《中英對照讀新聞》Think your office is a zoo? Companies go pet-friendly 覺得你的辦公室像動物園嗎？公司開始接納寵物

◎ 張沛元

On a typical day at Tellme Networks Inc., Jackson snores, Penny spends time learning Chinese and the bosses and workers are delighted.

在Tellme網路公司的某個典型的工作日裡，傑克森鼾聲大作，潘妮則利用時間學中文，而老闆與員工們都很高興。

Penny, a Labrador Retriever, and Jackson, a bulldog, are part of an effort at many U.S. companies to allow pets in the workplace. One survey shows nearly one in five U.S. companies allow pets at work.

潘妮是一隻拉布拉多犬，而傑克森則是一隻鬥牛犬，牠們彰顯出許多美國企業允許寵物進入工作場所的努力。一項調查顯示，將近五分之一的美國企業，允許帶寵物來上班。

Millions of Americans believe pets on the job lower absenteeism and encourage workers to get along, according to the survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.

根據這項由美國寵物產品製造商協會所做的調查，數以百萬計的美國人相信，寵物置身工作場所有助於降低曠職情況，以及鼓勵員工和睦相處。

Pet-friendly environments can pay off in a competitive job market, said Phil Carpenter, vice president of marketing at Simply Hired, an online jobs database that has added an option for job-seekers to select a dog-friendly company.

在充滿競爭性的工作市場上，接納寵物的環境會帶來好處，菲爾．卡本特、網路求職資料庫「簡單受雇」行銷部門副總裁說。該公司已將求職者可選擇接受帶狗上班的公司納入服務選項。

新聞辭典

zoo：名詞，動物園；人多聚集的地方。例句：Stop making noises; I feel like I am in a zoo.（別製造噪音了，我覺得我好像在動物園啊。）

pet-friendly：形容詞，接納寵物的。friendly，形容詞，友好親切的；朋友關係的；支持贊成的；便利合適的。

get along：片語，過活；進展；和睦相處。例句：I just can't get along with him.（我跟他就是處不來。）

pay off：片語，償清（欠款），付清工資解雇（某人）；使人得益；取得成功；賄賂。