Gravy Train 赚钱的清闲差事

Diarmuid: Hi Jean. What's that you're reading? 嗨，珍，你在看什么？

Jean: Hi Diarmuid. I'm just reading a newspaper report about people who work for the BBC. 嗨，圣保罗，我在读报纸上的报告，有关在BBC工作的职员的。

Diarmuid: Hey! We work for the BBC. What does the newspaper say about us? 嘿！我们也是啊。报纸上都说什么了？

Jean: Well, it says here that people who work for the BBC get paid far too much money. 嗯，上面说在BBC工作的人得到的报酬太多了。

Diarmuid: Too much money? I don't think my salary is too high. 太多了？我们的工资不高啊。

Jean: Well, look at the headline in the newspaper: (reading) "BBC Stars On The Gravy Train. Huge Salaries for TV Presenters." 嗯，看报纸上的头条：BBC的工作都很清闲。电视主持人薪水很高。

Diarmuid: Well, I suppose the top TV presenters do get paid a lot of money. 嗯，我觉得电视主持人确实能得到很高的报酬。

Jean: But what about this phrase 'on the gravy train'. 我知道gravy 是英国菜里人们爱吃的一种热的浓肉汁，不过你说的这个gravy train “肉汁火车”这又是什么意思呢？

Diarmuid: Ah yes, the gravy train. That is a strange phrase and it's also our phrase of the day. Gravy train. G.R.A.V.Y and T.R.A.I.N. 哈，是的。赚钱又清闲的差事。这个奇怪的词组正是今天我们要说的。

Jean: But what does it mean? 这是什么意思？

Diarmuid: Good question. In English we use the phrase 'on the gravy train' to mean that someone has a very easy job that pays them a lot of money. 问得好。在英语中我们用这个词组来说明那些工作很轻松但是报酬很高的工作。

Jean: OK, 原来on the gravy train 就是指那种工作很清闲，收入和外快却很多的工作。

Diarmuid: It's a phrase that has negative connotations. 这是一个带有消极意义的词组。

Jean: Negative connotations. 是颇有贬义的。So it's a kind of criticism then. 有点批判主义的色彩。

Diarmuid: Absolutely. If someone says you are on the gravy train, they are probably criticising you. They may even be resentful of you. 当然。如果用这个词组说你，那么他们很有可能在批评你。他们甚至对你不满。

Jean: Resentful 就是对这种现象极为不满的。Let's hear some examples:

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Examples

A: It's not fair that I have to work so hard. My sister gets paid twice my salary and only works three days a week. 这样真不公平，我不得不辛苦地工作。我的姐姐一个星期只要工作3天，而她的薪水是我的两倍。

B: She's on the gravy train, isn't she? 她有份既清闲又赚钱的工作，对吗？

A: My friends think that because I'm a banker I'm on the gravy train but they don't realise how hard I have to work. 我的朋友觉得因为我是银行家，我的工作轻松又赚钱，但是他们没有意识到我工作有多辛苦。

B: They're probably just jealous. 他们可能只是嫉妒了。

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Jean: So do you think that people who work for the BBC are on the gravy train, Diarmuid? 所以圣保罗，你觉得在BBC的职员，他们的工作是清闲又赚钱的吗？

Diarmuid: I certainly don't think that I'm on the gravy train but then I would say that, wouldn't I? 确切地说，我觉得事实并非如此，我能这么说吗？

Jean: So how much do you get paid then? 所以你的薪水有多少？

Diarmuid: Now, Jean, you know, that people in the UK don't like to tell other people how much they earn. 珍，你知道的，在英国问对方收入多少是不礼貌的。

Jean: 确实，在英国文化里，大家很少互相打听对方的收入薪水高低，很多人也认为这样做是极不礼貌的。

Diarmuid: It's just one of those cultural differences, I suppose. 我想，这是文化差异之一吧。