评论
打印
And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
您现在收听的是VOA词汇掌故节目。
On today's show, we talk about a strategy for winning or for completing a big task.
在今天的节目中，我们谈论获胜或完成一项重大任务的策略。
That strategy is called dividing and conquering.
这种策略被称为分而治之。
With this strategy, you gain an advantage by creating divisions within a group.
有了这个策略，你就可以通过在团队内部制造分歧来获得优势。
You might try to turn your enemies against each other.
你可以试着让你的敌人彼此反目。
You try to keep control over a group of people by creating problems among them.
你试图通过在一群人中制造麻烦来保持对他们的控制。
You could also make a group of people disagree and fight with one another.
你还可以让一群人不同意你的观点，并相互争斗。
When you do this, they will likely be too busy fighting each other to think about fighting you.
当你这样做的时候，他们可能会忙于相互争斗，而没有时间考虑和你打架。
For example, the police detectives tried to divide and conquer warring drug dealers.
例如，警察侦探试图分化和征服交战的毒贩。
The drug dealers were so busy fighting each other, they made mistakes and got arrested by police.
毒贩们忙着打架，他们犯了错误，被警察逮捕了。
However, you must be careful when trying to divide and conquer.
然而，当你试图分而治之时，你必须小心。
The people you are trying to divide may band together.
你试图分裂的人可能会团结在一起。
This means they form an alliance.
这意味着他们结成了联盟。
They overcome their differences, work together, and turn against you.
他们克服分歧，团结一心，转而反对你。
Now, this expression is not just used when talking about defeating people.
现在，这种说法不只是在谈论打败别人时才会用到。
We can also divide and conquer when trying to complete a difficult task.
当我们试图完成一项困难的任务时，我们也可以分而治之。
If you want to complete a complex task, it is helpful to have several people working on it at the same time.
如果你想完成一项复杂的任务，几个人同时工作是很有帮助的。
You would divide the tasks and delegate them to others.
您可以划分任务，然后将它们委托给其他人。
That way, you can conquer - or complete - the task.
这样一来，你就可以战胜-或者完成-任务。
Here's an example.
这里有一个例子。
Let's say you are working on a big project with some co-workers.
比方说，你正在和一些同事一起做一个大项目。
The project is complex and has many moving parts.
这个项目很复杂，有很多活动部件。
So, instead of everyone working on the same things at once, you decide to divide and conquer.
因此，你决定分而治之，而不是所有人同时做同样的事情。
You assign each person a different task.
你为每个人分配了不同的任务。
In the end, the project gets done smoothly and on time.
最终，项目顺利按时完成。
Now, let's hear some friends use this expression this way.
现在，让我们来听一些朋友这样用这个短语。
They are preparing for a surprise birthday party and have lots to do.
他们正在准备一个生日惊喜派对，有很多事情要做。
A: Okay, change of plans.
A：好的，计划有变。
Samantha just texted.
萨曼莎刚刚发了短信。
She canceled her work meeting and will be here in two hours, not four.
她取消了工作会议，将在两个小时内到达，而不是四个小时。
B: Two hours?!
B：两个小时？!
That's not enough time!
时间不够用！
We'll never be ready for her surprise party.
我们永远不可能准备好她的惊喜派对。
You need to stall her.
你得拖住她。
But don't make her suspicious.
但别让她怀疑。
A: If I try to keep her away, she'll know something's up.
A：如果我试着让她远离，她就会知道有事情了。
She knows us too well.
她太了解我们了。
B: You're right.
B：你说得对。
What are we going to do?
我们要怎么办？
A: First, calm down.
A：首先，要冷静下来。
What still needs to be done?
还有什么需要做的？
B: The food needs to be cooked, the cake and drinks need to be picked up, the living room needs to be decorated, and the gift needs to be wrapped.
食物需要烹调，蛋糕和饮料需要拿起来，客厅需要装饰，礼物需要包装。
We'll never finish in time!
我们永远不会及时完成的！
A: We will!
A：我们会的！
We just need to divide and conquer!
我们只需要分而治之！
You keep cooking.
你继续做饭吧。
I'll text Claudia and ask her to pick up the cake on the way over.
我会给克劳迪娅发短信，让她在来的路上去拿蛋糕。
Then I'll text Gwen.
那我就给格温发短信。
She can pick up the drinks.
她可以去拿饮料。
When Steve gets here, he can wrap the gift and decorate.
当史蒂夫到了这里，他可以包装礼物和装饰。
He's good at those things.
他很擅长这些事情。
B: Ok, sounds like a plan!
好的，听起来是个好计划！
Wait a minute.What will you be doing?
等一下。你要做什么？
A: I'm busy! Dividing and conquering doesn't happen by itself.
A：我很忙！分而治之不会自己发生。
And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.
我们今天的词汇掌故已经进入尾声。
If you have a big goal, maybe it's time you divide and conquer it.
如果你有一个远大的目标，也许是时候分开去征服它了。
Break it down into small tasks and get them done.
把大目标分解成几个小任务，然后把它们完成。
Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo.
下次见，我是安娜·马泰奥。
