college, non-specific degree in hand (what does one do with a BA in English?), the job hunt has begun. Looking around me, I see so many people who are unhappy with their jobs. Their days resemble a real-life version of Office Space, sans Jennifer Aniston; they sit in traffic, then they sit in a cubicle, then they sit in traffic again. If this is work, I want no part of it.
是这样。
But there have to be some who really love their jobs, right? There must be those who don’t cringe when they hear the alarm go off on a Monday morning because they know they’re about to spend a week doing what fulfills them. I’ve heard of these people. I’ve never met any of them but, as with Santa Claus, I’m willing to believe they exist in order to preserve my optimism.
有人真的很喜欢自己的工作，对吗？当他们听到了清晨的闹钟响了，就是在星期一，也非常开心，然后一个星期都是这样。我听说有这样的人，但是没有见过，就像没有见过圣诞老人一样。我相信他们是保持了一种乐观。
What Creates Job Happiness?
一、如何让工作变得快乐幸福？
Everyone has a slightly different idea of what “success” is. Some won’t rest until they have several million in the bank, others prioritize family time, and still others crave public recognition for the jobs they do. Though we may think these things—money, fame, working from home, the office next to the coffee machine—will bring us happiness, they very often don’t. Actually, the ten happiest jobs in the United States, according to a 2008 study from the University of Chicago, “Job Satisfaction in the United States, ” are all relatively low paying, with long hours and plenty of stress. And yet more than half of the people in these careers reported that they were “very happy” with their work.
也许每个人都有不同的想法，对于成功理解不同。有的人不会休息，有的人在银行存款达到上百万，有人把家庭放在第一位，还有人渴望大家认可他们的工作。虽然有些人认为这就是金钱、名誉。无论在家工作、还是办公室工作，或许都会带给我们幸福感。实际上，在美国，根据芝加哥大学一项研究表明，十个最幸福的工作都是相对来说没有那么高的薪酬，因为高薪工作都是长时间加班，压力也很大。而超过一半以上的人的工作是非常快乐，尽管不是高薪。
Whistle While You Work
二、十个最幸福的工作是什么呢
So what are the ten happiest jobs? The results of the study, according to payscale.com, are listed in order below, along with the median salary for each.
根据payscale.com研究结果，依次为：
1. Clergy, median salary of $44,102
1、神职人员，工资中位数为44102美元
2. Firefighters, median salary of $45,553
2、消防队员，中等工资45553美元
3. Travel agents, median hourly wage of $14.23
3、旅行代理商，平均工资每小时14.23美元
4. Mechanics and repairmen, median hourly wage of $15.26
4、力学修理工，平均工资每小时15.26美元
5. Architects, median salary of $54,079
5、建筑师，中等工资54079美元
6. Special Education teachers, median salaries of $41,344 for preschool through elementary teachers; $43,060 for high school teachers
6、特殊教育教师，薪资中值为41344美元，幼儿园到小学教师都包括，43060美元是高中教师中位数
7. Actors and directors, salary varies greatly
7、演员和导演，工资差别很大
8. Scientific researchers, median salary of $72,435
8、科研人员，工资中位数为72435美元
9. Industrial engineers, median salary of $61,729
9、工业工程师，中等工资61729美元
10. Airline pilots and navigators, median hourly wage of $63
10、航空公司的飞行员和领航员，平均工资每小时63美元
It could be the opportunity to interact with others on a daily basis. (IMing coworkers from across the sea of cubicles doesn’t count.) Most of today’s jobs have come to rely so heavily on computers and the Internet for communication, leaving workers feeling isolated, lonely, and stressed. People like the clergy, firefighters, and teachers, however, get to interact regularly with the public they serve and see the direct results of their efforts, adding to their job satisfaction.
可以看出，幸福的工作是每天互相交流互动的工作。如今，大多数的工作都过于依赖计算机和互联网，而让人们减少了面对面交流的机会。人们喜欢的工作，可以看到，互动的工作会增加工作满意度。
The Secret to Job Happiness: Learn a Skill?
三、幸福工作的秘密是学习技能吗
The message I got growing up was that the more education you have, the better chance you’ll have of being successful and happy with your job. But the rankings on this list belie that notion. Most of these jobs require specialized skill training rather than a generalized education.
我发现，受到的教育越好，你就会有更多的机会获得工作上的成功，感到满意。而大多数的工作需要专门的技能培训，而不是一个广泛的教育。
Matthew B. Crawford, author of Shop Class as Soulcraft, has studied the loss of this kind of skill training in favor of liberal arts programs. Based on his experience as a motorcycle mechanic with a PhD in philosophy from the University of Chicago, Crawford reminds readers that so-called “trades” are invaluable both to society, for the goods and services they provide, and to the individual, for the sense of satisfaction one gets from working with one’s hands.
芝加哥大学哲学博士Crawford，曾经就是一个摩托车修理工，他从体力劳动，互相交换服务的过程中，得到了个人满足感。
Deconstructing society’s prevailing bias against manual labor, Crawford questions the educational myth of separating thinking from doing, arguing that to do so degrades workers on both sides of the divide. The person who sits in a cubicle feeling impotent and isolated suffers just as much as the mechanic who is told that his is a lower kind of work.
对于体力劳动，有人可能认为会认为技术工人与脑力劳动不同，可是，谁又能说技术工作是一个较低的工作呢？
Crawford’s argument makes sense, especially when you consider the types of jobs that are on the happiest list. They all allow for interpersonal relationships , require specialized skills that prohibit outsourcing and obsolescence, and create a sense of pride in the worker for a job well done. Without these key elements, American jobs are becoming both more tedious and more expendable, since workers with generalized education are easier to replace.
当你考虑思考那些幸福的工作，看到的是人际关系，专门的技能，并且感觉好的工作。如果没有这些关键因素，美国的工作机会会显得更加单调乏味，并且技术工作无法用广泛的知识教育取代。
So What Did I Go to College For?
四、为什么上大学
At this point, I’d really just like any job at all. And I know I’m not alone. Maybe it’s the unemployment talking, but I think that whatever job I do get will make me happy in some way, even if it’s just by allowing me to pay my bills. Every job has its pros and cons; that’s why we call it “work.” You just have to find what makes you happy about the work you do.
在这一点上，我不知道，但我认为，每个工作都有优点与缺点，你只要找到让你感到快乐的工作就好。
It’s important to remember that this survey is a broad one, based on gross numbers. There are plenty of people, I’m sure, who have jobs not on this list that they wouldn’t trade for anything. But it’s refreshing to remember that money and fame don’t equal happiness, nor does a degree from a prestigious university.
但是，你要知道，金钱和名声不等于幸福，也不包括名牌大学的学位。
Rather, the recipe for happiness is to find something that gives you pride and connects you to others. If your job does this, no matter how much it pays or whether it makes the list, look up from your desk and smile.
相反，幸福的秘密是找到你的工作圈子，你的工作是不是幸福，看看你的办公桌和你脸上的微笑，或许就知道了。
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