹麻烦和为退休存钱，

as banal days pass eroding the dreams and aspirations of your younger self,

随着平庸的日子流逝，慢慢侵蚀你年轻时的梦想和抱负，

leaving you at the end to wonder how it all slipped away. 短語動詞

最后让你疑惑这一切是如何溜走的。

No, your personality matrix,

不，你的性格矩阵，

shaped entirely by your genetics and your environment,

完全由你的基因和环境塑造，

tend you to engage in risk-taking.

使你倾向于冒险。

What's genetics?

什么是基因？

Doesn't matter.

没关系。

Given your situation,

鉴于你的处境，

you find being an outlaw with the possibility of great riches under the threat of the empire's noose, 習語

你发现成为一名亡命之徒，在帝国绞索的威胁下有可能获得巨额财富，

a risk worth considering. 語法

是一个值得考虑的风险。

If the riches are large enough, which they are. 語法

如果财富足够大——事实也确实如此。

As a crewman on a pirate ship,

作为海盗船上的一名船员，

you are not paid in wages but with one share of the profit, 語法

你的报酬不是工资，而是一份利润分成，

same as every crewman.

和每个船员一样。

The captain gets two shares for the strategic decisions he makes,

船长因其战略决策获得两份，

the quartermaster one and one half for his labors,

军需官因其劳动获得一份半，

the surgeon one and one fourth,

外科医生一份又四分之一，

same for the carpenter.

木匠也一样。

Though we do often have difficulty finding surgeons with the right personality matrix, 語法

尽管我们经常很难找到具有合适性格矩阵的外科医生，

so if there is no surgeon,

所以如果没有外科医生，

the carpenter will be surgeon.

木匠将担任外科医生。

Shocking, I know. 語氣意圖

很震惊，我知道。

Such flat and equal compensation is not what you'll find on empire and merchant ships,

这种扁平而平等的报酬是你在帝国和商船上找不到的，

where captains and officers are compensated richly and get special quarters and privileges over the crew.

在那里，船长和军官报酬丰厚，并享有超越船员的特殊住所和特权。

On a pirate ship,

在海盗船上，

we are all equals achieving a common goal.

我们都是为了实现共同目标的平等者。

Wow, what great guys pirates are.

哇，海盗真是太棒了。

Such camaraderie.

多么深厚的战友情谊。

No, this is not because we are better and the empire worse, 語法

不，这不是因为我们更好而帝国更坏，

but again, economic inevitability.

而是再次重申，经济的必然性。

Empire and merchant ships are not owned by the men who sail them,

帝国和商船并不属于航行它们的那些人，

but by monarchs or investors who hire captains and officers to run them.

而是属于君主或投资者，他们雇佣船长和军官来经营它们。

To ensure loyalty to the owners above crew,

为了确保对所有者的忠诚高于对船员的忠诚，

the captain is not only paid much more, 語法

船长不仅报酬高得多，

but has a share in the ship's profits,

而且享有船只利润的分成，

which the men do not,

而船员没有，

and may be granted titles and land upon his successful return.

并且在他成功返航后可能被授予头衔和土地。

Meanwhile, the crew, hired from the mass of men with lives of quiet desperation 文化背景

同时，船员是从那些过着平静却绝望生活的人群中雇佣来的，

and personality matrices constraining them inside the law,

他们的性格矩阵将他们限制在法律之内，

have only the low price of their undifferentiated labor to offer.

只能提供他们无差别的廉价劳动力。

And being inside the law,

而且由于在法律之内，

their captains can threaten them with corporal punishment on board,

他们的船长可以用船上的体罚来威胁他们，

with prison or treason offboard,

或者在岸上以入狱或叛国罪来威胁，

backed by the empire and her resources to track down traitors and deserters. 短語動詞

背后还有帝国及其资源来追捕叛徒和逃兵。

But for us pirates,

但对我们海盗来说，

captain's orders are but the words of one man. 用詞

船长的命令不过是一个人的话。

Outside the law,

在法律之外，

a majority can take control at any time by force.

多数人随时可以用武力取得控制权。

It is only our contract that eases this transition. 語法

只有我们的合同能缓解这种过渡。

And at every port,

在每个港口，

if a man trust not the contract or the crew,

如果一个人不信任合同或船员，

he can just leave.

他随时可以离开。

There is no pirate empire to track him down.

没有海盗帝国来追捕他。

We have a ship and a business only by our cooperation 語法

我们只有通过合作才能拥有一艘船和一门生意，

and only if we can keep it.

并且只有我们能维持它。

But the incentive is great.

但诱惑是巨大的。

We are not here to sell our labor to distant and disinterested owners,

我们不是来这里把我们的劳动力卖给遥远而冷漠的所有者的，

but to taste the fruit of our labors directly, 習語

而是为了直接品尝我们劳动的果实，

to make money,

为了赚钱，

a lot of money for all of us.

为了我们所有人赚很多钱。

The only thing standing in our way, 習語

唯一阻碍我们的，

aside from our customers occasionally,

除了偶尔出现的客户，

is the subtractor of costs.

就是成本这个减法项。

If it grows too large,

如果它增长得太大，

the business will inevitably dissolve

生意将不可避免地解体，

and we won't get paid.

我们也就拿不到钱。

These costs come in mostly two forms, 短語搭配

这些成本主要有两种形式，

ship repairs and people repairs.

船只维修和人员维修。

For the ship,

对于船只来说，

the rules of supply and demand work against us. 文化背景

供求规律对我们不利。

We can't sail into a port of the empire seeking repairs without raising questions. 短語搭配

我们不能驶入帝国的港口寻求维修而不引起怀疑。

So, we must only visit pirate-friendly ports with pirate-friendly dockworkers,

所以，我们只能去海盗友好的港口找海盗友好的码头工人，

mostly far away in the new world,

大多在遥远的新大陆，

which raises repair costs considerably.

这大大提高了维修成本。

For pirates,

对于海盗来说，

each broken mast or cannon hole is more costly than for the empire.

每根折断的桅杆或炮弹孔的成本都比帝国更高。

So, for business reasons,

所以，出于商业原因，

we prefer not to fight. 語法

我们尽量不打仗。

Also, fighting incurs personnel costs, 短語搭配

此外，打仗会产生人员成本，

since we know that some crew will be injured in battle,

因为我们知道一些船员会在战斗中受伤，

permanently,

永久性受伤，

and it's just a roll of the cosmic dice as to who and to what. 講解

这完全就像掷宇宙骰子一样，决定谁会受什么伤。

The contract we decide on lists generous compensation for lost legs, arms, hands, eyes.

我们制定的合同列出了对失去腿、手臂、手、眼睛的慷慨赔偿。

Thus, after the treasure is seized,

因此，在夺取宝藏后，

the injured are compensated,

伤者得到赔偿，

the ship is repaired,

船只得到修理，

supplies replenished,

补给得到补充，

the remainder is profit,

剩下的就是利润，

the glorious glorious profit.

光荣的、光荣的利润。

And your one share,

而你的一份分成，

after one successful voyage with us,

在与我们成功航行一次后，

will be worth years of labor with the empire.

将抵得上在帝国劳动好几年。

So, are you compelled to join?

那么，你有迫切加入的想法吗？

I'd like to hear from the captain. 語氣意圖

我想听听船长怎么说。