美國文化脫口秀 第404期:真不能跟外國人談錢嗎?

這周，大家都在討論12萬是否算高收入，中國的情況我們就不多說了。說說美國吧!怎么樣在美國算高收入?美國人談錢、談收入真的這么難以啟齒?

關(guān)鍵詞：

工資：income，salary還是wage?

這些詞都可以，不過每個的用法有區(qū)別：

Salary: 工資

多用于annual salary (年收入、年薪)

Wage: 工資

多用于hourly wage (小時薪酬)

Income: 收入

多用于monthly or annual income (月或年收入)

Make money 賺錢

We don't really talk about salaries. Too sensitive: 美國人真的互相不太聊工資、聊收入，很敏感

But when we do: 不過如果問，可以這樣問：

Q:

How much do you make a month/a year?

What's the pay like?

A：

I make xxx.

The pay is (good) or (bad).

This topic makes most people uncomfortable and awkward: 這個話題讓大多數(shù)人很不自在、很尷尬

Makes you seem very nosy if you ask: 如果你問，別人會覺得你很愛管閑事

美國，6位數(shù)是高薪

這幾天，大家都在討論的“12萬”這個數(shù)字，英語怎么說?

正式：

120,000: a hundred twenty thousand

口語：

120 grand: a hundred twenty grand

120 K: a hundred twenty K

雖然美國人不太會談具體的收入數(shù)字，但是會說大概范圍：

A 5-figure salary: 5位數(shù)年薪

A 6-figure salary: 6位數(shù)年薪

If you make 6 figures, it's something to brag about: 如果有6位數(shù)年薪，那也值得夸耀

Most Americans don't make 6 figures: 大多數(shù)美國人都沒有6位數(shù)年薪

"高收入"怎么說?

最口語的3種說法：

Someone makes a high salary: 收入不錯

Someone makes a lot: 賺很多錢、收入高

You're doing pretty well for yourself: 收入不錯哦

正式的說法：

High income earner: 高收入者

It's too formal. We don't use it in daily life: 太正式了，口語里不會這么說

稅前、稅后、到手

Gross income (before tax): 稅前收入

Net income (after tax): 稅后收入

還有一個很形象的說法

Take-home salary/pay: 到手收入

存錢、儲蓄

To save up (動詞)

Savings (名詞)

It's hard to have savings nowadays: 現(xiàn)在要存錢真難

外國人怎么談收入?

You don't talk about salary with mere acquaintances: 一般性的熟人不會談

It's a very private and sensitive issue: 總之是個特別私人、敏感的話題

真不能跟外國人談錢嗎?

#1.好朋友能談嗎?With close friends

We usually talk about what we do, not the salary: 和朋友之間談工作，主要是聊在做什么事, 不是工資

I don't know how much most of my friends make: 我不知道我好朋友的收入水平

但有一種情況下，美國人會和朋友談工資：

If you're looking for work in the same industry: 如果你找工作，那個行業(yè)正好是你朋友從事的

You can ask them for advice to make sure you don't get the short end of the stick: 可以問一下工資建議，確保自己不吃虧

But don't ask the exact amount: 但也不會問具體的數(shù)字

Salary range: 大概的工資范圍

Ballpark figure: 大概的范圍，ballpark是口語的說法

#2.男女朋友呢?With your boyfriend or girlfriend

Only if you're in a steady relationship: 除非是關(guān)系特別穩(wěn)定的

Maybe you're heading towards marriage: 有結(jié)婚打算的

People who just started dating don't talk about their salaries: 剛開始戀愛的，不會談收入

#3.家人之間呢?With your own family

You talk about it with your parents and siblings: 和父母、兄弟姐妹會聊

Maybe not always the exact figure: 有時也不是具體的數(shù)字

The first time I realized how much my parents made was during college application: 我第一次意識到我父母的工資是申請大學(xué)的時候

You have to put in your parents' income to see if you qualify for grants and scholarships: 要填父母收入情況，看你是否有資格申請助學(xué)金、獎學(xué)金

#4.美國夫妻怎么管錢?With your husband and wife

In China, a lot of husbands give part of their salary to their wives: 在中國，很多先生會把收入的一大部分交給太太

The wife manages the household expenses: 太太會管理家用開支

Most married American couples have a joint bank account: 很多美國夫妻會有一個聯(lián)名賬戶

It's a pool of money: 把錢都集中起來

But each person still has their separate card and access: 但是夫妻各自有自己的卡，和獨立使用的權(quán)限

#5.要付父母房租?Pay rent to your parents

Most Americans think adults shouldn't live with their parents: 大多數(shù)美國人覺得, 成年后要從家里搬出去

Adults should be independent: 成年了，要獨立

But many people are moving back or never leave home because rent is so expensive: 但是現(xiàn)在，越來越多的人搬回去跟爸媽住，因為租金太貴了

Most parents will ask their children to contribute a fixed amount each month: 很多父母會讓孩子每個月付一筆固定的錢

To cover utilities, groceries: 貢獻水電費、吃的喝的

In China, we also give part of our salaries to our parents: 在中國，我們也會給父母工資的一部分

But they save it up for us: 但是爸爸媽媽會幫我們存起來