礼节美语103讲

Paul和Sara夫妇俩跟老朋友Jesse和Miika一起吃饭。

P: It`s so good to see you guys! It`s been forever!

M: We should try to set a monthly dinner date...we`ve missed you!

S: So what`s new?

J: Tracy just turned four. She`s growing ridiculously fast. Seems like yesterday she was a tiny infant in my arms.

S: Oh...that`s so sweet. Did she like the teddy bear we sent?

M: She loved it! She named it Puki and the two of them are inseparable!

两对夫妇很久不见。It`s been forever! 是夸张的说法，意思就是好久不见。 So what`s new? 有什么新鲜事呢？ Jesse和Miika的女儿Tracy刚过四岁。She`s growing ridiculously fast. 长得太快了。 Tracy很喜欢Paul和Sara送的泰迪熊，走到哪里都带在身边，The two of them are inseparable.

P: So how`s work these days, Jesse? Times are tough, huh?

J: You know, you guys are such old friends...I`m not going to beat around the bush. I got laid off last month.

经济不好，Times are tough. Jesse说，大家都是老朋友，我就不拐弯抹角了。I am not going to beat around the bush. Beat around the bush, 是兜圈子的意思。I got laid off我被裁员了。

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S: Oh, that`s awful! But we should level with you too...the hospital cut me back to part-time.

M: I`m so sorry to hear that! You work such long hours! What explanation did they give?

S: They said they were outsourcing most of the hospital`s paperwork to India...it costs like a third of what they are spending now.

J: Makes sense from a business perspective, but it`s very unfortunate for you.

Sara也坦白地说，她在医院的工作从全职改成兼职了。 Level with somebody，向某人坦白。 Part-time，兼职工作。医院减少她的工作时间是为了节省开支，把大部分文书工作，paperwork，都外包到印度去了。

S: How about you? Why did you get a pink slip?

J: The company is "restructuring"...which in this case is a fancy word for going bankrupt.

P: Well, you two are some of the most resilient people I know...so what`s the plan?

M: I`m taking more freelance writing work. I can do that from home and still watch Tracy. That way we save on daycare.

J: And I`m thinking I`ll go back to school and finish my Master`s Degree. Then when the economy picks up, I`ll be much more marketable.

Miika说自己打算多做一些自由撰稿工作，freelance writing work. Jesse则打算回去完成硕士学位，Master`s Degree，等待市场回暖。

礼节美语105讲

公司高管Peter, Jason和Helen开会讨论员工保健项目。 Peter首先发言。

Peter: Well folks, we`ve come to the last item on our agenda: our corporate wellness program.

Jason: Yeah, I`m very interested to see where you`re going to do with this. It`s a very delicate issue.

P: Yes, it can be. But here`s our general thinking: if employees are healthier the company benefits and makes more profit. Making more profit is good for everyone in the company.

会议最后一项议事日程是公司的保健项目。The last item on the agenda is the corporate wellness program。这是个delicate issue很棘手、很微妙的问题。Peter解释说，员工健康会增加公司的利润，公司利润的提高对大家都有好处。

P: Studies show that when employees are fit, there is less illness, a better attitude toward work, lower absenteeism and even better relationships at work.

Helen: Ok...I get you. But I`m concerned about our company becoming a kind of "big brother." Is it really our job to tell our workers how to care for themselves?

有研究说，雇员健康的好处包括：少生病，工作态度改善，少请假，以及更为融洽的同事关系。这里的 absenteeism, 是缺席的意思。Helen说，I get you. 我明白你的意思。但她担心公司会成为对员工指手划脚的big brother过于专制的老大哥。

P: Well, let me explain the idea. The first part is on our side. We in management need to provide some kind of affordable exercise options. I`ve spoken to several of our designers who say they would definitely sign another year`s contract if we could provide exercise options.

J: So part of the plan is an effort to retain talent?

P: Yep. And to that end we will be turning the basement level into a small workout center with a shower.

Peter解释说，公司要提供某种形式的健身项目，目的之一是to retain talent. 留住人才。为此，公司准备把地下室改造成带淋浴的小型健身中心，a small workout center with a shower.

H: I like that. Then we could be flexible with what time we workout. Come in early, stay late or even grab a workout during a lunch break...that would be great.

P: It requires some investment on our part, but we really do believe it could boost productivity.

J: I`m on board for that!

这样一来，大家健身的时间可以很机动，very flexible, 可以早来、可以晚走，也可以利用午饭时间，during lunch break. Jason说，I`m on board for that. 我支持。