您現(xiàn)在的位置: Language Tips> Columnist> Zhang Xin  
 





 
Wheeling and dealing
[ 2007-07-10 13:55 ]

A reader asks via MSN: "What are you writing about today? More about the 'wheel'?"

Actually I have been gathering materials in reply to a reader question on the phrase "word of mouth," but then, I thought, why not? I may just as well go on wheeling and dealing. 

So here I am, explaining another term pertaining to the wheel. This time it's the American idiom wheel and deal.

The way the "wheel" and the "deal" rhymes gives a hint to at action, doesn't it? Yes, that's right. Wheeling and dealing implies a lot of running around (imagine a running wheel) and perhaps a lot of deal-making (imagine many business negotiations) going on as well.

Longman gives this definition on "wheel and deal": to do a lot of complicated and sometimes slightly dishonest deals, especially in politics or business.

Well, business deals being "slightly dishonest" is perhaps something taken for granted, especially deals in which politicians, bankers, stock market brokers and mutual fund dealers congregate - the Enron scandal (Google it) springs to mind - but that may perhaps be mere prejudice. The term can be neutral, neither good nor bad. To be wheeling and dealing, one may just be doing a lot of work, attempting to get lots of jobs done, with or without deals (contracts) to cut (negotiate) and to ink (sign).

Then again, the phrase does work better with a hint to deals, hopefully all honest, in the making. Two weeks ago, for example, Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian was drafted (selected) sixth overall to play for the Milwaukee Bucks. But Yi's not happy. Other teams are still coveting his services. Hence there's been a lot of speculation (rumors) about teams (Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, etc.) wheeling and dealing in an attempt to get Yi through a trade with the Bucks, who have said they won't budge.

Now, here are two examples culled from reports over the scandals of Enron, the aforementioned energy firm that went bankrupt in 2001.

First, from Enron and Bill Clinton (February 28, 2002, newsmax.com):

Russia was not the only target of Enron wheeling-and-dealing with the Clinton administration. Enron execs traveled on a profitable trade trip to India with Ron Brown, landing a major contract for a power plant. The India power plant deal later fell apart with allegations of illegal payments and bribery.

Second, from An Insider's Tale of Enron's Toxic Culture (March 31, 2003, Businessweek.com):

In hitting the highlights of the sprawling Enron saga, the book sometimes seems disjointed. And it occasionally gets bogged down in explanations of the complex accounting. There also are big gaps in the tale, leaving plenty of fodder for future Enron books. The company's manipulation of the California energy markets, for instance, gets short shrift, as does its wheeling and dealing in Washington.

But unlike several other Enron accounts published so far, this one has a true Enron insider in Watkins, an eight-year veteran, and it takes full advantage. (Brian Cruver, author of Anatomy of Greed, was with the company for only eight months.) As Enron enters its death throes in late 2001, Watkins has a front-row seat to the denial and timidity in Enron's executive suite.

Word of mouth? Next.

 

About the author:
 

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

 
 
相關(guān)文章 Related Stories
 
         
 
 
 
 
 
         

 

 

 
 

48小時(shí)內(nèi)最熱門

     
  吵架英語三十句
  尼日利亞議長叫停銀行“美女營銷”
  英語和漢語之間的詞匯空缺
  全國開展“無車日”活動(dòng)
  五個(gè)手指怎么說

本頻道最新推薦

     
  Hocus pocus?
  英語和漢語之間的詞匯空缺
  Greener pasture?
  “江南”怎么譯
  Climate - a problem for all nations

論壇熱貼

     
   "電視選秀"怎么翻譯?
  how to translate "造星"
  how to translate "特供豬"?
  參加BBC在線競賽 獲免費(fèi)倫敦游機(jī)會(huì)!
  how to say "代言"
  “試婚”怎么說






主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲高清日韩精品第一区| 国产精品亚洲二区在线播放 | 福利视频免费看| 嫩草影院在线免费观看| 久久国产色av| 欧美性猛交xxxx免费看蜜桃| 免费特级黄毛片| 色老二精品视频在线观看| 国产福利电影在线观看| 99热这里只有精品免费播放| 成人精品一区二区电影| 久久精品国产99久久99久久久| 欧美日韩视频免费播放| 做受视频120秒视频| 美女被免费喷白浆视频| 国产在线观看无码免费视频| 中国xxxxx高清免费看视频| 天天射天天干天天| 中国speakingathome宾馆学生| 日本黄色电影在线| 亚洲一区在线免费观看| 欧美黑人巨大xxxxx视频| 免费的成人a视频在线观看| 羞羞视频免费看| 国产免费69成人精品视频| 欧美性巨大欧美| 国产精品毛片大码女人| 99久久人妻无码精品系列蜜桃| 好爽好紧好大的免费视频国产| 中文字幕国产综合| 日本制服丝袜在线| 久青草视频在线播放| 欧美午夜在线播放| 亚洲欧美成aⅴ人在线观看| 男人j桶进女人免费视频| 午夜国产精品久久久久| 色www永久免费| 国产亚洲人成网站观看| 麻豆精品传媒成人精品| 国产熟睡乱子伦视频| 182tv免费视视频线路一二三|