By Joshua Ogden-Davis /肝腦涂地

在如今競爭空前激烈的職場,為了得到晉升的機會,許多人都使盡渾身解數,好看的外表當然被視為致勝的法寶之一。然而,現實并非如大家想的如此理所當然。資深經濟學家的研究發現,男人長得帥意味著能比相貌普通的同事多掙22%的薪水,而長得漂亮卻不會讓女人擁有同樣的優勢。一些人仍然認為美貌和智慧在女人身上是不可共存的,因此漂亮的女人多被認為工作能力不會太強,但是這種“無腦金發美人”綜合癥的看法卻不會對男人的薪水造成影響。
Hugo: Good morning, Lola.
Lola: Oh, hey, Hugo.
Hugo: What were you and Sarah talking about just now?①You both looked pretty up in arms about something.
Lola: Oh, that? Well, we were just venting about Jenny. Hugo: Go on! What about her?
Lola: I mean, can you believe it?
Hugo: Believe what? Youre losing me here.
Lola: You havent heard? The boss picked her over Sarah for the new management position.
Hugo: Ouch! That cant be easy for Sarah, but then again, Jenny has been working hard lately.
Lola: Are you crazy? Sarah has been in the company for way longer than Jenny! Come on, dont pretend you dont know the real reason why Jenny got the promotion.
Hugo: You dont mean…you think Jenny got promoted just for her looks?
Lola: Well, what else could it be? Shes even been wearing short skirts lately, and putting on enough 1)makeup for an opera singer. Hugo: ②Be that as it may, she has been keeping her nose to the grindstone. Maybe she earned it with her sweat instead of her smile.
Lola: ③So youre sticking up for her, too? Sheesh, you men are all the same.
Hugo: Not necessarily. Actually, beauty can be a double-edged sword for professional women.
Lola: How could that possibly be?
Hugo: ④Well, its true that a lot of women can move up the ladder just by 2)flirting with the right manager, but its also easy to fall into the “dumb blonde” 3)stereotype.
Lola: Jennys a 4)brunette.
Hugo: Dont change the subject! The point is, some people still believe that a woman cant have both brains and beauty.
Lola: I guess thats true. A lot of people assume Im dumb just because Im so beautiful.
Hugo: Uh…exactly. Just because of your looks, you might get passed over for a promotion.
Lola: Well, thats not exactly fair, either. Being a woman sure isnt easy.
Hugo: ⑤Tell me about it. ⑥But actually, on this point, women really get the short end of the stick.
Lola: What are you talking about?
Hugo: Studies show that attractive men can earn 20% more than average-looking men.
Lola: What? How is that possible?
Hugo: Theres no “dumb blonde” stereotype for men. Basically, being handsome has no 5)downside.
Lola: ⑦So the lookers always get promoted more than the average Joe?
Hugo: You got it. Why do you think Edward got that promotion last year instead of me?
Lola: Hey, maybe youre right! Im gonna go tell Sarah about this right now!
Hugo: Hey! I was joking about Edward. Im totally hotter than him…arent I?
Lola: Uh…exactly. Oh, hey! Sarah! You wont believe what“Handsome Hugo” just told me…
雨果:早上好,勞拉。
勞拉:噢,嘿,雨果。
雨果:剛才你和莎拉在說什么?你們兩個看起來都很火大。
勞拉:噢,是嗎?好吧,我們在聊詹妮的事。
雨果:繼續!她怎么了?
勞拉:我的意思是,你能相信嗎?
雨果:相信什么?你把我弄糊涂了。
勞拉:你還沒聽說嗎?老板把新的管理職位給了她而不是莎拉。
雨果:哎喲!莎拉肯定接受不了,但是,詹妮最近工作很認真。
勞拉:你沒事吧?莎拉來公司的時間比詹妮長得多。算了吧,別假裝你不知道詹妮升職的真正原因。
雨果:你的意思不會是……你認為詹妮只是因為她的外貌而升職?
勞拉:嗯,還有什么理由呢?她最近甚至穿上了超短裙,妝濃到都可以去唱戲了。
雨果:盡管如此,她最近一直在埋頭苦干。也許她不是靠外表而是靠努力取勝。
勞拉:所以你也替她說話對吧?哼,你們男人都一樣。
雨果:不一定。事實上,美貌對職場女性來說是把雙刃劍。
勞拉:那怎么可能?
雨果:好吧,確實有很多女性因為與老板調情而晉升,但是她們很容易被貼上“無腦金發美女”的標簽。
勞拉:詹妮是個黑牡丹。
雨果:別轉移話題!問題是,一些人還是認為女性不可能同時擁有智慧和美貌。
勞拉:我想這是對的。很多人覺得我很笨,只是因為我很漂亮。
雨果:呃……正確。你可能只是憑借長相就可以升職。
勞拉:嗯,但這也很不公平。做一個女人真的很不容易。
雨果:可不是嘛。但事實上,在這方面,女性真的很吃虧。
勞拉:你在說什么?
雨果:研究表明長得帥的男性比相貌平平的男性要多掙20%的工資。勞拉:什么?這怎么可能?
雨果:對男性來講沒有“美貌無腦”這一說。基本上,長得帥沒有劣勢。
勞拉:所以長得好看的人總是比普通人擁有更多的晉升機會?
雨果:你懂了。你認為為什么去年升職的是愛德華而不是我?
勞拉:嘿,也許你是對的!我現在就去跟莎拉說!
雨果:嘿!我只是在拿愛德華開玩笑。我肯定比他帥多了,不是嗎?
勞拉:呃……當然。那我應該對她說:“噢,嘿,莎拉!你不知道帥雨果剛告訴我什么……”
Smart Sentences
① You both looked pretty up in arms about something. 你們兩個看起來都很火大。
up in arms: outraged, angry(發怒,惱火)。例如:
There is no need to get up in arms over such a small matter.沒有必要為小事生氣。
② Be that as it may, she has been keeping her nose to the grindstone. 盡管如此,她最近一直在埋頭苦干。
be that as it may: used to express ones reservation about what the other person just said, same as “even if what you say is true”(用以表達對對方所說有所保留,等同于“even if what you say is true”)。例如:
—l dont think Wendy did that on purpose; shes been under a lot of pressures lately.
我覺得文迪不是故意的,她最近壓力很大。
—Be that as it may, she should not have said that to Mom and Dad.
即使那樣,她也不應該對父母說那些話。
③ So youre sticking up for her, too? 所以你也替她說話對吧?
stick up for sb.: speak in favor of sb.(替某人說話)。例如:
Everyone was making unpleasant remarks about Jerry, but I stuck up for him.
人人都在說杰里的壞話,但我替他說話。
④ Well, its true that a lot of women can move up the ladder just by flirting with the right manager, but its also easy to fall into the “dumb blonde” stereotype. 好吧,確實有很多女性因為與老板調情而晉升,但是她們很容易被貼上“無腦金發美女”的標簽。
move up the ladder: progress higher in an organization(晉升、往上走)。例如:
I dont envy her moving up the ladder, but Im interested in her improved analytical skills.
對于她的晉升,我并不羨慕,我對她分析能力的提高感興趣。
⑤ Tell me about it. 可不是嘛。
tell me about it: used to express agreement with the other person, same as “I had the same thought”(用于表達與他人意見一致,等同于“I had the same thought”)。例如:
—Danny and Joe are talking so loud over there and its really bothersome.
丹尼跟喬在那邊說話聲音太大,真煩人。
—Yeah, tell me about it.
唉,可不是嘛。
⑥ But actually, on this point, women really get the short end of the stick. 但事實上,在這方面,女性真的很吃虧。
get the short end of the stick: the smaller or less desirable part, rank, task, or amount(不足的一份,不公平的待遇)。例如:
Shes unhappy because she got the short end of the stick again.
再一次受到不公平待遇,她很不高興。
⑦ So the lookers always get promoted more than the average Joe? 所以長得好看的人總是比普通人擁有更多的晉升機會?
average Joe: a completely average person(普通人)。例如:
I dont have any high expectations. Im just an average Joe.
我沒有什么高要求,我只不過是個普通人。