现在，干力气活儿的人常常比在办公室工作的职员挣得多。在办公室工作的人常常被称作“白领”，原因很简单，他们通常要带硬领打领带上班。而这便是人性，大多数人常常为了当白领的殊荣而乐意牺牲高工资。这能引起奇妙的情况，就像在阿尔夫莱得·博洛格斯——一位在爱利斯米尔公司工作的清洁工——的事例中这样。
当他结婚时，阿尔夫窘于对他的妻子说起他的工作。他简单地告诉她，他在爱利斯米尔公司工作。每天早上，他穿一套高档黑西装从家走。然后他再换上工装裤，干起清理垃圾的活儿，度过接下来的八小时。在晚上回家之前，他冲个澡，换回他的西装。阿尔夫这样过了两年之久，他的清洁工同伴们都帮他保守秘密。阿尔夫的妻子从来都没发现她嫁给了一个清洁工，她也永远不会发现，因为不久前阿尔夫已经找到了另一份工作。他很快就要当一名低级职员在办公室里工作了。他只会赚到以前工资的一半，但是他觉得地位提高了，即使少挣钱也值得。从现在起，他将一整天穿西装，其他人也将叫他“博洛格斯先生”，而不是“阿尔夫”了。
原文
The double life of Alfred Bloggs①
These days, people who do manual work often receive tar more money than people who work in offices. People who work in offices are frequently referred to as‘white-collar workers' for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work. Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white-collar workers. This can give rise to curious situations, as it did in the case of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation.
When he got married, Alf was too embarrassed to say anything to his wife about his job. He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation. Every morning, he left home dressed in a smart black suit. He then changed into overalls and spent the next eight hours as a dustman. Before returning home at night, he took a shower and changed back into his suit. Alf did this for over two years and his fellow dustmen kept his secret. Alf's wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and she never will, for Alf has just found another job. He will soon be working in an office as a junior clerk. He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that him‘Mr. Bloggs’, not‘Alf’.
注①：网上还可找到其他版本的译文。
当他结婚时，阿尔夫窘于对他的妻子说起他的工作。他简单地告诉她，他在爱利斯米尔公司工作。每天早上，他穿一套高档黑西装从家走。然后他再换上工装裤，干起清理垃圾的活儿，度过接下来的八小时。在晚上回家之前，他冲个澡，换回他的西装。阿尔夫这样过了两年之久，他的清洁工同伴们都帮他保守秘密。阿尔夫的妻子从来都没发现她嫁给了一个清洁工，她也永远不会发现，因为不久前阿尔夫已经找到了另一份工作。他很快就要当一名低级职员在办公室里工作了。他只会赚到以前工资的一半，但是他觉得地位提高了，即使少挣钱也值得。从现在起，他将一整天穿西装，其他人也将叫他“博洛格斯先生”，而不是“阿尔夫”了。
原文
The double life of Alfred Bloggs①
These days, people who do manual work often receive tar more money than people who work in offices. People who work in offices are frequently referred to as‘white-collar workers' for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work. Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white-collar workers. This can give rise to curious situations, as it did in the case of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation.
When he got married, Alf was too embarrassed to say anything to his wife about his job. He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation. Every morning, he left home dressed in a smart black suit. He then changed into overalls and spent the next eight hours as a dustman. Before returning home at night, he took a shower and changed back into his suit. Alf did this for over two years and his fellow dustmen kept his secret. Alf's wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and she never will, for Alf has just found another job. He will soon be working in an office as a junior clerk. He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that him‘Mr. Bloggs’, not‘Alf’.
注①：网上还可找到其他版本的译文。
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