跟隨波士頓紅襪隊財務長直擊芬威球場幕後 | Business Insider：英語精讀講義

Hi, I'm Willy Appelman.

嗨，我是 Willy Appelman。

I am in Boston today.

我今天人在波士頓。

I'm heading to Fenway Park.

我正前往芬威球場。

I'm going to be meeting with the CFO of the Red Sox. 講解

我要去見紅襪隊的財務長。

We're going to be talking about the business side of baseball. 文化背景

我們會聊聊棒球的商業運作。

Also, I brought my mitt,

另外，我還帶了棒球手套，

just in case you're looking for players with little to no baseball experience. 片語搭配

以防你們正好在找幾乎沒有、甚至完全沒有棒球經驗的球員。

But first, I got to get my rental car. 文法

不過首先，我得去取租來的車。

Here we go.

出發吧。

This process is super easy.

這個流程超級簡單。

I already booked a mid-size car online with National, 片語搭配

我已經在 National 網站上預訂了一輛中型車，

and since I'm an Emerald Club member,

而且因為我是 Emerald Club 會員，

not to brag, 語氣意圖

不是想炫耀啦，

I get to bypass the counter and head right to the Emerald aisle 講解

我可以不用去櫃檯，直接前往 Emerald Aisle

and choose any car I want.

隨便挑一輛我想要的車。

Let's go with this. 片語動詞

就選這輛吧。

Time for Fenway.

該去芬威球場了。

Okay, I could definitely get used to this. 片語搭配

好吧，我肯定能習慣這種感覺。

Hey Tim.

嗨，Tim。

Hey Willy, how are you?

嗨，Willy，你好嗎？

Welcome to Fenway Park.

歡迎來到芬威球場。

Yeah, I'm doing well.

嗯，我很好。

Oh, thank you so much.

喔，真的太謝謝你了。

This is so exciting.

這真是太令人興奮了。

I just I'm just really um I'm ready,

我只是……我真的，呃，已經準備好了，

you know, I'm ready to be here.

你知道，我已經準備好來這裡了。

Yeah, I see I see you brought your glove.

對，我看到了，你帶了手套。

Yeah, just cuz I thought,

對，因為我想說，

you know, tomorrow's opening day, 文化背景

你知道，明天就是開幕日，

and if you guys need any extra players,

如果你們還需要球員，

I uh I'm ready to try out or audition or whatever it is. 片語動詞

我，呃，已經準備好參加試訓、試鏡，管它叫什麼都行。

Okay, but you know, I don't I don't make those decisions. 語氣意圖

好吧，但你也知道，這些事不是我說了算。

I'm I'm the CFO.

我……我是財務長。

Yeah, but you must have some influence. 文法

是啊，但你肯定還是有些影響力吧。

Not as much as you would think about that. 語氣意圖

在這件事上，沒你想像的那麼大。

Right.

對。

Right.

對。

Cool.

酷。

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

對，對，對。

So, as a CFO,

那麼，身為財務長，

what do you...

你的……

What does your day-to-day look like? 片語搭配

你平常的工作是什麼樣子？

What I love about my job is

我喜歡這份工作的地方在於，

I I have oversight of almost every aspect of the business, you know. 用詞

我幾乎可以掌管業務的方方面面。

So, whether that's what we spend on employees, 表達脈絡

無論是員工方面的支出，

what we spend on players,

球員方面的支出，

what we spend, you know, on travel,

差旅方面的支出，

what we spend on technology,

還是科技方面的支出，

you know, it's a complicated business

你知道，這是一項很複雜的業務，

with hundreds of employees around the world.

在世界各地有數百名員工。

What's your favorite part about the job?

這份工作你最喜歡的部分是什麼？

Well, I would say that my favorite part is 語氣意圖

要我說，我最喜歡的是，

that every day's different, you know.

每天都不一樣。

We're we're constantly looking for ways to serve our fans better. 片語搭配

我們一直在想辦法為球迷提供更好的服務。

We're constantly looking for ways to be innovative.

我們一直在尋找創新的方法。

It's it's exciting and it's never boring.

這很令人興奮，而且永遠不會無聊。

How how do you find,

你們是怎麼找到……

not again, I'm not asking for me,

再說一次，我不是替自己問，

I'm asking for a friend, 語氣意圖

我是替一個朋友問的，

how do you find new players?

你們是怎麼發掘新球員的？

Well, you know,

這個嘛，

we have this vast expansive scouting division,

我們有一個規模龐大的球探部門，

you know, they're scouting across the world.

他們在世界各地物色球員。

You never know where that next great Red Sox player is going to be.

誰也不知道下一位出色的紅襪隊球員會在哪裡出現。

So, we need to cover pretty much the entire globe.

所以，我們幾乎得涵蓋整個地球。

We have amateur scouts that cover all the high schools,

我們有負責發掘業餘球員的球探，他們負責所有高中，

all the colleges,

所有大學，

and they're divided up into regions.

而且會依地區分工。

So, we might have a scout that covers all of Texas. 用詞

比如，我們可能會安排一名球探負責整個德州。

We might have a scout that covers all of California.

也可能安排一名球探負責整個加州。

And they're just road warriors. 慣用語

他們簡直就是公路戰士。

They're on the road constantly.

一直在外奔波。

That travel seems so complex.

這樣的差旅聽起來太複雜了。

How do you manage all that?

你們怎麼管理這一切？

Yeah, well, you know,

是啊，這個嘛，

obviously we're using all modes of transportation,

我們當然會使用各種交通方式，

but a lot of it happens on the ground with cars. 用詞

但很多地面行程都得靠汽車完成。

And I think one of the partnerships that's most effective for us

我覺得，對我們最有成效的合作專案之一

is the business rental program in partnership with Enterprise and National,

就是與 Enterprise 和 National 合作的企業租車方案，

because they have a whole host of services that help us move everybody around in cars. 片語搭配

因為他們提供一整套服務，協助我們安排所有人的用車需求。

What's it like when a when a whole team goes to a city?

整支球隊去一座城市時是什麼情況？

You know, do the players get on a big bus? 片語搭配

球員們會搭一輛大型巴士嗎？

Do the players like jump in a van?

還是會跳上一輛廂型車？

What's that like?

到底是怎樣的？

Yeah, it depends on the city,

這要看是哪座城市，

but in Fort Myers, Florida,

但在佛羅里達州麥爾茲堡，

down in spring training, 文化背景

參加春訓時，

all of the players they get a rental car

所有球員都會拿到一輛租來的車，

because it's sort of, you know,

因為，怎麼說呢，

you you need they need the

他們需要有足夠的

flexibility to be able to move around on their own.

彈性，可以自行移動。

So, one of the more challenging aspects of our business is trying to come up with 片語動詞

所以，我們業務中一個比較棘手的問題，就是要想辦法調度

150 to 200 rental cars

150 到 200 輛租賃汽車，

in Fort Myers for basically a six-week period

在麥爾茲堡供大家使用大約六週，

for all of our players

滿足所有球員

and front office staff that need to be down there. 文化背景

以及需要前往當地的球團行政人員的需求。

How has travel changed since COVID-19? 文法

自 COVID-19 疫情以來，差旅發生了哪些變化？

Well, I think

嗯，我覺得，

when I think about it, you know,

仔細想想，

we were always a company

我們一直都認為，我們公司

that we we feel like are built on relationships,

是建立在人際關係之上的，

you know, whether it's sponsor relationships,

無論是與贊助商的關係，

season ticket relationships, player relationships.

還是與季票客戶、球員的關係。

And so, we always valued in person.

所以，我們一直很重視面對面的交流。

COVID caused us to pause that.

COVID 疫情迫使我們暫停了這種方式。

We had to do, you know, things remotely.

我們不得不改成遠端處理事情。

we we feel like there's so much more value

但我們覺得，真正更有價值的是

in those in those interactions taking place in person.

讓這些互動面對面進行。

With all these changes,

經歷了所有這些變化，

it feels like, you know, Red Sox Nation 文化背景

感覺「紅襪國度」

needs maybe one more player in the fold. 慣用語

或許還需要再添一名球員。

Yeah, no, I think I think we're we're pretty okay there. 語氣意圖

不，我覺得我們在這方面已經完全沒問題了。

But, you know, we did get you a jersey,

不過，我們確實幫你準備了一件球衣，

you know.

你知道。

We did get you a jersey. 文法

我們真的幫你準備了一件球衣。

You can sort of feel like 語氣意圖

這樣你多少能感覺

you're part of the team.

自己也是球隊的一員。

Has your name on the back.

背後還印著你的名字。

Oh my gosh!

我的天啊！

Tim!

Tim！

Number 11.

11 號。

I can get into the dugout with this? 文化背景

我穿著它能進球員休息區嗎？

No.

不行。

I'll get special access on the field?

我能獲得進入球場的特別權限嗎？

Uh uh Probably not, actually.

呃……其實可能不行。

Yeah.

好吧。

Yeah.

好吧。

Cool.

酷。

Cool.

酷。

Cool.

酷。

Can I get into the player after party?

那我能參加球員的賽後派對嗎？

Definitely not.

絕對不行。

But, it looks great on you.

不過，你穿起來很好看。

Thank you so much, Tim.

真的太謝謝你了，Tim。

Thanks, man.

謝啦，兄弟。

What a great day.

今天真是太棒了。

I got the inside 慣用語

我打聽到了紅襪隊的

scoop on the Red Sox,

內幕消息，

and I think I'm part of the team now.

而且我覺得自己現在也是球隊的一員了。

These people want autographs.

這些人想要我的簽名。

Sorry, I'm not signing autographs.

抱歉，我不簽名。

Hey!

嘿！

Man, it's crazy.

天啊，真是太瘋狂了。

The fans are nuts. 用詞

球迷們太狂熱了。

I got to get out

我得趕快離開

of here.

這裡。