Upstairs? 明升暗降
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="upstairs">upstairs</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> “<span word="kicked">kicked</span> <span word="upstairs">upstairs</span>”.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="First">First</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="all">all</span>, “<span word="kicked">kicked</span> <span word="upstairs">upstairs</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="euphemism">euphemism</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="rid">rid</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="promotion">promotion</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="demotion">demotion</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="downright">downright</span> <span word="firing">firing</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="letting">letting</span> <span word="go">go</span>.</p><p><span word="Upstairs">Upstairs</span>? <span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span>, <span word="CEOs">CEOs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="managers">managers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="organizations">organizations</span> <span word="tend">tend</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="stationed">stationed</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="upper">upper</span> <span word="floors">floors</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="whereas">whereas</span> <span word="average">average</span> <span word="employees">employees</span> <span word="occupy">occupy</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span> <span word="floor">floor</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="true">true</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="factories">factories</span>. <span word="While">While</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="toil">toil</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="workshop">workshop</span>, <span word="managers">managers</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stay">stay</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="floors">floors</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="air">air</span>-<span word="conditioned">conditioned</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="overlooking">overlooking</span> <span word="vast">vast</span> <span word="workshops">workshops</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="below">below</span>. <span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="true">true</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="places">places</span>. <span word="Was">Was</span> <span word="true">true</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="distant">distant</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="kick">kick</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="upstairs">upstairs</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="promotion">promotion</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="demotion">demotion</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="disguise">disguise</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="kicked">kicked</span> (<span word="Ouch">Ouch</span>! <span word="See">See</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="feeling">feeling</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="kicked">kicked</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="normal">normal</span> <span word="sense">sense</span>), <span word="moving">moving</span> <span word="upstairs">upstairs</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="considered">considered</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="proverbial">proverbial</span> <span word="ladder">ladder</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="marooned">marooned</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="exiled">exiled</span>, <span word="like">like</span>, <span word="workless">workless</span>, <span word="friendless">friendless</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="suffering">suffering</span> <span word="alone">alone</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="Japan">Japan</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="promoted">promoted</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sitting">sitting</span>-<span word="by">by</span>-<span word="the">the</span>-<span word="window">window</span> <span word="tribe">tribe</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="kicked">kicked</span> <span word="upstairs">upstairs</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="West">West</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="know">know</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="undesirable">undesirable</span> <span word="people">people</span>, <span word="incompetent">incompetent</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="generally">generally</span> <span word="annoying">annoying</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="fire">fire</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="another">another</span>. <span word="They">They</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="relative">relative</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="place">place</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="promotion">promotion</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="comfortably">comfortably</span> <span word="sit">sit</span> <span word="alone">alone</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="swivel">swivel</span> <span word="chair">chair</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="upstairs">upstairs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="life">life</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="cause">cause</span> <span word="trouble">trouble</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="way">way</span>.</p>
页:
[1]