Yes, we all live full, busy lives,as a result, it’s inevitable something will come up that causes us to miss a deadline or be late for work once in a while. But while you’ll often need to give an explanation for your blunder, you should never make excuses. The truth is, they don’t actually help you save face at all, and they risk damaging your relationships at work—or worse, convincing your boss you’re not equipped to handle your job. Read on for three common excuses you’ll hear in the office, and why you should avoid them at all costs.
诚然，我们都过着充实而忙碌的生活，因此，在工作中偶尔会因为一些不可抗的原因而错过工作截止时间或者上班迟到。但是切记，尽管你必须为你犯的错给出一个解释，但千万别找借口。事实是：借口根本没法帮你挽回颜面，相反，它们会威胁到你在工作中的人际关系——更糟糕的可能性是，找借口会使你的老板认为你根本没法处理好你的工作。往下读，你会看到三条你在办公室里经常能听到的借口，然后我们会告诉你为什么你应该尽一切可能避免使用这些借口。
1.“Blame it on the Train”
1.“全是地铁的错。”
OK, sure, sometimes the train, or the bus, or the carpool lane is a disaster, and there’s nothing you can do about it. But nine times out of 10, you should still make it to work on time, because you’ve built that unpredictability into your commute time. That’s what responsible adults do, right? Yes. Blame the train, and your boss will see right through it.
好吧，确实，有时候地铁、公共汽车或者拼车的确是个灾难，而且你对此毫无办法。但是大多数情况下，你还是可以做到准时上班的，因为你已经把这种不可预测的延迟计算进了你的通勤时间。这是一个有责任感的成年人应该做的，不是吗？是的。你若抱怨地铁，你的老板会看到那背后表达的信息。
Instead, try being honest. Being honest about the real reason you’re late shows you have the courage to own up to your mistakes, instead of assigning blame whenever something goes wrong.
相反，试着坦诚一些。诚实地告诉他你迟到的真正原因，那会显得你有承认错误的勇气，而不是一出了问题就推卸责任。