英语沙龙：工作中的不满

Dissatisfactions at Work

For most of us, the work is the central,

dominating factor of life.

We spend more than half our conscious hours at work,

traveling to and from work.

What we do there largely determines our standard of living

and to a considerable extent the status

we are accorded by our fellow citizens as well.

It is sometimes said that because leisure has become more important,

the indignities¹ and injustices² of work can be pushed into a corner,

that because more work is pretty intolerable,

the people who do it should compensate³ for its boredom⁴,

frustrations⁵ and humiliations by concentrating their hopes

on the other parts of their lives.

I reject that as a counsel of despair.

For the foreseeable future the material

and psychological rewards which work can provide,

and the conditions in which work is done,

will continue to play a vital part in determining the satisfaction

that life can offer.

Yet only a small minority can control the pace

at which they work or the conditions in which their work is done;

only for a small minority does work offer scope for creativity,

imagination or initiative.

Inequality at work and in work is still one of the cruelest

and most glaring forms of inequality in our society.

We cannot hope to solve the more obvious problems of industrial life,

many of which arise directly or indirectly⁶

from the frustrations created by inequality at work,

unless we tackle it head-on.

Still less can we hope to create a decent and humane⁷ society.

1 indignities   

n.侮辱，轻蔑( indignity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The soldiers who were captured suffered many indignities at the hands of the enemy. 被俘的士兵在敌人手中受尽侮辱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• What sort of indignities would he be forced to endure? 他会被迫忍受什么样的侮辱呢？ 来自辞典例句

2 injustices   

不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉

参考例句：

• One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
• He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。

3 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

4 boredom   

n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊

参考例句：

• Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
• A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

5 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

6 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

7 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。