Donny在北京學(xué)漢語,他的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎么說的詞,就會來請教他。今天是楊琳要問的:拍馬屁。
DN: 楊琳, what are you reading?
YL: 我在看一本暢銷小說,講的是白領(lǐng)們在公司里奮斗的事兒。
DN: But you're still a college student. Why are you interested in the life of office workers?
YL: 先學(xué)習(xí)啊! 我看了這書才知道,這小小的辦公室里有那么多明爭暗斗! 對了,Donny, 用美語怎么形容辦公室里的勾心斗角?。?br />
DN: You can use the term "office politics."
YL: 哦! Office 是辦公室,politics是政治,office politics辦公室政治,就是指同事之間的勾心斗角嘍。
DN: Yes. Office politics are very common at the workplace. Some people say the office is like a modern jungle, and only the fittest can survive.
YL: 啊?你說辦公室是現(xiàn)代叢林,適者才能生存?可以想像......雖然我還沒上過班,可即使在學(xué)校,處理同學(xué)間的關(guān)系也是門學(xué)問。
DN: For example?
YL: 比如,我們組長就特愛拍老師馬屁,大家都不喜歡她。對了,這拍馬屁美語怎么說?
DN: You can use the phrase "to suck up to somebody". For example, your team leader sucks up to the teachers, so other students don't like her.
YL: 大家都說,千穿萬穿,馬屁不穿,一點沒錯。老師對我們組長可好了,偏心!
DN: Hmm, teachers are not supposed to play favorites. That's unfair to other students.
YL: 哎?你說的play favorites就是偏心的意思嘛?
DN: That's right.
YL: 可是,上司,家長,老師都難免play favorites, 有偏心的時候。唉! 看來哪里都有politics啊!
DN: 別感慨了。說說你今天都學(xué)了什么吧!
YL: 第一,辦公室里的權(quán)力斗爭是 office politics;
第二,拍某人的馬屁是 suck up to someone;
第三:偏心是play favorites.