ESL Podcast 412 - Corporate Spying

http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=5936173

Slow dialogue: 1:40
Explanations: 3:55
Fast dialogue: 17:35

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Joachim: I'm really having second thoughts about hiring a firm to do corporate spying for us. I don't want to do anything that's ethically questionable.

Dawn: We have no choice but to do it. All of our competitors conduct corporate espionage.

Joachim: I can understand spying on our competitors, but I draw the line at having us snoop on our own employees.

Dawn: We wouldn't unless our backs were against the wall. I know you're thinking about Hewer Placket hiring investigators to find a leak in their company. I'm sure it was a hard decision for them, but they couldn't allow anyone in their own company to leak trade secrets.

Joachim: True, it was necessary, but I don't like being deceptive with our own employees. I won't allow wiretaps or any invasion of privacy.

Dawn: Our first priority would be damage control, not privacy. In any case, we're not making a decision to spy within the company right now. We're only after our rival's information. The investigators we're hiring know the difference between legal and illegal spying. They'll schmooze at trade shows, scour legal records, and do other things like that. They'll know where to draw the line.

Joachim: I hope you're right. I don't want to end up on the front page of the Times!


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- to have second thought about sth : to need to change mind about sth, to reconsider sth
- to be questionable : problematic , maybe right but may not be right
- to draw the line at sth: this is last thing I'm willing to do
- to snoop : to spy but not get the important or very secret info from sb, just get common info
- to have your back against the wall : not to have another options, only one thing to do
- leak (n): sb who gives secret info to people outside your company
- to be deceptive : to lie, not tell the truth
- damage control : to make bad situation looks better, less harmful
- rival (n) : competitor
- to scour : look though , read over


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Thanks,
Duy Lam