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公司头像的诅咒(上)
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摆出奇怪姿势和标准微笑拍照的企业习俗应作何解释？
双语精读
The curse of the headshot
头像的诅咒
What explains the corporate custom of strange poses and painted smiles?
摆出奇怪姿势和标准微笑拍照的企业习俗应作何解释？
Do an image search for the word "business" or "manager", and what comes back? Nothing that remotely resembles business or managers. It isn't just that the people are attractive. It is what they are doing. Many stock photos feature well-dressed types sitting around a table. One of them is holding forth and everyone else is laughing madly, like cult members hearing that the Rapture has been brought forward a week.
输入"商业"或"经理"这个词来搜索图片，会有什么结果？一些和商业或者经理没有任何相似之处的东西。这不仅仅是因为图片里的人很有魅力。而是图片中人们在做什么。许多常见照片上都是衣着光鲜的人围坐在桌子旁。其中一个人滔滔不绝，其他人疯狂大笑，就像宗教成员听说"被提"要早一周来临一样。
In other pictures, a speaker is pointing at a pie chart. Her colleagues look astonished at what they are seeing. Or people are shaking hands, purposefully and often. If they are ever left to their own devices, they stand in front of floor-to-ceiling windows and gaze moodily at the skyline. What could they be thinking? Is it about what was on that pie chart?
在其他图片中，一位演讲者指着一张饼分图。她的同事们对所看到的东西感到非常惊讶。或者人们在刻意地、频繁地握手。如果是单独出现，他们会站在大落地窗前，忧郁地凝视着天际线。他们会在想什么呢？是不是在想那张饼分图上有什么？
Some amount of business life involves sitting around a table. Occasionally there is laughter. But if you wanted to represent the reality of a meeting, one person would be talking, two people would be listening and everyone else would be wearing the glazed expression of clerics who have just lost their faith. If there was an accurate stock photo of someone working at a desk, its surface would be covered in crumbs and the laptop screen would be showing its owner's social-media account.
在商业生活中，有时候确实需要围坐在桌子旁。偶尔也会有笑声。但如果想如实表现一场会议，那么应该是一个人在讲话，两个人在听，其他所有人都是一副刚刚失去信仰的神职人员的呆滞表情。如果是一张精确地表现某人在工位上工作的常见照片，那么桌子上应该撒满零零碎碎的东西，笔记本电脑的屏幕上会显示这个人的社交媒体页面。
The corporate headshot is the way that firms use photography to bend reality. But whereas stock photos tend to glamorise business, headshots achieve the reverse. They make corporate life seem less fun than it actually is.
企业头像是公司利用摄影来扭曲现实的方式。但是，尽管常见照片往往会美化企业，但头像却会实现相反的效果。它们让公司生活看起来没有实际那么有趣。
Most companies' websites contain a gallery of their senior executives and boards, the product of hours of awkward primping and posing. Executives are caked in make-up and asked to look into the camera with a succession of forced smiles. The results are consistently appalling. Most end up looking like well-dressed hostages. Someone, usually the general counsel, looks so pained that he or she appears to have just been Tasered. One or two eschew smiles altogether: in this context they are the hostage-takers.
大多数公司的网站都有高管和董事会成员的照片，这是几个小时的尴尬打扮和摆姿势的产物。高管们顶着厚厚的妆，被要求带着一连串强颜欢笑的表情看着镜头。结果总是令人惊骇的。大多数人最终看起来都像穿着考究的人质。有些人，通常是总法律顾问，看起来非常痛苦，就像他或她刚刚被电击了一样。有一两个人完全避免微笑：在这种情况下，他们就像是劫持人质的人。
词汇预习
context [高考]
美[ˈkɑːntekst] | 英[ˈkɒntekst]
n. 上下文；环境；背景
laptop [高考]
美[ˈlæptɑːp] | 英[ˈlæptɒp]
n. 便携式电脑；笔记本电脑
corporate [高考]
美[ˈkɔːrpərət] | 英[ˈkɔːpərət]
adj. 法人的；公司的；社团的；共同的；全体的
consistently [高考]
美[kənˈsɪstəntlɪ] | 英[kən'sɪstəntlɪ]
adv. 一贯地，始终；一致地
madly [高考]
美[ˈmædli] | 英[ˈmædli]
adv. 疯狂地；狂热地；非常
whereas [高考]
美[ˌwerˈæz] | 英[ˌweərˈæz]
conj. 然而；鉴于
curse [高考]
美[kɜːrs] | 英[kɜːs]
n. 诅咒；咒骂；祸端 vt. 诅咒；咒骂；使受罪 vi. 诅咒；咒骂
reverse [高考]
美[rɪˈvɜːrs] | 英[rɪˈvɜːs]
v. 逆转；倒退；互换；改变 adj. 相反的；反面的；颠倒的 n. 相反；背面；失败；倒档
purposefully [高考]
美['pɜpəsfəlɪ] | 英['pɜ:pəsfəlɪ]
adv. 有目的地；蓄意地；果断地
media [高考]
美[ˈmiːdiə] | 英[ˈmiːdiə]
n. 传播媒介；(medium的复数)媒体；新闻媒介
contain [高考]
美[kənˈteɪn] | 英[kənˈteɪn]
vt. 容纳；包含；抑制；克制 vi. 自制
faith [高考]
美[feɪθ] | 英[feɪθ]
n. 信仰；信念；信任
bend [高考]
美[bend] | 英[bend]
v. 弯曲；使弯曲；屈服；屈从；集中于 n. 弯曲；弯道
accurate [高考]
美[ˈækjərət] | 英[ˈækjərət]
adj. 准确的；精确的
altogether [高考]
美[ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər] | 英[ˌɔːltəˈɡeðə(r)]
adv. 总共；完全；总的来说
awkward [高考]
美[ˈɔːkwərd] | 英[ˈɔːkwəd]
adj. 尴尬的；笨拙的；（设计）别扭的
thinking [高考]
美[ˈθɪŋkɪŋ] | 英[ˈθɪŋkɪŋ]
n. 思考；思想 adj. 好思考的；有理性的
hearing [高考]
美[ˈhɪrɪŋ] | 英[ˈhɪərɪŋ]
n. 听力；听觉；说话或申辩的机会；审讯；听证会
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
forth [四级]
美[fɔːrθ] | 英[fɔːθ]
adv. 向前；向外；露出
gaze [四级]
美[ɡeɪz] | 英[ɡeɪz]
vi. 凝视 n. 凝视
succession [四级]
美[səkˈseʃn] | 英[səkˈseʃn]
n. 连续；继承权；继位
counsel [四级]
美[ˈkaʊnsl] | 英[ˈkaʊnsl]
n. 劝告；建议；诉讼律师 v. 提供建议；劝告
make-up [四级]
美[ˈmeɪk ʌp] | 英[ˈmeɪk ʌp]
n. 化妆品；性格；补考
stand in [四级]
美[stænd ɪn] | 英[stænd in]
代替； 代表； 作替身
hostage [六级]
美[ˈhɑːstɪdʒ] | 英[ˈhɒstɪdʒ]
n. 人质
eschew [专四]
美[ɪsˈtʃuː] | 英[ɪsˈtʃuː]
vt. 避开；回避；戒绝
appalling [专四]
美[əˈpɔːlɪŋ] | 英[əˈpɔːlɪŋ]
adj. 令人震惊的；可怕的
skyline [专八]
美[ˈskaɪˌlaɪn] | 英[ˈskaɪlaɪn]
n. 地平线；以天空为背景的轮廓
cult [考研]
美[kʌlt] | 英[kʌlt]
n. 宗教膜拜仪式；异教；狂热崇拜；个人崇拜
重点讲解
The curse of the headshot
头像的诅咒
hold forth 长篇大论地讲；侃侃而谈
【例】I have no wish to sit on his table if he's just going to hold forth all throughout lunch.
如果他午饭时真要不停地高谈阔论，我就不想坐在他那桌子上了。
Young people nowadays can’t stand their elders holding forth.
现在的年轻人受不了长辈们的长篇大论了。
【拓展】关于“长篇大论”的表达：
1. long-winded adj. 长篇大论的
【例】Be sure to make it clear and concise, and avoid being long-winded.
注意简明扼要，不必长篇大论。
2. long-windedness n. 长篇大论
【例】His long-windedness about qualities of women finally brought himself a fatal disaster.
他对女性品质的长篇大论终于给他招来了杀身之祸。
3. tirade n. 长篇大论；(批评或指责性的)长篇激烈讲话
【例】She launched into a tirade of abuse against politicians.
她发表了长篇演说，愤怒地谴责政客。
4. harangue v./n. 慷慨激昂的劝说； 喋喋不休的劝说
【例】That man was still haranguing the girl.
那位男士仍然对那女孩喋喋不休地训斥。
Unfortunately, no questions from the audience broke the continuity of his harangue.
令人遗憾的是，没有听众提出问题来打断他的高谈阔论。
rapture n. 狂喜； 欢天喜地； 兴高采烈
【例】The children gazed at her in rapture.
孩子们欣喜若狂地看着她。
The last minute goal sent the fans into raptures.
最后一刻的进球使得球迷们欣喜若狂。
What explains the corporate custom of strange poses and painted smiles?
摆出奇怪姿势和标准微笑拍照的企业习俗应作何解释？
hold forth 长篇大论地讲；侃侃而谈
【例】I have no wish to sit on his table if he's just going to hold forth all throughout lunch.
如果他午饭时真要不停地高谈阔论，我就不想坐在他那桌子上了。
Young people nowadays can’t stand their elders holding forth.
现在的年轻人受不了长辈们的长篇大论了。
【拓展】关于“长篇大论”的表达：
1. long-winded adj. 长篇大论的
【例】Be sure to make it clear and concise, and avoid being long-winded.
注意简明扼要，不必长篇大论。
2. long-windedness n. 长篇大论
【例】His long-windedness about qualities of women finally brought himself a fatal disaster.
他对女性品质的长篇大论终于给他招来了杀身之祸。
3. tirade n. 长篇大论；(批评或指责性的)长篇激烈讲话
【例】She launched into a tirade of abuse against politicians.
她发表了长篇演说，愤怒地谴责政客。
4. harangue v./n. 慷慨激昂的劝说； 喋喋不休的劝说
【例】That man was still haranguing the girl.
那位男士仍然对那女孩喋喋不休地训斥。
Unfortunately, no questions from the audience broke the continuity of his harangue.
令人遗憾的是，没有听众提出问题来打断他的高谈阔论。
rapture n. 狂喜； 欢天喜地； 兴高采烈
【例】The children gazed at her in rapture.
孩子们欣喜若狂地看着她。
The last minute goal sent the fans into raptures.
最后一刻的进球使得球迷们欣喜若狂。
Do an image search for the word "business" or "manager", and what comes back? Nothing that remotely resembles business or managers. It isn't just that the people are attractive. It is what they are doing. Many stock photos feature well-dressed types sitting around a table. One of them is holding forth and everyone else is laughing madly, like cult members hearing that the Rapture has been brought forward a week.
输入"商业"或"经理"这个词来搜索图片，会有什么结果？一些和商业或者经理没有任何相似之处的东西。这不仅仅是因为图片里的人很有魅力。而是图片中人们在做什么。许多常见照片上都是衣着光鲜的人围坐在桌子旁。其中一个人滔滔不绝，其他人疯狂大笑，就像宗教成员听说"被提"要早一周来临一样。
hold forth 长篇大论地讲；侃侃而谈
【例】I have no wish to sit on his table if he's just going to hold forth all throughout lunch.
如果他午饭时真要不停地高谈阔论，我就不想坐在他那桌子上了。
Young people nowadays can’t stand their elders holding forth.
现在的年轻人受不了长辈们的长篇大论了。
【拓展】关于“长篇大论”的表达：
1. long-winded adj. 长篇大论的
【例】Be sure to make it clear and concise, and avoid being long-winded.
注意简明扼要，不必长篇大论。
2. long-windedness n. 长篇大论
【例】His long-windedness about qualities of women finally brought himself a fatal disaster.
他对女性品质的长篇大论终于给他招来了杀身之祸。
3. tirade n. 长篇大论；(批评或指责性的)长篇激烈讲话
【例】She launched into a tirade of abuse against politicians.
她发表了长篇演说，愤怒地谴责政客。
4. harangue v./n. 慷慨激昂的劝说； 喋喋不休的劝说
【例】That man was still haranguing the girl.
那位男士仍然对那女孩喋喋不休地训斥。
Unfortunately, no questions from the audience broke the continuity of his harangue.
令人遗憾的是，没有听众提出问题来打断他的高谈阔论。
rapture n. 狂喜； 欢天喜地； 兴高采烈
【例】The children gazed at her in rapture.
孩子们欣喜若狂地看着她。
The last minute goal sent the fans into raptures.
最后一刻的进球使得球迷们欣喜若狂。
In other pictures, a speaker is pointing at a pie chart. Her colleagues look astonished at what they are seeing. Or people are shaking hands, purposefully and often. If they are ever left to their own devices, they stand in front of floor-to-ceiling windows and gaze moodily at the skyline. What could they be thinking? Is it about what was on that pie chart?
在其他图片中，一位演讲者指着一张饼分图。她的同事们对所看到的东西感到非常惊讶。或者人们在刻意地、频繁地握手。如果是单独出现，他们会站在大落地窗前，忧郁地凝视着天际线。他们会在想什么呢？是不是在想那张饼分图上有什么？
pie chart 饼状图
【例】The pie chart tells us that 70% of our body is made of water.
这张饼状图告诉我们，人类身体的70%是由水构成的。
【近义词】chart/graph n. 图表
【例】The graph shows how male and female heart rates change throughout their 40s.
这张图表显示了四十到五十岁之间的男性和女性的心律变化。
The crew used a naval chart to navigate their way across the sea.
船员们凭借航海图在海上确定了航向。
【拓展】table n. 表格 diagram n. 图表
【例】Names are shown in alphabetical order in the table.
在这张表格里，人名是按照字母顺序排列的。
Follow the instructions in the diagram, and you will learn how to operate the machine correctly.
按照这张原理图上的用法说明操作，你就会正确地使用这台机器了。
Some amount of business life involves sitting around a table. Occasionally there is laughter. But if you wanted to represent the reality of a meeting, one person would be talking, two people would be listening and everyone else would be wearing the glazed expression of clerics who have just lost their faith. If there was an accurate stock photo of someone working at a desk, its surface would be covered in crumbs and the laptop screen would be showing its owner's social-media account.
在商业生活中，有时候确实需要围坐在桌子旁。偶尔也会有笑声。但如果想如实表现一场会议，那么应该是一个人在讲话，两个人在听，其他所有人都是一副刚刚失去信仰的神职人员的呆滞表情。如果是一张精确地表现某人在工位上工作的常见照片，那么桌子上应该撒满零零碎碎的东西，笔记本电脑的屏幕上会显示这个人的社交媒体页面。
crumb n. 面包屑；食物碎屑；一点；少许
【例】She stood up and brushed the crumbs from her sweater.
她站起身掸掉了毛衣上的面包屑。
a few crumbs of useful information 点滴有用的消息
The corporate headshot is the way that firms use photography to bend reality. But whereas stock photos tend to glamorise business, headshots achieve the reverse. They make corporate life seem less fun than it actually is.
企业头像是公司利用摄影来扭曲现实的方式。但是，尽管常见照片往往会美化企业，但头像却会实现相反的效果。它们让公司生活看起来没有实际那么有趣。
glamorise v. 使有魅力；使有刺激性；美化
【例】Television tends to glamorise violence.
电视往往美化暴力。
【拓展】glamor n. 魅力，诱惑力 glamorous adj.迷人的；特别富有魅力的；独特的
【例】Foreign travel has lost its glamor for her.
国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
The advertisements depict smoking as glamorous and attractive.
这些广告把吸烟描绘得充满刺激和富有吸引力。
reverse n. & v.
1. 作名词：相反的情况(或事物)；后面；背面
【例】This problem is the reverse of the previous one.
这个问题和上一个问题相反。
2. 做动词：颠倒；彻底转变；使完全相反
【例】The government has failed to reverse the economic decline.
政府未能扭转经济滑坡的趋势。
3. 作动词：撤销，废除（决定、法律等）
【例】The Court of Appeal reversed the decision.
上诉法庭撤销了这项裁决。
4. 作动词：承认错误；放弃（立场）
【例】He has reversed himself on a dozen issues.
他已经不再坚持自己在一系列问题上的立场。
5. 作形容词：相反的；反面的；反向的
【例】The wrong attitude will have exactly the reverse effect.
错误的态度会产生完全相反的效果
Most companies' websites contain a gallery of their senior executives and boards, the product of hours of awkward primping and posing. Executives are caked in make-up and asked to look into the camera with a succession of forced smiles. The results are consistently appalling. Most end up looking like well-dressed hostages. Someone, usually the general counsel, looks so pained that he or she appears to have just been Tasered. One or two eschew smiles altogether: in this context they are the hostage-takers.
大多数公司的网站都有高管和董事会成员的照片，这是几个小时的尴尬打扮和摆姿势的产物。高管们顶着厚厚的妆，被要求带着一连串强颜欢笑的表情看着镜头。结果总是令人惊骇的。大多数人最终看起来都像穿着考究的人质。有些人，通常是总法律顾问，看起来非常痛苦，就像他或她刚刚被电击了一样。有一两个人完全避免微笑：在这种情况下，他们就像是劫持人质的人。
primp v. 打扮；修饰
【例】Too much time is spent in primping, too little at work.
在打扮上用时太多，在工作上用时太少。
【搭配】primp and preen 精心打扮
【例】They found it hard to picture him primping and preening in front of a mirror for so long everyday.
他们难以想象他居然每天花这么多时间对镜梳妆打扮。
cake v. (用厚厚一层干后即变硬的软东西)覆盖；(干后)结成硬块；胶凝
【例】Her shoes were caked with mud.
她的鞋上沾着污泥。
appalling adj. 骇人听闻的； 令人震惊的； 极为恶劣的； 糟糕的
【例】The prisoners were living in appalling conditions.
囚犯的居住条件极为恶劣。
Sanitary conditions are appalling
卫生条件之差令人震惊。
eschew v. 回避；(有意地)避开；避免
【例】A wise person eschews bad company.
聪明人远离恶友。
Some things are much better eschewed than chewed; tobacco is one of them.
有些东西是最好避而不嚼，烟草就是其中之一。
课后练习
According to the author, the stock photos of managers ____.
A. portray the lively office life in the business world
B. function as a form of advertisement for executives
C. fail to depict the real-life scenes in the company
D. focus on group activities rather than individuals
According to the text, in the real business life ____.
A. meetings feature prominently in the work schedule
B. people are often serious when they attend meetings
C. the atmosphere is not as energetic as the photos show
D. people are too busy to communicate with each other
What do executives look like in their headshots?
A. They are well-dressed and appear to be professional.
B. They look different depending on the corporate culture.
C. They seem more confident when they avoid smiling.
D. They give the impression of being uncomfortable.
The author’s attitude towards corporate headshots is ____.
A. enthusiastic
B. sarcastic
C. indifferent
D. critical