Lesson 4: The double life of Alfred Bloggs
These days, people who do manual work oftenreceive far 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 higherpay for the privilege of becoming white-collar workers. This can give rise tocurious 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 blacksuit. He then changed into overalls and spent the next eight hours as adustman. Before returning home at night. He took a shower and changed back intohis suit. Alf did this for over two years and his fellow dustmen kept hissecret Alf's wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and she neverwill, for Alf has just found another job. He will soon be working in an office.He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that his risein status is well worth the loss of money. From now on, he will wear a suit allday and others will call him 'Mr. Bloggs', not 'Alf'.
Part 1: Lead-in question:
Q: Why did Alf want a white-collar job?
A: It was higher in status than the dustman.
Part 2: Words and Expressions
1. double: 双的 double room/bed 双人房/床
441322 （double four one three and double two）
问题来了：双下巴怎么说？
双重的：double standard/double life: 双重标准/双重生活
2. manual:体力的
体力劳动者：manual work/labour
脑力劳动者：mental work/labour
知识工作者：knowledge worker
3. white-collar: 白领（脑力劳动者）
blue-collar: 蓝领 （体力劳动者）
pink-collar: 粉领 (指由妇女所从事的工作，如护士，秘书等)
gold-collar: 金领（具备独特或专门才能, 在公司中起关键作用的雇员）
4. sacrifice: v.牺牲，献出 (give up) sacrifice one's life for the country.
sacrifice sth. for sth.
许多女性为了家庭牺牲了工作。
Many women sacrifice their careers for their family.
Sacrifice sth to sb/sth
She scrificed her family to marry him.
5.curious 奇怪的
She was wearing a curious smile on her face. 她脸上挂着奇怪的笑容
好奇的 Babies are curious about everything around them.
6. smart 聪明的；好看的，精致的。
a smart restaurant.
Part 3: Sentence Structure
Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white-collar workers.
这句话为倒装句，正常语序为Human nature is such that ....
Such is life. （这就是生活）。such 放句首要倒装。
Part 3:Culture
社会一般分为三个阶层，upper class (上层社会)，middle class（中层社会），和lower class（底层社会）
如何区分一个人处于社会哪个阶层呢？可以从以下三点来区分。
1、clothes. 一个人的穿着打扮往往可以看出来他是属于社会哪个阶层的。比如白领一般整天西装革履(Wear a collar and tie everyday), 而蓝领穿工服（in overalls）
2、称谓。文中最后一句也可以看到Alf社会阶层的变化会带来称呼上的变化。如做清洁工的时候，别人会直呼其名Alf，变成白领以后，别人会叫他Mr. Bloggs.
3、accent. 口音。As soon as you open your mouth, people will know which class are you from 你一开口,就暴露了等级和阶层.
剧作家萧伯纳的《卖花女》改编成电影后由赫本主演，讲一个卖花的底层少女通过学习贵族的口音伪装进入上流社会。这本书的序言中写道，“英国人一开口说话，就会激起另一个英国人的妒恨或鄙夷之情。”
Received Pronunciation是公认发音的标准英语，它最初的作用并不是促进沟通，而是作为一种“贵族音”将一小部分上流社会的人和别人区隔开来。只有三种人讲 RP：皇族、BBC的播音员和从小在私立寄宿学校受教育的人，而其中皇族讲的RP又和后两种有一点儿不同，被称为“Queen's Accent”。
