全通翻譯/翻譯社

Adidas and Reebok: The Perfect Double-Team?

What do you do when you're the world's second biggest brand but you just can't dislodge the market leader from the top spot? How about acquiring the third-placed player and double-teaming? That's precisely what Adidas did when, in 2005, it purchased the U.S.-based Reebok brand for US$3.8 billion in an attempt to challenge the supremacy of Nike.

>From the beginning there were mixed views of the merger. Reebok's shares rose 30 percent on the back of the move. Adidas execs naturally trumpeted it as the best thing since sliced bread, with CEO Herbert Hainer hailing it as “a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Some analysts, though, were puzzled by the acquisition, believing it would weaken both brands. Initially it looked like the naysayers had been proven right as Adidas continued to perform solidly, but Reebok's revenue declined for three straight years.

Wang Pei-hua — Ace Producer

It may have opened with low ratings, but TTV's television series “The Fierce Wife” has now become so popular that it has helped coin a phrase. Dealing with the fallout from a husband's infidelity, the show introduced the term “little third party” into Taiwan's modern lexicon.

Developing the show's plot from a friend's anecdote, ace television producer Wang Pei-hua successfully turned a cliched theme into a hot topic. Wang is now on the verge of selling the rights to the show and its original screenplay to 16 countries.

Grin and Bear It: Six Benefits of Annoying People

At work and in our personal lives, we all have people who rub us the wrong way. Rather than becoming annoyed, however, there may be something to learn from such people. With a positive attitude, you can use the antics of irritating associates to your benefit.

‧People Skills

看懂原汁原味原文書摘：The Runaway Trolley

Suppose you are the driver of a trolley car hurtling down the track at 60 miles an hour. Up ahead you see five workers standing on the track, tools in hand. You try to stop, but you can't. The brakes don't work. You feel desperate, because you know that if you crash into these five workers, they will all die. (Let's assume you know that for sure.)

Suddenly, you notice a side track, off to the right. There is a worker on that track, too, but only one. You realize that you can turn the trolley car onto the side track, killing the one worker, but sparing the five.

Groupon: A Force to Be Reckoned With

With group buying a pervasive phenomenon in Taiwan, leading companies in the sector have been cashing in. Founded in 2008, the market leader Groupon saw revenues surge to US$760 million in 2010, up from US$33 million in 2009. By January 2011, Groupon's value had reached US$4.75 billion. Named as the fastest growing company ever by Forbes Magazine, Groupon has over 70 million subscribers worldwide. All this has happened in the company's first two years of existence.

The secret lies in Groupon's service model. Featuring discounts of at least 50 percent every day, Groupon provides a platform for users to purchase vouchers for a variety of services and products. Subscribers receive an e-mail offering different daily deals, which kick in after the amount of people signing up reaches the required number for the deal. If this minimum target is not met, the deal is canceled. Coupled with the Web site's user-friendly interface, these unbeatable discounts make group buying a no-brainer.

Dried Fruit — A Cut Above

Shu Rei-ji has spent years preserving fruit, and is proud of her unique, natural approach to the craft. Unlike many manufacturers of preserved foods, Shu insures no artificial flavoring or colors are used to enhance the look and taste of her fruit. It may not be as pleasing to the eye as shiny, candied fruit, and it has only a three-month shelf life, but the flavor and texture are a class apart.

After a failed business venture more than a decade ago, Shu and her husband returned from the big city to their hometown of Nanshi in Tainan. There, she noticed farmers with surplus fruit. Naturally thrifty, Shu decided to take advantage of this windfall. Learning the preservation process as she went along, she spent a year perfecting a new product. To promote their business, Shu and her husband set up stalls at night markets far and wide. Initially, sales of the fruit were low. They, therefore, decided to draw a following by offering other treats such as sugar scallions, a kind of sugary stick that gets its name from its resemblance to the shape of the vegetable.