时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语


英语课

 


  我有个朋友不久前从中国来美国旅游,后来想留下来。现在的问题是,他没有工作许可,所以不能合法工作。最好的办法当然是申请工卡。不过,美国其实也有不少非法移民,他们找的都是支付现金的工作,所以不用交税。


  英语里有个习惯用语,专门指这种交易:under the table. Under the table在桌子下面进行的交易,也就是不能见人的,而且往往是非法的。


  下面这个例子里的商人怀疑,他的竞争对手之所以很快就拿到了卖酒的许可,可能是私下里贿赂了管事的人。让我们听听他是怎么说的。


  例句-1:I've been waiting for over a year to get a liquor license 1 for my restaurant, and this guy comes along and gets one in two months. I'm sure he must have paid the official under the table. How else could he have gotten one so fast?


  他说:我的餐馆申请酒牌已经一年多了,但是这个人刚来两个月就拿到了。我敢肯定,他一定是私下里给了管事的官员什么好处,要不然,他怎么能那么快就拿到呢?


  虽说见不得人,但是很多生意都是通过under the table办成的。有趣的是,中国人说在饭桌上谈事,意思是酒足饭饱后就好说话了,但是西方人却说,under the table,在饭桌下面办事。


  在一个高度廉洁、高度透明的体制中,公司为了得到政府的合约,应该通过公平竞争,而不需要私下里打通门路,行贿受贿: They should not have to compete under the table with kickbacks 2.


  ******


  虽说under the table听上去在生意场上应该是由来已久了,但事实上,这个习惯用语最早出现于二十世纪二十年代,历史并不久远。当时,合法交易都是在桌面上完成的,所以,在桌子下面under the table进行的交易,就是指不光明磊落的。


  在下面这个例子中,我们要看看美国一个最可能从under the table得到的收入来源。你能猜到吗?让我们一起听听看。


  例句-2:I run a restaurant and I get a lot of young people asking me for part-time job as waiters, and they all want to be paid under the table, you know, cash. This way they can avoid paying taxes. It's easier for me because I don't have to put them in my books.


  这个人说:我有一家餐馆,很多年轻人都想在我的餐馆里打零工,做服务员,而且都希望我能付给他们现金。这样他们就不用交税了。这样做其实我也愿意,因为我报帐的时候不用把他们包括进去了。


  对呀,在餐馆当服务员赚的小费也是现金,难怪那么多年轻人喜欢在餐馆打工,赚的钱可以全部进入自己的腰包。而且呀,还有很多学生放假专门跑到旅游景点去打工呢!


  这也让我想起,很多墨西哥人为什么会愿意背井离乡到美国来打工,原因很简单,an American salary, even if below minimum wage and paid under the table, would be much higher than what they could earn at home. 在美国赚的工资,即使低于政府规定的最低工资,而且是私下里的现金交易,也要比他们在家乡赚到的多得多。



1 license
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
2 kickbacks
n.激烈反应( kickback的名词复数 );佣金,回扣
  • Everyone at City Hall is receiving kickbacks. It's the only way to get anything done there. 市政府里的每个人都收回扣,在那里只有送红包,事情才办得成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • G raft or kickbacks paid to officials or law enforcem ent authorities. 暗中付给官员或执法人员的回扣。 来自互联网
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