介绍:
UBER IN TURMOIL 动荡的优步
Taxi for Travis 特拉维斯的计程车
主播：凤梨君 个人微信号：fenglisama 微信公众号：EnglishQiPa
The ride-hailing giant needs to fix its reputation. To do so properly, its boss must go
1 turmoil |ˈtɜ:mɔɪl; 美 ˈtɜ:rm-| 动乱；骚动；混乱；焦虑 2 Hail |heɪl| 招手（请出租车或公共汽车停下）
IT HAS been a wild ride. Seven years ago Uber launched itself as an app connecting well-heeled users with nearby limousines. It has since become the most prominent tech startup in the world, with a valuation of $70bn. The company’s hard-charging culture—embodied in Travis Kalanick, Uber’s co-founder and boss—was celebrated, not questioned.
1 well-heeled 富有的，穿着考究的; 2 limousine |ˈlɪməzi:n; ˌlɪməˈzi:n| 大型高级轿车；豪华轿车 3 prominent |ˈprɒmɪnənt; 美 ˈprɑ:m-| 重要的；著名的；杰出的 4 embody |ɪmˈbɒdi; 美 ɪmˈbɑ:di| 具体表现，体现，代表（思想或品质）
No longer. The firm is fending off accusations of stealing autonomous-car technology. It is being investigated for allegedly designing software to identify and evade transport regulators. Most toxic are charges of rampant sexism. Mr Kalanick and his band of brothers created a workplace more reminiscent of a bar than a business. For months a law firm has investigated what are believed to be more than 200 claims of misconduct, including sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying.
1 fend off 避开，回避（难题、批评等） 2 accusation |ˌækjuˈzeɪʃn| 控告；起诉；告发；谴责 3 allege |əˈledʒ| （未提出证据）断言，指称，声称 4 evade |ɪˈveɪd| 逃避，规避（尤指法律或道德责任）5 toxic |ˈtɒksɪk; 美 ˈtɑ:k-| 有毒的；引起中毒的 6 rampant|ˈræmpənt| 泛滥的；猖獗的 7 sexism |ˈseksɪzəm| （尤指对女性的）性别歧视，性别偏见 8 reminiscent |ˌremɪˈnɪsnt| 使回忆起 9 misconduct |ˌmɪsˈkɒndʌkt; 美 -ˈkɑ:n-| 失职；处理不当；行为不端 10 harass |ˈhærəs; həˈræs| 侵扰；骚扰 11 claim|kleɪm| DEMAND LEGAL RIGHT 要求合法权利 要求（拥有）；索取；认领
Uber is belatedly making efforts to fix things. As a result of the inquiry into sexual harassment, more than 20 employees and executives have been dismissed. Uber is going to strengthen its board, which has been under the thumb of Mr Kalanick and two others, who together control a majority of the voting rights; an independent chairman is planned. The firm will do other things differently, too: more performance reviews, less booze and no sex between a manager and an underling.
1 belated |bɪˈleɪtɪd| 迟来的；晚出现的 2 under the thumb 完全受人支配；受制于人 3 booze |bu:z| 酒精饮料 4 underling |ˈʌndəlɪŋ; 美 ˈʌndərlɪŋ| 走卒；喽啰；手下；下属
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 “work on 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’s permanent departure.
1 indefinite |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 his own, long-term financial health, a clean break makes more sense.
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 in America, its most important market, has declined by 7%; even investors in the firm admit to feeling embarrassed getting into an Uber vehicle. Uber is having to work harder to recruit the best engineers.
The spectre of the past will continue to loom large, thanks to litigation and government probes. Dirty laundry keeps coming 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 media questioning. At the very board meeting called to draw a line under Uber’s sexist culture, a director resigned after joking that women talk too much. Yet more scandals almost certainly lurk. Each one will reinforce the idea that Uber cannot change so long as Mr Kalanick remains in charge.
Frat’s your lot Uber’s culture is not unique; it has lessons for the rest of Silicon Valley, too. One is that a tolerance of casual sexism can inflict real commercial damage. Another is to be wary of the power handed to 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 have become clear much sooner with better governance and a visible share price. Mr Kalanick has said he needs to grow up. Leaving the firm he created, and letting it go public as soon as possible, would show genuine maturity.
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