第4课

旁白 neutral

These days, people who do manual work often receive far more money than people who work in offices.

如今，从事体力劳动的人挣的钱，常常比办公室工作人员挣的钱多得多。

旁白 neutral

People who work in offices are frequently referred to as 'white-collar workers' for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work.

办公室工作人员通常被称为“白领工人”，原因很简单，他们上班时通常穿带领带的衬衫。

旁白 neutral

Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white-collar workers.

人性如此，许多人常常愿意牺牲较高的工资，以换取成为白领工人的殊荣。

旁白 neutral

This can give rise to curious situations, as it did in the case of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation.

这可能导致一些奇怪的情况，就像阿尔弗雷德·布洛格斯的情况一样，他曾是埃尔斯米尔公司的一名清洁工。

旁白 neutral

When he got married, Alf was too embarrassed to say anything to his wife about his job.

结婚时，阿尔弗太不好意思告诉妻子他的工作了。

旁白 neutral

He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation.

他只告诉她他在公司上班。

旁白 neutral

Every morning, he left home dressed in a smart black suit.

每天早上，他都穿着一套漂亮的黑色西装出门。

旁白 neutral

He then changed into overalls and spent the next eight hours as a dustman.

然后他换上工作服，接下来的八个小时都当清洁工。

旁白 neutral

Before returning home at night, he took a shower and changed back into his suit.

晚上回家前，他洗了个澡，又换回了他的西装。

旁白 neutral

Alf did this for over two years and his fellow dustmen kept his secret.

阿尔弗这样做了两年多，他的清洁工同事们都替他保密。

旁白 neutral

Alf's wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and she never will, for Alf has just found another job.

阿尔弗的妻子从未发现她嫁给了一个清洁工，而且她永远也不会发现了，因为阿尔弗刚刚找到了另一份工作。

旁白 neutral

He will soon be working in an office.

他很快就要在办公室工作了。

旁白 neutral

He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that his rise in status is well worth the loss of money.

他挣的钱将只有以前的一半，但他觉得地位的提升，很值得损失这点钱。

旁白 neutral

From now on, he will wear a suit all day and others will call him 'Mr.Bloggs', not 'Alf'.

从现在起，他将一整天都穿西装，别人会称呼他“布洛格斯先生”，而不是“阿尔弗”。