The world is full of second-rate businesses, and becoming a partner in a really good one is hard to do. It is easy to fool oneself into thinking a new proposition is high-quality. But such opportunities are rare – most situations are inferior, while growth is difficult and profits elusive.
二流企業(yè)到處都是，成為一家真正優(yōu)秀的企業(yè)的合伙人絕非易事。我們很容易欺騙自己，以為新投資企業(yè)是也是好企業(yè)。但這樣的機會少之又少，多數(shù)情況下遇到的都比較差，增長乏力，利潤不穩(wěn)定。
Giraffe was a particularly gratifying adventure because I worked alongside highly professional partners, the founders Russel and Juliette Joffe, who made it fun as well as lucrative. Of course, not everything we did together was perfect, but mostly it succeeded – and I felt lucky to be a part of it.
長頸鹿餐廳是一家尤其讓人愉悅的企業(yè)，因為與我合作的都是非常專業(yè)的合伙人，創(chuàng)始人羅塞爾•約夫和朱麗葉特•約夫夫婦讓這家餐廳變得既有趣，又頗具盈利能力。當然，并非我們一起所做的一切都完美無缺，但它大體上是成功的，我很幸運成為了其中的一部分。
My partners were constantly challenging and sometimes demanding – but these are necessary traits if you want to construct a real business from scratch. That is why the company of entrepreneurs is so invigorating: they do not simply accept the world as it is but see potential – and proceed to act by making that vision tangible.
我的合伙人一直很有挑戰(zhàn)性，有時有點苛求，但如果你想要白手起家、創(chuàng)建一家真正的企業(yè)，那么這些都是必要的素質(zhì)。這就是與企業(yè)家合作是如此鼓舞人心的原因：他們不接受事情本來的樣子，而是看到了潛在可能性，繼而行動起來、讓夢想成真。
A highlight of my years at Giraffe was the annual staff awards – the so-called Goscars. A couple of years ago, the MC read out a marvellous letter from a customer who regularly brought her disabled son to our Hampstead branch. The writer explained that Giraffe was the only restaurant her son ever went to because the staff always recognised him by name and treated him like a VIP. I felt privileged to be part of the Giraffe family when I heard that story.
我在長頸鹿餐廳的幾年里，最精彩的部分是每年的員工頒獎，即所謂的長頸鹿奧斯卡(Goscar)。幾年前，頒獎禮主持人讀了一封精彩的顧客來信，這位顧客經(jīng)常帶她的殘疾兒子到我們的漢普斯特德分店吃飯。她解釋道，長頸鹿餐廳是唯一一家她兒子去過的餐廳，因為那里的員工不但總能叫出他的名字，而且把他當成VIP來接待。當聽到這個故事時，我為自己曾是長頸鹿家族的一員而感到榮幸。
The sale process had its moments of drama, as is normally the case. Emotions are apt to run high when the numbers are big and individuals have invested so many years of their lives in a venture that is about to change hands.
出售過程通常有著戲劇性的時刻。當收購價開得很高，而且已把生命中的很多年奉獻給了一家即將轉手的企業(yè)的時候，人們往往會情緒激動。
Part of me didn’t really want to depart but I realised the offer price was attractive and that it was the right step in the evolution of the business.
有時，我確實不想說再見，但我知道，出價很吸引人，這是企業(yè)發(fā)展過程中正確的一步。
The company has been bought by Tesco, the huge UK-based retailer. I hope it treats its acquisition well and preserves the culture. It must try to retain the hundreds of decent employees who make it innovative and exciting. Luckily, the founders are staying on board.
長頸鹿餐廳已被英國零售巨擘樂購(Tesco)收購。我希望樂購能好好待它，并保持這種文化。樂購必須努力留住數(shù)百名優(yōu)秀員工，他們讓長頸鹿餐廳變成一個富于創(chuàng)新、令人興奮的企業(yè)。幸運的是，該公司創(chuàng)始人仍在董事會任職。
Meanwhile, I am going back to the drawing board, resuming an endless search for the next big thing. If I find another opportunity like Giraffe, I shall be fortunate indeed.
與此同時，我將回到我的畫板前，重新開始無休止地尋找下一個寶貝。如果還能物色到一個像長頸鹿餐廳那樣的機會，那么我的運氣真是太好了。