THE PROBLEM
I think my boss may be bipolar. He's either charging around making bold decisions or he's paranoid, negative and bullying. In the "up" moods he's stimulating, though exhausting. The rest of the time he's paranoid and hostile. I've worked for him for two years and though I admire his talent I find his mood swings increasingly stressful. A couple of weeks ago I tried to broach the matter but he looked as if he was about to have a coronary, so I shut up. Is there anything I can do?
我认为我的老板可能是个爱走极端的人。他要么威风八面地做出大胆决定，要么多疑、负面而且恃强凌弱。在情绪"高涨"的时候，他是个令人兴奋的人，尽管也令人感到疲惫。其余的时间，他多疑而且怀有敌意。我已经为他工作了2年。尽管我钦佩他的才干，但我发现他越来越反复无常。几周前，我设法把这个问题提出来，但他看上去好像就要犯心脏病了，因此我闭上了嘴。我该怎么做呢？
LUCY'S ANSWER
So many readers have sent messages saying that their boss is as erratic and as bonkers as yours that it makes one wonder if there are any normal, stable ones around - especially in investment banking.
许多读者已经发来邮件说，他们的老板像你的老板一样古怪，而且精神不正常。这使人想知道，是否还存在正常、可靠的老板--特别是在投资银行业。
There are two reasons why there are so many nutters in these jobs. People who make it to the top of competitive industries are too driven to be well balanced. And even if they were tolerably normal to start off with, the stress, the power and the glory often makes them demented in the end. or it leads them to seek further thrills in cocaine (or similar) - which makes them more demented still.
有两个原因致使这些行业有这么多疯子。在竞争性行业中处于顶端的人，紧迫感过强了，无法实现良好的平衡。即便他们一开始尚能表现正常，但压力、权力和荣耀往往使他们最终精神错乱。或者，这会使他们通过可卡因（或类似毒品）寻求更大的兴奋--而这将让他们精神更加错乱。
Though the problem is widespread, no one seems to have any idea of how to make it better. As you discovered, confronting him is pointless. You just about got away with it last time: next time instead of having a coronary he might chop your head off.
尽管这个问题很普遍，但似乎没人能想出办法改善这种状况。正如你所看到的，对抗他是没有意义的。你上一次只是侥幸逃脱：下一次，他或许不是犯心脏病，而是砍下你的脑袋。
The obvious solution would be to find someone else more senior in your company to go to for help. The fact you haven't done this suggests there isn't a benign boss above him. You could turn to HR, though I don't like your chances: an HR lackey usually has little sway over a Master of the Universe.
一个明显的解决方案，就是在你的公司里向一个职位更高的人需求帮助。你没有这么做，说明在他之上没有好老板。你可以求助于人力资源部，但我认为你没什么胜算：一个人力资源部的马屁精通常不会得罪"宇宙主人"
If he is as bad as you say he is, and particularly if the problem is drugs, he will probably get fired eventually, but it may take time. In the meantime, you have to insulate yourself from his moods. I suggest you constantly remind yourself that your boss is mad, bad and dangerous to know. Laugh at him behind his back with your colleagues. Every time he does something horrendous, think how much you will enjoy retelling the anecdote later on. And while you are laughing, keep an eye on the job ads - and hope your new boss isn't just as bad.
如果他像你说的一样坏，而且如果真的是因为毒品的原因，他最终将被解雇，但这或许需要时间。同时，你必须将你自己隔绝在他的情绪之外。我建议你经常提醒自己，你的老板疯了，很坏，而且危险。在他背后和同事一起嘲笑他。每当他做出一些可怕的事情，就想一想你随后讲述这段轶事的时候将是多么有趣。而当你在大笑的时候，关注一下招聘广告--并希望你的新老板没这么坏。
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