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一．背诵In1812,NapoleonBonaparte,EmperoroftheFrench,ledhisGrandArmyintoRussia.HewaspreparedforthefierceresistanceoftheRussianpeopledefendingtheirhomeland.HewaspreparedforthelongmarchacrossRussiansoiltoMoscow,thecapitalcity.ButhewasnotpreparedforthedevastatingenemythatmethiminMoscow--theraw,bitter,bleakRussianwinter.In1941,AdolfHitler,leaderofNaziGermany,launchedanattackagainsttheSovietUnion,asRussiathenwascalled.Hitler'smilitarymightwasunequaled.HiswarmachinehadmoweddownresistanceinmostofEurope.Hitlerexpectedashortcampaignbut,likeNapoleonbeforehim,wastaughtapainfullesson.TheRussianwinteragaincametotheaidoftheSovietsoldiers.Twoofthemostfrustratingthingsaboutdrivingacararegettinglostandgettingstuckintraffic.Whilethecomputerrevolutionisunlikelytocuretheseproblems,itwillhaveapositiveimpact.Sensorsinyourcartunedtoradiosignalsfromorbitingsatellitescanlocateyourcarpreciselyatanymomentandwarnoftrafficjams.Wealreadyhavetwenty-fourNavstarsatellitesorbitingtheearth,makingupwhatiscalledtheGlobalPositioningSystem.Theymakeitpossibletodetermineyourlocationontheearthtowithinaboutahundredfeet.Atanygiventime,thereareseveralGPSsatellitesorbitingoverheadatadistanceofabout11,000miles.Eachsatellitecontainsfouratomicclocks,whichvibrateataprecisefrequency,accordingtothelawsofthequantumtheory.Asasatellitepassesoverhead,itsendsoutaradiosignalthatcanbedetectedbyareceiverinacar'scomputer.Thecar'scomputercanthencalculatehowfarthesatelliteisbymeasuringhowlongittookforthesignaltoarrive.Sincethespeedoflightiswellknown,anydelayinreceivingthesatellite'ssignalcanbeconvertedintoadistanceWhenarecentcollegegraduatecameintomyofficenottoolongagolookingforasalesjob,Iaskedhimwhathehaddonetopreparefortheinterview.Hesaidhe'dreadsomethingaboutussomewhere.HadhecalledanyoneatMackayEnvelopeCorporationtofindoutmoreaboutus?No.Hadhecalledoursuppliers?Ourcustomers?No.HadhecheckedwithhisuniversitytoseeiftherewereanygraduatesworkingatMackaywhomhecouldinterview?Hadheaskedanyfriendstogrillhiminamockinterview?Didhegotothelibrarytofindnewspaperclippingsonus?Didhewritealetterbeforehandtotellusabouthimself,whathewasdoingtopreparefortheinterviewandwhyhe'dberightforthejob?Washeplanningtofollowuptheinterviewwithanotherletterindicatinghiseagernesstojoinus?Wouldtheletterbeinourhandswithin24hoursofthemeeting,possiblyevenhand-delivered?Theanswertoeveryquestionwasthesame:no.Thatleftmewithonlyoneotherquestion:Howwellpreparedwouldthispersonbeifheweretocallonaprospectivecustomerforus?Ialreadyknewtheanswer.AlthoughBrowderandMandldefinetheirnationalitydifferently,bothseetheiridentityasamatterofpersonalchoice,notanaccidentofbirth.Andnotincidentally,bothareDavosMen,membersoftheinternationalbusinessélitewhotrekeachyeartotheSwissAlpinetownfortheannualmeetingoftheWorldEconomicForum,foundedin1971.Thisweek,BrowderandMandlwilljoinmorethan2,200executives,politicians,academics,journalists,writersandahandfulofHollywoodstarsforfivedaysofnetworking,partiesandendlessearnestdiscussionsabouteverythingfrompost-electionIraqandHIVinAfricatotheglobalsupplyofoilandtheimplicationsofnanotechnology.Yetthisyear,perhapsmorethanever,ahottopicatDavosisDavositself.Whatevertheirconsiderabledifferences,mostDavosMenandWomenshareatleastonebelief:thatglobalization,theunimpededflowsofcapital,laborandtechnologyacrossnationalborders,isbothwelcomeandunstoppable.Theyseetheworldincreasinglyasonevast,interconnectedmarketplaceinwhichcorporationssearchforthemostadvantageouslocationstobuy,produceandselltheirgoodsandservices.ForthirtyyearsnowIhavebeenstudyingmyfellowmen.Idonotknowverymuchaboutthem.Ishrugmyshoulderswhenpeopletellmethattheirfirstimpressionsofapersonarealwaysright.Ithinktheymusthavesmallinsightorgreatvanity.FormyownpartIfindthatthelongerIknowpeoplethemoretheypuzzleme.ThesereflectionshaveoccurredtomebecauseIreadinthismorning'spaperthatEdwardHydeBurtonhaddiedatKobe.HewasamerchantandhehadbeeninbusinessinJapanformanyyears.Iknewhimverylittle,butheinterestedmebecauseoncehegavemeagreatsurprise.UnlessIhadheardthestoryfromhisownlips,Ishouldneverhavebelievedthathewascapableofsuchanaction.Itwasmorestartlingbecausebothinappearanceandmannerhesuggestedaverydefinitetype.Hereifeverwasamanallofapiece.Hewasatinylittlefellow,notmuchmorethanfivefeetfourinheight,andveryslender,withwhitehair,aredfacemuchwrinkled,andblueeyes.IsupposehewasaboutsixtywhenIknewhim.Hewasalwaysneatlyandquietlydressedinaccordancewithhisageandstation.ThoughhisofficeswereinKobe,BurtonoftencamedowntoYokohama.Ihappenedononeoccasiontobespendingafewdaysthere,waitingforaship,andIwasintroducedtohimattheBritishClub.Weplayedbridgetogether.Heplayedagoodgameandagenerousone.Hedidnottalkverymuch,eitherthenorlaterwhenwewerehavingdrinks,butwhathesaidwassensible.Hehadaquiet,dryhumor.Heseemedtobepopularattheclubandafterwards,whenhehadgone,theydescribedhimasoneofthebest.IthappenedthatwewerebothstayingattheGrandHotelandnextdayheaskedmetodinewithhim.Imethiswife,fat,elderly,andsmiling,andhistwodaughters.Itwasevidentlyaunitedandaffectionatefamily.Ithinkthechiefthingthatstruckmeabou