周凯莉·《优雅地辛劳》英译

很难有人把公交车女司机与“优雅”二字挂上钩。这个职业，注定是女性的天敌。嘈杂的马路，鼎沸的人声，淹没女人特有的娇媚、羞涩和矜持。

不过，这个叫毕桂霞的南京女司机，却把旗袍穿到了方向盘前。她骄傲地承认，至少有6件颜色不同、款式各异的旗袍，是她的“工作服”。

39岁的女人，曾是下岗工人，以34岁“高龄”学习公交车驾驶技术。为了生存，这个纤细的女人开始承受烈日的曝晒，以及焦头烂额的路况。可即便成为最易暴怒的人群中一员，毕桂霞也很少生气，她时时微笑，只是为了让自己“更开心”。

所以，对无奈的生活，总要摆出一个优雅的姿态。人生是不能放弃的，不管何地、何处、何职业，总须不懈前行。譬如毕桂霞，她穿着世界上最女人的服饰，从事一份更适合男人的工作。

Graceful at Work

When you see a woman bus-driver you wouldn’t think she has anything to do with gracefulness. It seems this occupation is entirely at odds with womanhood, for the street noise and hubbub would drown out all the charm, shyness and pride that characterize a young woman.

But a woman driver named Bi Gui-xia from Nanking is quite peculiar. When she is at the wheel she wears a mandarin gown (a graceful Chinese dress for women). She admitted with pride that she has at least 6 such gowns of different colors and styles to serve as her “working uniform”.

Now 39, she used to be a laid-off worker. She began to learn bus-driving when she was already as old as 34. This slender woman has to struggle for survival under a scorching sun and on rough roads. Passengers tend to fly into a rage but she seldom loses temper. She often keeps a smile to make herself “more cheerful”.

She could do nothing about this sort of life, so she tries to remain graceful. As life goes on, one has to go with it. No matter where you are and what occupation you are engaged in, you have to go forward, never give up. This woman driver is a typical example: she is in the most womanly dress while doing a job that’s most suitable for a man.