Now the subcontinent's medium-sized firms are venturing abroad, too, and often proving quicker and nimbler than their peers in other emerging economies.Take the Godrej Group, a family-controlled conglomerate based in Mumbai.The firm began as a lockmaker in 1897.While the Indian economy was closed it could not expand abroad much, so it diversified wildly: into soap, typewriters, forklift trucks, animal feed and talcum powder.When India opened up in the 1990s, it had to become less jumbled and to shape up, says Adi Godrej, the chairman.We put our thinking caps on.

译文

现在这个南亚次大陆的中型规模的公司也正在向外国市场进军，并且经常比其他新兴经济体国家的竞争对手显得更为快速与敏捷。就如高德瑞治集团，一家在孟买建立的家族掌控的大型联合企业为例。这个公司在1897年是作为一家锁制造商起家的。因为当时印度经济很封闭，公司不能过多地在境外发展，因此公司经营范围扩展得非常广阔：肥皂、打印机、铲车、动物饲料、爽身粉都有涉及。当印度在20世纪90年代经济对外开放的时候，高德瑞治必须减少混乱的营运方式并进行改进，就像安迪?高德瑞治主席所说：我们戴上了思想者的帽子。

After a false start experimenting with joint ventures with foreign firms, the group has settled on having clearly defined divisions,typically fully controlled.Together they have sales of $3.3 billion, with the largest being Godrej Consumer Products, a sort of mini-Unilever that cranks out soap, detergent, hair products and weapons for waging war on creepy-crawlies.This unit has led the foray overseas, with deals in Nigeria, Indonesia,Argentina, Britain and South Africa since late 2005.It has spent about $1 billion, says Mr Godrej, and now makes about a third of its sales outside India.In June it announced the acquisition of Darling Group, which sells hair extensions in 14 countries in Africa.If a Western firm did this, it might be clobbered by fund managers for being too thinly spread.Indian investors have been more open-minded: Godrej Consumer's shares have more than tripled since the end of 2007, valuing the firm at $3.2 billion.
译文

继一次与外国公司错误的合资计划，该集团已经在有分歧的部分达成了一致，是典型的完全控制。将最大的高德瑞治消费产品，例如大量制造的肥皂、洗衣服、护发产品以及杀虫剂这种类似小型联合利华的产品，总共算下来公司有33亿美元的市值。这一部分已经在海外进行了短暂的尝试。从2005年末算起，该公司就与尼日利亚、印度尼西亚、阿根廷、英国及南非有贸易往来。高德瑞治先生说，现在已经花费了大概10亿美元，并且现在做成了在印度以外的大约三分之一的买卖。在六月份，公司宣布收购达令公司，这是一个在非洲14个国家销售头发相关产品的公司。如果一个西方公司这样做，他也许会因为太草率地扩张公司而被基金经理批评。印度投资者思想已经变得开放起来：高德瑞治消费者的股份已经是2007年底的三倍多，公司市值32亿美元。

Mr Godrej says the key is to pick niche products with sizeable local market shares which pass under the radar of big global rivals.Aware of its limited pool of managers and knowledge of new countries, Godrej grants the acquired firms autonomy.Its financial disclosure is surprisingly poor, but the deals have all boosted earnings, it says, and more are likely.Godrej will eventually face a universal problem: how to marry ambition with family control.Two big holding companies sit above Godrej Consumer.Such fiddly holding chains can cause problems if the family is unwilling or unable to fund new investments or accept the alternative of losing control.Godrej may be different, though.

译文

高德瑞治先生认为关键就是在躲过大的全球对手监控下用相当大的当地市场份额来选择产品用户群。了解到在新国家的管理者和知识领域的空缺，高德瑞治准予了获得公司的自主权。该公司财务状况公开结果是异常不好的，但交易已经促进了收益，确实，并且很有可能就是这样的。高德瑞治最终将要面对一个普遍的问题：怎样将志向与家族控制结合在一起。两家大型控股公司摆在高德瑞治消费者面前。如果家族不愿意或者无能力去建立新的投资项目或者接受失去控制权的选择，这样繁琐的控股程序会引来麻烦。虽然高德瑞治也许不同。

The holding companies are not mere shells, but maintain profitable operations in their own right, have manageable debt and are sitting on a vast plot of land in Mumbai that could eventually be worth billions of dollars.So the family probably has the resources to fund expansion without resorting to financial engineering.All that's left is for them to agree with one another.Today Mr Godrej supervises the firm peacefully along with his brother and cousin, while employing a cadre of professional managers.The next generation is making its way up the ladder.By tradition all family members on the payroll are expected to meet for lunch on Thursdays.It's likely they will be more jet-lagged and stressed than in the past, but with luck there won't be any food fights for a while.
译文

控股公司并不仅仅是一个空壳，但为了他们个人的利益维持有益的运转，拥有易控制的债务和孟买的一大片土地，这些最终都会价值数十亿美元。所以家族大概有用于扩张基金的资源，而不需要采取金融工具的手段。他们唯一能做的就是互相认可。今天高德瑞治先生雇佣了一个专业的管理骨干队伍，与他的兄弟姐妹一起稳定地管理公司。下一个时代就是朝这个路继续向下走。按照传统，所有在公司的家庭成员都应该周四的时候一起吃午饭。这很可能会使他们更加因为时差和压力的原因而比以前更感到疲倦，不过幸运的是再也不会有食物引发的战争了。

注释

1.conglomerate v.使聚集；使结成
An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.
一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

2.venture v.冒险；敢于
All our hopes rested upon this venture.
我们所有的希望都寄托在这次冒险上了。

3.nimble a.敏捷的；伶俐的
He is a nimble climber.
他是个敏捷的登山者。

4.forklift n.铲车；叉车
I'm gonna need a forklift cause all the baggage weighs a ton.
我需要一辆铲车因为行李太重。

5.division n.除法；部门
The divisions between the various classes of society are not so sharply marked as they used to be.
现在社会上各阶级的划分不象过去那样明显了。

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