Great employees show initiative rather than just sit back and hope someone else will solve the issue for them or give them a step up.
优秀的员工在工作时显得很主动，而不是在一旁闲着，希望别人会替他们解决问题，或者给他们帮忙。
注释：
这句话比较长，需要注意的点也很多，首先看到show initiative，指在工作时显示出主动性。sit back指袖手旁观，在一旁闲着。If you sit back while something is happening, you relax and do not become involved in it.
solve the issue和solve the problem含义相同，均为“解决问题”，而后接的for表现的是员工的态度。小编曾读到过一句话：You are not working 'with' me; you work 'for' me. 前半句指二人地位平等，而后半句指从属。回到原句，hope someone else will solve the issue for them，指的是这样的员工心里期待别人会“替”他们解决问题，而不会自己主动。
give someone a step up，字面上理解是让某人上一个台阶，引申出来也就是“给某人帮忙”。
Often they had to display great courage to preserve their integrity or to make their way to the top.
他们往往需要展现出极大的勇气来坚守自己的原则或登上所属领域的顶峰。
注释：
integrity有正直、诚实、完善的意思，preserve someone's integrity，保持某人的正直，引申出来也就是“坚持某人原则”的意思。
make someone's way指前进、成功，这里的成功尤指能够自食其力，独立谋生。make someone's way to the top也就是登顶。这句话来自剑八真题，照顾上下文，整句翻译过来应为“所属领域的顶峰”。
The band has performed in York before and has a large local following.
这个乐队曾经在约克表演过，在当地拥有一大批追随者。
注释：
A person or organization that has a following has a group of people who support or admire their beliefs or actions.
following含义之一为支持者，如果说someone has a large following，也就指这个人有大量的追随者、崇拜者。
How well do you know the people who live next door to you?
你对隔壁邻居了解有多少？
注释：
people who live next door to you这个短语很好理解了，从字面上来看就知道是邻居，此外，在英式口语中也常用于泛指普通人。
I continue to be concerned about the other documents he may have.
我仍很关注他手上可能有的其他文件。
注释：
concern一词的用法很多。表担忧和关心时，可以用be concerned about，这里concerned是形容词；也可用concern about，这里concern是动词；而someone's/there is concern about/for/over也指担忧，但concern用作名词 。
此外，be concerned with，指的是“与……有关，涉及”。concern oneself about/with something指“对……感兴趣，关心，关注”，be concerned to do something指“认为做某事很重要”。
We were willing to help pay down their credit cards, but soon realized we were only supplementing their extravagant lifestyles.
我们原本愿意帮他们支付信用卡，但很快就意识到，我们只是在补贴他们奢侈的生活。
注释：
If you pay down a debt, or pay down part of a debt, you give someone part of or all of the money that you owe them.
pay down意指偿还，extravagant lifestyle指奢侈的生活方式。We were willing to help pay down ... 这里用到了be willing to do something，而help pay down，其实是help someone to do something，帮助某人做某事，其中to省略了。
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