Vassals and conscripts may work hard , but they don 't work willingly ......

侍从和佣兵可能会努力工作，但他们并不情愿……

Russia 's neighbours are told they can be vassals or enemies .

俄罗斯的邻国得知，它们若不臣服于俄罗斯，便是俄罗斯的敌人。

Lords and vassals employed the language of friendship .

主人和家臣使用友谊的语言。

It " virtually guarantees that a company will never get the best out of its people ... vassals and conscripts may work hard , but they don 't work willingly ... an enthusiastic workforce will consistently outperform one that is merely industrious . "

它“实际上确保了一个公司永远不可能从员工身上得到最多……侍从和佣兵可能会努力工作，但他们并不情愿……一个富有激情的工作团队永远会比一个仅仅是勤劳的团队表现得更好。”

For a man such as vladimir putin , who calls the collapse of the loathsome soviet union the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century , using russia 's energy riches to pamper or punish its former vassals according to whim must seem like a natural thing to do .

像弗拉基米尔普京这种把令人憎恶的苏联的解体称作是20世纪的最大地缘政治灾难的人在按照自己变幻莫测的想法来运用俄罗斯的能源财富去操纵和惩罚它过往的从属国家的时候，会把事情做得非常自然。