In the 1980s and 1990s, as China’s market reforms accelerated, the trend was for bureaucrats and the employees of state-owned companies to leave their government cocoon for the potential riches of the private sector. This career switch became known as “plunging into the sea.

上世纪八九十年代，随着中国市场改革加速，官员和国企员工倾向于离开体制内的安乐窝，进入民营部门追逐潜在的财富。这种职业转变称为“下海。

But over the past decade, the government’s grip on the economy has strengthened, luring people back into the civil service. Jobs in the bureaucracy are perceived as cushy, with light workloads and plenty of benefits from subsidised housing to free meals – hence the term golden rice bowl.

但在过去十年里，政府对经济的控制有所加强，这使得公务员工作重现吸引力。人们认为体制内工作轻松、工作量小，可享受从补贴性住房到免费餐饮等诸多福利——这就是“金饭碗一词的由来。

With corruption rampant, many also believe that the government offers opportunities for self-enrichment. This year’s downfall of Bo Xilai, the disgraced politician, has highlighted the extraordinary wealth available to high-level officials.

由于腐败横行，很多人还认为政府部门工作提供了“自肥的机会。今年，颜面扫地的政治人物薄熙来的倒台，凸显出高级官员能够捞到的巨大财富。

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