By William Dodson由威廉多德森

A simple taxi ride from Shanghai to Suzhou put me very much in mind of developing contracts with Chinese – even the simplest of contracts. 一個簡單的出租車，從上海到蘇州付諸表決，我很介意在發展中國家的合約，與中國-哪怕是最簡單的合同。 Very seldom in business do Chinese adhere to the Letter of the Law, while they exorcise its Spirit at their earliest convenience. 很少在業務上做中國堅持以信法，而他們的儺舞的精神，在其方便時儘早。 And if the agreement is verbal, then watch out! 如果是口頭協議，然後觀賞出去！

The deal was this: for 300RMB – including tolls – the Shanghai driver would take me to Suzhou.協議是：為300rmb -包括收費-上海司機帶我到蘇州。 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.假設：的士司機與我作出了處理，將成為一個以我只有的士司機，我會作出之旅;成行，將是直接的，沿滬寧高速公路連接這兩個城市;此行應採取約一個小時，因為它已經是晚上八時，過去上海交通尖峰時間。 Train and bus tickets back home were sold out.火車和巴士車票回家鄉出售。

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.我解釋了向警方在蘇州我之所以拒絕繳付的士司機該300rmb -相反，提供2 00rmb-是司機和的士環受騙了我，浪費我的時間和害怕，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.記住你，這是我誰曾呼籲警方，因為處理是一個處理和golly這個解釋協定中文的方式是越來越嚴重，我的神經在旅程結束後，近晚上十一時。

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的警方呼籲到現場聽取了我發言，約一分鐘，然後說， “你看，這下來到該站。 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.有一些女孩一對夫婦座下來誰的狹縫她的手腕和採取了一些藥物，我們已經準備好去， “他們回來到他們的車和screeched消失。

Less than a minute later a second patrol car appeared on the scene.不到一分鐘後，第二次巡邏車出現在現場。 This is what I told the leader of the squad:這是什麼，我告訴領導人隊：

I figured something wasn’t right when the Shanghai driver pulled off the highway just after the tolls. i想通的東西是不對的，當上海的司機拉過公路後收費。 A group of taxis and men smoking fags stood about.一組的士和男子吸煙fags為約。 The driver, a Mr Ma, told me to get into another taxi.該名司機，馬先生告訴記者，得以進入另一部的士。 As I switched taxis, Mr. Ma told me to give the new driver the 300rmb when we got to Suzhou.正如我轉的士，馬先生告訴我，給新的驅動程序300rmb ，當我們到了蘇州。 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.我要做這樣的事情之前，在過去的，所以，雖然我並不感到高興開關，我還是對熟悉的地面。 The new taxi driver got into the driver’s seat, and another, short, stout fellow piled into the passenger seat.新的士司機進入了駕駛座上，另外，短期內，斯圖特研究員堆到乘客座位。 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.我以為，除了這研究員單，但沒有說什麼，作為同胞是irritatingly健談，問了很多問題，有關的事，似乎兩岸主意。 He struck me as a Northern Chinese, or, at least, from Northern Jiangsu.他擊中了我作為一個中國北方，或者，至少，從蘇北。

The trip went along smoothly until the Kunshan exit.此行前往沿順利，直到崑山出口。 Kunshan is halfway to Suzhou from Shanghai.崑山是蘇州的一半來自上海。 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.我以為，或許司機想節省一些錢，就收費，並選擇採取312公路，這是新鋪平了僅僅兩年之前。 Once in downtown Kunshan though, I quizzed the driver on exactly where we were going.一旦在崑山市中心，雖然，我詢問了司機就正是我們將會。 I know Kunshan quite well from working on a project in the area several years back.我知道崑山不錯的工作，一個項目在該地區幾年回。 “There is the Science and Technology Exhibition Hall,” I pointed out to the driver, “and there is the International Building. “是有科學和技術的展覽廳， ”我指出，給司機“ ，是有國際大廈。 You’re going to take the 312 back to Suzhou, right?”你打算採取312回蘇州，權“ ？

The driver didn’t answer.司機沒有回答。 I asked the question again.我問再問。 After a moment he turned around abruptly and said, “40-minutes; you’ll be in Suzhou in 40-minutes.”後一刻，他回過頭，突然說： “ 40分鐘;您將在蘇州，在40分鐘” 。

Fifteen minutes later we were in the countryside, outside Kunshan. 15分鐘後，我們在農村，外崑山。 No where near 312.沒有地方近312 。 It wasn’t just dark; it was black.它不僅是黑暗的;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.思想的兩名中國球員停止起飛，在中東的一個領域，劫我，可能是打我，甚至造成衝擊，我在我的頭骨。

Soon, though, it became clear the driver was simply lost.很快，但很明顯，司機被簡單地丟失。 We stopped at a brothel, pink lighting spilling onto the porch.我們停在一家妓院，粉紅色的燈光蔓延到陽台。 The driver shouted out his window to ask directions.司機高呼他的窗口，要求的方向。 One of the toughs near the doorway shouted back.其中的toughs附近的大門口，高呼回。 Minutes later we were at a small bus station – more like a car park, really.幾分鐘後我們在一個小型公共汽車站-越來越像一個停車場，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.該禿頭，健談的研究員在前排座位堆出來的汽車，採取了他的財物，從主幹，並在螺栓的方向，一個大中國傳統的門。

Another half hour more of being lost in the countryside near Kunshan, asking for directions every ten minutes, eventually brought us to Highway 312.另一半小時，更被遺失在農村附近的崑山，要求為方向，每隔十分鐘，最終為我們帶來了公路312 。 I was fuming.我是煙。 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.我發送的文字訊息未來的一個中國朋友，以滿足我在門口我的公寓大樓，並把一名保安員。 I was damned if I was going to pay full.我是該死的，如果我去支付全額。 And I was willing to argue through the night about it, if needed.我願意說，通過晚，如果需要。

Nearly three hours after setting out from Shanghai I arrived at the gate.近3個小時後，訂明由上海我到達門口。 I stepped out of the car, waited for my friend. i步出車，等待我的朋友。 I needed the friend and the guard as witnesses, and, hopefully, as a restraint should things get nasty.我需要朋友和民警衛隊作為證人，並且希望，作為一個克制，應該得到的東西，討厭。

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.當我的朋友抵達，與一名警衛在拖車打破它給司機我拒絕支付他300rmb ，我們已同意。 I enumerated all my grievances, as well as the fact that he had scared the wits out of me in the countryside. i列舉了我所有的怨氣，以及作為事實上，他曾害怕了鬥智斗勇，出於我在農村。 We had an agreement, simple, direct, and he took latitude with it.我們有一個協議，簡單，直接，和他同緯度。 It didn’t matter whether I was a Westerner or not; he had wasted my time and had not fulfilled his obligation.它沒有，無論我是一個西方人或沒有;他曾浪費我的時間和沒有履行他的義務。 Of course, he disagreed.當然，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.其中一個原因，他不同意的是，他答應了的士環回在上海220rmb ，而他收到了收支平衡。 I told him that was his problem, not mine.我告訴他，這是他的問題，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.如果他不得不邊安排，我堅持，他應該問我，如果是好的採取額外小時或以上的走出去我的方式或他的朋友，誰是巴爾迪耶。

Every once in a while my friend would step in to re-phrase what I said, to hammer the point home.每一次，而我的朋友會加強在重新詞組是什麼，我說，錘點回家。 When it was clear the driver would accept nothing less than the original amount agreed to I called the police.當很明顯，司機將接受任何少於原來的數額同意我打電話報警。

Soon after the second carload of cops arrived.後不久，第二carload的警察抵達。 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.司機立即開始發言，在當地的蘇州方言的領袖集團的警察，一高，重型載研究員嚴重的船員削減。

I immediately interrupted, said to the officer, “Number one.我立即打斷說，向主任， “數目1 。 It was I who called you; not him.這是我所謂的誰，你不是他。 Number two…” I looked at the driver, “You speak Mandarin.人數2 … … “我看著司機， ”你講普通話。 No local dialect.” He smiled coyly, knowing he was caught out.沒有當地的方言。 “他笑著coyly ，知道他被抓獲。

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.船員削減說，給司機，當我解釋我身邊的故事， “你浪費了這個傢伙的時間，和你害怕他witless 。 Take whatever he gives you.” The driver was a little surprised, unhappy, but not angry.採取一切他給你“ 。司機有點驚訝，表示不滿，但不能憤怒。 He knew he was beat.他知道他是擊敗。 “Look,” he said softly, “I really need 250rmb, ok? “你看，他說： ”溫柔， “我真的需要250rmb ，確定呢？ I have to pay the Shanghai guys, and I pay for my gas.”我已支付上海傢伙，我要為我的氣“ 。

I conferred with my Chinese friend a moment, who felt the guy should get 250rmb. i賦予我的中國朋友的時刻，誰認為傢伙應得的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.雖然我仍想只支付200rmb ，我可以看到我的朋友的角度，以及七項更多的美元在我的口袋是不會使我任何快樂。 However, I had won the case, and that was what really mattered to me.不過，我已經獲判勝訴，這是什麼真正重要的給我。

I forked over the 250rmb to a grateful driver. i岔超過250rmb一個感謝的驅動程序。 The police waved their goodbye, and I walked through the gate home, feeling triumphant and exhausted.警察揮舞著他們的再見，我走過門的家，感到得意，並用盡。

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.一個比較wearying部分生活和在中國做生意的是，連最簡單的交易可以充滿自由的解釋。 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.似乎沒有結束的問題數目，你可以要求某人在中國的有關條款，直著交易，仍然沒有得到他們的真實意圖。

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.我看到過，並超過在這裡再次在中國的談判，甚至後，塵埃落定，有足夠的wiggle室，在解釋通過這些駕駛賓士車;其中，當然， rubs生我的感情，作為一個美國人。 As important as asking “Twenty Questions,” though, is developing a sixth-sense of when a transaction is veering out of control.同樣重要的問： “ 20問題， ”雖然，現正制定一個第六意識，當交易是轉向失去控制。 In China, some of the simplest directives, most explicitly proscribed activities become fiascoes; some comical, some tragic, many frustrating.在中國，一些簡單的指令，最明確被禁止的活動，成為fiascoes ;有些滑稽，有些悲慘，許多令人沮喪。 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.一旦然後，您已開發的第六意識，為當您的對口單位是利用你，知道何時退出交易。 Have an exit strategy, even if it means getting off on the side of a highway.有一個撤出戰略，即使這意味著下車就一側的公路上。

And always have the police emergency number on hand: 110.始終有警方緊急號碼就手： 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.我的中國朋友告訴我， “如果你真的沒有感到安全時，他們告訴你要改變的士，和第二的同胞得到的，您可以有所謂的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.警方會來排序的東西出來，而且如果需要的話，他們將帶您所有的方式回到蘇州， “沒有彎路，我希望。

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

William Dodson, General Manager威廉多德森， 總經理 Asia Base A/S 亞洲基地的一/秒 - Law & Projects, -法律及項目， This is China! 這是中國！