The Daughter Track

Susan： Man， I’ve gotta say， it’s nice to be back in the office again.

Tim： And it’s great to have you. Your trademark work ethic and killer smile have certainly been missed.

Susan： Awww， you’re such a sweetheart. So how have things been going around here？ There any breaking news from around the watercooler？

Tim： ①Funny you should ask. As it just so happens， I overheard Jill talking to Claire about how they both wanna take the mommy track， so they’ll both have more time to spend with their kids.

Susan： That sounds nice…I wish my husband and I can do that too， but we’ve had to put off parenthood for a 1）myriad of reasons.

Tim： Do you mind me asking why？

Susan： Well， like I said， there’re too many reasons to get into right now， but the main one has to do with my parents’recurring health issues.

Tim： Oh， I’m so sorry to hear that. I lost my father to cancer a few years back and it was a terrible 2）ordeal. ②It threw my whole life into a tail spin， from which I’m still trying to recover.

Susan： We haven’t reached that point yet， thankfully. But I’ve obviously been missing a lot of work these days， and it seems the boss’s patience is finally starting to run thin.

Tim： Have you talked to someone in management or HR about it？ You may be able to receive some additional offdays if you opt for the company’s daughter track.

Susan： Daughter track？ Is that like the mommy track， but just in reverse？

Tim： Exactly！ If you need time to help take care of your 3）ailing parents， then， by all means， you should be with them in these precious moments.

Susan： You really think so？ Because when I think about all the medical expenses we’ve gotta deal with， and possible…well…funeral expenses…it makes my head spin， and I just don’t wanna even think about it.

Tim： I get what you’re saying. But I’d give anything for just a few more moments with my dearly departed dad. So， if you’re asking me， I think you need to take advantage of this opportunity and spend some quality time with them while you still can.

Susan： You think I don’t want to？ But what about all the hard work I’ve put into this company？ ③If I start asking for more time off， it’ll be like the progress I’ve made here will have all been for naught. My parents’ comfort is of the utmost importance to me， but I can’t just drop everything and devote my life to their care. I have a job to do and a life to live.

Tim： But some things take priority over all else. And family is one of those things， Susan. You should know that...

Susan： （sigh） What am I gonna do？

Tim： Just follow your heart.

蘇珊：天啊，我得說，再次回到辦公室真是太好了。

蒂姆：你回來就好了。我們都很想念你那規(guī)范的職業(yè)道德和迷人的微笑。

蘇珊：哦……你真是個討人喜歡的人。那么這里的事情進行得怎樣？有從飲水機旁聽到的爆炸新聞嗎？

蒂姆：你真問對了。碰巧我無意中聽到吉爾和克萊爾的談話，她倆都想走媽咪職業(yè)道路，這樣她們就有更多時間陪伴孩子。

蘇珊：那聽起來不錯……我希望我和我的丈夫也可以這樣做，但我們有無數(shù)的理由不得不推遲當父母。

蒂姆：你介意我問為什么嗎？

蘇珊：嗯，正如我說的，目前有太多原因了，但一個主要原因是我父母的舊病復發(fā)問題。

蒂姆：哦，聽到這個我很難過。幾年前我父親因為癌癥離我而去，那是一種痛苦的經(jīng)歷。我的整個人生陷入了混亂狀態(tài)，我現(xiàn)在仍努力從那場經(jīng)歷中恢復。

蘇珊：謝天謝地我們還沒到那種程度。但我最近很明顯已經(jīng)錯失很多工作，而且老板的耐性似乎最終也會開始耗盡。

蒂姆：你跟管理層或人事部談過嗎？如果你選擇公司的女兒職業(yè)道路，你可以得到更多的額外休息日。蘇珊：女兒職業(yè)道路？就像媽咪職業(yè)道路一樣，只是角色相反嗎？

蒂姆：沒錯！如果你需要時間來照顧生病的父母，那么無論如何，你就應該在這段珍貴的時光中陪著他們。

蘇珊：你真的這樣認為嗎？因為當我想到我們必須要處理的所有這些治療花銷，可能還有……呃……喪葬費用……我就覺得暈頭轉(zhuǎn)向，我甚至連想都不愿意想。

蒂姆：我明白你所說的。但我寧愿放棄一切，僅僅為了跟我彌留之際的爸爸多待一陣子。所以，如果你問我的意見，我覺得你需要充分利用這個機會，在他們還在世的時候花一些寶貴時間陪陪他們。

蘇珊：你以為我不想呀？但我在這家公司兢兢業(yè)業(yè)的付出怎么辦？如果我開始申請更多的假期，我在這里取得的發(fā)展都將付諸東流。我父母的舒適對我來說是至關重要的，但我不能就放下一切，把我的人生用來照顧他們。我有工作要做，我有自己的人生要過。

蒂姆：但有些事情要優(yōu)先于所有其他一切。而（陪伴）家人就是其中最重要的事情之一，蘇珊，你應該明白……

蘇珊：（嘆氣）我要怎么做？

蒂姆：跟隨你的心吧。

① Funny you should ask.

你真問對了。

funny you should ask： used to indicate the speaker is surprised that the other just asked the right question at the right time（用于說話者對對方問了一個合時宜的問題感到驚訝）。例如：

—I don’t see Shelly at her desk and it seems people don’t want to say anything about that. What happened？

謝莉不在位置上，但其他人似乎不愿意說什么。發(fā)生了什么事？

—Funny you should ask. She was let go last week because they caught her secretly meeting an agent from a headhunter.

你真問對了。他們上周讓她離職了，因為他們發(fā)現(xiàn)她暗地里與一家獵頭公司的人會面。

② It threw my whole life into a tail spin， from which I’m still trying to recover.

我的整個人生陷入了混亂狀態(tài)，我現(xiàn)在仍努力從那場經(jīng)歷中恢復。

in/into a tail spin： falling apart（陷入混亂，失控狀態(tài)）。例如：

Ever since my husband was suddenly laid off three months ago， our life has gone into a tail spin.

自從三個月前我丈夫突然被裁員后，我們的生活就陷入了混亂中。

③ If I start asking for more time off， it’ll be like the progress I’ve made here will have all been for naught.

如果我開始申請更多的假期，我在這里取得的發(fā)展都將付諸東流。

for naught： for nothing（徒然，無用）。例如：

Mary’s time laboring at the dairy farm wasn’t all for naught—she is more down to earth now and much stronger physically.

瑪麗在奶牛場的勞作并非白費光陰——她現(xiàn)在變得更務實了，而且身體更強壯了。