Reader question:
Please explain this passage and, in particular, “their side of the bargain” (Business in India: The price of graft, The Economist, March 24, 2011):
Even so, India is home to an unusually pernicious form of corruption, argues Jahangir Aziz of JPMorgan. Elsewhere graft may be a fairly efficient way to do business: investors who pay bribes in China may at least be confident of what they will get in return. In India, however, too many crooked officials demand cash but fail to deliver their side of the bargain. Uncertainty, not just the cost of the “graft tax”, may be the biggest deterrent of all.
My comments:
I don’t know if this is a greater insult/compliment to Indian businesses or Chinese, but the important question concerning us here is whether one “delivers their side of the bargain”.
But first, bargain.
Which essentially means a cheap deal, something you get for less than its usual value.
You go to the market at Xiushui in Beijing, for example, to buy a wrist watch. One vendor who sells imported watches catches your eye. Counterfeit watches they are as a matter of fact, and you know it. You make an initial inquiry. The vendor says: “Three hundred kuai.”
You go away.
The vendor calls you back. “Name your price.”
You turn back and ask again: “How much is this you say?”
The vendor says: “Three hundred. If you’re serious to buy, you can have it for 200.”
You say: “50.”
The vendor says “Deal!”
You pay the 50, get the watch and walk away, feeling cheated, of course, knowing that if you were a better bargainer, you could have nailed it for even less. But, again, what’s important concerning us here is that both you and the vendor have upheld your side of the bargain.
You have upheld your side of the bargain, I mean, and the vendor has upheld his side.
And that means you each did what you said you would do to consummate the deal – to complete the deal, but I thought “consummate” would make it sound glorious.
Anyways, it takes two sides to bargain, as there are two sides to every coin. A bargain, if struck, is an agreement, in this case, between you and the vendor. When you hand the 50-kuai banknote to the vendor, you are honoring your side of the bargain. And when the vendor hands you the watch in return, he is honoring his side of the bargain.
If, on the other hand, you change your mind after hearing “Deal” from the vendor and try to walk away from it (in order to seek an even better bargain later), you will not be honoring your side of the bargain.
In other words, you’re not keeping your word, your promise to take it for 50.
Or if the vendor, after receiving the money from you, gives you a damaged watch instead, he’s not holding his side of the bargain.
And when any of these last two scenarios happen, of course, you and the vendor are in for more trouble.
In short, it takes two people to make an agreement and it takes two people to honor an agreement. If either one party fails to keep his word, hassle ensues.
Or as they say, it takes two to tangle.
Tango, but you know what I mean.
Anyways, in the Indian example, the commentator thinks it’s risky for Westerner businesses to invest in India because corrupt officials often take bribes, promise to deliver certain projects and then disappear – as though nothing happened.
In the meantime, the commentator makes a faint praise of China, where, he says, officials always keep their promises – take the money and do what their money masters tell them to do.
Take that as a compliment, if you will.
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.
各地2016年公共英语(PETS 1-4)考试报名时间汇总
2015下半年内蒙古公共英语考试成绩查询入口开通
2015年山西公共英语等级考试(PETS)成绩查询开始
湖南大学2014年5月(PETS-5)合格证发放通知
2015下半年宁夏公共英语考试成绩查询入口开通
北京2013下半年公共英语等级考试准考证打印时间
2015上半年全国英语等级考试成绩查询入口已开通
东北大学秦皇岛分校2015年3月pets准考证领取时间
2015年5月公共英语五级成绩查询入口已开通
2016年海南省公共英语五级考试(WSK)准考证打印时间
2015年浙江公共英语等级考试(PETS)成绩查询开始
湖南2015下半年全国英语等级考试成绩查询入口开通
上海应用技术学院2015年3月PETS准考证领取通知
2015年海南公共英语等级考试(PETS)成绩查询开始
2016年公共英语考试准考证打印(领取)时间汇总
2015年辽宁公共英语等级考试(PETS)成绩查询开始
2015年广东公共英语等级考试(PETS)成绩查询开始
各地2015上半年全国英语等级考试成绩查询入口汇总
2015下半年青海公共英语考试成绩查询入口开通
北京2014年上半年公共英语考试准考证打印时间
2015年江西公共英语等级考试(PETS)成绩查询开始
厦门大学2016上半年公共英语考试准考证领取时间
2015下半年贵州公共英语考试成绩查询入口开通
2015年河北公共英语等级考试(PETS)成绩查询开始
2015下半年甘肃公共英语考试成绩查询入口开通
2015下半年四川公共英语考试成绩查询入口开通
2015下半年济南公共英语考试成绩查询入口开通
全国外语水平考试成绩单(证书)补办流程
黑龙江2015下半年全国英语等级考试成绩查询入口
延边大学2015上半年英语等级考试PETS准考证领取
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |