The Problem 問題
One of our most important suppliers is extremely difficult. I thought I was forwarding a particularly tiresome e-mail from her to a colleague and headed my message "VILE BITCH" followed by a string of (actually not unreasonable) criticism. Tragically, I sent it back to her instead. We need to continue working with her. Oh God, it's so embarrassing and difficult. I need some help.
我們最重要的供應商之一是個極難相處的人。我以為自己是在把她的一封特別煩人的電子郵件轉發(fā)給同事，在標題欄寫上了"可惡的潑婦"，然后還寫了一串（實際上并非沒有道理的）批評。悲慘的是，我沒有把郵件發(fā)給同事，而是發(fā)回給了她。我們需要繼續(xù)與她合作。天吶！這太難堪了！而且很棘手。我需要幫助。
THE ANSWER 回答
Oh God, indeed. I know how embarrassing and difficult this is, as I've done it myself. I once mistakenly sent an e-mail to the then editor of the FT in which I cruelly and unfairly parodied a conversation we had just had, making him look weak and dithering. In the split second after I pressed send I aged 10 years. I propelled myself straight into his office and grovelled. In the end, I think he found my beetroot face and pathetic jabbering so dreadful he felt sorry for me.
哦，天吶！我知道這有多難堪，多棘手，因為我自己也干過同樣的事。我曾將一封電子郵件錯發(fā)給英國《金融時報》當時的編輯。在那封郵件中，我刻毒而且不公平地模仿了我們剛剛進行的一次談話，使他看上去既軟弱，又優(yōu)柔寡斷。按下發(fā)送鍵后的一瞬間，我老了10歲。我強迫自己走進他的辦公室，低聲下氣地認錯。最后，我估計他是覺得我的面紅耳赤和可憐巴巴的絮叨是如此可怕，于是反過來開始同情我。
In a way your situation is less bad as she isn't your boss (most suppliers can be replaced), though "vile bitch" is a touch extreme and will take some apologising for.
在某種程度上，你的情況還沒有那么糟糕，因為她不是你的老板（多數供應商是可以替換的），不過"可惡的潑婦"這種說法有些極端，需要為此道歉。
Don't dream of doing it via e-mail; pick up the phone and ring the VB herself. Be careful how you do it, though. I detect from the tone of your message a tiny note of glee, as if you think she got what she deserved and the whole thing was hilarious in a gruesome sort of way. Squash those thoughts at once, and get grovelling. There is a (tiny) chance that she will be nice about it, and you'll realise that she isn't such a VB after all.
不要妄想通過電子郵件道歉；拿起電話，給"可惡的潑婦"本人打電話，但要小心行事。從你的來信中，我察覺到一絲得意，好像你認為她罪有應得，整件事既可怕又好笑。馬上丟掉這些想法，夾起尾巴做人。她有（微小的）可能會善待此事，那么你會意識到，她壓根兒就不是一個"可惡的潑婦"。
I should warn you against some of the advice below. Don't pretend someone else did it. That will make you look worse. Don't do as some do and send another e-mail with the subject line "VILE BITCH recalled". When I get these I read the original one with greater zeal.
我應當警告你，不要聽從以下的一些建議。不要假裝這件事是別人做的，那會讓你看上去更糟。不要像某些人那樣，重新發(fā)送一封電子郵件，在標題欄寫上"收回可惡的潑婦"。如果收到這樣一封郵件，我就會對最初那封郵件更上心。
And don't use this debacle to start a general discussion about the difficulties in your relationship. Given the hand grenade you've just thrown at it, you should apologise and then take cover and hope that things settle down.
另外，不要利用這次意外，對你們關系中的癥結發(fā)起一場大討論。鑒于你剛剛投出了手榴彈，你應當道歉，然后躲起來，希望事情可以平息。
It goes without saying that you should never do anything like this again. The golden rule is not to send any e-mail unless you would be happy to see it made public. But I sense you gaily disregard this rule daily, as indeed do I. Yours sounds like the sort of organisation where loose communication such as this is part of the culture. I bet you won't ever reform, but at least try to be more careful.
不用說，你永遠都不該再做類似的事情。不要發(fā)送任何你不愿意被公開的電子郵件，這是金科玉律。但我感到，你每天都在快樂地忽略這一點，就像我一樣。聽起來，這種寬松的溝通方式似乎是你們企業(yè)文化的一部分。我打賭你永遠也不會對它進行改革，但至少你要更謹慎一些。
One of our most important suppliers is extremely difficult. I thought I was forwarding a particularly tiresome e-mail from her to a colleague and headed my message "VILE BITCH" followed by a string of (actually not unreasonable) criticism. Tragically, I sent it back to her instead. We need to continue working with her. Oh God, it's so embarrassing and difficult. I need some help.
我們最重要的供應商之一是個極難相處的人。我以為自己是在把她的一封特別煩人的電子郵件轉發(fā)給同事，在標題欄寫上了"可惡的潑婦"，然后還寫了一串（實際上并非沒有道理的）批評。悲慘的是，我沒有把郵件發(fā)給同事，而是發(fā)回給了她。我們需要繼續(xù)與她合作。天吶！這太難堪了！而且很棘手。我需要幫助。
THE ANSWER 回答
Oh God, indeed. I know how embarrassing and difficult this is, as I've done it myself. I once mistakenly sent an e-mail to the then editor of the FT in which I cruelly and unfairly parodied a conversation we had just had, making him look weak and dithering. In the split second after I pressed send I aged 10 years. I propelled myself straight into his office and grovelled. In the end, I think he found my beetroot face and pathetic jabbering so dreadful he felt sorry for me.
哦，天吶！我知道這有多難堪，多棘手，因為我自己也干過同樣的事。我曾將一封電子郵件錯發(fā)給英國《金融時報》當時的編輯。在那封郵件中，我刻毒而且不公平地模仿了我們剛剛進行的一次談話，使他看上去既軟弱，又優(yōu)柔寡斷。按下發(fā)送鍵后的一瞬間，我老了10歲。我強迫自己走進他的辦公室，低聲下氣地認錯。最后，我估計他是覺得我的面紅耳赤和可憐巴巴的絮叨是如此可怕，于是反過來開始同情我。
In a way your situation is less bad as she isn't your boss (most suppliers can be replaced), though "vile bitch" is a touch extreme and will take some apologising for.
在某種程度上，你的情況還沒有那么糟糕，因為她不是你的老板（多數供應商是可以替換的），不過"可惡的潑婦"這種說法有些極端，需要為此道歉。
Don't dream of doing it via e-mail; pick up the phone and ring the VB herself. Be careful how you do it, though. I detect from the tone of your message a tiny note of glee, as if you think she got what she deserved and the whole thing was hilarious in a gruesome sort of way. Squash those thoughts at once, and get grovelling. There is a (tiny) chance that she will be nice about it, and you'll realise that she isn't such a VB after all.
不要妄想通過電子郵件道歉；拿起電話，給"可惡的潑婦"本人打電話，但要小心行事。從你的來信中，我察覺到一絲得意，好像你認為她罪有應得，整件事既可怕又好笑。馬上丟掉這些想法，夾起尾巴做人。她有（微小的）可能會善待此事，那么你會意識到，她壓根兒就不是一個"可惡的潑婦"。
I should warn you against some of the advice below. Don't pretend someone else did it. That will make you look worse. Don't do as some do and send another e-mail with the subject line "VILE BITCH recalled". When I get these I read the original one with greater zeal.
我應當警告你，不要聽從以下的一些建議。不要假裝這件事是別人做的，那會讓你看上去更糟。不要像某些人那樣，重新發(fā)送一封電子郵件，在標題欄寫上"收回可惡的潑婦"。如果收到這樣一封郵件，我就會對最初那封郵件更上心。
And don't use this debacle to start a general discussion about the difficulties in your relationship. Given the hand grenade you've just thrown at it, you should apologise and then take cover and hope that things settle down.
另外，不要利用這次意外，對你們關系中的癥結發(fā)起一場大討論。鑒于你剛剛投出了手榴彈，你應當道歉，然后躲起來，希望事情可以平息。
It goes without saying that you should never do anything like this again. The golden rule is not to send any e-mail unless you would be happy to see it made public. But I sense you gaily disregard this rule daily, as indeed do I. Yours sounds like the sort of organisation where loose communication such as this is part of the culture. I bet you won't ever reform, but at least try to be more careful.
不用說，你永遠都不該再做類似的事情。不要發(fā)送任何你不愿意被公開的電子郵件，這是金科玉律。但我感到，你每天都在快樂地忽略這一點，就像我一樣。聽起來，這種寬松的溝通方式似乎是你們企業(yè)文化的一部分。我打賭你永遠也不會對它進行改革，但至少你要更謹慎一些。