Success Story by J. G. CozzensI met

Success Story by J. G. Cozzens

I met Richards ten or more years ago when I first went down to Cuba. He was a short, sharp-faced, agreeable chap, then about 22. He introduced himself to me on the boat and I was surprised to find that Panamerica Steel was sending us both to the same
Richards was from some not very good state university engineering schooP. Being the same age myself, and just out of technical college I saw at once that his knowledge was rather poor. In fact I couldn't imagine how he had managed to get this job.
Richards was naturally likable, and I liked him a lot. The firm had a contract for the construction of a private railroad. For Richards and me it was mostly an easy job of inspections and routine paper work. At least it was easy for me. It was harder for Richards, because he didn't appear to have mastered the use of a slide rule. When he asked me to check his figures I found his calculations awful. "Boy," I was at last obliged to say, "you are undoubtedly the silliest white man in this province. Look, stupid, didn't you evertake arithmetic? How much are seven times thirteen?" "Work that out," Richards said, "and let me have a report tomorrow."
So when I had time I checked his figures for him, and the inspector only caught him in a bad mistake about twice. In January several directors of the United Sugar Company came down to us on business, but mostly pleasure; a good excuse to 'get south on a vacation. Richards and I were to accompany them around the place. One of the directors, Mr. Prosset was asking a number of questions. I knew the job well enough to answer every sensible question – the sort of question that a trained engineer would be likely to ask. As it was Mr. Prosset was not an engineer and some of his questions put me at a loss. For the third time I was obliged to say, "I'm afraid I don't know, sir.
We haven't any calculations on that".
When suddenly Richards spoke up.
"I think, about nine million cubic feet, sir", he said. "I just happened to be working this out last night. Just for my own interest".
"Oh," said Mr. Prosset, turning in his seat and giving him a sharp look. "That's very interesting, Mr. -er- Richards, isn't it? Well, now, maybe you could tell me about".
Richards could. Richards knew everything. All the way up Mr. Prosset fired questions on him and he fired answers right back. When we reached the head of the rail, a motor was waiting for Mr. Prosset. He nodded absent-mindedly to me, shook hands with Richards. "Very interesting, indeed," he said. "Good-bye, Mr. Richards, and thank you."
"Not, at all, sir," Richards said. "Glad if I could be of service to you."
As soon as the car moved off, I exploded. "A little honest bluff doesn't hurt; but some of your figures...!"
"I like to please," said Richards grinning. "If a man like Prosset wants to know something, who am I to hold out on him?"
"What's he going to think when he looks up the figures or asks somebody who does know?"
"Listen, my son," said Richards kindly. "He wasn't asking for any information he was going to use. He doesn't want to know these figures. He won't remember them. I don't even remember them myself. What he is going to remember is you and me." "Yes," said Richards firmly. "He is going to remember that Panamerica Steel has a bright young man named Richards who could tell him everything, he wanted, – just the sort of chap he can use; not like that other fellow who took no interest in his work, couldn't answer the simplest question and who is going to be doing small-time contracting all his life."
It is true. I am still working for the Company, still doing a little work for the construction line. And Richards? I happened to read in a newspaper a few weeks ago that Richards had been made a vice-resident and director of Panamerica Steel when the Prosset group bought the old firm.

Результаты (русский) 1:

Success Story by J. G. CozzensI met Richards ten or more years ago when I first went down to Cuba. He was a short, sharp-faced, agreeable chap, then about 22. He introduced himself to me on the boat and I was surprised to find that Panamerica Steel was sending us both to the same Richards was from some not very good state university engineering schooP. Being the same age myself, and just out of technical college I saw at once that his knowledge was rather poor. In fact I couldn't imagine how he had managed to get this job.Richards was naturally likable, and I liked him a lot. The firm had a contract for the construction of a private railroad. For Richards and me it was mostly an easy job of inspections and routine paper work. At least it was easy for me. It was harder for Richards, because he didn't appear to have mastered the use of a slide rule. When he asked me to check his figures I found his calculations awful. "Boy," I was at last obliged to say, "you are undoubtedly the silliest white man in this province. Look, stupid, didn't you evertake arithmetic? How much are seven times thirteen?" "Work that out," Richards said, "and let me have a report tomorrow."So when I had time I checked his figures for him, and the inspector only caught him in a bad mistake about twice. In January several directors of the United Sugar Company came down to us on business, but mostly pleasure; a good excuse to 'get south on a vacation. Richards and I were to accompany them around the place. One of the directors, Mr. Prosset was asking a number of questions. I knew the job well enough to answer every sensible question – the sort of question that a trained engineer would be likely to ask. As it was Mr. Prosset was not an engineer and some of his questions put me at a loss. For the third time I was obliged to say, "I'm afraid I don't know, sir.We haven't any calculations on that".When suddenly Richards spoke up."I think, about nine million cubic feet, sir", he said. "I just happened to be working this out last night. Just for my own interest"."Oh," said Mr. Prosset, turning in his seat and giving him a sharp look. "That's very interesting, Mr. -er- Richards, isn't it? Well, now, maybe you could tell me about".Richards could. Richards knew everything. All the way up Mr. Prosset fired questions on him and he fired answers right back. When we reached the head of the rail, a motor was waiting for Mr. Prosset. He nodded absent-mindedly to me, shook hands with Richards. "Very interesting, indeed," he said. "Good-bye, Mr. Richards, and thank you.""Not, at all, sir," Richards said. "Glad if I could be of service to you."Как только автомобиль переехал, я взорвался. «Немного серъёзная(ый) блеф не пострадал; но некоторые из ваших фигур...!»«Я хотел угодить,» сказал Ричардс ухмыляясь. «Если человек как Prosset хочет знать что-то, кто я, котор нужно держать вне на него?»«Что такое он собирается думать, когда он смотрит вверх цифры или просит кого-то, кто знает?»«Слушай, сын мой,» сказал Ричардс любезно. «Он не просит любую информацию, которую он будет использовать. Он не хочет знать эти цифры. Он не будет помнить о них. Я даже не помню их сам. То, что он будет помнить это вас и меня.» «Да,» сказал Ричардс твердо. «Он будет помнить, что Panamerica сталь имеет яркий молодой человек по имени Ричардс, кто мог бы сказать ему все, он хотел,-он может использовать только своего рода chap; не так, что другой парень, который взял не интерес к его работе, затруднились ответить простой вопрос и кто будет делать мелким Договаривающихся всю свою жизнь.»Это правда. До сих пор я работаю в компании, по-прежнему делать немного работы для строительства линии. И Ричардс? Мне довелось прочитать в газете несколько недель назад, что Ричардс был достигнут заместитель резидента и директор Panamerica стали, когда группа Prosset купил старый фирмы.

Результаты (русский) 3:

История успеха J. G. Cozzens

я встретился Ричардс десять и более лет назад, когда я впервые пошли вниз на Кубу. Он был короткий, острые, респектабельная chap, затем около 22. Он представился мне на лодке, а Я была удивлена тем, что Panamerica стали отправка у нас как в том же
Ричардс был из некоторых не очень хорошем государственный университет инженерной schooP. В том же возрасте я,И только что из технического колледжа я видел что его знания, а бедных слоев населения. На самом деле я не мог себе представить, как он сумел получить это задание.
Ричардс, естественно, изменившим и мне очень понравилась ему. Фирмой контракт на строительство частных железных дорог. Для Ричардс и мне, что это было в основном простое задание инспекций и рутинной бумажной работы. По крайней мере мне было легко.Было труднее Ричардс, потому что он не как представляется, овладел использования слайд-правила. Когда он просил меня проверьте его показатели, которые я увидел, что его расчеты ужасное. "Мальчик", я был на последнем вынужден сказать, "вы, несомненно, silliest белого в этой провинции. Посмотрите, глупый, почему вы evertake арифметических? Сколько в семь раз тринадцать?" "работы, что, - отметил г-н Ричардс.