美語情景對話 第867期:Power of Money 金錢的力量

Todd: So, Aiman, we're talking about bribery. Now you've worked in a very modern country like Dubai in the business setting, so even in large business settings, do you have some type of bribery. Is that still like part of the culture? The System?

託德：艾曼，我們來談談賄賂。你在迪拜等現代化國家的商業環境中工作過，大型商業環境中存在賄賂現象吧？賄賂還是文化或體系內的一部分嗎？

Aiman: Yes, of course. A business deal would never go through without a bribe. And it's not the Arab culture alone because even Westerners that work in Dubai have to bribe and they take bribes, even Indians, Asians, anyone who works in Dubai has to do it. It's the countries culture, and it is a known fact now.

艾曼：當然是。如果不進行賄賂，那交易就不能順利進行。不只是阿拉伯文化存在這種現象，就連在迪拜工作的西方人員也必須要行賄和受賄，在迪拜工作的印度人和亞洲人也不得不這樣做。這是國家文化，現在已經是衆所周知的事實了。

Todd: Right, so you're saying if a Western country is in Dubai, and they want to succeed, they follow the customs, so they also are part of the system where they would bribe... one country would bribe another country if they want something done?

託德：好，你是說一個西方國家要想在迪拜獲得成功，就要按照當地的習俗去做，賄賂是當地體系的一部分，如果要做成某件事，一個國家就要去賄賂另一個國家？

Aiman: Yes, of course.

艾曼：對，沒錯。

Todd: With your experience in business, do you think is something that will just always be a part of the system, or do you see it something as going away if you have more development?

託德：從你在商業的經歷來看，你認爲賄賂是會永遠是體系內的一部分，還是在進一步發展後就會消失？

Aiman: Well, I really can't see the time when we won't have to bribe in Syria or really in any other Arab country. When I talk about business with other people, I always advice them that if they are going to an Arab country to conduct business, they have to take bribe into consideration because it is the same situation in Egypt, Lybia, maybe a bit less in Libya, but Morocco. It is the culture. It is the culture because the systems are all similar. The political systems are similar, so they produce a similar outcome.

艾曼：我不知道什麼時候在敘利亞和其他阿拉伯國家纔不再需要進行賄賂。我和其他人談到商業時，如果他們想去阿拉伯國家做生意，我都會建議他們考慮一下賄賂，因爲埃及和利比亞的情況也是如此，可能利比亞的賄賂風氣沒有那麼明顯，不過摩洛哥也是如此。賄賂是阿拉伯國家的文化，因爲這些國家的體系很相似。政治體系也相似，所以結果也是類似的。

Todd: Yeah, in the States we don't really have bribes but we have what's called kickbacks. So, basically, one politician does one thing for somebody else, and then they get money as a kickback. So maybe they either get political donations or maybe some company will develop, you know, create jobs in their area, so I think even though in the United Sates we don't have the term bribery so much, like you know, bribery's illegal, I think we still have a little bit of the same problem, but just it's a different way.

託德：我們沒有這種賄賂行爲，不過我們有收回扣的行爲。如果政治人物幫其他人做了件事，那他們就會得到回扣款。他們可能會得到政治捐款，或是一些公司會提供就業機會，雖然賄賂行爲在美國並不常見，因爲賄賂是違法的，但是我們也存在同樣的問題，只不過方式不一樣。

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重點講解：
1. go through （法律、協議等）被通過；（決定）被批准；
例句：We had to go through all the red tape.
我們擺脫不了那些繁雜的公事程序。
2. go away 離開；消失；
例句：The massage made the hurt go away.
按摩使疼痛消失了。
3. take into consideration 考慮到；顧及；
例句：We must take this work plan into consideration.
我們必須考慮這個工作計劃。
4. even though 即使；儘管；縱然；
例句：Even though you do not like it, you must do it.
即使你不喜歡這工作，你也得做。