面试官看重你的才学还是外貌?

　　I've been interviewing candidates for a research job and have had a very good shortlist. The two frontrunners are both excellent - they seem bright and keen and hardworking. One is reasonably good-looking; the other is exceedingly plain - obese and with bad skin. The role is not client- facing so looks should not matter. Yet I find myself inclined to hire the person who looks more prepossessing - which is unfair as the plain one surely needs a break. What should I do?

　　我在为一项研究工作面试候选人，并有了一份非常好的入围名单。两位候选人都非常优秀——他们看起来聪明、热情而且勤奋。其中一位容貌出众;另一位则过于难看——比较胖，而且皮肤不好。招聘的职位不是面向客户的，因此长相并不重要。不过我发现自己倾向于聘用那个看起来更讨人喜欢的家伙——这有失公平，因为长相难看的人肯定也需要机会。我该怎么办呢?

　　经理，女性，38岁 Manager, female, 38

　　露西的回答 Lucy's Answer

　　You should hire the fat and spotty one. This is not because you feel he (or she?) deserves a break - it isn't your job to play social engineer. It is because he is almost certainly better at the job than the one who is easier on the eye.

　　你应该聘用那个脸上长满粉刺的胖子。这不是因为你觉得他(或她?)应该得到这个机会——扮演社会工程师不是你的职责。而只是因为他几乎肯定会比那个更养眼的家伙干得更好。

　　You claim that the two are equally skilled and industrious. If you are right, you should hire the looker as lookers are easier to have around. But I don't think you are right.

　　如果你看到过有关研究，就会知道，漂亮的比丑陋的人更容易获得成功。他们的薪水会高出15%，而且升迁的速度更快。这或许会让人倾向于选择那个讨人喜欢的候选人。

　　If you read the research, it will tell you that beautiful people are more successful than ugly ones. They are paid up to 15 per cent more and they advance more quickly. This might make one inclined to choose the cute one.

　　你说两个人都同样有才能和勤勉。如果你说的是真的，你应该聘请那个容貌出众的，因为容貌出众的人更可能经验丰富。但我认为你说的不是真的。