Source text in English | Translation by Sandra Nortje (#8822) — Winner |
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 op 'n keer gelees dat party manne taal gebruik as wegsteekplek vir gedagtes, maar my ervaring is dat baie meer van hulle taal gebruik as plaasvervanger vir gedagtes. 'n Sakeman se gesprekke moet beheer word deur minder en eenvoudiger reëls as enige iets anders wat dié mensaap doen. Dit is: Hê iets te sê. Sê dit. Bly stil. As mens begin nog voor jy weet wat jy wil sê en dan aanhou nadat jy dit al gesê het, beland 'n handelaar óf in 'n regsgeding óf op straat, en daar's 'n kortpad tussen die hof en haweloosheid. Hier by my word 'n regsafdeling (wat hope geld kos) in stand gehou, maar dis daar om te help om my uit die hof te hou. As mens by 'n meisie gaan kuier, of ná ete met vriende gesels, kan jy maar jou geselskap soos 'n Sondagskoolpiekniek hanteer en elke nou en dan stop om blommetjies te pluk; maar in die kantoor moet jou sinne die kortste afstand tussen twee punte wees. Slaan die inleiding oor, skrap die slotbetoog en hou op vóór jy by tweedens kom. Met kort preke vang jy die sondaars; die kerkraad dink in elk geval nie dat húlle lang preke nodig het nie. Gee stommerike die eerste sê, en vroumense die laaste. Die vleis is altyd in die middel van die toebroodjie. En natuurlik, 'n bietjie botter weerskante kan nie skade doen as dit bedoel is vir 'n man wat van sy botter hou nie. Onthou tog ook dat dit baie makliker is om slim te lyk as wat dit is om iets te sê wat van wysheid spreek. Sê minder as die ander man en luister meer as wat jy praat; as mens besig is om te luister, verklap jy geen geheime oor jouself nie en vlei jy die ou wat dit wél doen. Gee meeste mans 'n goeie luisteraar en meeste vroue 'n dikgenoeg skryfblok en hulle sal jou alles vertel wat hulle weet. Geld praat – maar net as die baas 'n los tong het, en dan is die sêgoed altyd aanstootlik. Armoede praat natuurlik ook, maar niemand stel belang om sy storie te hoor nie. |