閱讀暖身
美國影星潔西卡•艾巴4年前與友人合創「誠實公司」，專門製造無毒、實用、美觀的家用產品。如今該公司業務蒸蒸日上。而位於洛杉磯的總部，把住家與大自然氣氛融入辦公室的設計，清新脫俗，象徵創新經營理念與目標。進入本文前，請先想想如何表達以下單字： a) 散發 b) 充滿陽光 c) 回收 Have you ever seen a company that a) emits the spirits of office, home and nature at the same time? The Honest Company, an American eco-friendly goods startup, is this unique type of company. Actress Jessica Alba co-founded it in 2011 on this ambitious idea: “Everything that touches you and your family--everything in your home--needs to be nontoxic, needs to be effective and beautiful to look at, and needs to be affordable.” 見識過同時圍繞辦公室、住家與大自然氛圍的企業嗎？專門生產無毒商品的美國「誠實公司」，便是此種獨一無二的新創企業，由影星潔西卡•艾巴與友人於2011年聯手創立。她的雄心壯志是：「所有碰觸你和家人的所有家中物品，必須無毒，必須好用、美觀，必須大家都買得起。」 Located in Santa Monica, California, their headquarters not only consists of beautiful, b) sun-filled offices, but also serves as living proof of a futuristic corporate culture. Inside, you’ll see plenty of “Honest” products and logos. There’s a large common area with long tables at which employees can have lunch. To one side is a show room where all of the Honest Company’s products are on display. 公司總部設於加州聖莫尼卡市，不只擁有充滿陽光的美麗辦公室，而且是先進企業文化的具體象徵。在內部，你會看到許多「誠實」產品與標誌。有一個寬敞的公共區，擺設長條桌，員工可在此用餐。隔壁是展示室，呈列所有「誠實公司」的產品。 When Alba, Brian Lee, and another two partners started the company, they had 17 products that were all 1) geared toward the young mother. “We strategically decided to go in baby and family first because we knew that was an area of awakening for a lot of mothers, like my own wife,” said Lee, CEO of the Honest Company. Four years later, their company is 2) going from strength to strength, selling about 100 products covering all aspects of the home. 艾巴、布萊恩•李以及另外兩人設立該公司時，推出17項全面鎖定年輕媽媽的產品。「誠實公司」執行長李表示：「策略是以嬰兒與家庭為先，對許多媽媽而言，那是一個覺醒的過程。」4年後，公司業務蒸蒸日上，販售大約100種家庭用品。 There’s a distinctly homey feel throughout the space. Alba, who played a major role in the office design, wanted the conference room to feel like a living room. A 3) rule of thumb in here is recycling. The table was made from c) reclaimed wood. 整個總部宛如再舒適不過的家。設計辦公室時，艾巴扮演要角，她希望會議室就像個客廳。回收在這裡極受重視，桌子是拿撿拾回來的木頭製成。 A huge perk of having your office in Los Angeles is the nice weather all year round. The company built a patio so that employees could sunbathe during their lunch break. And better yet, they are free to bring garden vegetables home to their families. 全年天氣晴朗，是辦公室設於洛杉磯的一大好處。該公司特地打造一處露臺，好讓員工用餐時順便享受日光浴。更棒的是，他們隨時可將花園的蔬菜帶回家。 口語詞彙: 1. Gear toward 為某特定對象而設計
Gear 當動詞有適應，適合之意，和介係詞to 連用。Electronic products should be geared to demand. 電子產品應與需求相適應。 Gear toward 意思是朝向某特定族群而設計之意。 The workshops are geared towards professional people. 這研討會是為專業人士設計。 2. Go from strength to strength 蒸蒸日上
Strength是「力量」，這句話有「漸入佳境」的意思。 Tom’s company is going from strength to strength, as he has recruited many talented people to work for him. 湯姆的公司蒸蒸日上，因為他雇用許多有才華的人為他工作。 3. Rule of thumb 守則
Thumb 是「拇指」，意指「做事情時，作為依據的大原則」。 A rule of thumb in the banking industry is “courtesy,” and no bank can make a pretty penny without observing it. 金融業一大原則是「要有禮貌」，任何銀行想要大賺一筆，須加以遵守。 | 
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