双语有声阅读：商务礼仪着装

Being less than perfectly¹ well--dressed in a business setting can result in a feeling of profound discomfort² that may well require therapy to dispel1. And the sad truth is that “clothing mismatches2” on the job can ruin the day of the person who’s wearing the inappropriate attire3 and the people with whom he or she comes in contact.

 

在生意场合着装稍有不慎就会使人有非常不舒服的感觉，需要有对应的良策。糟糕的事实是：办公时“着装不协调”不仅会使这个穿着不得体的人过不好这一天，也会使同他（她）接触的人难受。

 

When should you dress up or dress down?

你该何时盛装，何时便装?

 

Offices vary when it comes to dress codes. Some businesses have very high standards for their employees and set strict guidelines for office attire³, while others maintain a more relaxed attitude. However, it is always important to remember that no matter what your company’s attitude is regarding what you wear, you are working in a business environment and you should dress accordingly. Certain items may be more appropriate for evening wear than for a business meeting, just as shorts and a T--shirt are better suited for the beach than for an office environment. Your attire should reflect both your environment and your position. A senior vice⁴ president has a different image to maintain than that of a secretary or sales assistant. Like it or not, you will be judged by your personal appearance.

 

不同的单位对着装有不同的要求。有些公司对其雇员高标准要求，对办公室的着装有严格的规定，而有些公司则对此采取较宽容的态度。但无论你所在的公司对你的穿着采取何种态度，你是在一个商务环境中工作，你的着装应与之相配，记住这一点非常重要。有些衣服更适于做晚礼服而不宜出现在商务会议上，正如短裤和T恤衫更适合在海滨穿着而不适于在办公室一样。你的衣着既应反映你的环境又应反映你的职位。高级副总裁应保持的形象不应等同于秘书或销售助理。无论你是否认同，别人将通过你的个人形象来判断你的一切。

 

This is never more apparent than on “dress--down days”, when what you wear can say more about you than any business suit ever could. In fact, people will pay more attention to what you wear on dress--down days than on “business professional” days. Thus, when dressing⁵ in “business casual” clothes, try to put some flair4 into your wardrobe choices, recognize that the “real” definition of business casual is to dress just one notch5 down from what you would normally wear on business--professional attire days. Avoid jeans, worn, wrinkled polo shirts6, sneakers, scuffed7 shoes, halter8 tops, and revealing blouses. For men, try wearing a neat pair of pants and a buttoned shirt with long or short sleeves that has more color or texture⁶ in the fabric⁷. For women, wear skirts or tailored pants with blouses, blazers, and accessories that mean business yet convey a more casual look than your standard business attire.

 

这种“以衣度人”的态度在“便装日”表现得更为明显，这时你的穿着比任何商务套装都更能说明你的一切。事实上，人们更注重你的便装，而不是你的职业装。因此，在着“商务便装”时，选衣要加些品味。要知道商务便装的“真正”含义是指你的装束应比正规职业着装仅仅随意一点。不要穿牛仔服、破旧而皱巴的马球衬衫、运动鞋、磨损的鞋子、三角背心和暴露的衬衫。男士应穿干净整洁的便装裤，带扣子的长袖或短袖衬衫，颜色和质地多样化一些。女士应穿裙子或裁剪得体的便装裤、衬衫、外套和饰物，整体装束既正式又比标准的职业装随意。

 

Remember, there are boundaries between your career and your social life. You should dress one way for play and another way when you mean business. Always ask yourself where you’re going and how other people will be dressed when you get there. Is the final destination the opera, the beach, or the office? Dress accordingly and you will discover the truth in the axiom9 that clothes make the man--and the woman. When in doubt, always err⁸ on the side of dressing slightly more conservatively than the situation demands. Remember, you can always remove a jacket, but you can’t put one on if you didn’t think to take it with you.

 

切记：你的职业和你的社交生活应界限分明。去娱乐场所穿一身衣服，去谈生意就要换另一身装扮。你总要问一下自己是去哪儿，那儿的人们会怎样穿着。你最终的目的地是歌剧院、海滨还是办公室？相应着装，你就会发现“人靠衣装马靠鞍”这个格言是很有道理的。如果你没有把握，就比实际要求稍微穿得保守一些。记住：你总是可以脱掉外衣，但如果你没想到要带，那你可就没有穿的了。

1 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

2 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

3 attire   

v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装

参考例句：

• He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
• Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

6 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

7 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

8 err   

vi.犯错误，出差错

参考例句：

• He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
• The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。