- Published on
奥巴马的新纪录片揭示工作真相(上)
- Authors
一个纪录片摄制组正在拍摄这场会议，这个摄制组在拍的迷你剧集纪录片叫《工作：我们整天都在做什么》。
双语精读
Sheila steps into a wood-paneled room and addresses a ring of home-care aides in navy blue scrubs. Soft light filters through the curtains as they begin with a prayer: "Father God, as we go through this meeting, open up our minds, open up our ears, so we can hear, so we can see. Amen."
希拉走进一间墙壁镶着木板的房间，向围坐成一圈的、穿着藏蓝色防护衣的家庭护工讲话。柔和的光线透过窗帘照进来，她们开始祈祷："父神，在我们进行这次会议时，请开启我们的思想，请开启我们的耳朵，让我们可以听到，让我们可以看到。阿门。"
The aides take turns introducing themselves and offering brief sketches of their jobs. Sheila is their manager. They are employed by At Home Care, LLC, a business in southeastern Mississippi, and they are speaking to a camera -- to a documentary crew that is filming their meeting for a mini-series titled "Working: What We Do All Day."
护工们轮流自我介绍，并简要描述自己的工作。希拉是她们的经理。这些护工受雇于密西西比州东南部的家庭护理有限责任公司，她们此刻正在对着摄像机说话：一个纪录片摄制组正在拍摄这场会议，这个摄制组在拍的迷你剧集纪录片叫《工作：我们整天都在做什么》。
Some describe the closeness they have with the people whose bedpans they change, whose medications they administer. One, Caroline, her pulled-back hair flecked with gray, says she probably knows the clients she takes care of better than their own children do.
一些护工描述了她们与被照顾的人之间的亲密关系，她们给这些人更换便盆、给他们服药。其中一位护工叫卡罗琳，她向后梳起的头发有几缕灰白，她说她可能比客户自己的子女还要更了解她所照顾的客户。
Then Sheila asks: "You all have any questions for me? Any comments for me?" This innocent query opens a floodgate of discontent that takes both Sheila and the viewer by surprise.
然后希拉问："你们有什么问题要问我吗？对我有什么要说的吗？"这个单纯的提问立刻打开了倾泻不满的闸门，让希拉和观众都大吃一惊。
There are questions about time-keeping and payment-tracking systems. An aide named Amanda says a client had her drive 10 miles to pick up a pizza: "Is the GPS picking up all that?"
有关于工作计时和跟踪支付系统的问题。一位名叫阿曼达的护工说，一位客户让她开车10英里去取披萨："GPS能检测到我的这些行程吗？"
No, Sheila says sympathetically, aides don't get paid for extra driving. "It don't seem right," she concedes, "because you're burning your gas."
希拉同情地说，不能，护工不会因为额外的跑腿而获得报酬。"这确实不太合理，"希拉承认，"因为烧的是你的汽油。"
None of this releases the pressure in the room; if anything, it just keeps building. "How are we supposed to live and survive?" one woman asks. "We have kids to take care of, homes to take care of."
这些话无法让房间里的压力得到释放，压力反而在不断增加。"我们要怎么活下去呢？"一位女士问道，"我们要养孩子，还要养家。"
Caroline notes that she has been with the company for almost three years without seeing a raise. Sheila stares downward, as though battening her emotional hatches.
卡罗琳指出，她在公司工作了近三年，却没有涨过薪。希拉低头盯着地面，似乎在情绪上已经准备好要迎接一场风暴。
The scene is documentary gold. It requires no commentary, no interviews. It is a simple, powerful illustration of an American workplace, boiling like a pot of tomato sauce, ready to spit hot rivulets of grievance at anyone who stirs it.
这一场景是纪录片的黄金时刻。此时不需要评论，也不需要采访。它简单而有力地表现了美国的工作环境：就像一锅煮沸的番茄酱，只要有人搅动它，就会随时喷溅出如汤汁般滚烫的怨愤。
We feel for the workers. We feel for Sheila, who seems caught in a crossfire, trying her best. We feel righteous anger at whoever might be to blame for all this dissatisfaction. But who, precisely, is that?
我们同情护工们。我们同情希拉，她仿佛陷入了一场交火，但还在尽自己最大的努力。我们对造成所有这些不满的罪魁祸首感到义愤填膺。但这个罪魁祸首到底是谁呢？
This is one of many big questions that "Working" may not have anywhere near enough time to answer.
这是《工作》根本来不及回答的许多宏大问题之一。
词汇预习
emotional [高考]
美[ɪˈmoʊʃənl] | 英[ɪˈməʊʃənl]
adj. 感情的；情绪的
viewer [高考]
美[ˈvjuːər] | 英[ˈvjuːə(r)]
n. 观看者；电视观众；观察器
payment [高考]
美[ˈpeɪmənt] | 英[ˈpeɪmənt]
n. 支付；支付的款项；报偿；报应
GPS [高考]
美[ˌdʒipi'es] | 英[ˌdʒi: pi: ˈes]
abbr. 全球定位系统（=Global Positioning System）
precisely [高考]
美[prɪˈsaɪsli] | 英[prɪˈsaɪsli]
adv. 精确地
sympathetically [高考]
美[ˌsɪmpəˈθɛtɪklɪ] | 英[ˌsɪmpə'θetɪklɪ]
adv. 同情地；表示好感地
illustration [高考]
美[ˌɪləˈstreɪʃn] | 英[ˌɪləˈstreɪʃn]
n. 说明；插图；图解；例证
administer [高考]
美[ədˈmɪnɪstər] | 英[ədˈmɪnɪstə(r)]
vt. 管理；执行；给与；用(药) vi. 执行管理人职责；给与帮助
brief [高考]
美[briːf] | 英[briːf]
adj. 短暂的；短期的；简短的；扼要的 n. 摘要；案件陈述 vt. 作…的概述；（向…）简单介绍
innocent [高考]
美[ˈɪnəsnt] | 英[ˈɪnəsnt]
adj. 清白的；无害的；无辜的；无知的；天真纯洁的
crew [高考]
美[kruː] | 英[kruː]
n. 全体船员；全体乘务员；(一组)工作人员；划艇队员 v. 当船员；当机务人员
spit [高考]
美[spɪt] | 英[spɪt]
n. 唾液；小雨；烤肉叉；海峡；酷似；彻底的擦洗 v. 吐口水；吐出；厉声说出；下小雨；(指火、熬热的油脂等)毕剥作响；用烤肉叉叉住；彻底地擦洗设备
navy [高考]
美[ˈneɪvi] | 英[ˈneɪvi]
n. 海军；船队；海军蓝 adj. 深蓝色的；海军蓝的
prayer [高考]
美[prer] | 英[preə(r)]
n. 祈祷；祷告；祷文；祈祷者
open up [高考]
美[ˈopən ʌp] | 英[ˈəupən ʌp]
打开； 开发； 展现； 开始； 揭露； 开放
as though [高考]
美[æz ðoʊ] | 英[æz ðəʊ]
conj. 仿佛；好像
be to blame [高考]
美[bi tu blem] | 英[bi: tu: bleim]
vi. 该受责备(应负责任)
pot [高考]
美[pɑːt] | 英[pɒt]
n. 罐；壶；一大笔(钱)；奖杯（尤指银杯）；[俚]大麻 v. 把 ... 装罐；射猎；(台球)入袋
client [高考]
美[ˈklaɪənt] | 英[ˈklaɪənt]
n. 委托人；客户
commentary [高考]
美[ˈkɑːmənteri] | 英[ˈkɒməntri]
n. 实况报道；现场解说；评论；注释
workplace [高考]
美[ˈwɜːrkpleɪs] | 英[ˈwɜːkpleɪs]
n. 工作场所
downward [四级]
美[ˈdaʊnwərd] | 英[ˈdaʊnwəd]
adv. 向下 adj. 向下的；下降的
pizza [四级]
美[ˈpiːtsə] | 英[ˈpiːtsə]
n. 比萨饼
whoever [四级]
美[huːˈevər] | 英[huːˈevə(r)]
pron. 无论是谁；不管谁；任何人
care of [四级]
美[kɛr ʌv] | 英[kɛə ɔv]
转交； 照管
be to blame for [四级]
美[bi tu blem fɔr] | 英[bi: tu: bleim fɔ:]
prep. 应对 ... 负责(应因 ... 而受责)
feel for [四级]
美[fil fɔr] | 英[fi:l fɔ:]
v. 同情；用手摸索
take turns [四级]
美[teɪk 'tɜːnz] | 英[teɪk 'tɜːnz]
替换，轮流;轮换;更替;倒换
offering [四级]
美[ˈɔːfərɪŋ] | 英[ˈɒfərɪŋ]
n. 供品；作品；出售物
discontent [六级]
美[ˌdɪskənˈtɛnt] | 英[ˌdɪskənˈtent]
n. 不满 adj. 不满的 v. 令（人）不满
dissatisfaction [六级]
美[dɪsˌsætɪsˈfækʃən] | 英[ˌdɪsˌsætɪsˈfækʃn]
n. 不满
query [六级]
美[ˈkwɪri] | 英[ˈkwɪəri]
n. 疑问；质问；疑问号 vt. 质问；对 ... 表示怀疑
aide [六级]
美[eɪd] | 英[eɪd]
n. 助手；副官；侍从武官
righteous [专八]
美[ˈraɪtʃəs] | 英[ˈraɪtʃəs]
adj. 公正的；公义的；当然的
trying [专八]
美[ˈtraɪɪŋ] | 英[ˈtraɪɪŋ]
adj. 难受的；令人厌烦的
grievance [考研]
美[ˈɡriːvəns] | 英[ˈɡriːvəns]
委屈；抱怨；牢骚；不平的事
God [考研]
美[ɡɑːd] | 英[ɡɒd]
n. 神；偶像；(复数)[英]剧院顶层楼座的观众；(大写)上帝 int. 天呐
don [托福]
美[dɑn] | 英[dɒn]
n. 先生（西班牙用语）；(牛津、剑桥大学的)指导教师 v. 穿上
重点讲解
Sheila steps into a wood-paneled room and addresses a ring of home-care aides in navy blue scrubs. Soft light filters through the curtains as they begin with a prayer: "Father God, as we go through this meeting, open up our minds, open up our ears, so we can hear, so we can see. Amen."
希拉走进一间墙壁镶着木板的房间，向围坐成一圈的、穿着藏蓝色防护衣的家庭护工讲话。柔和的光线透过窗帘照进来，她们开始祈祷："父神，在我们进行这次会议时，请开启我们的思想，请开启我们的耳朵，让我们可以听到，让我们可以看到。阿门。"
aide n. 助手
【例】an aide to the President 总统的助手
【拓展】aid v./n. 帮助/辅助；救助物资；辅助设备
【搭配】come to one’s aid/with the aid of 来帮助某人/在……的帮助下
filter through 透过；缓缓穿过；慢慢传开
【例】The doors opened and people started filtering through.
门开了，人们开始徐徐通过。
More details about the crash are filtering through.
关于这场空难的具体情况慢慢披露了。
The aides take turns introducing themselves and offering brief sketches of their jobs. Sheila is their manager. They are employed by At Home Care, LLC, a business in southeastern Mississippi, and they are speaking to a camera -- to a documentary crew that is filming their meeting for a mini-series titled "Working: What We Do All Day."
护工们轮流自我介绍，并简要描述自己的工作。希拉是她们的经理。这些护工受雇于密西西比州东南部的家庭护理有限责任公司，她们此刻正在对着摄像机说话：一个纪录片摄制组正在拍摄这场会议，这个摄制组在拍的迷你剧集纪录片叫《工作：我们整天都在做什么》。
sketch v. & n.
1. 作动词：画速写；概述
【例】to sketch the view/a plan 画风景速写/简要描述计划
【搭配】sketch in 补充细节
【例】He sketched in a few more facts about the case.
他补充了几个关于这个案件的事实。
2. 作名词：速写；简介；喜剧小品
【例】give sb a sketch of sth 向某人简要描述某事
Some describe the closeness they have with the people whose bedpans they change, whose medications they administer. One, Caroline, her pulled-back hair flecked with gray, says she probably knows the clients she takes care of better than their own children do.
一些护工描述了她们与被照顾的人之间的亲密关系，她们给这些人更换便盆、给他们服药。其中一位护工叫卡罗琳，她向后梳起的头发有几缕灰白，她说她可能比客户自己的子女还要更了解她所照顾的客户。
medication n. 药物治疗；药物
【例】Freud believed that medication couldn’t cure mental disorders.
弗洛伊德认为药物治疗无法根治心理问题。
【辨析】medicine/drug n. 医学；（液体）药品/药品；毒品
【拓展】medicate v. 用药物治疗
administer v.
1. 管理（公司、机构）；治理国家
【例】to administer a charity 管理一家慈善机构
2. 施行；提供
【例】to administer justice/punishment 司法/进行处罚
3. 施用（药物）
【例】to administer poison/vaccine 投毒/打疫苗
【拓展】administration n. 行政管理；政府/施行/用药
Then Sheila asks: "You all have any questions for me? Any comments for me?" This innocent query opens a floodgate of discontent that takes both Sheila and the viewer by surprise.
然后希拉问："你们有什么问题要问我吗？对我有什么要说的吗？"这个单纯的提问立刻打开了倾泻不满的闸门，让希拉和观众都大吃一惊。
innocent adj.
1. 天真无邪的
【例】an innocent child 天真的小孩
2. 无辜的；无罪的
【例】be proved innocent of crime/innocent victims 被证明无罪/无辜受害者
3. 无冒犯之意的；无恶意的
【例】an innocent joke 没有恶意的玩笑
discontent n. 不满；让人不满的事情
【例】popular discontent with inflation 大众对通货膨胀的不满
【反义词】contentment n. 满足
【拓展】content adj./v. 满足的/感到满意
pick sth up
1. （偶然）得到，学会
【例】pick up a little Japanese when watching anime 看动漫的时候学会了几句日语
2. 辨别；识别出
【例】pick up early signs of the disease 识别出疾病的早期迹象
3. 察觉到；注意到
【例】an enemy plane picked up by the radar 被雷达发现的敌机
There are questions about time-keeping and payment-tracking systems. An aide named Amanda says a client had her drive 10 miles to pick up a pizza: "Is the GPS picking up all that?"
有关于工作计时和跟踪支付系统的问题。一位名叫阿曼达的护工说，一位客户让她开车10英里去取披萨："GPS能检测到我的这些行程吗？"
innocent adj.
1. 天真无邪的
【例】an innocent child 天真的小孩
2. 无辜的；无罪的
【例】be proved innocent of crime/innocent victims 被证明无罪/无辜受害者
3. 无冒犯之意的；无恶意的
【例】an innocent joke 没有恶意的玩笑
discontent n. 不满；让人不满的事情
【例】popular discontent with inflation 大众对通货膨胀的不满
【反义词】contentment n. 满足
【拓展】content adj./v. 满足的/感到满意
pick sth up
1. （偶然）得到，学会
【例】pick up a little Japanese when watching anime 看动漫的时候学会了几句日语
2. 辨别；识别出
【例】pick up early signs of the disease 识别出疾病的早期迹象
3. 察觉到；注意到
【例】an enemy plane picked up by the radar 被雷达发现的敌机
No, Sheila says sympathetically, aides don't get paid for extra driving. "It don't seem right," she concedes, "because you're burning your gas."
希拉同情地说，不能，护工不会因为额外的跑腿而获得报酬。"这确实不太合理，"希拉承认，"因为烧的是你的汽油。"
concede v.
1. 承认（某事合乎逻辑或属实）
【例】He conceded that an immediate agreement was nowhere in sight.
他承认近期内无望达成协议。
【近义词】admit v. 承认（尤指与自己相关的事）
2. （不情愿地）让步；让与
【例】Britain conceded independence to India in 1947.
英国在1947年允许印度独立。
batten the hatches
1. （风暴来临前）封住底舱口
【例】batten the hatches before a storm 在暴风雨来到前封舱
2. 做好迎接困难的准备
【例】When you're coming down with flu all you can do is batten down the hatches and wait for it to pass.
得了流感之后，你只能做好迎接困难的准备，等病慢慢变好。
None of this releases the pressure in the room; if anything, it just keeps building. "How are we supposed to live and survive?" one woman asks. "We have kids to take care of, homes to take care of."
这些话无法让房间里的压力得到释放，压力反而在不断增加。"我们要怎么活下去呢？"一位女士问道，"我们要养孩子，还要养家。"
concede v.
1. 承认（某事合乎逻辑或属实）
【例】He conceded that an immediate agreement was nowhere in sight.
他承认近期内无望达成协议。
【近义词】admit v. 承认（尤指与自己相关的事）
2. （不情愿地）让步；让与
【例】Britain conceded independence to India in 1947.
英国在1947年允许印度独立。
batten the hatches
1. （风暴来临前）封住底舱口
【例】batten the hatches before a storm 在暴风雨来到前封舱
2. 做好迎接困难的准备
【例】When you're coming down with flu all you can do is batten down the hatches and wait for it to pass.
得了流感之后，你只能做好迎接困难的准备，等病慢慢变好。
Caroline notes that she has been with the company for almost three years without seeing a raise. Sheila stares downward, as though battening her emotional hatches.
卡罗琳指出，她在公司工作了近三年，却没有涨过薪。希拉低头盯着地面，似乎在情绪上已经准备好要迎接一场风暴。
concede v.
1. 承认（某事合乎逻辑或属实）
【例】He conceded that an immediate agreement was nowhere in sight.
他承认近期内无望达成协议。
【近义词】admit v. 承认（尤指与自己相关的事）
2. （不情愿地）让步；让与
【例】Britain conceded independence to India in 1947.
英国在1947年允许印度独立。
batten the hatches
1. （风暴来临前）封住底舱口
【例】batten the hatches before a storm 在暴风雨来到前封舱
2. 做好迎接困难的准备
【例】When you're coming down with flu all you can do is batten down the hatches and wait for it to pass.
得了流感之后，你只能做好迎接困难的准备，等病慢慢变好。
The scene is documentary gold. It requires no commentary, no interviews. It is a simple, powerful illustration of an American workplace, boiling like a pot of tomato sauce, ready to spit hot rivulets of grievance at anyone who stirs it.
这一场景是纪录片的黄金时刻。此时不需要评论，也不需要采访。它简单而有力地表现了美国的工作环境：就像一锅煮沸的番茄酱，只要有人搅动它，就会随时喷溅出如汤汁般滚烫的怨愤。
grievance n. 委屈；怨愤
【例】Bill still nurses a grievance against his employers for not promoting him.
因为没有提拔他，比尔还是对他的老板心怀怨气。
grievance procedure 投诉程序（表达不满的机制）
【拓展】feel wronged by sb 感到被某人冤枉/被某人不公平地对待
We feel for the workers. We feel for Sheila, who seems caught in a crossfire, trying her best. We feel righteous anger at whoever might be to blame for all this dissatisfaction. But who, precisely, is that?
我们同情护工们。我们同情希拉，她仿佛陷入了一场交火，但还在尽自己最大的努力。我们对造成所有这些不满的罪魁祸首感到义愤填膺。但这个罪魁祸首到底是谁呢？
righteous adj. 正当的；正义的
【例】a righteous action/say sth in a righteous voice 正当的行动/理直气壮地说
not anywhere near... 远非；绝不是
【例】He isn't anywhere near as popular as he used to be.
他远没有之前那么受欢迎了。
This is one of many big questions that "Working" may not have anywhere near enough time to answer.
这是《工作》根本来不及回答的许多宏大问题之一。
righteous adj. 正当的；正义的
【例】a righteous action/say sth in a righteous voice 正当的行动/理直气壮地说
not anywhere near... 远非；绝不是
【例】He isn't anywhere near as popular as he used to be.
他远没有之前那么受欢迎了。
课后练习
What can be learned about the aides?
A. They worked for a nonprofit organization.
B. They were being interviewed by a journalist.
C. They had a good relationship with their clients.
D. They offered medical advice for their clients.
What problem did Amanda have about her work?
A. She lived too far from her client’s home.
B. She had to bear the cost of some extra work.
C. She had trouble making the GPS function
D. She didn’t have enough salary to buy gas.
The comparison of American workplace to a pot of tomato sauce means ____.
A. the teamworking spirit is highly valued
B. jobs are essential to people’s livelihood
C. people have complaints about their work
D. a reform will take place in workplaces
One of the questions proposed by “Working” is ____.
A. how to create equality in the workplace
B. how to solve the challenges faced by women
C. what makes efficient management in businesses
D. what has caused the discontent of employees