Business Etiquette 礼节美语 第034讲

陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他这两天遇到了感情困扰，去找美国同事Amy讨个主意。

(Office ambience)

C：Amy, 我有点私事儿想请教你。

A：What is it, Chen Hao?

C：销售部来了一个新的女同事，叫Kate. 我想请她出去约会。

A：Then why don't you?

C：因为我不知道咱们公司是不是允许同事谈恋爱。在我原来那家公司是绝对不行的。

A：You're smart to check it out first. We used to have that policy, but our management decided¹ that we spend so much time at work and with co-workers that it wasn't fair to impose that restriction².

C：太好了，那我就准备约她今天晚上出去吃饭。

A：But there are a few issues you should consider if you are going to date Kate or any other co-worker.

C：你快说说。

A：Before you get serious, you need to discuss what you will do if things don't work out. You will want to avoid any bad feelings between you.

C：是啊，我也是希望万一不行的话，彼此都能妥善处理，不要在工作上相互拆台。

A：That's exactly what I mean. I have seen it happen. When co-workers stop dating, one or both will often try exact some sort of revenge in the office.

C：哎，先别想那么多了，人家还没同意晚上跟我出去吃饭呢。

******

MC：Amy第二天早上遇到了陈豪.

A：So how did your date go? Kate did accept, didn't she?

C：挺好的，我们俩儿特别投机。不过，Kate说，跟同事谈恋爱，她也有不少顾虑。

A：What did she say?

C：她觉得，最好不要在办公室里谈我们的关系，如果别人问，我们也不否认谈恋爱，但是不会说得更具体。

A：Even if they pressure you? Some people can be pretty nosy³ and persistent⁴. They'll want to know every detail of your relationship.

C：我们会婉言拒绝。

A：I guess you'll be seeing her again.

C：不瞒你说，我已经被她迷住了，老想找个借口往她办公室跑。

A：That is another danger of dating a co-worker.

C：你是说工作的时候容易分心吗？

A：That's right. If your productivity and performance begin to suffer, others will notice and you will jeopardize⁵ your position.

C：对呀，如果真的影响到工作，对我们在公司的发展不利。这一点我倒是没想到。Amy, 你再提醒提醒我，都要注意些什么？

A： The first thing is to know the company policy. Decide how you will handle the relationship around the office and what you will do if things don't work out.

C：我知道了。
 

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

3 nosy   

adj.鼻子大的，好管闲事的，爱追问的；n.大鼻者

参考例句：

• Our nosy neighbours are always looking in through our windows.好管闲事的邻居总是从我们的窗口望进来。
• My landlord is so nosy.He comes by twice a month to inspect my apartment.我的房东很烦人，他每个月都要到我公寓视察两次。

4 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

5 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。