Three different reasons could lead to a "gray borders" problem:

  1. Someone else is currently working on the concerned element, or worked on it without properly releasing it (closed the browser without clicking "Finished editing" or "Cancel editing")
  2. The concerned element is not in your current permissions scope (eg. you are working for the "Novecare" GBU, but the component is owned by the "Finance" function)
  3. The component is "Shared with other web sites" (inherited from another website or language).

Each or these cases needs a different approach.

To identify it, click anywhere in the component/page, then click the top left locker

Someone else is working on the component/page

If a message "... is working on this component" appears.
 

Right click the locked component/page, then click "History". Scroll down to the latest version (Checked-out). Look at the "User" column to know who you need to contact.

Provide the staging link of the page to this person and ask her to "Finish editing" or "Cancel editing" to release the component.

If this person is not available, you could also contact the support, asking for releasing the component/page (Web support contact).

Not in you scope

If a message "You are not authorized to edit this Page/Component" appears.

The simplest option is to contact the content author, asking him to operate the changes.

To identify him, right click the locked component/page, then click "History". Scroll down to the latest version (current). You can see it in the "User" column.

Shared with other Web sites

If a message "This Component/Page also appears on other Web sites" appears.

Regarding your current use case, look at one of these articles:

Translate content

[Country standard internet websites] re-use an existing Corporate content

[Web factory / Country light internet websites] re-use an existing Corporate content