1． Etiquette at an office party? Why, these people have been socializing happily every working day of their lives, give or take a few melees, rumors, and complaint petitions. All it takes to turn this into holiday merriment is a bit of greenery looped around the office—the staff will soon be looped, too. Surely it is enough that the annual Christmas party has the magic ingredients: time off from work, free food and drink, and a spirit of fun replacing such ugly work realities as sexual harassment.

办公室晚会礼节？有这个必要吗？员工们每天开开心心地彼此交往，虽然时不时会推推撞撞，发生点儿口角，传播点儿谣言，或是联名写点儿投诉信。然而，只要将办公室稍做节日般的布置，所有这一切的不愉快即刻会化为其乐融融的喜庆气氛。员工们也很快会陶醉于其中，乐而忘忧。每年一次的圣诞晚会的确具有这种神奇的因素：扔下手头的工作、免费品尝美酒佳肴、还有肆意尽兴的狂欢，所有这一切均将诸如性骚扰之类令人厌恶的工作现实抛到九霄云外。

etiquette       [eti5ket, 5etiket]n.礼节

melee            [5meleI; (?@) meI5leI]n.混战, 搏斗, 格斗，口角

rumor          [5ru:mE]n.流言, 谣言, 传闻vt.谣传, 传闻

petition        [pi5tiFEn]n.请愿, 情愿书, 诉状, 陈情书v.请求, 恳求, 请愿

staff             [stB:f]n.棒, 杖, 杆, 支柱, 全体职员,vt.供给人员, 充当职员

ingredient    [in5^ri:diEnt]n.成分, 因素

sexual           [5seksjuEl]adj.性的, 性别的, [生]有性的

harassment  [5hArEsmEnt]n.折磨       harass

sexual harassment    性骚扰

 

2.  Furthermore, partygoers figure, it offers relief from such pesky obligations as thanking anyone or being kind to wallflowers because there really aren’t any hosts. Nobody has to pay (that same Nobody who generously provides the telephone line for long-distance personal calls), and so nobody’s feelings need be considered.

参加晚会的人也明白这种场合省去了许多麻烦的礼节性应酬。因为没有东道主，所以不必特意感谢什么人，或是费神与缩在角落里没人理睬的客人搭讪。既然不是哪一个人买单（同样也不是哪一个人慷慨地为来宾提供免费私人长途电话），所以哪一个人的感受都不需要考虑。

goer      [5^EuE]n.行人, 动态物

partygoer [`pB:tI9^EJE(r)]n.社交聚会常客

relief    [ri5li:f]n.(痛苦等的)减轻, (债务等的)免除, 救济, 调剂, 安慰, 浮雕, 地貌

pesky     [5peski]adj.烦恼的, 麻烦的, 讨厌的adv.极端

obligation   [7Cbli5^eiFEn]n.义务, 职责, 债务

wallflower   [5wC:lflaJE(r)]n.[植]桂足香,桂香香水, 局外人

 

3.  This is all pure hospitality—there for the taking, like the office-supplied felt-tipped pens everyone has been pocketing all year. Out of the natural goodness of its corporate heart and the spirit of the holiday season, the company wishes only to give its employees a roaring good time, and the employees, out of loyalty and the thrill of getting to know their bosses off-duty as equals, delight in the opportunity.

所有这一切均为盛情款待——每个人都可以欣然接受，就像平日里一直顺手牵羊把办公室的毡头墨水笔放入自家口袋一样。基于公司的企业精神和节日欢庆的气氛，公司此时只希望为员工提供一次狂欢的聚会。而员工出于对公司的忠心，再加上能与老板们工余之际平等地相识的兴奋，所以也就乐不可支地享受这一美好时刻。

hospitality  [7hCspi5tAliti]n.好客, 宜人, 盛情

corporate    [5kC:pErit]adj.社团的, 法人的, 共同的, 全体的

roaring      [5rC:riN]n.咆哮, 呼喊, 怒吼adj.咆哮的, 轰鸣的, 喧闹的

loyalty      [5lCIEltI]n.忠诚, 忠心

thrill       [Wril]v.发抖

opportunity  [7CpE5tju:niti]n.机会, 时机

 

4.  For those still dimly aware of the once-standard give-and-take of real social life, this no-fault approach to business entertaining seems a godsend. In the now-rare domain of genuine society, hosts are supposed to plan and pay for the entertainment of their guests, on their own time and in their own houses. Guests have strict duties, as well—from answering invitations to cooperating with all arrangements, even to the extent of pronouncing them perfectly lovely.

对那些仍然隐约记得生活中有付出才有获得之理的人而言，这种无忧无虑的公司娱乐简直就像是神赐的福祉。在现今这个罕有免费款待的社会，东道主需要花时间和精力在自己家招待来宾。而来宾也同样负有重任——从回复邀请、应承一切安排，直到礼貌地啧啧称赞晚会举办得无懈可击。

dimly     [5dimli]adv.微暗, 朦胧

godsend   [5^Rdsend]n.天赐之物, 意外获得的幸运

entertaining [entE5teiniN]adj.愉快的, 有趣的n.招待, 款待

genuine   [5dVenjuin]adj.真实的, 真正的, 诚恳的

strict    [strikt]adj.(～ with) 严格的, 严厉的, 严谨的, 精确的

cooperate with  v.与...合作

 

5.  Business entertaining appears to remove the burdens of time, effort, money, individual responsibility—and the etiquette connected with them. The people who do the planning are paid for their trouble, so those who benefit need not consider they have incurred a debt. Why, the annual Christmas party ought to be an inspiration to lower-level employees to work their way into realms where company-sponsored partying can be enjoyed all year long.

公司娱乐似乎将时间、精力、金钱、个人义务、以及与之有关的各种礼节负担统统抛开。组织晚会的人有偿付出，因此，参加晚会的来宾不必担心愧欠人情。一年一次的圣诞节本来就应该让低级别的员工感到一种理想氛围，那就是公司出钱筹办的晚会全年均可免费出席。

individual       [7indi5vidjuEl]n.个人, 个体adj.个别的, 单独的, 个人的

incur       [in5kE:]v.招致

ought to  v.应该

inspiration  [7inspE5reiFEn]n.灵感

realm        [relm]n.领域

sponsor[5spCnsE]n.发起人, 主办者, 保证人, 主办人vt.发起, 主办v.赞助

company-sponsored     公司赞助的

 

6.  Not so fast. Flinty Miss Manners does not recognize any holidays from etiquette. (Employees, if not employers, should consider themselves lucky that she is only on the Party Committee, not the one that might take up ethical questions about those pens and calls.) Office parties differ from private ones but are no freer from rules.

先别想得太美了。严肃的礼节小姐可是从来不休假的（职员们，暂且不提雇主们，可真得庆幸自己还算走运，因为她只在晚会委员会任职，未在办公文具和私打公司电话清查委员会工作）。公司晚会有别于私人晚会，但礼节之道却一丁点儿也未变。

flinty [5flinti]adj.坚硬的, 冷酷的, 强硬的, 严峻的, 严峻的, 燧石似的

manner [5mAnE]n.礼貌, 风格, 方式, 样式, 习惯

committee [kE5miti]n.委员会

subcommittee[5sQbkE5miti]n.委员会的附属委员会, 小组委员会

ethical   [5eWikEl]adj.与伦理有关, 民族的, 民族特有的

 

7.  If it were indeed true that everyone has a better time without etiquette, Miss Manners could easily be persuaded to take the day off. But having long served on the Office Party Etiquette Cleanup subcommittee, she is aware that things generally do not go well when there is no recognized etiquette and everyone is forced to improvise.

如果不讲礼节大家会玩得更开心，那么礼节小姐真该放假休息了。但是在公司晚会礼节清查委员会供职数年以来，礼节小姐意识到，如果任意性情不顾及相应的礼节，晚会往往不尽如人意。

persuade  [pE5sweid]v.说服, 劝说, (使)相信, 劝某人做(不做)某事

improvise [5imprEvaiz]v.临时准备

 

8.  Let us look at all this spontaneous, carefree fun: There being no proper place for the boss, he or she hangs around the door, concerned about mixing with everyone. It might discourage hospitable bosses to see guests staring at them in horror and then slithering in by a side door. But etiquette’s solution of having everyone greeted in a receiving line was rejected as too stiff. So one can hardly blame employees for recalling a long-ingrained principle of the workplace: Seeing the boss and having a good time are best not scheduled at the same time.

我们一起来看看这种所谓即兴无忧的娱乐：老板不知道该呆在什么地方才好，他或她在门口徘徊，一心想着与众人打成一片。见到来宾惶恐地盯着自己，然后从边门溜进会场，此番情景足以令热情的老板心灰意冷。但是若采用旧时迎宾队列的方式与每个来宾逐一打招呼，又会显得过分迂腐和拘束。所以说，很少有人不同意员工们长期以来坚信的一条上班信念：觐见上司和尽情享乐最好不要同时发生。

spontaneous  [spCn5teinjEs, -niEs]adj.自发的, 自然产生的

hang around  留在附近

concerned [kEn5sE:nd]adj.关心的, 有关的

discourage   [dis5kQridV]vt.使气馁, 阻碍

hospitable   [5hCspitEbl]adj.好客的, 招待周到的

horror [5hCrE]n.惊骇, 恐怖, 惨事, 极端厌恶

slither   [5sliTE]vi.不稳地滑动vt.使滑动

reject 拒绝，排斥

stiff [stif]adj.硬的, 僵直的, 拘谨的, 呆板的, 艰难的, 费劲的, 僵硬的

ingrained [in5^reind, 5in^reind]adj.彻底的, 根深蒂固的, 生染的

principle [5prinsEpl]n.法则, 原则, 原理

 

9.  Desperate to make the time count, the boss grabs the nearest available person and starts delivering practiced words about the contribution he makes to their great enterprise. The reaction is not quite what was hoped for. Discreet questioning establishes that this is an employee’s guest. He doesn’t work for the company, recognize the boss, or appreciate the attention—and, as a matter of fact, has only a passing acquaintance with the employee who issued the invitation. What this guest wants is not professional fellowship but a fresh drink, if the boss would kindly step out of the way.

老板急于把握机会，于是顺手抓住身边最近的人，然后滔滔不绝地大讲自己事先反复练习过的一番赞美之辞，盛扬此人对公司的贡献。可是对方的反应却是始料不及。细心询问几句才知此人只是公司一位员工带来的客人，既不在公司工作，又不认识眼前的老板，甚至对方才的盛誉之辞也无动于衷——事实上，此人与邀请人也只是一面之交。这位客人此时需要的不是同行的友情，而是一杯提神的饮料。劳驾老板，请您让路。

desperate [5despErit]adj.不顾一切的, 拚死的, 令人绝望的

grab   [^rAb]v.抢夺, 攫取, 夺取

deliver[di5livE]vt.递送,陈述, 释放, 发表, 交付, 引渡, 瞄准, 给予(打击)

practiced [5prAktist]adj.熟练的, 老练的

contribution [7kCntri5bju:FEn]n.捐献, 贡献, 投稿

reaction  [ri(:)5AkFEn]n.反应, 反作用, 反动(力)

discreet  [dis5kri:t]adj.小心的, 慎重的, 有思虑的, 贤明的

establish [is5tAbliF]vt.建立,设立,安置,使定居,使人民接受,确定v.建立

a passing acquaintance with     对...的浮浅的了解

fellowship   [5felEuFip]n.伙伴关系, 交情, 团体, 奖学金, 友谊

 

10. Now, the reason the invitation said “and guest” was to avoid the ticklish issue of who is still married to whom and what the spouse calls itself. Last year, unmarried employees were furious when their partners were not included, and married employees complained that the forms by which their spouses were addressed were offensive: “Mrs.” offended women who preferred “Ms.,” and wives who had the same surnames outraged everybody who didn’t. This year, the complaints will be from spouses who were not told that there was a party or who were told that spouses weren’t invited—but found out otherwise. There won’t be many complaints. They will, however, be memorable, darkly charging the company with promoting immorality.

另外，邀请函上通常注明“以及佳宾”之类的话，目的是为了避开谁和谁仍是伴侣以及配偶如何称呼等敏感问题。去年，未婚的员工因为自己的伴侣未曾获邀而愤愤不平；已婚的员工由于自己配偶的称呼不当而牢骚满腹；“夫人”得罪了那些喜欢用“女士”称呼的来宾；冠用丈夫姓氏的太太们冒犯了那些不用丈夫姓氏的太太们。而今年，抱怨又会接踵而来。这次是因为起初没有人告知配偶公司举办晚会的消息，或是配偶被告知晚会不邀请家属参加。然而，事后这些配偶却发现事实并非如此。当然这类抱怨不会源源不断。但是这些配偶会记住此事，并私下斥责公司唆使员工不诚实。

ticklish  [5tikliF]adj.易痒的, 不稳定的, 难对付的, 忌讳的

spouse     [spauz]n.配偶(指夫或妻)

furious  [5fjuEriEs]adj.狂怒的, 狂暴的, 激烈的, 热烈兴奋的, 极为激烈

partner  [5pB:tnE]n.合伙人, 股东, 舞伴, 伴侣vt.与...合伙, 组成一对vi.做伙伴, 当助手

offensive [E5fensiv]adj.讨厌的, 无礼的, 攻击性的n.进攻, 攻势

offend     [E5fend]v.犯罪, 冒犯, 违反, 得罪, 使...不愉快

prefer     [pri5fE:]vt.更喜欢, 宁愿

wives     [waivz]妇人

surname  [5sE:neim]n.姓v.用姓称呼

outrage  [5autreidV]n.暴行, 侮辱, 愤怒vt.凌辱, 引起...义愤, 强奸

memorable [5memErEbl]adj.值得纪念的, 难忘的

immorality  [7imE5rAliti]n.不道德, 无道义

promote  [prE5mEut]vt.促进, 发扬, 提升, 提拔, 晋升为

 

11. Meanwhile, what about those who are interested in promoting a bit of immorality, or just plain romance, of their own? They, too, are creating problems that will reach far into the new year. True office romances are the least of them, with their charges of favoritism and melding professional and personal time. More serious is the fact that, in spite of the liquor and high spirits, it still counts as sexual harassment when anyone with supervisory powers makes unreciprocated overtures to a lower-ranking employee. And foolhardy when a lower-ranking employee annoys a higher-ranking one.

    对于那些有意想欺瞒配偶或意欲发展一段浪漫恋情的人而言，情形会怎样呢？他们同样也会惹上来年都难以摆脱的麻烦。这些人之间很少会孳生真正的办公室恋情，因为此类行为难免有待人偏袒和公私混淆之嫌。还有更为糟糕的情形：尽管可以用酗酒过多和情绪兴奋作为托辞，但是上司戏谑一位无动于衷的下属的行为仍会被视为性骚扰；同样，下属对上司做出类似的举动则会被认为蛮勇无知。

meanwhile[5mi:nwaIl; (?@) 5mInhwaIl](=meantime) n.其间, 其时adv.其间

romance[rE5mAns, rEu-]n.冒险故事, 浪漫史, 传奇文学, 风流韵事, 虚构vi.写传奇, 渲染, 虚构

favoritism[5feivEritizEm]n.偏爱, 得宠, 偏袒

meld[meld]v.混合, 合并

liquor[5likE]n.液体, 汁，酒精饮料, [药]溶液vt.浸水vi.喝酒

supervisory[7sju:pE5vaizEri]adj.管理的, 监督的

reciprocate[ri5siprEkeit]v.互给, 酬答, 互换, 报答

make overtures to  向...作主动表示, 向...建议

foolhardy[5fu:lhB:dI]adj.愚勇的, 有勇无谋的

lower-ranking   下属

higher-ranking  上级

 

12. Some employees have their minds only on business and will be spending party time actively promoting workaday concerns. Remembering the company rhetoric about open communications and all being in this together, they will actually seek out the boss, who by this time is grateful to be addressed by anyone at all.

有些员工心里只想着工作，在晚会上跃跃欲试地提出自己的业务宏图。他们牢记公司曾倡导的自由交流精神，置身于此时此地，这班人会找到老板以求畅所欲言。而老板此刻正巴不得有人过来同自己打招呼。

spend [spend]v.花费, 消耗, 用尽vt.度过, 消磨

workaday[5wE:kEdei]adj.工作日的

concern[kEn5sE:n]vt.涉及,关系n.(利害)关系,关心,关注,关注,所关心的是

rhetoric[5retErik]adj.花言巧语的

grateful[5^reitful]adj.感激的, 感谢的

seek out  v.搜出, 挑出, 想获得

 

13. But they don’t want to engage in platitudes. They accept compliments with: “Well, then how about a raise?” They plead for promotions, explain confidentially who ought to be fired, and advance previously submitted ideas about revolutionizing the business that have been unaccountably unappreciated for years. In one evening, they manage to cut through the entire hierarchy and procedures the boss has painstakingly established for the purpose of being spared this kind of importuning.

    然而这些人并不想和老板只说些客套话，他们回应老板的称赞时会说：“给我加工资怎么样？”他们会恳求晋升，并心有成竹地向老板解释谁应该被炒鱿鱼。接着他们进一步提出改进公司业务的建议，这些建议其实好几年前已经提出，但却不知为何无人赏识。他们试图在短短的一夜之内，逾越老板多年来千辛万苦构筑的用于抵挡这类恳求的层层阶梯和壁垒。

platitude[5plAtitju:d]n.陈词滥调

engage[in5^eidV]vt.使忙碌, 雇佣,预定,使从事于,使参 vi.答应,从事,交战

plead for v.为...辩护

confidential[kCnfi5denFEl]adj.极受信任的，心腹的；参与机密的.秘［机］密的.易于信任他人的

confidentially  作为心腹话地

manage to 达成, 设法

hierarchy [5haiErB:ki].层次

procedures   规程

painstaking[5peinsteikiN]n.苦干, 辛苦adj.辛苦的, 辛勤的, 艰苦的

establish[is5tAbliF]vt.建立,设立,安置,使定居,使人民接受,确定v.建立

importune[im5pC:tju:n]v.强求

unaccountable[5QnE5kauntEbl]adj.不能解释的; 莫名其妙的;没有责任的, 不负责的(for)

unappreciated[5QnE5pri:Fieitid]adj.未被欣赏的

 

14. Eventually—usually somewhat late in the party—it occurs to someone that this informal setting is just the time to offer the boss some constructive personal criticism. What else does talking frankly and informally mean but an invitation to unload opinions without any career consequence?

    最后——通常在晚会进入尾声阶段——有些人会忽然想起这种轻松的环境正是向上司诤谏的最佳时机。无拘无束、开诚布公不就意味着一吐为快而不必担心影响自己的事业前途吗？

somewhat[5sQm(h)wCt]adv.稍微, 有点, 有些

informal[in5fC:mEl]adj.不正式的, 不拘礼节的

constructive[kEn5strQktiv]adj.建设性的

criticism[5kritisiz(E)m]n.批评, 批判

frankly[5frANkli]adv.坦白地, 真诚地

consequence[5kCnsikwEns]n.结果, [逻]推理, 推论, 因果关系, 重要的地位

eventually[I5ventjJElI]adv.最后, 终于

 

15. Here is where the company has pulled a fast one on its employees. “Go ahead,” it has said, “relax, have a good time, forget about the job.” And the naive have taken this at face value. This event is called a party—a place where one lets loose without worrying about being judged by the cold standard of professional usefulness.

    其实在这个问题上员工被公司迷惑了。公司说“去吧，尽情地娱乐，忘掉工作。”幼稚的人会信以为真。认为这是晚会——一个让人彻底放松、为所欲为的场合，不必担心苛刻的职业行为规则的约束。

 

pull a fast one [美俚]欺骗, 捣鬼

naïve [nB:5i:v]adj.天真的