That is good news, and not just for Unilever. Since January the company has been on the front line of the covid-19 outbreak.
As one of the world’s biggest consumer-goods firms, it sells food, hygiene products and other more or less essential staples to 2.5bn customers in 190 countries.
Without continued availability of its wares the pandemic’s toll would almost certainly be even greater.
Listening to Mr Jope it becomes clear how many rules of business the pandemic has shattered.
The impact on production, consumption and generation of profit is even greater than on office work.
The nature of the top job, which he has held since January 2019, has changed, too.
In the past the hallmark of a good boss was a strategic mind. The covid era is all about the here and now.
这是《经济学人》2020年3月刊的一篇文章'A dispatch from the home front'第2、3段，共7句。
1、
这是一个好消息，不仅仅是对联合利华。从1月开始公司就已经处在covid-19爆发的最前线。
2、
{'hygiene':'n.卫生'}
{'staples':'订书钉，基本食物，主食'}
最为全球最大的消费者商品公司，联合利华为190个国家近25亿用户提供食物，卫生用品以及其他或多或少的必备主食
3、
{'wares':'商品，货物'}
{'toll':'（灾难造成的）毁坏'}
没有持续的供给商品的能力，可以确定的是这次灾难的破坏力将会更大。
4、
{'shattered':'破坏'}
听Jope先生的讲话，很清晰的知道这次有多少商业规则遭到疾病大流行的破坏。
5、
对生产，消费和创造利润的影响甚至比对办公室的影响更大。
6、
2019年1月以来，他担任最高职位的性质也发生了变化。
7、
{'hallmark':'特征、特点'}
here and now：此时此刻
在过去，一个好的老板的特点是具有战略思维。眼下“covid时代”就是全部。
--总结--
词汇依然是读懂文章最根本的条件，但也是需要持续积累的一件事，只要坚持下去，慢慢就能掌握。
【词汇部分】
{'hygiene':'n.卫生'}
{'staples':'订书钉，基本食物，主食'}
{'wares':'商品，货物'}
{'toll':'（灾难造成的）毁坏'}
{'shattered':'破坏'}
{'hallmark':'特征、特点'}
here and now：此时此刻
