As he took over the presidency, in 1933, unemployment started to fall and GDP began to rise; the latter rose by 9.5% a year in his first term of office. Although there was plenty of doubt about the route that Roosevelt took, there was no question about his desired destination, whether ending the Depression or winning the second world war. He communicated his message clearly and often—a lesson to modern bosses, even if they prefer Twitter to fireside chats on the wireless.
Take over
1.接收，接管(公司)
●A British newspaper says British Airways plan to take over Trans World Airways.
一家英国报纸称，英国航空公司计划接管环球航空公司。
2. (武力)占领，接管，控制
●The parliament in Madrid was taken over by civil guards.
马德里议会大厦被国民警卫队接管了。
3. 接替;接任;接手
His widow has taken over the running of his empire, including six London theatres...
他的遗孀已接手管理他创下的帝国，其中包括6家伦敦剧院。
4. 取代;代替;占上风
●Cars gradually took over from horses...
汽车逐渐替代了马匹。
Communicate information / a message传递信息
译文：1933年他就任总统后，失业率开始下降，GDP上升。在他首个任期内，GDP的年增速达到9.5%。虽然罗斯福采取的方法引发了诸多疑虑，但他想要达到的目标却是无可置疑的，不管是终结大萧条还是赢得二战胜利。他频繁而清晰地传达自己的信息，这一点值得现代的老板们学习——哪怕比起利用无线电与民众来场“炉边谈话”，他们更愿意发推特。
That made him popular enough with voters to remain at the helm for 12 years, until his death in 1945—twice as long as shareholders in America tolerate a typical chief executive today, and three times as long as they do in Britain. Although he was flexible on economic policy, he was unimpressed by ideologies such as fascism and communism, and remained true to the core principles of the American enterprise. Many executives would do well to emulate Roosevelt’s confidence in his own judgment and his ability to convey it (it helped that this confidence seldom proved unjustified).
1. At the helm: in charge of an organization, project, etc.负责，掌管
Steering a boat or ship掌舵
Take the helm: to take charge of an organization, project, etc.担任领导人，掌管
To begin steering a boat or ship开始掌舵
2. Unimpressed 没有留下深刻印象的；不以为然的
●Kitty's family was unworldly, unimpressed by power, or money.
基蒂一家清心寡欲，淡泊金钱与权力。
●He was also very unimpressed by his teachers...
他对他的老师也很不以为然。
●Graham Fletcher was unimpressed with the idea of filling in a lengthy questionnaire.
格雷厄姆·弗莱彻对填写冗长的调查问卷这种事没什么兴趣。
译文：炉边谈话让罗斯福在选民中获得了足够的好感，而得以掌舵美国12年，直到1945年去世。任期之久，比现在美国的股东通常可忍受的CEO在位时间长一倍，比英国的长两倍。虽然罗斯福在经济政策上能灵活变通，但他不为法西斯主义和共产主义这类思想体系所动，矢志不移地坚守美国企业经营之道的核心准则。许多高管都应效仿罗斯福，像他那样坚信自己的判断并将信心传递给他人（罗斯福的自信很少是那种毫无道理的偏执，这一点也很重要）。
Like Roosevelt, Churchill was supremely confident. His political career contained numerous mistakes and many episodes of poor judgment, not least when it came to his attitude towards citizens of British colonies. He would not have lasted long as a modern chief executive, given his bad temper, excessive drinking and eccentric working hours. He was never short of ideas but his subordinates learned to ignore most of them. Like Steve Jobs, a similarly mercurial figure, the first part of his career ended in failure.
Episode: an event, a situation, or a period of time in sb's life, a novel, etc. that is important or interesting in some way（人生的）一段经历；（小说的）片段，插曲
●I'd like to try and forget the whole episode.
我倒想尽量把那段经历全部忘掉。
译文：和罗斯福一样，丘吉尔也无比自信。他在政治生涯中犯下很多错误，也多次出现过判断失误，尤其是在对待英国殖民地居民的态度方面。如果他是个现代的CEO，以他的坏脾气、嗜酒成性和异于常人的工作时间，这个位子恐怕坐不久。他从来都不乏创见，但他的下属学会了无视它们中的大部分。和性情同样反复无常的乔布斯一样，丘吉尔职业生涯的第一阶段也以失败告终。
But as with Apple’s founder, Churchill’s other qualities won out. His strategic insight was unrivalled, whether recognising that Hitler was a threat to the world in the 1930s or refusing a peace deal with Germany in the dark days of 1940. He was canny in using his charm to get aid from Roosevelt before America entered the war—and flexible when he accepted an alliance with Stalin’s Russia, despite his lifelong anti-communism. His bulldog attitude and powerful speeches inspired after a succession of mediocre leaders.
译文：但和这位苹果创始人一样，丘吉尔的其他品质占了上风。他的战略眼光无人能出其右，不管是在上世纪30年代认识到希特勒对于全世界都是个威胁，还是在1940年的黑暗岁月里拒绝与德国达成和平协议。他精明地运用自己的魅力，在美国参战前赢得了罗斯福的援助，而且还懂得变通，肯与斯大林领导的苏联结盟，尽管他毕生反对共产主义。在经历了一个又一个平庸的领导人之后，英国终于有了丘吉尔这样的人物，用他坚毅无畏的姿态、有强大感染力的演讲鼓舞人心。
Clear strategic goals, flexibility in tactics and an ability to inspire others. Those are three qualities that any executive or entrepreneur might usefully acquire. Bosses should read more history books.
译文：战略目标清晰，战术灵活变通，有能力激励他人——任何高管或创业家也许都能因习得这三种品质而获益。老板们应该多读一读历史。
