Richard Sears gave the company his name.
理查德·西爾斯以他自己的名字命名公司。
But it was not he who made it into a modern business enterprise.
但是使這家公司真正成為現代企業的卻並不是他。
In fact, Sears's own operations could hardly be called a “business”.
西爾斯本人的經營活動難以稱得上“經營企業”。
He was a shrewd speculator, buying up distress-merchandise and offering it, one batch at a time, through spectacular advertising.
他是一個精明的投機商，他大量買進虧本銷售的商品，然後，通過大肆做廣告，再整批售出。
Every one of his deals was a complete transaction in itself which, when finished, liquidated itself and the business with it.
他的每一筆交易其實質都是一種售後結算交易，交易完成後再與參與交易的企業進行結算。
【注：“complete transaction/售後結算交易”參考“speculator/投機商”，即為謀取暴利，而囤積居奇（即投機），操縱價格（即倒把），買空賣空，套購轉賣等。】
Sears could make a lot of money for himself.
西爾斯為他自己賺了很多錢。
But his way of operation could never found a business, let alone perpetuate it.
但是，他的經營方式從未創造一個企業，更不要說長期經營企業了。
In fact, he would have been forced out of business within a few years, as all the many people before him had been who operated on a similar basis.
事實上，像許多有著與他相似的經商經歷，結果在他前面破產的人一樣，沒有幾年他就不得不退出商界。
REFERENCE:
- Richard Sears 理查德·西爾斯
- modern business enterprise 現代企業
- in fact 事實上
- operation 經營活動，操作
- hardly 難以，幾乎不
- business 經營企業，生意
- shrewd 精明的，世故的
- speculator 投機商，投機倒把者
- buy up 大量買進
- distress-merchandise 虧本銷售的商品
- offer 售出，供應，提供
- batch 整批
- at a time 每次
- spectacular 壯觀的，引人注目的
- advertising 做廣告
- deal 交易
- complete transaction 售後結算交易，完成交易事項
- liquidate 結算
- found a business 創造一個企業
- let alone 更不要說，更別提
- perpetuate 長期，使永久化
- forced 不得不的，被迫的
- operate 操作，經營
- similar 相似的
- basis 原因，基礎
本文內容來源參考書籍《管理的實踐》
The Practice of Management
Peter F. Drucker
* 本書為第一部從實際執行層面立論的管理學書籍，第一部兼顧管理現有企業和創新未來企業的著作
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