035讲: 拍马屁

Donny在北京学汉语,他的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词,就会来请教他。今天是杨琳要问的:拍马屁。

DN: 杨琳, what are you reading?

YL: 我在看一本畅销小说,讲的是白领们在公司里奋斗的事儿。

DN: But you're still a college student. Why are you interested in the life of office workers?

YL: 先学习啊! 我看了这书才知道,这小小的办公室里有那么多明争暗斗! 对了,Donny, 用美语怎么形容办公室里的勾心斗角啊?

DN: You can use the term "office politics."

YL: 哦! Office 是办公室,politics是政治,office politics办公室政治,就是指同事之间的勾心斗角喽。

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?你说办公室是现代丛林,适者才能生存?可以想像......虽然我还没上过班,可即使在学校,处理同学间的关系也是门学问。

DN: For example?

YL: 比如,我们组长就特爱拍老师马屁,大家都不喜欢她。对了,这拍马屁美语怎么说?

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: 大家都说,千穿万穿,马屁不穿,一点没错。老师对我们组长可好了,偏心!

DN: Hmm, teachers are not supposed to play favorites. That's unfair to other students.

YL: 哎?你说的play favorites就是偏心的意思嘛?

DN: That's right.

YL: 可是,上司,家长,老师都难免play favorites, 有偏心的时候。唉! 看来哪里都有politics啊!

DN: 别感慨了。说说你今天都学了什么吧!

YL: 第一,办公室里的权力斗争是 office politics;

第二,拍某人的马屁是 suck up to someone;

第三:偏心是play favorites.