138 Sexual Harassment 2

Claire告诉同事Jessica,上司Kevin跟她动手动脚,让她很不舒服。Jessica说,这是性骚扰,自己以前也遇到过。她的做法是:

J: One day when my boss made a joke about my body, I spoke up and told him - in front of several colleagues - that I thought he was out of line. I told him what he's doing is sexual harassment. He never did it again, but he also never spoke to me again.

C: See? That's what I'm worried about. I want him to stop, but I don't want to cause a scene.

J: Well, sometimes you don't have a choice. You can't let this guy get away with it.

Jessica说,有一次她当着同事的面告诉老板不要太过份。I told him that I thought he was out of line. 这里的out of line意思是出格。

C: But is it really sexual harassment? Could he just be a rude person?

J: If he comments on your appearance or body or if he asks questions or comments about your personal life, that's considered harassment. You have a responsibility to stop him so he doesn't do it to someone else.

C: Yeah, I guess so. But what should I do?

J: You can report him to a superior, but before you do that, maybe you should confront him first.

Claire还是不敢肯定Kevin的行为是不是够得上性骚扰。Jessica说,如果他对你的外表或个人生活过份关心或是说三道四,就属于骚扰。她建议Claire直接去找Kevin谈。

J: I suggest you look Kevin right in the eye and clearly and slowly tell him that you want him to stop touching you and commenting about your appearance. Don't smile or joke - this should be a serious conversation. When you finish speaking to him, just walk away and let him think about it.

C: And if it happens again?

J: Then you report him to company supervisors. If they are smart they will take care of it, otherwise, they know they could get sued. No one likes a lawsuit.

Jessica说,应该直接去找Kevin明明白白地告诉他,希望他以后不要再动手动脚,或是品头论足。如果还是不行,再去找公司高层。如果他们聪明的话,they will take care of it. 他们就会妥善处理。No one likes a lawsuit. 没人愿意吃官司。

C: Could I maybe write him a letter? I'm not good at face-to-face confrontation.

J: That could work as well. Or, if you'd like, I'd be happy to stand with you when you talk to him. It might be nice to have some support...and I'd be a witness as well.

C: Thanks, Jessica. You're a real friend. I'm sorry to drag you into this.

J: Not at all. We ladies have to stick together right?

C: Yeah. Thanks!

Claire想写信给Kevin,表达自己的意思,因为,I'm not good at face-to-face confrontation. 意思是我不擅长面对面的直接对抗。

Jessica很够意思,主动表示愿意陪Claire去找Kevin给Claire壮胆。