BEC中級商務(wù)英語閱讀講義精選：20

似乎，連硅谷富裕的工程師也喜歡免費(fèi)的午餐供應(yīng)。

Even the well-off engineers of Silicon Valley fall for the offer of a free lunch, it seems.

在硅谷，員工們紛紛涌向其它提供免費(fèi)食物并能滿足其人際交往欲望的公司，這一現(xiàn)象被稱為"午餐2.0"(Lunch 2.0)。

In a phenomenon dubbed Lunch 2.0, workers in the Valley are descending on other companies for free food and the chance to satisfy their appetite for making contacts.

這一切源于4位試圖偷偷溜進(jìn)雅虎(Yahoo)和谷歌(Google)等公司的硅谷員工，他們希望品嘗這些公司免費(fèi)的美味午餐。

It started with four men trying to sneak into companies such as Yahoo and Google to sample their free gourmet lunches.

不過，這一創(chuàng)意已開始被人利用，并加以發(fā)展。數(shù)家公司已開始邀請所有來訪人員享用免費(fèi)午餐。

But the idea has been picked up and developed. Several companies have begun inviting all- comers for a free lunch.

當(dāng)然，它不是慷慨之舉。這些午餐不僅可以進(jìn)行人際交往和填飽肚子，還是宣傳產(chǎn)品和網(wǎng)羅人才的時機(jī)。

Except, of course, it is not free. The lunches are partly about networking and eating, but they are also about pitching products and sizing up talent.

在上周的最新一個例子中，有100多人出現(xiàn)在社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)平臺Ning位于加州帕羅奧多的辦公室享用午餐。

In the latest example, more than 100 people turned up for lunch at the offices of Ning, a social networking web platform, in Palo Alto last week.

他們不僅享受到三明治、沙拉和餅干的款待，還有該公司首席執(zhí)行官吉娜o比安基尼(Gina Bianchini)的一場宣講。

They were treated to sandwiches, salad, biscuits - and a presentation by Gina Bianchini, chief executive.

"這是一個機(jī)會，可以回饋該地區(qū)，并結(jié)識在這里工作的人，"她表示。"而我們正利用這一時機(jī)招募人員。"

"It's an opportunity to give back to the area and the people who are working here," she said. "And we are hiring at the moment."

雅虎技術(shù)人員、"午餐2.0"聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人之一的大衛(wèi)o凱洛格(David Kellogg)表示："它有商務(wù)的一面和吃飯的一面。公司希望傳達(dá)它們的信息，而我們回去工作后，都會將這些經(jīng)歷寫在博客上。我擴(kuò)大了我的社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)，了解到了這些公司的動態(tài)。"

David Kellogg, a Yahoo technician and one of the co-founders of Lunch 2.0, said: "There's a business side and a food side to this. Companies want to get their message out and we will all go back to work and blog about this. I'm widening my network and finding out what's going on in companies."

他將LinkedIn社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司的午餐評為迄今最棒的午餐。

He rates lunch at the LinkedIn social networking company the best so far.

凱洛格表示："我們多數(shù)工程師的工資肯定夠吃午餐的，但免費(fèi)食物的誘惑，將我們身上的學(xué)生特質(zhì)誘發(fā)出來了。"

"Most of us engineers make enough money to pay for lunch but the lure of free food brings out the student in us," Mr Kellogg said.

谷歌目前尚未發(fā)出正式的免費(fèi)午餐會邀請，但"午餐2.0"的模式正在蔓延至洛杉磯和西雅圖等美國其它城市。

Google has yet to offer an official invitation but Lunch 2.0 is spreading to other cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle.

不過，迄今為止還沒有人建議創(chuàng)立"刷盤子2.0"(Washing-up 2.0)。

So far, though, no-one has suggested a Washing-up 2.0.