《糖衣陷阱》：迷惑的假象
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老桑说
记住，在做人生决定的时候，如果有些事情好得令人难以置信，那大概需要你多多留心。
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「 朋友，你好，我是老桑。 」
老桑在Bendini, Lambert & Locke律所拍摄地点
孟菲斯大学法学院
我们都喜欢好故事，尤其是法律惊悚题材似乎总能让我们感到惊喜。法律惊悚小说是惊悚和犯罪小说的一个分支，其主要角色都是律师，故事中经常会有戏剧性的法庭场景。例如，《杀死一只知更鸟》(1960)被许多人认为是一部早期的法律惊悚小说。
现如今的法律惊悚小说之王是作家约翰·格里沙姆。他写了近40部这样的小说，其中许多已被改编为电影和电视剧。他最著名的两部作品是《杀戮时刻》(A Time to Kill, 1989)和《糖衣陷阱》(The Firm, 1991)。他的书在全球售出超过3.5亿册，这也让他与斯蒂芬·金和亚历山大·普希金齐名。
法律惊悚小说的故事不一定合法准确。也可能即使他在写的时候是正确的，但现在的法律却已经改变了。这些故事是学习一些法律英语词汇和概念的好方法，但重要的是去批判地看待这些法律题材，并对其准确性做出独立的判断。
格里沙姆创作的三部包括《糖衣陷阱》在内的小说，都是以美国南方的一个大城市——田纳西州的孟菲斯为背景。从汤姆·克鲁斯主演的1993年电影改编版开始，其拍摄地正是孟菲斯。格里沙姆本人来自南方，他的小说也影响了美国人对法律职业及美国南方地区的看法。
在电影《糖衣陷阱》中，米奇·麦克迪尔(汤姆·克鲁斯饰演)以班上第一名的成绩毕业于哈佛法学院，但他来自一个贫穷而关系失常的家庭。孟菲斯一家名为Bendini, Lambert & Locke的小型税务律师事务所向他提供了一份工作，付给他的薪水比他同学在华尔街的律师事务所开出的最高工资还要高出20%。米奇接受了这份工作，并和妻子搬到了孟菲斯。
电影里的Bendini, Lambert & Locke
最近我来到孟菲斯大学的法学院做演讲，它正对着那座一街之隔的被用来影射电影中Bendini, Lambert & Locke律所的办公楼。当我从法学院往窗外看的时候，我感觉自己正在见证电影的历史。
Bendini, Lambert & Locke律所拍摄地点
刚到公司不久，一些事情的发生却让米奇起了疑心。随着故事的发展，他这才了解到该公司是由黑手党控制的，他们总是多给用户收费，并从事许多nefarious（邪恶的）交易。米奇最终与联邦调查局合作，提供证据，以打击该公司的邮件欺诈行为。
然而，这项工作让米奇付出了代价。由于他的房子和办公室都被安装了窃听器，他才知道公司在监视他的一举一动。由于这家公司与有组织犯罪affiliated（有关联），所以他们派出打手跟着米奇。有时他几乎失去理智，婚姻也受到影响。他和妻子很快就后悔接受了这家公司的工作邀请。
谚语“好得令人难以置信”是用来形容一件事不可能像看上去的那么好。在电影中，除了高薪之外，公司还给米奇提供了许多其他福利，包括低息抵押贷款、一辆奔驰车和一张偿还学生贷款的支票。米奇的眼中满是金钱，却忽视了潜在的陷阱。
米奇应该知道这个机会可能是有问题的。其实我们经常说：“如果它听起来好得令人难以置信，那么它就不太可能是真的。”事实证明，这个选择确实非常糟糕。
在我的文章里，常见的主题是追求梦想，设定目标，并着手实施实现目标的计划。然而，承担个人责任并拥有纯粹的动机也是很重要的。虽然追求高薪和财富是这个过程的重要组成部分，但它不应该是唯一的动机。但米奇就掉进了这个陷阱中。
米奇来自一个贫穷的家庭，但他娶了一个出身富裕的妻子。米奇因此而总是耿耿于怀，他认为公司的慷慨邀约是redeem（救赎）自己的方式，是一种赢得尊重的方式，也是一条得到“一席之地”的路径从而可以决定自己和他人的未来。因此他觉得自己很有脸面。
事实上，米奇对这份工作如此着迷，以至于他没有对公司进行过任何调查，他没有理会妻子对这份可疑工作的担忧，并放弃了其他很好的工作机会。“自我补偿”成了他唯一的标准，导致他停止了对其他因素的判断。然而，这种判断失误最终导致了更大的问题。
对米奇来说，一个更谨慎的方法是对得到的所有的工作机会做一个均衡的评估。当你必须做出一个重要的决定时，列一个清单，并思考每一个选择的利弊。保持头脑冷静，并用同理性看待每件事情。这就可以减少日后出现问题的机会。
如果米奇这么做了，他就可能会发现公司给的机会存在问题。他本可以利用其他的机遇在别的公司争取更高的报酬——赚更多的钱。他也可能从长远考虑，在华尔街几年的“磨砺”中获得相比于在孟菲斯更广阔的机遇。
然而米奇太草率了，他被公司的机会迷住了，被钱蒙蔽了双眼。这最终使他和妻子的生命处于危险之中。如果早知是如此，他当然会认为这份工作不值这个价钱。
仅仅为了拥有财富而积累财富的想法会导致一种没有满足感的生活。我们都听说过“stealth（隐形）财富”的故事，人们努力工作、精打细算、存钱，积攒了数百万，但却在能够享受财富之前就已经故去。即使在米奇知道公司的黑暗面之前，他在公司昼夜不停的工作已经开始影响到他的个人生活。
我认为更重要的是你“为什么”要追求自己的梦想。是什么让你在遇到困难准备放弃的时候有动力？如果你唯一的动力是金钱，那么你可能会忘记在这个过程中去享受生活。而生活也关乎人际交往，意味着共度美好的时光，共同经历，创造回忆。
我认为追寻梦想更好的“为什么”的回答在于为后代留下点东西，以求让世界变得更美好。这些想法与赚钱并不矛盾。但它们可能会影响你为生活、工作和家庭所做的某些选择。
当金钱成为你决策的一部分考虑因素时，你可以问问以下几个问题:
这会让我高兴吗？考虑一下这个决定是否会给你带来长期的快乐，而不是转瞬即逝的短期收益。
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这和我的“为什么”答案有什么关系？如果你像我一样，有着要让世界变得更美好的愿景，那么你的决定是如何与这个目标相一致的呢？
3这将如何影响我的长期目标？你的长期目标不仅仅是财务目标，还包括你的家庭和职业发展的具体领域。你应当确保你对每个机会都做了一个全面均衡的评估。
4这会在多大程度上推迟我的财务目标？如果这个决定需要你付出太多的金钱或牺牲你的时间，它可能不值得。最后，如果米奇能接受华尔街比他预期的低20%的工资，他也许会得到很好的回报。从长期来看，这不会推迟他获取财富的目标。
当你问这些问题时，你会发现金钱是如何为生活添彩而不是在驱使着你的生活。
金钱买不到幸福
《糖衣陷阱》这部电影并非没有缺点。例如，律师事务所的律师都是白人，这忽视了当今美国法律实务界的多样性。尽管我们可能喜欢这个故事，但重要的是去批判性地看待背后值得深思的主题。
我的朋友，《糖衣陷阱》这部电影告诉我们，追求almighty（万能的）金钱的人生注定会陷入困境。一种更健康的方法是去平衡生活和金钱，为两者共赢寻找合适的解决方案。记住，在做人生决定的时候，如果有些事情好得令人难以置信，那大概需要你多多留心。
本文部分图片来源网络。
谢谢收看《老桑说》。
给你启发，激励你上进，陪伴你坚持。
敬请期待下一集。
英文版
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The Firm: legal thriller gone too far
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「 Hello, my friend！
I'm John Smagula. 」
Bendini, Lambert & Locke
University of Memphis law school
We all enjoy a good story, and legal thrillers seem to always please us. A legal thriller is a subgenre of thriller and crime fiction in which the major characters are lawyers, and there is often a dramatic courtroom scene as part of the story. To Kill A Mockingbird (1960), for example, is considered by many to be an early legal thriller.
Today, the king of contemporary legal thrillers is author John Grisham. He has written nearly 40 such novels, many of which have become movies and TV series. He is best known for his first two: A Time to Kill (1989) and The Firm (1991). His books have sold over 350 million copies around the world, putting him in the same league as Stephen King and Alexander Pushkin.
Legal thrillers are fiction stories that are not necessarily legally accurate. Or if they were accurate when written, the law may have changed since then. These stories are great ways to pick up some Legal English vocabulary and concepts, but it’s important to view the legal themes critically and make an independent judgment on their accuracy.
Southern roots
Three of Grisham’s novels, including The Firm, are set in Memphis, Tennessee—a major city in the American South. The 1993 movie adaptation, starting Tom Cruise, was also filmed in Memphis. As Grisham himself is from the South, his novels have influenced how America views the legal profession and its place in the South.
In The Firm, Mitch McDeere (played by Tom Cruise) graduated at the top of his class at Harvard Law School, but comes from a poor and dysfunctional family. He receives a job offer from a small tax law firm in Memphis called Bendini, Lambert & Locke, paying him 20% more than the highest salaries his classmates are earning at Wall Street law firms. Mitch accepts, and he and his wife move to Memphis.
Bendini, Lambert & Locke (filming location)
I recently spoke at the University of Memphis law school, which is located right across the street from the office building used to portray Bendini, Lambert & Locke in the film. As I looked out the window from the law school, I felt like I was witnessing movie history.
Bendini, Lambert & Locke
Shortly after arriving at the firm, some things cause Mitch to become suspicious. As the story progresses, we learn that the firm is controlled by the Mafia, overbills its clients, and is engaged in many nefarious transactions. Mitch ultimately collaborates with the FBI to provide evidence to be used to bring the firm down for mail fraud.
Yet this work takes its toll on Mitch. As his house and office are bugged, he knows the firm is watching his every move. The firm is affiliated with organized crime, so they also have goons follow Mitch around. There are times he nearly loses his sanity, and his marriage suffers as well. He and his wife quickly regret the decision to accept the firm’s job offer.
Too good to be true
The adage “it’s too good to be true” is used to say that something cannot be as good as it seems to be. In this case, in addition to a high salary, the firm also offered Mitch a number of other benefits, including a low-interest mortgage, a Mercedes, and a check to pay off his student loans. With dollar signs in his eyes, Mitch became blinded to the potential pitfalls.
Mitch should have been aware that there was something wrong with this offer. In fact, we often say, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” And indeed, it turns out there was plenty wrong with this whole setup.
Lapse of judgment
A frequent theme on my blog is to follow your dreams, set goals, and implement a plan to get there. Yet it is important to take personal responsibility and have pure motives. While seeking a high salary and acquiring wealth is an important part of the process, it should not be the only motive. Mitch fell into this trap.
Mitch came from a poor family, but married a wife from a wealthier background. Mitch constantly carried this chip on his shoulder, and he saw the firm’s generous offer as a way of redeeming himself, of commanding respect, and a way to get “a seat at the table” to make decisions that would determine his and other’s futures. He felt like he earned face.
In fact, Mitch was so enthralled by this offer that he didn’t conduct any due diligence on the firm, he dismissed his wife’s concerns about the suspicious offer, and shunned other good job offers he had. The compensation became his sole criterion, and he suspended judgment about everything else. Yet this lapse of judgment led to much greater problems down the line.
Tom Cruise
A more prudent approach would have been for Mitch to give a balanced assessment to all of his offers. When you have to make an important decision, make a list and identify the pros and cons of each opportunity. Stay level-headed and treat each opportunity fairly. This reduces the chances that problems may surface later.
Had Mitch done this, he may have discovered that the firm’s offer was problematic. He could have used the offer to bargain for greater compensation at other firms—making even more money. He might also have taken a long-term view, thinking that a few years of “grit and grind” on Wall Street could open up opportunities unavailable to Memphians.
Yet Mitch was too hasty, being romanced by the offer and blinded by the money. This ultimately put his and his wife’s lives in danger. He would certainly agree that the job wasn’t worth the price.
Balancing money and life
The idea of building wealth just to have wealth leads to an unfulfilled life. We have all heard stories of “stealth wealth,” about people who work hard, scrimp and save, amass millions, and then die before having the chance to enjoy it. Even before Mitch knew the dark side of his firm, his around-the-clock hours at the firm had already started to take a toll on his personal life.
What’s more important, I think, is “why” you are pursuing your dream. What is it that keeps you motivated when the going gets tough and you’re ready to give up? If your sole motivation is money, then you may be forgetting to live your life in the process. Life is also about relationships, spending time with each other, creating experiences, and making memories.
I think a better “why” you pursue your dream is to leave a deposit for the next generation, to make the world a better place. These ideals are not inconsistent with making money. But they may influence certain choices you make for your life, your job, and your family.
Here are some questions you can ask when money is part of a decision you are making:
Will this make me happy? Consider whether the decision will set you up for long-term happiness, and not a fleeting short-term gain.
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How does this fit with my “why”? If you are like me and are driven to make the world a better place, how does the decision align with that goal?
3How will this influence my long-term goals? Your long-term goals are not only financial goals, but include your family and substantive areas of professional growth. Make sure you are making a balanced assessment of each opportunity.
4How much will this delay my financial goals? If the decision requires too high a financial commitment or sacrifice of your time, it may not be worth it. In the end, Mitch would have been well-served to accept the Wall Street offers that were 20% less, which over the long-term would not have delayed his goal to acquire wealth.
As you ask these questions, you will see how money can complement, rather than drive, your life.
The Firm is not without its faults. For example, the lawyers are the firm are all white men, thus ignoring the greater diversity of American legal practice today. Even though we may enjoy the story, it’s important to be critical of themes that deserve to be challenged.
My friend, The Firm is a reminder that a life in pursuit of the almighty dollar is destined to end in trouble. A healthier approach is to balance life and money, seeking ways for them to work together for the common good. And remember, when making a life decision, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
{ 今日英文速记卡 }
1.Auspicious
\ ȯ-ˈspi-shəs \
a)含义：adj. 吉祥的；吉兆的
b)例句：
i.Indeed, I also wish you an auspicious beginning for the goals you are planning to achieve this year.
诚然如此，我也祝愿那些你计划在新的一年中希望完成的目标有一个吉祥的开端。
ii.This Chinese lunar new year, which starts on February 18, is believed to be an especially auspicious “golden year of the pig,” which only comes around every 60 years.
2月18日将迎来中国农历新年。 有说法认为，这一年是60年不遇的“金猪年”，是个难得的吉利年份。
c)近义词： hopeful, promising, propitious
2.Frazzled
\ ˈfra-zəld \
a)含义： adj. 疲惫的
b)例句：
i.If you start your day off rushed and frazzled, you could be starting off the whole day on the wrong foot.
如果你匆忙而疲惫地开始一天的生活，你可能是在用错误的方式开启新的一天。
ii.When you eat mindlessly, while multitasking and in a frazzled state of mind, your digestive process is sluggish and results in poor uptake, indigestion, and improper elimination.
如果是毫无目的的进食，头脑中会产生一种疲惫的状态，使得消化进程变得迟缓，有可能导致消化不良和排泄不正常。
c)近义词： burned out, exhausted, fatigued
3.Scroll \ ˈskrōl \
a)含义：v. 滚屏；滚动
b)例句：
i.If you’re on break or scrolling through social media, set a timer to remind you to get back to work.
如果你在休息或是浏览社交媒体，可以设置一个计时器来提醒你回去工作。
ii.When all the header information for calendar entries cannot be displayed completely for a day in a calendar view, the day displays a horizontal scroll bar.
在日程表视图中，当一天中的所有日程表条目的标题信息无法完全显示时，则为这一天显示一个横向滚动条。
c)近义词： move, slide, swipe
4.Opportune
\ ˌä-pər-ˈtün \
a)含义：adj. 恰当的；恰好的
b)例句：
i.And if you are running late due to circumstances beyond your control, rather than stress about the consequences, say to yourself, “I visualize arriving at the most opportune moment.”
如果你是因为自身无法控制的事情迟到，而不是对于迟到后果的压力所导致的，可以对自己说：”我本来会在最合适的时间到的。
ii.Recent moves by several cities to bring in higher tariffs have shown how prickly water-users can be about rising prices, even at what seemed an opportune time.
近来几个城市都采取行动提高水价，虽然看上去顺时应势，却也反映出这些水资源使用者对于上涨的价格反应有多敏感。
c)近义词： seasonable, timely, well-timed
5.Contingency
\ kən-ˈtin-jən(t)-sē \
a)含义：n. 意外事件
b)例句：
i.If you are often running behind, take a good look at when you are late, be proactive in making your daily schedule, use a timer to instill discipline, and plan for unknown contingencies.
如果你经常迟到，好好看看你迟到的地方，积极主动地制定你的日常计划，用计时器来保持自制意识，为未知的意外事件做计划。
ii.As a manager, you must ensure that all test plans have contingency plans for dealing with problems.
作为管理者，你必须保证所有测试计划带有处理这些问题的偶然性计划。
c)近义词： contingence, eventuality, possibility
Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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