2022年经济学人 “在任何地方工作”真的那么美好吗？（2）

The idea of a globe-trotting existence sounds wonderful.

环球旅行的想法听起来非常棒。

Nevertheless, plenty of barriers remain.

但仍然存在许多障碍。

Some are practical.

有一些是很实际的问题。

The legal, payroll¹ and tax ramifications² of working from different locations in the course of a year are an administrative³ headache (Mr Chesky admits as much, and says that he will open-source Airbnb's solution to this problem).

一年中在不同地点工作所带来的法律、工资和税收方面的影响是个令人头疼的行政问题（切斯基也承认这一点，并表示他将公开爱彼迎针对这个问题的解决方案)。

Mundane⁴ issues like IT support become more complicated when you are abroad.

当你在国外时，像技术支持这样的常见问题会变得更加复杂。

Working from anywhere is only feasible if your equipment functions reliably.

只有当您的设备运行可靠时，在任何地方工作才是可行的。

If the Wi-Fi at your Airbnb reminds you of what life was like with modems⁵, your options may be limited.

如果你住的爱彼迎房间的Wi-Fi让你想起了使用调制解调器的生活，那么你的选择可能是有限的。

If you spill suntan lotion⁶ on your laptop, the people on the hotel's reception desk are more likely to offer you sympathy than a replacement⁷ computer.

如果你把防晒乳液洒在了笔记本电脑上，酒店前台的人更有可能对你表示同情，而不是给你换一台电脑。

Another set of obstacles is more personal.

还有一些障碍则更加个人。

The carefree promise of working from anywhere is far easier to realise if you don't have actual cares.

如果你没有现实的牵挂，那么无忧无虑地在任何地方工作的期望就更容易实现。

Children of a certain age need to go to school; partners may not be able to work remotely and have careers of their own to manage.

达到一定年龄的孩子需要上学；伴侣可能无法远程工作，或者有自己要努力成就的事业。

The option to work from anywhere will be most attractive to people who have well-paid jobs and fewer obligations: childless tech workers, say.

在任何地方工作这一选择对那些拥有高薪工作并且责任较少的人最有吸引力，比如没有孩子的科技工作者。

For many other people, the "anywhere" in working from anywhere will still boil down to a simple choice between their home and their office.

对其他许多人来说，在任何地方工作的“任何地方”仍将归结为一个简单的选择：家还是办公室。

That might be a recipe for resentment⁸ within teams.

这可能会引起团队内部的不满。

Imagine dialling into a Zoom⁹ call covered in baby drool, and hearing Greg from product wax lyrical about how amazing Chamonix is at this time of year.

想象一下，拨通Zoom电话，孩子在旁边流口水，听产品部的格雷格诗意地描述着夏蒙尼（法国小镇）在每年的这个时候多么令人惊叹。

Resentment may even run the other way.

不满甚至有可能向另一个方向发展。

Hybrid¹⁰ work has already smudged the boundary between professional and personal lives.

混合工作已经模糊了职业生活和个人生活之间的界限。

Making everywhere a place of work smears¹¹ them further.

让所有地方都成为工作场所会使它们之间的界限变得更加模糊。

Countries that used to be places to get away from it all will become places to bring it all with you.

曾经能让人远离一切纷扰的国家，将会变成你带着纷扰前往的地方。

Turning down meetings when you are on a proper vacation is wholly reasonable; it is not an option when you are plorking on a jobliday.

在正经休假时拒绝开会是完全合理的；而当你在“工作假日”“边玩边工作”时就不能拒绝了。

Antigua and Barbuda's tourism slogan, "The beach is just the beginning", sounds a lot more idyllic¹² if the punchline¹³ in your head isn't, "There's also the weekly sales review".

安提瓜和巴布达的旅游宣传语“海滩只是开始”听起来会更加悠闲恬静，如果你脑海中的想到的笑点不是“还有每周的销售回顾”。

Adding to the menu of working options for sought-after employees makes sense.

为受青睐的员工增加工作选项是有意义的。

Mr Chesky's new policies will probably help him attract better people to Airbnb.

切斯基的新政策可能会帮助他吸引更优秀的人来到爱彼迎。

They are certainly aligned¹⁴ with the service he is selling.

这些政策无疑与他所出售的服务是一致的。

But for the foreseeable future, working from anywhere will be a perk¹⁵ for a lucky few rather than a blueprint¹⁶ for things to come.

但在可预见的未来，在任何地方工作将是少数幸运儿的特殊优待，而不是未来的大势。

1 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

2 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

4 mundane   

adj.平凡的；尘世的；宇宙的

参考例句：

• I hope I can get an interesting job and not something mundane.我希望我可以得到的是一份有趣的工作，而不是一份平凡无奇的。
• I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact on our awareness.我发现生活有时挺诙谐的，即使是最平凡的事情也能影响我们的感知。

5 modems   

n.调制解调器( modem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Yes, floppy day, as did 9600 baud dial up modems. 是的，当时软件是最主要的工具，还有9600波特拨号调制解调器。 来自互联网
• Extra settings for configuring BAD modems that cannot identify proper disconnect tone. 额外的设置，配置不好的调制解调器不能确定适当的断开的语调。 来自互联网

6 lotion   

n.洗剂

参考例句：

• The lotion should be applied sparingly to the skin.这种洗液应均匀地涂在皮肤上。
• She lubricates her hands with a lotion.她用一种洗剂来滑润她的手。

7 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

8 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

9 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。

10 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

11 smears   

污迹( smear的名词复数 )； 污斑； （显微镜的）涂片； 诽谤

参考例句：

• His evidence was a blend of smears, half truths and downright lies. 他的证词里掺杂着诽谤、部份的事实和彻头彻尾的谎言。
• Anything written with a soft pencil smears easily. 用软铅笔写成的东西容易污成一片。

12 idyllic   

adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的

参考例句：

• These scenes had an idyllic air.这种情景多少有点田园气氛。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

13 punchline   

n.（笑话、故事等的）结尾警语，点睛之笔

参考例句：

• Even then,the magical pause can strengthen the punchline.即使这样，有魔力的停顿依然可以增强笑点。
• A good joke or a mystery novel has along wind up to the final punchline.好的笑话或神秘小说都是一路曲折，直至最后的笑料或真相。

14 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

15 perk   

n.额外津贴；赏钱；小费；

参考例句：

• His perks include a car provided by the firm.他的额外津贴包括公司提供的一辆汽车。
• And the money is,of course,a perk.当然钱是额外津贴。

16 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。