Vocabulary notes

to inherit v - наследовать

to succeed v - преуспеть

to fail v - терпеть неудачу; разоряться

chief n - шеф-повар

“blue ribbon”n - «голубая лента» – почётный титул, присуждаемый мастеру высшей квалификации, чаще всего в поварском искусстве

B)

Lisa - Hi, Nancy! You’re looking pretty fit! Do you exercise very much?

Nancy - Glad to see you, Liz. To tell the truth, I have no time for exercises. I’ve been working too much for the last two weeks, so I’ve lost a good couple of kilograms. You know, it’s not easy business running a company.

Lisa - I know that quite well, Nancy. I’ve been running my beauty shop for two years and I’ve got a lot of problems. Yes, I work for myself and I make my own decisions, but I work day and night! I need experienced managers and specialists but I’m short of finance to offer them higher salaries. As the proprietor, I have to pay much for credit! Banks are likely to charge higher interest rates to small companies than to large ones.

Nancy - Oh, Liz, nothing is to be done with it! Proprietorships have too many disadvantages, haven’t they? My cosmetics and perfumery shop is doing quite well and I’m thinking of expanding, but my financial resources are limited.

Lisa - Look Nancy! What about working as a team? I mean we could form a partnership. If we combine our capital and skills, we’ll expand our business for larger profits. Just imagine! Your cosmetics will be sold in my beauty shop. Furthermore, your cosmetics will be used in the beauty shop and it will be recommended to our clients.

Nancy - It sounds interesting! We’ve known each other for many years, Liz, and I think we’ll get along very well. Your idea seems really great! Being partners we can start a more ambitious enterprise. One day it might grow from a small firm into a beauty empire.

Lisa - That would be great! The matter needs thinking out. First of all it is necessary to decide which type of partnership suits us best of all. And we should get a lawyer’s advice on the partnership agreement. We’ll have time to discuss everything in detail.

Vocabulary notes

fit adj - в хорошей форме; здоровый

beauty shop n - салон красоты

interest rate n - процентная ставка

to get along v - ладить (с кем-либо)

empire n - империя

С)

Ron - Look, Harry! What about going into business together? We are both doctors with a large practice and we could start a small private clinic – a kind of partnership. It would bring us a handsome profit.

Harry - Oh Ron, I’m not much of a businessman. I’m too lazy for it. I’ve been curing my patients for many years and I don’t feel like having adventures. My aunt says that adventure is a romantic name for trouble.

Ron - Your aunt is too pessimistic, isn’t she? Pessimism never won any battle.

Harry - Maybe you’re right, Ron. You see, my aunt is an old lonely woman and she always takes care of me. I’m her only nephew. She is good at finance and she advised me to invest in a flourishing corporation.

Ron - Did you follow her advice?

Harry - Oh, yes and I’m a stockholder now.

Ron - What’s the name of the corporation?

Harry - “Claire Lu Cliff Incorporated”. It has been producing jeans and sportswear since 1965 and it is really big and successful. As far as I know, it employs about 150,000 people and it is still being expanded.

Ron - Sounds impressive! Well, how do you like being a stockholder?

Harry - It’s great! I’ve got rid of making financial decisions – I left that to the management of the corporation. And it proved to be competent and qualified; otherwise I wouldn’t receive such high dividends.

Ron - Are they really high?

Harry - They are. They’ve been growing constantly ever since I became a shareholder. My aunt is very pleased with it. She is sure I’ll receive twice as much dividends next year.

Ron - Aren’t you a little self-confident, Harry? How can she know about it?

Harry - My aunt has lived a long life, Ron and she makes no mistakes as a rule.

Ron - Your aunt is a fantastic woman! What’s her name by the way?

Harry - Haven’t I told you yet? She is Claire Lu Cliff.