Source text in English | Translation by Reinhold Wehrmann (#9332) |
I remember reading once that some fellows use language to conceal thought, but it's been my experience that a good many more use it instead of thought. A businessman's conversation should be regulated by fewer and simpler rules than any other function of the human animal. They are: Have something to say. Say it. Stop talking. Beginning before you know what you want to say and keeping on after you have said it lands a merchant in a lawsuit or the poorhouse, and the first is a short cut to the second. I maintain a legal department here, and it costs a lot of money, but it's to keep me from going to law. It's all right when you are calling on a girl or talking with friends after dinner to run a conversation like a Sunday-school excursion, with stops to pick flowers; but in the office your sentences should be the shortest distance possible between periods. Cut out the introduction and the peroration, and stop before you get to secondly. You've got to preach short sermons to catch sinners; and deacons won't believe they need long ones themselves. Give fools the first and women the last word. The meat's always in the middle of the sandwich. Of course, a light butter on either side of it doesn't do any harm if it's intended for a man who likes butter. Remember, too, that it's easier to look wise than to talk wisdom. Say less than the other fellow and listen more than you talk; for when a man's listening he isn't telling on himself and he's flattering the fellow who is. Give most men a good listener and most women enough note-paper and they'll tell all they know. Money talks -- but not unless its owner has a loose tongue, and then its remarks are always offensive. Poverty talks, too, but nobody wants to hear what it has to say. | Ek het eens gelees dat sommige mense taal gebruik om gedagtes te verskuil, maar my ondervinding is dat heelwat meer mense taal gebruik instede van gedagtes. 'n Besigheidsman se gesprek behoort deur minder en eenvoudiger reëls beheer te word as enige ander funksie van die mens. Hulle is: Maak 'n punt. Sê dit. Hou op om te praat. Om te begin praat voordat jy weet wat jy wil sê en om aan te hou praat nadat jy dit gesê het, beland 'n handelaar in 'n regsgeding of in die armhuis, en eersgenoemde is 'n kortpad na laasgenoemde. Ek onderhou 'n regsafdeling hier en dit kos my 'n klomp geld, maar dit is veronderstel om my daarvan te weerhou om in regsgedinge betrokke te raak. Dit is in die haak om 'n gesprek te voer soos 'n Sondagskool uitstappie waar jy stop om blomme te pluk, as jy 'n meisie bel of as jy na ete met vriende gesels; maar op kantoor behoort jou sinne die kortste aftand tussen twee punte te wees. Sny die inleiding en die samevatting uit, en stop voordat jy by tweedens kom. Jy moet kort preke hou om sondaars uit te vang; en ouderlinge glo in elk geval nie dat hulle self lang preke nodig het nie. Gee die eerste woord vir dwase en die laaste woord vir vroumense. Die vleis is altyd in die middel van die toebroodjie. Natuurlik doen 'n bietjie botter aan elke kant geen skade nie as dit bedoel is vir 'n man wat van botter hou. Onthou ook dat dit makliker is om slim te lyk as om wysheid kwyt te raak. Sê minder as die ander ou en luister meer as wat jy praat; want as jy luister, dan sê jy niks van jouself nie en jy komplimenteer die ou wat dit doen. Gee vir die meeste mans 'n goeie luisteraar en vir die meeste vrouens genoeg skryfpapier, en hulle sal vir jou alles vertel wat hulle weet. Geld praat -- nogtans het sy eienaar 'n los tong en sy opmerkings is altyd kwetsend. Armoede praat ook, maar niemand wil hoor wat dit te sê het nie. |