✸✸THE chairman of Microsoft, John Thompson, occasionallyremindsoneofits directors, a fellow by the name of Bill Gates, that his vote in board meetings is no more or less important than that of other members.ContrastthatwithInfosys, an Indian technology firm, whose own retired founder succeeded in getting its boss to quit on August18th, after a months-long whispering campaign (see page 52). The board wasdismayed, but the outcome was all too predictable, given India’s penchant for treating corporate founders as latter-day maharajahs.
1） remind of 英 [riˈmaind ɔv] 美 [rɪˈmaɪnd ʌv] 就…提醒（某人）;使（某人）想起…;指出
I remind of you of smile, a sweet feeling.
我想起你的笑，心里有一甜甜的感觉。
2） contrast with 英 [ˈkɔntræst wið] 美 [ˈkɑntræst wɪð] 与…截然不同，形成鲜明的对照;把（一方）与（另一方）对比;相映
This attitude was in deep contrast with popular feeling in the rest of Italy
这一态度与意大利其他地方的普遍情绪形成鲜明对比。
3） dismay 英 [dɪsˈmeɪ] 美 [dɪsˈme] vt.使惊愕，使焦虑，使气馁 n.愕，气馁
Local councillors have reacted with dismay and indignation
地方政务委员的反应是惊恐和愤怒。
✸✸Indian companies come in all shapes and sizes, from clannish outfits whose tycoon bosses routinely stiff minority investors, to giants like Infosys whose corporate governance (usually) matches Western norms. What unites them is that they accordunduedeference to “promoters”, as India dubs a firm’s founding shareholders. The exalted statusbestowed onpromoters is a pervasive feature of the Indian corporate landscape. Of the 500 largest listed Indian firms, according to IiAS, an advisory firm, 344 are controlled in practice not by boards answerable to all shareholders, but directly by promoters.
1） undue 英 [ˌʌnˈdju:] 美 [ˌʌnˈdu:] adj.不适当的;过度的，过分的;未到期的;逾分
This would help the families to survive the drought without undue suffering
这会帮助那些家庭度过干旱期，不至于遭受太多的苦。
短语：undue influence 英 [ʌnˈdu: ˈinfluəns] 美 [ʌnˈdu ˈɪnfluəns] n.<律>不正当压力，不正当影响
2） bestow on[biˈstəu ɔn] 美 [bɪˈsto ɑn]v.赋;赠与
We have lots of tools that bestow on us a false sense of urgency.
我们的工具，对我们赋予了很多紧急的错觉。
3） promoter英 [prəˈməʊtə(r)] 美 [prəˈmoʊtə(r)]n.助长者;发起人;促进者
Aaron Copland was an energetic promoter of American music.
阿伦·科普兰从来都是美国音乐的积极倡导者。
✸✸Founders canexertunhealthy influence over Western firms, too, but they typically do so using their shareholdings. The sway exercised by Indian founders has its roots in a unique mix of moral suasion, regulatory advantage and the trickiness of doing business in India. In many industries, the promoter has relationships with people who matter. Only he knows which palms need to be greased to keep a power plant open, or which union boss has to be coopted to avoid strikes. This knowledge makes the promoter central to the running of the firm, even if it belongs mostly to other shareholders.
1） exert 英 [ɪgˈzɜ:t] 美 [ɪgˈzɜ:rt] vt.发挥;运用;使受（影响等）;用（力）
He exerted considerable influence on the thinking of the scientific community on these issues
他极大地影响了科学界对这些问题的看法。
短语：exert oneself 英 [iɡˈzə:t wʌnˈself] 美 [ɪɡˈzɚt wʌnˈsɛlf] v.出力;努力，尽力;励;娓
exert on 英 [iɡˈzə:t ɔn] 美 [ɪɡˈzɚt ɑn] 对…施加
exert all one's strength 卖劲儿；卖力；使劲
exert oneself constantly 自强不息
✸✸Sometimes that leads to dominant promoters bilking the firms they run. They give family members juicy contracts, pay themselves excessively and get the firm to provide private yachts, London flats and much else besides. United Spirits, a booze firm promoted by Vijay Mallya but owned mainly by outsiders, used to pay for 13 properties for him and his family (he is now in Britain, trying to avoid extradition to India).
✸✸The promoter’s perch is bad for the companies themselves, and not just their shareholders. It is harder to recruit good managers when power lies elsewhere. Balance-sheets get stretched as investment is funded more by debt than equity—because debt is cheaper and promoters can thereby avoid being diluted to the point of losing certain privileges.
✸✸Promoter power is also bad for the economy. Inefficient firms that should betaken overby a rivalstumble on, as promoters seek to preserve their perks. The promoter culture is partly to blame for the nearly one-fifth of all loans made by Indian banks thought unlikely to be repaid. When promoter-led firms cannot service their debts, dominant owner-bosses tend to skip repayments. They understand that banks cannot easilyforecloseon them and later hope to sell the firm on, because any new owner would lack a promoter’shold overthe business. This has harmed the Indian banks and, in turn, the finances of the government that owns many of them.
1） take over 英 [teik ˈəuvə] 美 [tek ˈovɚ] 接管;带;帮…学习;在…上花费
A British newspaper says British Airways plan to take over Trans World Airways.
一家英国报纸称，英国航空公司计划接管环球航空公司。
2） stumble on 英 [ˈstʌmbl ɔn] 美 [ˈstʌmbəl ɑn] 无意中发现
I stumble on this life advices in my folder that I found on net before.
在我的文件夹里，我无意中发现了这些人生小忠告，那是我以前在网上找到的。
3） foreclose 英 [fɔ:ˈkləʊz] 美 [fɔ:rˈkloʊz] vt.排除;阻止;取消（抵押品）赎回权;取消（抵押人的）赎回抵押品的权利
The bank foreclosed on the mortgage for his previous home.
银行取消了他先前住房的抵押赎回权。
4） hold over 英 [həuld ˈəuvə] 美 [hold ˈovɚ] 保留;延期; 延续;继续上映
Did Laurie know something, and hold it over Felicity?
劳丽是否知道点什么，并以此要挟费莉西蒂呢？