本文来自《经济学人》The Economist June 17th 2017 Leaders专栏

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Uber in turmoil

动荡的优步

Taxi for Travis

特拉维斯的计程车

"前情提要"

特朗普激怒了美国人民，于是大家纷纷把 Uber 删了

当天，在纽约肯尼迪机场(JFK)举行了出租车大罢工以抗议总统特朗普的移民禁令。而纽约总经理却十分不长眼地批准Uber在周围区域提供服务，甚至关闭动态定价以更优惠的价格吸引乘客。再联想到Kalanick加入了川普的经济顾问委员会，这一举动被看做赤裸裸的挑衅。有超过20万用户卸载了Uber,并转投其最大竞争对手Lyft。

The ride-hailing giant needs to fix its reputation. To do so properly, its boss mustgo

为了妥善的修复公司的声誉，叫车软件巨头优步的老板必须下课

IT HAS been a wild ride. Seven years ago Uber launched itself as an app connecting well-heeled users with near by limousines. It has since become the most prominent tech startup in the world,with a valuation of $70bn. The company’shard-charging culture—embodied in Travis Kalanick, Uber’s cofounder and boss—was celebrated, not questioned.

这一切就像一个过山车。七年前优步发布了一款连接富人和周边豪车的app。从那时起优步就成为了世界上最重要的科技企业，估值700万美元。优步的进取文化体现在它的联合创始人和老板特拉维斯·卡兰尼克身上—曾经的杰出而不是问题人物

well-heeled富有的

Limousine大型高级轿车

hard-charging有进取心的

No longer. Thefirm is fending off accusations of stealing autonomous-cartechnology. It is being investigated for allegedly designing software to identify and evade transport regulators. Most toxic are charges of rampant sexism. MrKalanick and his band of brothers created a workplace more reminiscent of a bar than a business. For months a lawfirm hasinvestigated whatare believed to bemore than 200 claims of misconduct, including sexualharassment, discrimination and bullying.

优步不用再回避偷窃无人驾驶汽车技术的指控，（更麻烦的是）优步因传言在设计软件中识别和规避交通法规而接受调查。更令优步头疼的是面临大量的性别歧视指控。卡兰尼克和他的两个兄弟伙创建的工作环境比起商业公司令人更容易想起酒吧。数月以来在一家律师事务所调查中据信有超过两百起行为不端的维权，包含了性骚扰歧视和欺凌下属

Fend off避开 回避（难题

Allege没有证据的断言 据说

Sexism对女性的性别歧视

Reminiscent使得回忆起

Misconduct失职 行为不当 不端

Claim要求合法权利demand legal right

Discrimination歧视

Uber is belatedly making efforts tofix things. As a result of the inquiry into sexual harassment, more than 20 employees and executives have been dismissed. Uber is going to strengthen itsboard, which has been under the thumb of Mr Kalanick and two others, whotogether control a majority of the voting rights; an independent chairman is planned.The firm will do other things differently, too: more performance reviews, lessbooze and no sex between a manager and an underling.

优步修复名誉为时已晚。性骚扰的调查结果导致超过二十名员工和管理人员被解雇。优步准备增补它的董事会，然而现在的董事会完全受制于卡兰尼克和另外两人，三人一同控制了公司主要投票权。预计将来会增加一名独立的主席 优步还会做一些其他的打算 比如更多的业绩回顾 少一些酒精 不允许经历和下属之间有不当男女关系

belated 迟来的；晚出现的

under the thumb 完全受人支配；受制于人

booze 酒精饮料

underling 走卒；喽啰；手下；下属

Board董事会

So far, so bleeding obvious. The big question is over Mr Kalanick himself. He said this week that he will take an indefinite leave of absence, in part to grieve for his mother, who was killed in a recent accident, and in part to“workon himself”. Uber is searching for a chief operating officer to help him to run the firm when he returns.It hopes all this will be enough to reboot its culture and its reputation. In truth, that is possible only with Mr Kalanick’spermanent departure.

目前为止，优步尚未止血。最大的问题就是卡兰尼克先生本人。他声称本周开始将会无限期休假，一方面是为了他事故中痛失母亲，另一方面是做一些“自己的工作”。优步正在寻找一名首席运营官，当卡兰尼克回归时帮助他运营公司 希望这样能给企业文化和名誉带来新的重生然而事实上 只有卡兰尼克永远离职这一切才有可能

ndefinite |ɪnˈdefɪnət|无限期的；期限不定的

At any normal company, he would have been fired by now. He is culpable for its failings; its culture was created in his image. But Mr Kalanick will not go unless he and his two co-majority shareholders so decide. He can marshal arguments that Uber continues to thrive: it reported record revenues in the first quarter of this year. Yet if he cares for Uber’s, and hisown, long-term financial health, a clean break makes more sense.

在其他正常的公司，卡兰尼克现在就被炒了。他对他的种种错误难辞其咎公司的文化是按照它的蓝图发展的，但除非卡兰尼克和他另外两个主要股东决定，他是不会离职的。他可以收集优步仍在持续发展的业绩数据 反映出今年第一季度利润报告。如果他真的在意优步和自己的长期收益的健康一个干干净净的了断更有意义。

1 culpable |ˈkʌlpəbl|应受责备的；难辞其咎的

2 failings弱点；缺点

3 marshal |ˈmɑ:ʃl;美ˈmɑ:rʃl|结集；收集；安排

The firm’s problems have started to take a toll. In the past five months Uber’s market share inAmerica, its most important market, has declined by 7%; even investors in thefirm admit to feeling embarrassed getting into an Uber vehicle. Uber is havingto work harder to recruit the best engineers.

优步的问题已经开始产生负面影响。在过去的五个月中，优步在其最重要的美国市场的份额已经下跌7%，甚至优步自己的投资人都觉得坐进优步的汽车很尴尬，优步必须努力招募更多最好的工程师。

take a toll产生负面影响

The spectre of the past will continueto loom large, thanks to litigation and government probes. Dirty laundry keepscoming out. Another executive,who had obtained the confidential health records of a woman who had been raped by an Uber driver in India, was fired this month after mediaquestioning.At the veryboard meeting called to draw a line under Uber’s sexist culture, a director resignedafter joking that women talk too much. Yet more scandals almost certainly lurk.Each one willreinforcethe idea that Uber cannot change so long as Mr Kalanick remains in charge.

优步过去犯的错将会持续的令人担忧，幸亏诉讼和政府的探查，不可告人的秘密被持续挖出。另一个助理，持有一名在印度遭到优步司机强奸的妇女的隐私健康记录，在本月遭到媒体质疑后被解雇。在董事会议上，优步呼吁跟性别歧视文化划清界限，一位主管笑话女员工们说了太多话后被辞退了。目前为止，几乎确定优步还有更多潜在的丑闻，每一个丑闻都指出：只要卡兰尼克还大权在握优步就不可能翻身。

Spectre幽灵

Litigation诉讼

Probe探查 探索

Dirty laundry不可告人的秘密

Confidential机密的 获得信任的

Draw a line under something给一些事划清界限

Frat’syour lot

Uber’s culture is not unique; it has lessons for the rest of Silicon Valley, too. One is that a tolerance of casual sexismcan inflict real commercial damage. Another is to be wary of the power handedto founders.The right person to lead a young company may not be the best one to oversee it when it has grown up.A third lesson concerns the benefits of going public. Uber’s missteps would havebecome clear much sooner with better governance and a visible share price. MrKalanick has said he needs to grow up. Leaving the firm he created, and lettingit go public as soon as possible, would show genuine maturity.

优步糟糕的负面文化不仅伤及自身，也给硅谷剩下的科技公司们上了一课。容许性别歧视确实是会给公司带来商业打击。第二点就是要提防公司的创始人们独裁。当公司已经进入正轨后，年轻的企业可能更需要一个引导者而不是一个监视人。第三个教训就是要关注上市带来的利益，比如更好的政府监管和看得见的股价，使得优步的一步步错棋能更早被发现（优步至今还未上市） 卡兰尼克声称自己还需要更成熟，事实上他离开自己创立的公司，并尽快让其上市，才能展现出真正的成熟。

going public上市

Genuine真实的 诚恳的

督促自己学习