By William Dodson由William陶德森

A simple taxi ride from Shanghai to Suzhou put me very much in mind of developing contracts with Chinese – even the simplest of contracts. 一个简单的出租车，从上海到苏州付诸表决，我很介意在发展中国家的合约，与中国-哪怕是最简单的合同。 Very seldom in business do Chinese adhere to the Letter of the Law, while they exorcise its Spirit at their earliest convenience. 很少在业务上做中国坚持以信法，而他们的傩舞的精神，在其方便时尽早。 And if the agreement is verbal, then watch out! 如果是口头协议，然后观赏出去！

The deal was this: for 300RMB – including tolls – the Shanghai driver would take me to Suzhou.协议是：为300rmb -包括收费-上海司机带我到苏州。 Assumptions: the taxi driver with whom I made the deal will be the one taking me; only the taxi driver and I will be making the trip; the trip will be direct, along the HuNing Highway that connects the two cities; the trip should take about an hour, since it was already 8pm, past Shanghai rush hour.假设：的士司机与我作出了处理，将成为一个以我只有的士司机，我会作出之旅;成行，将是直接的，沿沪宁高速公路连接这两个城市;此行应采取约一个小时，因为它已经是晚上八时，过去上海交通尖峰时间。 Train and bus tickets back home were sold out.火车和巴士车票回家乡出售。

I explained to the police in Suzhou the reason I refused to pay the taxi driver the 300RMB – instead, offering 200rmb – was that the driver and the taxi ring had deceived me, wasted my time and scared me half to death.我解释了向警方在苏州我之所以拒绝缴付的士司机该300rmb -相反，提供2 00rmb-是司机和的士环受骗了我，浪费我的时间和害怕，我有一半死亡。 Mind you, it was I who had called the police, because a Deal is a Deal and by golly this interpreting agreements Chinese Way was seriously getting on my nerves at the end of the trip, near 11pm.记住你，这是我谁曾呼吁警方，因为处理是一个处理和golly这个解释协定中文的方式是越来越严重，我的神经在旅程结束后，近晚上十一时。

The first carload of police called to the scene listened to me speak for about a minute, then said, “Look, take this down to the station.第一carload的警方呼吁到现场听取了我发言，约一分钟，然后说， “你看，这下来到该站。 There’s some girl a couple blocks down who’s slit her wrists and taken some drugs, we’ve got to go.” They got back into their car and screeched away.有一些女孩一对夫妇座下来谁的狭缝她的手腕和采取了一些药物，我们已经准备好去， “他们回来到他们的车和screeched消失。

Less than a minute later a second patrol car appeared on the scene.不到一分钟后，第二次巡逻车出现在现场。 This is what I told the leader of the squad:这是什么，我告诉领导人队：

I figured something wasn’t right when the Shanghai driver pulled off the highway just after the tolls. i想通的东西是不对的，当上海的司机拉过公路后收费。 A group of taxis and men smoking fags stood about.一组的士和男子吸烟fags为约。 The driver, a Mr Ma, told me to get into another taxi.该名司机，马先生告诉记者，得以进入另一部的士。 As I switched taxis, Mr. Ma told me to give the new driver the 300rmb when we got to Suzhou.正如我转的士，马先生告诉我，给新的驱动程序300rmb ，当我们到了苏州。 I’d done such a thing before in the past, so, though I was not happy about the switch, I was still on familiar ground.我要做这样的事情之前，在过去的，所以，虽然我并不感到高兴开关，我还是对熟悉的地面。 The new taxi driver got into the driver’s seat, and another, short, stout fellow piled into the passenger seat.新的士司机进入了驾驶座上，另外，短期内，斯图特研究员堆到乘客座位。 I thought the addition of this fellow odd, but didn’t say anything, as the fellow was irritatingly talkative, asking a lot of questions about anything that seem to cross his mind.我以为，除了这研究员单，但没有说什么，作为同胞是irritatingly健谈，问了很多问题，有关的事，似乎两岸主意。 He struck me as a Northern Chinese, or, at least, from Northern Jiangsu.他击中了我作为一个中国北方，或者，至少，从苏北。

The trip went along smoothly until the Kunshan exit.此行前往沿顺利，直到昆山出口。 Kunshan is halfway to Suzhou from Shanghai.昆山是苏州的一半来自上海。 I thought perhaps the driver wanted to save some money on tolls, and chose to take the 312 Highway, which was newly paved just two years before.我以为，或许司机想节省一些钱，就收费，并选择采取312公路，这是新铺平了仅仅两年之前。 Once in downtown Kunshan though, I quizzed the driver on exactly where we were going.一旦在昆山市中心，虽然，我询问了司机就正是我们将会。 I know Kunshan quite well from working on a project in the area several years back.我知道昆山不错的工作，一个项目在该地区几年回。 “There is the Science and Technology Exhibition Hall,” I pointed out to the driver, “and there is the International Building. “是有科学和技术的展览厅， ”我指出，给司机“ ，是有国际大厦。 You’re going to take the 312 back to Suzhou, right?”你打算采取312回苏州，权“ ？

The driver didn’t answer.司机没有回答。 I asked the question again.我问再问。 After a moment he turned around abruptly and said, “40-minutes; you’ll be in Suzhou in 40-minutes.”后一刻，他回过头，突然说： “ 40分钟;您将在苏州，在40分钟” 。

Fifteen minutes later we were in the countryside, outside Kunshan. 15分钟后，我们在农村，外昆山。 No where near 312.没有地方近312 。 It wasn’t just dark; it was black.它不仅是黑暗的;它是黑人。 Thoughts of two Chinese guys stopping off in the middle of a field, robbing me, possibly beating me and perhaps even killing me pounded at my skull.思想的两名中国球员停止起飞，在中东的一个领域，劫我，可能是打我，甚至造成冲击，我在我的头骨。

Soon, though, it became clear the driver was simply lost.很快，但很明显，司机被简单地丢失。 We stopped at a brothel, pink lighting spilling onto the porch.我们停在一家妓院，粉红色的灯光蔓延到阳台。 The driver shouted out his window to ask directions.司机高呼他的窗口，要求的方向。 One of the toughs near the doorway shouted back.其中的toughs附近的大门口，高呼回。 Minutes later we were at a small bus station – more like a car park, really.几分钟后我们在一个小型公共汽车站-越来越像一个停车场，真的。 The bald, talkative fellow in the front seat piled out of the car, took his belongings from the trunk, and bolted in the direction of a large traditional Chinese gate.该秃头，健谈的研究员在前排座位堆出来的汽车，采取了他的财物，从主干，并在螺栓的方向，一个大中国传统的门。

Another half hour more of being lost in the countryside near Kunshan, asking for directions every ten minutes, eventually brought us to Highway 312.另一半小时，更被遗失在农村附近的昆山，要求为方向，每隔十分钟，最终为我们带来了公路312 。 I was fuming.我是烟。 I sent a text message ahead to a Chinese friend to meet me at the front gate of my apartment complex, and to bring a security guard.我发送的文字讯息未来的一个中国朋友，以满足我在门口我的公寓大楼，并把一名保安员。 I was damned if I was going to pay full.我是该死的，如果我去支付全额。 And I was willing to argue through the night about it, if needed.我愿意说，通过晚，如果需要。

Nearly three hours after setting out from Shanghai I arrived at the gate.近3个小时后，订明由上海我到达门口。 I stepped out of the car, waited for my friend. i步出车，等待我的朋友。 I needed the friend and the guard as witnesses, and, hopefully, as a restraint should things get nasty.我需要朋友和民警卫队作为证人，并且希望，作为一个克制，应该得到的东西，讨厌。

When my friend arrived with a guard in tow I broke it to the driver I refused to pay him the 300rmb we had agreed on.当我的朋友抵达，与一名警卫在拖车打破它给司机我拒绝支付他300rmb ，我们已同意。 I enumerated all my grievances, as well as the fact that he had scared the wits out of me in the countryside. i列举了我所有的怨气，以及作为事实上，他曾害怕了斗智斗勇，出于我在农村。 We had an agreement, simple, direct, and he took latitude with it.我们有一个协议，简单，直接，和他同纬度。 It didn’t matter whether I was a Westerner or not; he had wasted my time and had not fulfilled his obligation.它没有，无论我是一个西方人或没有;他曾浪费我的时间和没有履行他的义务。 Of course, he disagreed.当然，他不同意。

One of the reasons he disagreed was that he promised the taxi ring back in Shanghai 220rmb, while he received the balance of payment.其中一个原因，他不同意的是，他答应了的士环回在上海220rmb ，而他收到了收支平衡。 I told him that was his problem, not mine.我告诉他，这是他的问题，而不是地雷。 If he had had a side arrangement, I insisted, he should have asked me if it was alright to take an additional hour or more to go out of my way for his friend or whoever baldie was.如果他不得不边安排，我坚持，他应该问我，如果是好的采取额外小时或以上的走出去我的方式或他的朋友，谁是巴尔迪耶。

Every once in a while my friend would step in to re-phrase what I said, to hammer the point home.每一次，而我的朋友会加强在重新词组是什么，我说，锤点回家。 When it was clear the driver would accept nothing less than the original amount agreed to I called the police.当很明显，司机将接受任何少于原来的数额同意我打电话报警。

Soon after the second carload of cops arrived.后不久，第二carload的警察抵达。 The driver immediately began speaking in the local Suzhou dialect to the leader of the group of police, a tall, heavy-set fellow with a severe crew cut.司机立即开始发言，在当地的苏州方言的领袖集团的警察，一高，重型载研究员严重的船员削减。

I immediately interrupted, said to the officer, “Number one.我立即打断说，向主任， “数目1 。 It was I who called you; not him.这是我所谓的谁，你不是他。 Number two…” I looked at the driver, “You speak Mandarin.人数2 … … “我看着司机， ”你讲普通话。 No local dialect.” He smiled coyly, knowing he was caught out.没有当地的方言。 “他笑着coyly ，知道他被抓获。

Crew Cut said to the driver, after I explained my side of the story, “You wasted this guy’s time, and you scared him witless.船员削减说，给司机，当我解释我身边的故事， “你浪费了这个家伙的时间，和你害怕他witless 。 Take whatever he gives you.” The driver was a little surprised, unhappy, but not angry.采取一切他给你“ 。司机有点惊讶，表示不满，但不能愤怒。 He knew he was beat.他知道他是击败。 “Look,” he said softly, “I really need 250rmb, ok? “你看，他说： ”温柔， “我真的需要250rmb ，确定呢？ I have to pay the Shanghai guys, and I pay for my gas.”我已支付上海家伙，我要为我的气“ 。

I conferred with my Chinese friend a moment, who felt the guy should get 250rmb. i赋予我的中国朋友的时刻，谁认为家伙应得的250rmb 。 Though I still wanted only to pay 200rmb, I could see my friend’s point, and seven more dollars in my pocket wasn’t going to make me any happier.虽然我仍想只支付200rmb ，我可以看到我的朋友的角度，以及七项更多的美元在我的口袋是不会使我任何快乐。 However, I had won the case, and that was what really mattered to me.不过，我已经获判胜诉，这是什么真正重要的给我。

I forked over the 250rmb to a grateful driver. i岔超过250rmb一个感谢的驱动程序。 The police waved their goodbye, and I walked through the gate home, feeling triumphant and exhausted.警察挥舞着他们的再见，我走过门的家，感到得意，并用尽。

One of the more wearying parts of living and doing business in China is that even the simplest transaction can be fraught with liberal interpretation.一个比较wearying部分生活和在中国做生意的是，连最简单的交易可以充满自由的解释。 There seems to be no end to the number of questions you can ask someone in China about the terms of a straight-forward transaction, and still not get at their true intention.似乎没有结束的问题数目，你可以要求某人在中国的有关条款，直着交易，仍然没有得到他们的真实意图。

I see over and over again here in China that negotiation, even after settled, has enough wiggle-room in the interpretation through which to drive a Mercedes truck; which, of course, rubs raw my sensibilities as an American.我看到过，并超过在这里再次在中国的谈判，甚至后，尘埃落定，有足够的wiggle室，在解释通过这些驾驶宾士车;其中，当然， rubs生我的感情，作为一个美国人。 As important as asking “Twenty Questions,” though, is developing a sixth-sense of when a transaction is veering out of control.同样重要的问： “ 20问题， ”虽然，现正制定一个第六意识，当交易是转向失去控制。 In China, some of the simplest directives, most explicitly proscribed activities become fiascoes; some comical, some tragic, many frustrating.在中国，一些简单的指令，最明确被禁止的活动，成为fiascoes ;有些滑稽，有些悲惨，许多令人沮丧。 Once then, you have developed that sixth-sense for when your counterpart is taking advantage of you, know when to back out of the deal.一旦然后，您已开发的第六意识，为当您的对口单位是利用你，知道何时退出交易。 Have an exit strategy, even if it means getting off on the side of a highway.有一个撤出战略，即使这意味着下车就一侧的公路上。

And always have the police emergency number on hand: 110.始终有警方紧急号码就手： 110 。 My Chinese friend told me, “If you really did not feel safe when they told you to change taxis, and the second fellow got in, you could have called 110.我的中国朋友告诉我， “如果你真的没有感到安全时，他们告诉你要改变的士，和第二的同胞得到的，您可以有所谓的110 。 The police will come to sort things out, and, if need be, they will take you all the way back to Suzhou.” Without detours, I would hope.警方会来排序的东西出来，而且如果需要的话，他们将带您所有的方式回到苏州， “没有弯路，我希望。

Share some of your taxi-ride stories!分享您的一些的士电召的故事！

William Dodson, General Manager威廉多德森， 总经理 Asia Base A/S 亚洲基地的一/秒 - Law & Projects, -法律及项目， This is China! 这是中国！