Read excerpt(eighteen)——The hidden value of Corporate Social Responsibility

    “There is one and only one social responsibility of businesses,” wrote Milton Friedman, a Nobel prize-winning economist, “That is, to use its resources and engage in activities
                                                                                                                    n.雇用,聘请;参加,从事;吸引,引起                                                                                                     promise n/v.承诺
designed to increase its profits.” But even if you accept Firedman’s premise and regard
n.设计,布局;构思;图纸;计划 v.设计,制图;构思;筹划                                    n.前提,假设 v.以……为基础,以……为前提(assume v.假设,假定 assumption n.假设,假定 )
corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies as a waste of shareholders’ money, things
a.公司的;法人的;全体的 n.公司,集团                                             n.股东
may not be absolutely clear-cut. New research suggests that CSR may create monetary
                    绝对明确                                                                                                   a.货币的,金融的         company                                                 v.起诉;检举;指控                                               
value for companies——at least when they are prosecuted for corruption.
                                                                                                           n.贪污,腐败;堕落

    The largest firms in America and Britain together spend more than $ 15 billion a year on
                        n.公司 a.结实的;坚决的 v.使坚实 ad.坚定地
CSR, according to an estimate by EPG, a consulting firm. This could add value to their
                                      n/v.估计                    a.咨询的,顾问的(consult v.咨询;商量)
businesses in three ways. First, consumers may take CSR spending as a “signal” that a company’s products are of high quality. Second, customers may be willing to buy a
                                                       quantity
company’s products as an indirect way to donate to the good causes it helps. And third,
                                              a.间接的             v.捐赠,赠送               n.原因;事业;理由 v.引起
                                          光环效应(:从一个杰出的个性特征的感知中，对整个个性进行过度有利的评估的概括。)                                     adv/conj.凭此,借以                                     consider
through a more diffuse “halo effect,” whereby its good deeds earn it greater consideration
                            v.扩散,弥漫;传播,散布 a.扩散的,弥漫的     n.行为;证书;功绩 v.立契转让
from consumers and others.