陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他有个问题要请教美国同事Amy。

(Office ambience)

C:Hi Amy. 你有一点儿时间吗?我有个问题想问你。

A:Sure, I need a little break.

C:我听说最近从美国西岸调过来的几个同事在要求什么”business casual”, 什么是”business casual” 啊?

A:Business casual is the term given to dressing down at work.

C:Dressing down?

A:Yes. If you usually wear a suit and tie to work, dressing down means wearing a sport jacket and tie. If you normally wear a sport jacket and tie, to dress down, you leave off either the jacket or the tie.

C:我们不是周一到周五都应该穿西装打领带。为什么又要休闲呢?

A:It’s an American phenomenon that started on the west coast of the US years ago. Some people believe that they are more productive when they are dressed in comfortable relaxed clothing.

C:那你觉得穿着舒适休闲会提高工作效率吗?

A:Personally I do not feel as confident or professional when I dress down. I believe that I lose some of my credibility.

C:我们的新老板会不会考虑放松我们的着装要求呢?

A:Well, I have heard a rumor that he might, but only once a week – on Friday.

C:哦,怪不得我听大家都在说casual Friday, 休闲星期五呢!

******

MC:第二天,陈豪在饭厅里遇到了Amy.

A:Hi Chen Hao. Did you hear the news about Casual Friday? The boss has agreed to try it for three months to see how it works.

C:这么说以后星期五我们愿意穿什么就穿什么喽?

A:Not at all. True business casual means dressing down just one notch from business professional. You don’t have to wear a suit and tie, but it doesn’t mean that your old jeans and a T-shirt are acceptable.

C:怎么还那么多讲究啊?

A:Yes, this is business casual. Think of it as a merger of professional and casual clothing. Professional clothing is tailored, consists of suits and ties, dark to medium colors and fine fabrics.

C:职业性装束要求穿西装、打领带。那休闲服装呢?

A:Casual clothing is loose, relaxed, and made of softer fabrics and includes things like jeans, shorts, T-shirts and tennis shoes.

C:Business casual就是介于二者之间喽?换句话说,我不用穿西装,但是也不能穿T-恤衫和球鞋上班了。

A:That’s right. We need to combine the business credible look with the comfortable creative look.

C:看来我要出去买衣服了!