他是英国的爵士也是一个擅于推销自己的人。毫无疑问，我们谈到的是里查得•布朗森，斯坦•葛朗特与最近在香港的布朗森。

注释：
1.conglomerate n.联合大企业；多种经营大公司
2.realm n.王国
3.irrepressible adj.抑制不住的
4.gut n. [复]内脏, 勇气, 剧情
5.bizarre adj.奇异的
6.notably adv.显著地, 特别地
7.pave v.安排, 准备
8.thread [Wred] vt.贯穿全部; 为照相机装胶片
9.extent n.范围, 程度
10.strum v.乱弹, 乱奏
11.pedestal n.基架, 底座, 基础
12.Concorde n. 协和式飞机
13.overall adj.全部的, 全面的
14.bloated adj. 浮肿的, 发胀的

ANDREW STEVENS
Well, time now for our challenging CEOs. Today, we’re talking to a man who single-handedly created a global conglomerate as well as an instantly recognizable brand. He’s knight of the realm and an irrepressible self-publicist. Of course, we’re talking about Richard Branson. Stan Grant spoke to Branson when he was in Hong Kong recently. And began by asking him about his business philosophy.

安德鲁•史蒂文斯
接下来是我们的挑战CEO时间。今天，我们将与一位先生进行对话，他独自一人创建了一个全球性的集团企业以及一个知名品牌。他是英国的爵士也是一个擅于推销自己的人。毫无疑问，我们谈到的是里查得•布朗森，斯坦•葛朗特与最近在香港的布朗森。首先，我们请他讲一讲他的经营理念。

RICHARD BRANSON,CHAIRMAN VIRGIN GROUP
An awful lot of what we’ve done is just, you know, through gut feeling rather than, I mean, you know, I flew in other people’s airlines, didnÕt like the experience, decided, you know, we could do it better. Let’s start an airline. And it’s slightly bizarre, going from the music business and the airline business.

And so most, most of what we do is through gut, gut feeling, bad experiences with the way other people are doing it. You know, feeling we could do it better. Very rarely would we get the accountants in to, you know, work out the business plan and analyze all the matters and figures.

里查得•布朗森，维京集团总裁
我们做的这些事情凭的是本能感觉，而不是凭借经验一类的东西。我乘坐别的航空公司的飞机，不喜欢他们的服务，于是自己决定开个航空公司。这条航线有些奇特，涉及音乐业务和航线业务。因此，我们完成的大多数事情根据的是勇气、本能感觉以及别人做事的错误经验。我感觉可以做得更好。我们很少请会计制订商业计划和计算经营数据来做决定。

STAN GRANT
Because looking back through your record, there are many opportunities at the time that have come along. Most notably, the Sex Pistols. In 1977, they are being dropped by several other record companies. They were singing the most records in the music establishment and you come along and say, Here’s an opportunity. I’ll grab it. And it really helped establish their music in the business.

斯坦•葛朗特
我们回顾你的经历，可以看出，你遇到了许多机会。最值得注意的是性手枪乐队，在1977年，他们被另外几家唱片公司抛弃。音乐公司的大多数唱片都是他们的，这时你说：“这是机会，我要抓住它。”这确实帮助他们确立了在商业中的音乐地位。

RICHARD BRANSON
Well, yeah, you’ve got to take risks in life. I mean at the time, you know, the Sex Pistols was, you know, It’s too hot to touch by EMI and Montell record companies. And actually, that’s the time to, you know, sometimes to step in and really put those records on the map. And as a result, with the Sex Pistols you’ve got people like the Rolling Stones, and Janet Jackson, and you know Phil Collins and other people came to us. But if we hadn’t actually taken that risk and hadn’t put the brand on the map at the time, we, it may never have happened.

里查得•布朗森
是的，很好，你已经开始在生存中冒险。我的意思是说，在当时，由于性手枪乐队太扎眼，EMI和蒙特尔唱片公司都不敢与其接触。实际上，这正是介入的好时机。是使维京唱片出名大好机会。因此，除了性手枪乐队以外，像滚石乐队、珍妮特•杰克逊以及菲尔•科林斯等都加盟了我们。但如果我们当时没有冒着风险干下去，没有推出重要的品牌，这样的情况将不会出现。

STAN GRANT
It is extraordinary to think that you are knight of the realm at the time they are trying to arrest you for serving up the tins when the Sex Pistols were singing God Save The Queen.

斯坦•葛朗特
想想看，你当时是王国的爵士，当性手枪乐队歌唱《上帝拯救女王》时，他们试图以提供罐头食品的罪名逮捕你。这真是非常离奇。

RICHARD BRANSON
One of the most extraordinary moments of my life was in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee of last year. She invited me to come and sit in the box. And I was sitting, just behind her, in the box at Buckingham Palace, thinking “25 years ago, I was with the Sex Pistols. Everybody being arrested for singing anti-monarchy songs.” It was very strange.

里查得•布朗森
我一生中一个最特别的时刻是参加去年女王即位50周年的庆典。她邀请我来并坐在包厢内。当时，我坐在白金汉宫的包厢内，那间包厢就在女王的身后。当时，我考虑着这样的话：“25年前，我是一个支持性手枪乐队的人。每个人都会因唱反对君主政体的歌曲而遭到逮捕”。真是非常奇怪。

STAN GRANT
But that, I suppose it’s not a whole mark you’ve paved on business. You can thread the line between being part of an establishment and being in big business is about the establishment as you get. At the same time, maintain a contact with the wide left of the field and that’s been taking on some big enemies at times.

斯坦•葛朗特
但是我认为这并非是你的全部经营之道。你可以是创立大公司的一员，但同时又和被社会遗忘的人群保持联系。那可是会招来很多敌人的事。

RICHARD BRANSON
Yes and I think to an extent the establishment has also changed the last 25 years. I mean, the idea of having a member of Queen on the top of Buckingham Palace strumming a guitar would not have happened 25 years before. And, but, yes some of it has been interesting. I spent my life trying to knock knights and lords off their pedestals. And now I’ve become one of those myself. But then, we still, you know, we still keep the pressure up on them and still enjoy pulling their tails. As we’re doing for instance with the British Airways trying to get to rest the Concorde up.

里查得•布朗森
是的，我认为在一定程度上，在过去的25年中，公司已经发生了改变。我的意思是说，让王室的成员在白金汉宫顶上胡乱弹奏吉他的主意在25年以前我是想都不敢想的。不过，其中的一些想法倒是很有趣。我用一生的时间设法将爵士和贵族从他们的席位上赶下去。但是现在，我自己已经成为这些人中的一员。但是，我们仍然给他们施加压力，仍然享受着拖他们后腿的乐趣。就像我们试图将英国航空公司的协和客机都停飞了一样。

STAN GRANT
You mentioned British Airways but of course you’ve been up to battle with British Airways in the past. How important has that been to the overall profile of Virgin to be seen as a company of the little guys or like someone who’s knocking at the door of big business rather than pat on it.

斯坦•葛朗特
您提到了英国航空公司，但是毫无疑问，在过去，你一直与英国航空公司竞争。被视为一个小公司或者一个敢于和大公司叫板而不是去讨好他们的小公司对于唯京的整体形象是不是很重要。

RICHARD BRANSON
I’d much rather be a David than Goliath. And the Low Virgin, you know, we have 60,000 employees around the world. In each sector, we’re generally speaking the small guy taking on the big guy. In Australia where Virgin Blue taking on Qantas. In America where Virgin Mobile taking on the big mobile phone companies. And so on around the world. And it’s more fun to be on this. To be taking the key out of the big bloated companies that are taking the consumer for a ride and better for the Virgin brand as well.

里查得•布朗森
我宁愿做大卫也不愿意做歌利亚。虽然维京全世界有60,000名员工。在每个领域，我们一般说都是用小家伙取代大家伙。在澳大利亚，维京蓝天航空正在取代Qantas.在美国，维京移动电话在取代大型移动式电话公司。全世界这种情况也比比皆是。做这样的事情更有意思。作那种将成功的钥匙从那些傲慢的大公司口袋里掏走的公司，我们将提供给顾客更便捷的服务，同时，那对维京的品牌也有好处.