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办公室养宠物的困境(The canine conundrum: What to do about dogs in the office)
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办公室养宠物的困境
在求职平台上,对"宠物友好型"办公室的搜索量激增。 ![]()
双语精读
The canine conundrum: What to do about dogs in the office
犬类难题:怎样处理办公室养狗的情况
Theodore Roosevelt's bull terrier once chased the French ambassador up a tree. Sir Gavin Williamson, a British politician, refused to remove a tarantula he kept in a glass tank from the office.
西奥多·罗斯福的牛头梗曾把法国大使追到了树上。英国政治家加文·威廉姆森爵士拒绝将他养在玻璃缸里的狼蛛从办公室移走。
Pets, more commonly dogs than spiders, have long been a feature of all sorts of workplaces. Pets have become an even bigger part of work life since the covid-19 pandemic.
宠物(更常见的是狗而不是蜘蛛)长期以来一直是各种工作场所的一个特色。自新冠疫情以来,宠物已经在职场生活中变得更为重要。
Searches for pet-friendly offices on job platforms have rocketed. One in five American families acquired a pet during lockdowns; two-thirds of households now have at least one.
在求职平台上,对"宠物友好型"办公室的搜索量激增。五分之一的美国家庭在疫情封控期间养了宠物;现在三分之二的家庭至少有一只宠物。
Those who want to go into the office may find that their pets cannot be left alone and that doggy day-care is frightfully expensive. That leaves managers under increasing pressure to let them in.
那些想去办公室工作的人可能发现他们的宠物不能独自留在家,而且宠物狗日托非常昂贵。这使得经理们面临越来越大的压力,不得不让宠物狗进办公室。
How welcoming should they be? Apart from, perhaps, in operating theatres or sausage factories, there are obvious benefits to a permissive approach.
他们应该给狗多大程度的欢迎呢?也许除了在手术室或香肠工厂,对狗持宽容态度有明显的好处。
Dogs in the workplace can boost morale and productivity, and not only those of their owners. Petting colleagues' pooches can also lead to serendipitous conversations, and reduce feelings of isolation.
工作场所的狗可以提高士气和效率,而且不仅仅是对主人有这种效果。摸摸同事的小狗还能带来意外的有趣对话,并减少孤独感。
Experiments suggest that employees are more likely to perceive those in a team as friendly if there's a dog in the vicinity than if there isn't.
实验表明,附近有一只狗的情况与没有狗的情况相比,员工更有可能认为团队中的人们是友好的。
The problem for managers, though, is that some people hate dogs, even if they keep their loathing to themselves. They might be allergic to them, or especially sensitive to canine smells and sounds.
然而对于管理者来说,问题在于有些人讨厌狗,即使他们把这种厌恶藏在心里。他们可能对狗过敏,或者对犬类的气味和声音特别敏感。
Not all dogs are trained in office etiquette: those that are left unsupervised may roam freely, chew on co-workers' belongings or make a mess on the carpet.
而且并不是所有狗都接受过办公室礼仪培训:那些无人看管的狗可能会在办公室里自由游荡,咬坏同事的物品,或者在地毯上大小便。
What should managers do? Unfettered openness can make the dog-phobic uncomfortable and unhappy. At the other end of the scale, a few big companies like PwC and HSBC have instituted no-pooch policies in recent years.
那么管理者应该做什么?无拘束的开放态度可能会让怕狗的人感到不舒服和不开心。而在天平的另一端,普华永道和汇丰银行等几家大公司近年来制定了禁止带宠物上班的政策。
That may ensure there is no barking havoc in the office, but forgoes the benefits of welcoming pets. The ideal is to seek middle ground.
这可能会确保办公室里没有狗叫声造成的破坏,但也放弃了欢迎宠物的好处。理想的做法是寻求中间立场。
Google, for instance, bans dog-owning staff ("Dooglers") from bringing in noisy pets and limits furry incursions if other employees are allergic.
例如,谷歌禁止养狗的员工("谷狗主人")携带吵闹的宠物进入公司,如果其他员工对狗过敏,也会限制宠物进入公司。
Beyond a few company-wide rules, such as banning dangerous breeds and ensuring dogs are vaccinated and office-trained, individual departments could be left to decide their own policies in consultation with their teams.
除了一些全公司范围内的规定,如禁止危险品种和确保狗接种疫苗并经过办公室训练外,单个的部门可以在与团队协商后自行决定宠物政策。
Opening up the office to dogs might seem like an easy way to make the workplace seem more flexible. In fact, it takes a flexible workplace to make a dog-friendly approach succeed.
把办公室对狗开放似乎是一种让工作场所看起来更灵活的简单办法。事实上,是首先需要一个灵活的工作场所,才能使对狗友好的政策取得成功。
词汇预习
individual [高考]
美[ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl] | 英[ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl]
adj. 单独的;一个人的;独有的 n. 个人;个体
ensure [高考]
美[ɪnˈʃʊr] | 英[ɪnˈʃʊə(r)]
vt. 担保;保证;使安全;确保
ideal [高考]
美[aɪˈdiːəl] | 英[aɪˈdiːəl]
adj. 理想的;完美的;空想的;观念的 n. 理想;典范;目标
commonly [高考]
美[ˈkɑmənli] | 英[ˈkɒmənli]
adv. 一般地;通常地;普通地
scale [高考]
美[skeɪl] | 英[skeɪl]
n. 等级,规模;刻度;音阶;量程;天枰 v. 攀登;到达…顶点;去鳞
productivity [高考]
美[ˌprɑːdʌkˈtɪvəti] | 英[ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti]
n. 生产率;生产力
isolation [高考]
美[ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃn] | 英[ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃn]
n. 隔离;孤立
consultation [高考]
美[ˌkɑːnslˈteɪʃn] | 英[ˌkɒnslˈteɪʃn]
n. 咨询;请教;协议会
boost [高考]
美[buːst] | 英[buːst]
v. 提高;增加;鼓励;举起;为...做宣传 n. 增加;推进;鼓励
approach [高考]
美[əˈproʊtʃ] | 英[əˈprəʊtʃ]
v. 接近;建议;接洽;着手处理 n. 方法;接近;路径;道路
flexible [高考]
美[ˈfleksəbl] | 英[ˈfleksəbl]
adj. 柔韧的;灵活的;易弯曲的;可变通的
sensitive [高考]
美[ˈsensətɪv] | 英[ˈsensətɪv]
adj. 灵敏的;敏感的;感光的;易受伤害的;善解人意的 n. 敏感的人
obvious [高考]
美[ˈɑːbviəs] | 英[ˈɒbviəs]
adj.明显的;显著的;平淡无奇的;自明
carpet [高考]
美[ˈkɑːrpɪt] | 英[ˈkɑːpɪt]
n. 地毯;地毯状物 vt. 铺盖;铺以地毯
allergic [高考]
美[əˈlɜːrdʒɪk] | 英[əˈlɜːdʒɪk]
adj. 过敏的;反感的
tank [高考]
美[tæŋk] | 英[tæŋk]
n. 箱;罐;槽;贮水池;坦克 vt. 把 ... 储于槽中
politician [高考]
美[ˌpɑːləˈtɪʃn] | 英[ˌpɒləˈtɪʃn]
n. 政治家;政客
ambassador [高考]
美[æmˈbæsədər] | 英[æmˈbæsədə(r)]
n. 大使,使节;(体育项目、行业等的)代表人物
sensitive to [高考]
美[ˈsɛnsɪtɪv tu] | 英[ˈsensitiv tu:]
对 ... 敏感
perceive [高考]
美[pərˈsiːv] | 英[pəˈsiːv]
v. 注意到;觉察到;认为;理解
workplace [高考]
美[ˈwɜːrkpleɪs] | 英[ˈwɜːkpleɪs]
n. 工作场所
bull [四级]
美[bʊl] | 英[bʊl]
n. 公牛;股市看涨的人;[俚]警察 n. 荒谬的话 n. 教皇诏书 adj. 公牛的;鲁莽的
morale [四级]
美[məˈræl] | 英[məˈrɑːl]
n. 士气;斗志;道德准则
openness [六级]
美[ˈoʊpənnəs] | 英[ˈəʊpənnəs]
n. 直率;公开;开放;空旷
vicinity [六级]
美[vəˈsɪnəti] | 英[vəˈsɪnəti]
n. 邻近;周边地区
roam [六级]
美[roʊm] | 英[rəʊm]
v. 漫游;闲逛;徜徉
consultation with [六级]
美 | 英
与...协商
belongings [专四]
美[bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋz] | 英[bɪˈlɒŋɪŋz]
n. 财产;所有物;物件;东西
make a mess [专四]
美[mek e mɛs] | 英[meik ə mes]
搞乱; 搞成一团糟
canine [专八]
美[ˈkenaɪn] | 英[ˈkeɪnaɪn]
adj. 犬的;似犬的;犬科的 n. 犬;犬齿;犬科动物
havoc [专八]
美[ˈhævək] | 英[ˈhævək]
n. 大破坏;混乱 vt. 破坏
permissive [考研]
美[pərˈmɪsɪv] | 英[pəˈmɪsɪv]
adj. 放任的;纵容的;许可的;获准的
be left to [考研]
美 | 英
由……来决定
重点讲解
The canine conundrum: What to do about dogs in the office
犬类难题:怎样处理办公室养狗的情况
remove v. 去除;移走;撤走
【例】to remove the grease stain from the clothes
去除衣服上的油渍
to remove the bicycle from the yard
把自行车从院子里移走
【拓展】removal n. 移走;去除
Theodore Roosevelt's bull terrier once chased the French ambassador up a tree. Sir Gavin Williamson, a British politician, refused to remove a tarantula he kept in a glass tank from the office.
西奥多·罗斯福的牛头梗曾把法国大使追到了树上。英国政治家加文·威廉姆森爵士拒绝将他养在玻璃缸里的狼蛛从办公室移走。
remove v. 去除;移走;撤走
【例】to remove the grease stain from the clothes
去除衣服上的油渍
to remove the bicycle from the yard
把自行车从院子里移走
【拓展】removal n. 移走;去除
Pets, more commonly dogs than spiders, have long been a feature of all sorts of workplaces. Pets have become an even bigger part of work life since the covid-19 pandemic.
宠物(更常见的是狗而不是蜘蛛)长期以来一直是各种工作场所的一个特色。自新冠疫情以来,宠物已经在职场生活中变得更为重要。
acquire v.
1. 购得;获得
【例】to acquire a property 购置房产
to acquire a firm 收购一家公司
2. (通过学习、努力)获得
【例】to acquire a foreign language 学会一门外语
to acquire a habit 养成一种习惯
【拓展】acquisition n. 获得
【例】merger and acquisition (M & A) 并购
leave v. 使处于某种状态
【例】leave the door open 把门开着
leave her waiting outside 让她在外面等着
leave the soup to cook 让汤继续煮着
leave him without a penny 让他一点钱都没有
Searches for pet-friendly offices on job platforms have rocketed. One in five American families acquired a pet during lockdowns; two-thirds of households now have at least one.
在求职平台上,对"宠物友好型"办公室的搜索量激增。五分之一的美国家庭在疫情封控期间养了宠物;现在三分之二的家庭至少有一只宠物。
acquire v.
1. 购得;获得
【例】to acquire a property 购置房产
to acquire a firm 收购一家公司
2. (通过学习、努力)获得
【例】to acquire a foreign language 学会一门外语
to acquire a habit 养成一种习惯
【拓展】acquisition n. 获得
【例】merger and acquisition (M & A) 并购
leave v. 使处于某种状态
【例】leave the door open 把门开着
leave her waiting outside 让她在外面等着
leave the soup to cook 让汤继续煮着
leave him without a penny 让他一点钱都没有
Those who want to go into the office may find that their pets cannot be left alone and that doggy day-care is frightfully expensive. That leaves managers under increasing pressure to let them in.
那些想去办公室工作的人可能发现他们的宠物不能独自留在家,而且宠物狗日托非常昂贵。这使得经理们面临越来越大的压力,不得不让宠物狗进办公室。
acquire v.
1. 购得;获得
【例】to acquire a property 购置房产
to acquire a firm 收购一家公司
2. (通过学习、努力)获得
【例】to acquire a foreign language 学会一门外语
to acquire a habit 养成一种习惯
【拓展】acquisition n. 获得
【例】merger and acquisition (M & A) 并购
leave v. 使处于某种状态
【例】leave the door open 把门开着
leave her waiting outside 让她在外面等着
leave the soup to cook 让汤继续煮着
leave him without a penny 让他一点钱都没有
How welcoming should they be? Apart from, perhaps, in operating theatres or sausage factories, there are obvious benefits to a permissive approach.
他们应该给狗多大程度的欢迎呢?也许除了在手术室或香肠工厂,对狗持宽容态度有明显的好处。
permissive adj. 宽容的;纵容的
【例】permissive parents 纵容孩子的家长
permissive immigration policies 宽容的移民政策
【搭配】be permissive towards sth 对某事态度宽容
【近义词】tolerant adj. 包容的;容忍的
【拓展】permit v. 允许
boost v. 增强;提高
【例】to boost my confidence 增加我的自信
to boost the economy 促进经济增长
to boost my career 为职业发展助力
【近义词】bolster/strengthen v. 增强
serendipitous adj. 偶然的;巧遇的
【例】serendipitous discoveries 偶然的幸运发现
a serendipitous success 侥幸的成功
【拓展】serendipity n. 巧事;意外发现的珍宝
The Three Princes of Serendip 《塞兰迪普的三个王子》
Dogs in the workplace can boost morale and productivity, and not only those of their owners. Petting colleagues' pooches can also lead to serendipitous conversations, and reduce feelings of isolation.
工作场所的狗可以提高士气和效率,而且不仅仅是对主人有这种效果。摸摸同事的小狗还能带来意外的有趣对话,并减少孤独感。
permissive adj. 宽容的;纵容的
【例】permissive parents 纵容孩子的家长
permissive immigration policies 宽容的移民政策
【搭配】be permissive towards sth 对某事态度宽容
【近义词】tolerant adj. 包容的;容忍的
【拓展】permit v. 允许
boost v. 增强;提高
【例】to boost my confidence 增加我的自信
to boost the economy 促进经济增长
to boost my career 为职业发展助力
【近义词】bolster/strengthen v. 增强
serendipitous adj. 偶然的;巧遇的
【例】serendipitous discoveries 偶然的幸运发现
a serendipitous success 侥幸的成功
【拓展】serendipity n. 巧事;意外发现的珍宝
The Three Princes of Serendip 《塞兰迪普的三个王子》
Experiments suggest that employees are more likely to perceive those in a team as friendly if there's a dog in the vicinity than if there isn't.
实验表明,附近有一只狗的情况与没有狗的情况相比,员工更有可能认为团队中的人们是友好的。
in the vicinity of sth 在某物附近
【例】a mansion in the vicinity of the lake
湖滨大厦/湖边的大厦
There is no hospital in the immediate vicinity.
附近没有医院。
【近义词】nearby adv./adj. 在附近/附近的
【拓展】vicinity n. 周围地区
keep sth to oneself 把某物埋在心里(不说出来)
【例】Please keep the information to yourself.
请对这件事保密。
【拓展】keep (oneself) to oneself 独来独往
【例】He is very quiet and always keeps to himself.
他性格安静,总是独来独往。
【辨析】keep to sth 遵守某事
【例】to keep to a plan 按计划行事
The problem for managers, though, is that some people hate dogs, even if they keep their loathing to themselves. They might be allergic to them, or especially sensitive to canine smells and sounds.
然而对于管理者来说,问题在于有些人讨厌狗,即使他们把这种厌恶藏在心里。他们可能对狗过敏,或者对犬类的气味和声音特别敏感。
in the vicinity of sth 在某物附近
【例】a mansion in the vicinity of the lake
湖滨大厦/湖边的大厦
There is no hospital in the immediate vicinity.
附近没有医院。
【近义词】nearby adv./adj. 在附近/附近的
【拓展】vicinity n. 周围地区
keep sth to oneself 把某物埋在心里(不说出来)
【例】Please keep the information to yourself.
请对这件事保密。
【拓展】keep (oneself) to oneself 独来独往
【例】He is very quiet and always keeps to himself.
他性格安静,总是独来独往。
【辨析】keep to sth 遵守某事
【例】to keep to a plan 按计划行事
Not all dogs are trained in office etiquette: those that are left unsupervised may roam freely, chew on co-workers' belongings or make a mess on the carpet.
而且并不是所有狗都接受过办公室礼仪培训:那些无人看管的狗可能会在办公室里自由游荡,咬坏同事的物品,或者在地毯上大小便。
mess n. 脏乱的东西;糟糕的局面
【例】to clean the mess 把脏东西收拾干净
The economy/movie is a mess.
经济糟透了/电影很烂。
unfettered adj. 不被束缚的;无拘束的
【例】unfettered exploration of the outside world
自由自在地探索外面的世界
【拓展】fetter v. 戴上镣铐;限制
【近义词】chain/leash/shackle v. 束缚
What should managers do? Unfettered openness can make the dog-phobic uncomfortable and unhappy. At the other end of the scale, a few big companies like PwC and HSBC have instituted no-pooch policies in recent years.
那么管理者应该做什么?无拘束的开放态度可能会让怕狗的人感到不舒服和不开心。而在天平的另一端,普华永道和汇丰银行等几家大公司近年来制定了禁止带宠物上班的政策。
mess n. 脏乱的东西;糟糕的局面
【例】to clean the mess 把脏东西收拾干净
The economy/movie is a mess.
经济糟透了/电影很烂。
unfettered adj. 不被束缚的;无拘束的
【例】unfettered exploration of the outside world
自由自在地探索外面的世界
【拓展】fetter v. 戴上镣铐;限制
【近义词】chain/leash/shackle v. 束缚
That may ensure there is no barking havoc in the office, but forgoes the benefits of welcoming pets. The ideal is to seek middle ground.
这可能会确保办公室里没有狗叫声造成的破坏,但也放弃了欢迎宠物的好处。理想的做法是寻求中间立场。
havoc n. 大破坏;混乱
【例】The floods caused havoc throughout the area.
洪水给整个地区带来了灾害。
【搭配】wreak havoc on 对……造成巨大破坏
【近义词】damage/destruction n. 损害;破坏
incursion n. 侵入;搅扰;不受欢迎的进入
【例】an incursion of disease 疾病的传入
All this extra work makes incursions on my free time.
所有这些额外工作占用了我的闲暇时间。
【拓展】incur v. 招致;引起(令人不愉快的事物)
Google, for instance, bans dog-owning staff ("Dooglers") from bringing in noisy pets and limits furry incursions if other employees are allergic.
例如,谷歌禁止养狗的员工("谷狗主人")携带吵闹的宠物进入公司,如果其他员工对狗过敏,也会限制宠物进入公司。
havoc n. 大破坏;混乱
【例】The floods caused havoc throughout the area.
洪水给整个地区带来了灾害。
【搭配】wreak havoc on 对……造成巨大破坏
【近义词】damage/destruction n. 损害;破坏
incursion n. 侵入;搅扰;不受欢迎的进入
【例】an incursion of disease 疾病的传入
All this extra work makes incursions on my free time.
所有这些额外工作占用了我的闲暇时间。
【拓展】incur v. 招致;引起(令人不愉快的事物)
Beyond a few company-wide rules, such as banning dangerous breeds and ensuring dogs are vaccinated and office-trained, individual departments could be left to decide their own policies in consultation with their teams.
除了一些全公司范围内的规定,如禁止危险品种和确保狗接种疫苗并经过办公室训练外,单个的部门可以在与团队协商后自行决定宠物政策。
in consultation with 与……协商
【例】to act in consultation with all the departments involved
和所有有关部门磋商后行事
【拓展】in collaboration with 与……合作
in association with 与……联合
in coordination with 与……协调
Opening up the office to dogs might seem like an easy way to make the workplace seem more flexible. In fact, it takes a flexible workplace to make a dog-friendly approach succeed.
把办公室对狗开放似乎是一种让工作场所看起来更灵活的简单办法。事实上,是首先需要一个灵活的工作场所,才能使对狗友好的政策取得成功。
in consultation with 与……协商
【例】to act in consultation with all the departments involved
和所有有关部门磋商后行事
【拓展】in collaboration with 与……合作
in association with 与……联合
in coordination with 与……协调
课后练习
What kind of pressure do managers face?
A. Pressure to create a more relaxed work environment.
B. Pressure to ban dangerous pets in the workplace.
C. Pressure to provide subsidies for dog day-care.
D. Pressure to allow pets in the workplace.
What are some of the benefits of allowing dogs in the workplace?
A. Dogs can facilitate interpersonal interactions.
B. Dogs can boost employees’ creativity and energy.
C. Dogs can decrease stress levels among employees.
D. Dogs can encourage employees to work longer hours.
What are some challenges of dogs in the workplace?
A. The concern that dogs may attack and bite people.
B. The potential for an increase in infectious diseases.
C. The possibility of dogs distracting workers’ attention.
D. The challenge of training and regulate dogs in offices.
What is suggested as the ideal approach to dogs in the workplace?
A. Allowing workers to bring whatever pets they like to the office.
B. Implementing a strict no-pets policy to avoid disruptions.
C. Devising individual policies to suit everyone’s needs.
D. Limiting the number of pets in each department.