THE PROBLEM 问题
I work closely with someone who is less able than I am and a lot lazier. I've sometimes wondered whether to say anything to my manager, but have decided not to as I like my workmate and don't want to make a fuss. However, by mistake I have just opened a payslip that I thought was mine but was his. It turns out that he earns nearly 30 per cent more than I do. I now feel furious and want to do something. How can I get more money and recognition without looking like a creep and a spy?
我与一个能力不如我、又比我懒得多的人密切共事。我有时候会想，是否该跟我的经理说点什么，但还是决定不要这样做，因为我喜欢这位同事，而且也不想小题大做。然而，我误拆开了一张工资单，我以为是我的，但却是他的。结果发现，他的工资比我高将近30%。现在我觉得非常气愤，想做点什么。我怎么才能挣更多的钱，并且赢得更多的认可，同时又不会看起来惹人讨厌和八卦呢？
LUCY'S ANSWER 露西的回答
Let's suppose things are exactly as you say: that you are brighter and more industrious than your colleague, though nice enough not to mind doing more than your share. You are a bit scatty so you don't check names on payslips before opening them. (I find this easy enough to imagine, as I've done it myself.) In keeping with this "decent chap" image, you are absolutely hopeless at asking for more money. Your colleague is good at this and hence the big gap in your pay packets.
假设情况正如你所言：你比你的同事更聪明、更勤奋，但人好到不介意干得多。你有点笨，所以才没核实工资单上的名字就打开看。（我发现这么想很容易，因为我自己也干过这种事。）要想保持这种"好人"的形象，你肯定不可能开口要求加工资。你的同事精于此道，所以你们的工资才会有这么大差距。
On this reading, it is clear what you should do. Go and see your boss and ask for a rise. You must not mention your colleague under any circumstances. Bosses do not like this, not because they think it unprofessional but because it forces them to justify unjustifiable differences in pay. Instead, you must solemnly list all your strengths and try to make a sound case for a higher salary. It sounds easy, but I guarantee it won't be. If you've reached the age of 31 without ever asking for more, you'll find it horribly embarrassing and come away with almost nothing. In which case you can either give up hope and accept that pushy doesn't suit you or decide to try harder.
读完这篇文章，你该怎么做就很清楚了。去找你的老板，要求加薪。在任何情况下都不要提到你的同事。老板们不喜欢这个，不是因为他们认为这样做违反职业道德，而是因为这会迫使他们证明不合理的薪酬差距是合理的。相反，你必须郑重列出你所有的长处，努力为加薪寻找充分的理由。这听起来容易，但我可以保证做起来就不容易了。如果你已经31岁，从来也没有提出过更多要求，那么你会发现这么做非常尴尬，最终可能几乎一无所获。在这种情况下，你要么放弃希望，承认据理力争并不适合你，要么下定决心，做出更努力的尝试。
In that case, at every appraisal from now on you must go on listing your skills and go on asking for more, and hope you get the hang of it eventually. You could always ask your colleague how he does it; after all, he owes you one.
如果你决定努力，那么从现在开始，在每次评估时，你都必须列出你的技能，继续要求加薪，希望你最终可以找到窍门。你随时都可以问你同事他会怎么做；毕竟，这是他欠你的。
It is possible that I've misread the situation and that you are the sly sneak you fear; your colleague is much better than you think, he deserves to be paid more and you looked at his payslip on purpose.
也有这样的可能：我搞错了状况，你就是自己担心的那种鬼鬼祟祟的狡猾之徒；你的同事比你认为的要好得多，他应该得到更高的薪水，而你是故意看他工资单的。
I'm inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt, although if I'm wrong I have no advice for you: you don't deserve any.
我倾向于假定你是无辜的，但如果我错了，我就没什么建议给你了，因为你不配。
