[双语]清凉着装准则愁坏日本政府雇员

For the legions of conservative Japanese bureaucrats who already are sartorially challenged when it comes to casual wear, June 1 will potentially usher in their worst nightmare, as the government introduces a 'Super Cool Biz' campaign that advocates wearing Hawaiian shirts, T-shirts and sandals to work as a way to save electricity this summer. 

对于众多保守的日本官员来说，穿休闲装就已经够难为他们了，但6月1日很可能成为他们最可怕的噩梦，原因是日本政府为节约用电推出了一项“超清凉商务装”(Super Cool Biz)计划，提倡职员今年夏天穿夏威夷衬衫、T恤和凉鞋上班。
   
Tokyoites are bracing themselves for a scorching, sweat-filled summer, indoors and out. As the word setsuden, or save electricity, becomes a buzzword, government offices and many firms have pledged to keep the office thermostat at a steamy 28 degrees Celsius--82 degrees Fahrenheit--due to a government decree to cut electricity usage by 15% this summer thanks to its now-crippled nuclear-power plants.

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images优衣库(Uniqlo)响应日本政府提倡节能而为政府雇员设计的服装样式。东京人即将迎来一个无论室内室外都一样炙热难耐、汗湿衣背的夏天。随着“节电”成为流行热词，日本政府部门和很多企业都承诺将办公室的温度调节器设置在闷热的28摄氏度，因为核电站受创让日本政府下令，今年夏天全国将削减用电15%。
   
The launch of the campaign, which includes a fashion show coordinated by the environment ministry and Uniqlo department store, encourages government employees to abandon their dark suits and for the light-weight shirts and respectable-looking jeans, chinos and polo shirts to prevent a human meltdown this summer.

这个“超清凉商务装”计划鼓励政府职员脱下深色西装，换上轻便的衬衫和得体的牛仔裤、斜纹布裤子和Polo衫，以防在酷暑中“熔解”。日本环境省和优衣库(Uniqlo)还为启动该行动共同举办了一场时装秀。
   
But for many government officials, who collectively shudder at the thought of shedding the protective armor of their suits, embracing such casual wear is taking matters one step too far--even in the absence of air conditioning.

但一想到要脱下对他们来说有如护身盔甲一般的西装，许多日本官员就感到“不寒而栗”。对其中的很多人来说，哪怕没有空调，穿着这样的休闲服也还是过头了。
   
'I personally do not think it is appropriate to go out in sandals and meet people,' grumbled one official from the powerful ministry of trade. 'Super Cool Biz would be difficult to implement at [the trade ministry], because we receive lots of guests from outside the ministry, including many foreigners.'

日本重量级部委经济产业省的一位官员抱怨说，我个人认为穿凉鞋出门见人有失妥当，“超清凉商务装”计划在经济产业省会很难执行下去，因为我们要接待大量本部门以外的客人，其中很多都是外宾。
   
Another bureaucrat, who declined to be named, said, 'It's like Silicon Valley versus Wall Street. [The environment ministry] is like Silicon Valley and other ministries are more conservative.'

另一位不愿具名的官员说，这就好比硅谷和华尔街之间的区别，环境省就像硅谷，比较开放，而其他部门则更为保守。
   
A younger transport ministry official agreed: 'I can imagine keeping a suit at my desk to change into when meeting people, but I can't imagine meeting guests in a T-shirt or a polo shirt.'

 日本国土交通省一位较年轻的官员对此表示同意，他说，我可以想象在办公桌旁备一套西装，接待客人的时候换上，但我无法想象穿着T恤或polo衫会见客人。
   
Retailers, however, have enthusiastically jumped on the Super Cool Biz bandwagon. 'This is a big chance for us,' said Naoki Ootoma, chief operating officer at Uniqlo, the country's leading clothing retailer, adding that it has estimated that an average consumer will spend around Y17,000 ($210) on a new Super Cool Biz wardrobe. To make decision-making easier for the dress-sense-challenged, Uniqlo unveiled eight casual looks appropriate for Super Cool Biz style at an event Tuesday, including one that featured white shorts paired with a plaid button-down and a blazer.

不过，零售商却对“超清凉商务装”计划表示大力支持。日本领先的服装零售商优衣库的首席运营长Naoki Ootoma说，该计划给我们提供了一个很大的商机。他还说，据他估计，平均每个消费者将为置办新的“超清凉商务装”行头花费1.7万日圆(合210美元)左右。为了方便那些觉得自己服装审美不佳的人做决定，优衣库在周二的活动上推出了八套适合“超清凉商务装”风格的休闲服，其中一套是白色短裤配系扣格子衬衫和轻便外套。
   
Curiously, the environment ministry has steered clear of issuing guidelines for female employees on what to wear during Super Cool Biz. 'It was more difficult to come up with guidelines for women,' said one ministry official, 'so we are letting them decide.'
 
奇怪的是，日本环境省没有在“超清凉商务装”计划中规定女职员应穿什么。一位环境省的官员说，给女职员提供穿衣指南就更难了，所以我们让她们自己决定。