女儿职业道路

The Daughter Track

Susan： Man， I’ve gotta say， it’s nice to be back in the office again.

Tim： And it’s great to have you. Your trademark work ethic and killer smile have certainly been missed.

Susan： Awww， you’re such a sweetheart. So how have things been going around here？ There any breaking news from around the watercooler？

Tim： ①Funny you should ask. As it just so happens， I overheard Jill talking to Claire about how they both wanna take the mommy track， so they’ll both have more time to spend with their kids.

Susan： That sounds nice…I wish my husband and I can do that too， but we’ve had to put off parenthood for a 1）myriad of reasons.

Tim： Do you mind me asking why？

Susan： Well， like I said， there’re too many reasons to get into right now， but the main one has to do with my parents’recurring health issues.

Tim： Oh， I’m so sorry to hear that. I lost my father to cancer a few years back and it was a terrible 2）ordeal. ②It threw my whole life into a tail spin， from which I’m still trying to recover.

Susan： We haven’t reached that point yet， thankfully. But I’ve obviously been missing a lot of work these days， and it seems the boss’s patience is finally starting to run thin.

Tim： Have you talked to someone in management or HR about it？ You may be able to receive some additional offdays if you opt for the company’s daughter track.

Susan： Daughter track？ Is that like the mommy track， but just in reverse？

Tim： Exactly！ If you need time to help take care of your 3）ailing parents， then， by all means， you should be with them in these precious moments.

Susan： You really think so？ Because when I think about all the medical expenses we’ve gotta deal with， and possible…well…funeral expenses…it makes my head spin， and I just don’t wanna even think about it.

Tim： I get what you’re saying. But I’d give anything for just a few more moments with my dearly departed dad. So， if you’re asking me， I think you need to take advantage of this opportunity and spend some quality time with them while you still can.

Susan： You think I don’t want to？ But what about all the hard work I’ve put into this company？ ③If I start asking for more time off， it’ll be like the progress I’ve made here will have all been for naught. My parents’ comfort is of the utmost importance to me， but I can’t just drop everything and devote my life to their care. I have a job to do and a life to live.

Tim： But some things take priority over all else. And family is one of those things， Susan. You should know that...

Susan： （sigh） What am I gonna do？

Tim： Just follow your heart.

苏珊：天啊，我得说，再次回到办公室真是太好了。

蒂姆：你回来就好了。我们都很想念你那规范的职业道德和迷人的微笑。

苏珊：哦……你真是个讨人喜欢的人。那么这里的事情进行得怎样？有从饮水机旁听到的爆炸新闻吗？

蒂姆：你真问对了。碰巧我无意中听到吉尔和克莱尔的谈话，她俩都想走妈咪职业道路，这样她们就有更多时间陪伴孩子。

苏珊：那听起来不错……我希望我和我的丈夫也可以这样做，但我们有无数的理由不得不推迟当父母。

蒂姆：你介意我问为什么吗？

苏珊：嗯，正如我说的，目前有太多原因了，但一个主要原因是我父母的旧病复发问题。

蒂姆：哦，听到这个我很难过。几年前我父亲因为癌症离我而去，那是一种痛苦的经历。我的整个人生陷入了混乱状态，我现在仍努力从那场经历中恢复。

苏珊：谢天谢地我们还没到那种程度。但我最近很明显已经错失很多工作，而且老板的耐性似乎最终也会开始耗尽。

蒂姆：你跟管理层或人事部谈过吗？如果你选择公司的女儿职业道路，你可以得到更多的额外休息日。苏珊：女儿职业道路？就像妈咪职业道路一样，只是角色相反吗？

蒂姆：没错！如果你需要时间来照顾生病的父母，那么无论如何，你就应该在这段珍贵的时光中陪着他们。

苏珊：你真的这样认为吗？因为当我想到我们必须要处理的所有这些治疗花销，可能还有……呃……丧葬费用……我就觉得晕头转向，我甚至连想都不愿意想。

蒂姆：我明白你所说的。但我宁愿放弃一切，仅仅为了跟我弥留之际的爸爸多待一阵子。所以，如果你问我的意见，我觉得你需要充分利用这个机会，在他们还在世的时候花一些宝贵时间陪陪他们。

苏珊：你以为我不想呀？但我在这家公司兢兢业业的付出怎么办？如果我开始申请更多的假期，我在这里取得的发展都将付诸东流。我父母的舒适对我来说是至关重要的，但我不能就放下一切，把我的人生用来照顾他们。我有工作要做，我有自己的人生要过。

蒂姆：但有些事情要优先于所有其他一切。而（陪伴）家人就是其中最重要的事情之一，苏珊，你应该明白……

苏珊：（叹气）我要怎么做？

蒂姆：跟随你的心吧。

① Funny you should ask.

你真问对了。

funny you should ask： used to indicate the speaker is surprised that the other just asked the right question at the right time（用于说话者对对方问了一个合时宜的问题感到惊讶）。例如：

―I don’t see Shelly at her desk and it seems people don’t want to say anything about that. What happened？

谢莉不在位置上，但其他人似乎不愿意说什么。发生了什么事？

―Funny you should ask. She was let go last week because they caught her secretly meeting an agent from a headhunter.

你真问对了。他们上周让她离职了，因为他们发现她暗地里与一家猎头公司的人会面。

② It threw my whole life into a tail spin， from which I’m still trying to recover.

我的整个人生陷入了混乱状态，我现在仍努力从那场经历中恢复。

in/into a tail spin： falling apart（陷入混乱，失控状态）。例如：

Ever since my husband was suddenly laid off three months ago， our life has gone into a tail spin.

自从三个月前我丈夫突然被裁员后，我们的生活就陷入了混乱中。

③ If I start asking for more time off， it’ll be like the progress I’ve made here will have all been for naught.

如果我开始申请更多的假期，我在这里取得的发展都将付诸东流。

for naught： for nothing（徒然，无用）。例如：

Mary’s time laboring at the dairy farm wasn’t all for naught―she is more down to earth now and much stronger physically.

玛丽在奶牛场的劳作并非白费光阴――她现在变得更务实了，而且身体更强壮了。