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Baby Steps 职场新兵守则

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Every year, thousands of university graduates start their first jobs with great enthusiasm, but end up making a complete hash of things. Very often this failure stems from the fact that recent graduates tend to cling to their cocky college attitudes and naively expect to be treated like full-fledged professionals. In fact, the first year on the job is a unique transition year – preliminary to the career path – and must be approached accordingly if a new recruit is to be successful.

每年数千名大学毕业生满腔热忱地投入第一份工作，最后却搞得一团乱。这样的挫败，多半是由于近年来的毕业生仍抱持在校时自以为是的态度，天真地期待别人将他们看做是经验丰富的专业人士。事实上，对于往后整个职业生涯而言，工作的第一年是独特的转换期，职场新鲜人想要成功，就必须了解这一点。

During this transition from college to the workplace, graduates must accept being treated like new kids on the block. It is a period of probation during which their work will be closely monitored. As they don’t yet have a proven track record, their colleagues will be reluctant to entrust them with important projects. How then, can they earn the respect and credibility they are striving for?

在这段从学校到职场的转换期中，初入社会的毕业生必须接受别人把自己当成是新来的菜鸟，在这段试用期间，他们的工作必须受到严密的监督；而且由于职场新鲜人没有过去工作表现的纪录，所以其他同事不愿意将重要的项目交付他们。那么，他们要如何努力才能赢得他们想从别人那里得到的尊重和信任呢？

Make a big splash? Wrong, say most employers. The best way for new workers to make positive impressions is not to show how much they know, but to show maturity and humility by admitting how much they don’t know. They must learn the ropes before they can assert themselves. Doing so will help them to make the positive impressions that will benefit the rest of their careers

一鸣惊人求表现吗？错！大部分的雇主都这么说。新进员工要给别人好印象最好的方式，不是表现他们知道多少，而是承认他们不知道什么，以表现出成熟和谦虚的态度。职场新鲜人在展露才能之前，必须先学会做事的诀窍，这样做有助于他们建立良好的印象，对他们往后的职业生涯有所帮助。

Vocabulary

单词发音

enthusiasm [ɪnˋθjuzɪ͵æzəm] n. 热心，热情，热忱

make a hash of 把…弄糟; 搞砸

stem from 起源于; 由...造成

cling [klɪŋ] to 坚持；墨守; 紧握不放

cocky [ˋkɑkɪ] adj. 骄傲的；太过自信的

naively [nɑˋivlɪ] adv. 天真烂漫地，无邪地

full-fledged [ˋfʊlˋflɛdʒd] adj. 经过充分训练的；成熟的

preliminary [prɪˋlɪmə͵nɛrɪ] adj. 预备的；初步的；开端的

approach [əˋprotʃ] v. 着手处理，开始对付

accordingly [əˋkɔrdɪŋlɪ] adv. 相应地

recruit [rɪˋkrut] n. 新兵；新手

new kid on the block 新来的菜鸟 someone who is new in a place or organization and has many things to learn about it

probation [proˋbeʃən] n. 试用期；见习期；试读期

entrust [ɪnˋtrʌst] v. 委托；委派

splash [splæʃ] n.【口】引人注目的报导；显着的效果

learn the ropes 掌握要领, 学会秘诀  to understand how to do a particular job or activity

assert oneself 坚持自己的权利, 显示自己的权威(或威力)

assert [əˋsɝt] v. 维护，坚持；显示；确立

Sentence of the Day

He got off on the wrong foot.

他出师不利(起头不顺)。

get off on the wrong foot  一开始就给人不好的印象, 出师不利

课文讲解

Felix, a recent graduate and new employee, goes in to see his supervisor, Baker:  一位最近刚踏入职场的大学毕业生费利克斯，进去见他的主管贝克小姐：

B: Come in, Felix. I want to discuss what you brought up at the projects meeting yesterday.

请进，费利克斯，我想和你讨论一下昨天你在项目会议上所提的意见。

F: Great! I’ve got plenty of other mind-blowing ideas that will revolutionize the way this company does business!

太好了！我还有很多超棒的点子，可以改革公司的经营方式。

B: Slow down! Your ideas are good, but you need to brush up on your tact.

慢点！你的想法很好，但你得先磨练一下做事的手腕。

F: What do you mean?

你的意思是？

B: While you were making your suggestions, you inadvertently criticized the person who initiated the project: our Senior VP!

你在提出建议时，不经意地批评到原来发起这项项目的人了，这个人正是公司的资深副总裁！

F: Hmm, I guess I should spend some time trying to understand the politics of decision making.

嗯，我想我应该花时间试着先了解公司决策的策略。

B: Yes – and you should also learn the ropes before trying to revolutionize the industry.

没错，你在试图改革这个产业之前，应该先学会做事的诀窍。

F: That’s good advice. But I don’t feel like I’m contributing yet.

这个建议不错，但是我觉得我对公司还没有贡献。

B: Just be patient. The most important thing for you to do this year is to learn about this company’s corporate culture.

有耐心点，你今年最重要的事就是先了解这个公司的企业文化。

F: As well as learn about the expectations that others have of me – like I’m doing now.

同时也要了解别人对我的期望，就像现在这样。

B: You’re catching on quickly.

你学得很快。

F: So what should I do about those imprudent things I said about the Senior VP?

至于我轻率说出的那些有关副总裁的话，我该怎么办呢？

B: Don’t worry, he’ll forget about it soon enough. Nobody really listens to newly graduated employees anyway!

别担心，他不会放在心上的，反正没有人真正在乎刚毕业的新进员工说些什么！

－by Howie Phung

Vocabulary

单词发音

bring up 提起……，谈到

mind-blowing [ˋmaɪnd͵bloɪŋ] adj. 【非正式】令人极度兴奋[震惊]的; 非常奇怪的

brush up on (something)  重温, 重新练习(已荒疏的技巧)

tact [tækt] n. 老练；机智；得体；圆滑

inadvertently [͵ɪnədˋvɝtntlɪ] adv. 粗心大意地; 非故意地

initiate [ɪˋnɪʃɪɪt] v.【正式】开始实施〔重要的事﹐如官方程序或新计划〕; 发起; 开始；创始

politics [ˋpɑlətɪks] n. 策略

catch on 理解

imprudent [ɪmˋprudnt] adj. 不谨慎的；轻率的；鲁莽的

Sentence of the Day

He's a Johnny-come-lately.

他是个新来的人。

Johnny-come-lately【口】新来的人；迟到的人；晚来的人