常春藤生活英语【103】给我数字，其余免谈！

12 Fri
Dialogue A
Three managers are gathered in a meeting to give their year-end1 reviews to their boss.
Mr. Hu: Thank you all for coming today. Who wants to go first?
Emily: I will go first, sir.
Mr. Hu: Go ahead, Emily.
Emily: I manage the expansion2 of our product in Japan. I'm happy to report that we're now second in market share3 there and still growing.
Mr. Hu: That's nice to hear, but I want numbers.
Emily: We made a profit of $20 million in Japan last year.

Dialogue B
Mr. Hu: That's excellent, Emily! You really know what you're doing. Keep up the good work. Who is next?
Lauren: While we didn't do quite as good as Japan, our sales in South Korea totaled $16 million for 2008.
Mr. Hu: Why is that number so low, Lauren? We've invested a large sum of money there.
Lauren: Obviously, our advertisements4 didn't get enough attention. Now that we've worked on promoting our product, we expect to match Japan's number in 2009, sir.

Dialogue A
三名经理正一起开会，向他们的老板报告年终检讨。
胡先生：感谢各位今日前来。谁要先开始？
埃米莉：老板，我先好了。
胡先生：那开始吧，埃米莉。
埃米莉：我是负责管理我们在日本的产品拓展。我很高兴能向您报告我们目前的市占率不但位居第二，而 且还在持续成长中。
胡先生：那真是个好消息，但我要知道数字。
埃米莉：去年我们在日本的获利达两千万元。

Dialogue B
胡先生：太好了，埃米莉！妳果然清楚自己在干嘛。继续好好干。接下来换谁？
萝　伦：虽然我们的业绩比不上日本，但我们2008年在韩国的销售总额还是有一千六百万元。
胡先生：为什么销售额会那么低，萝伦？我们在那里已经投资了一大笔钱。
萝　伦：显然我们广告所受的注目有限。既然我们已经加强商品宣传，我们预计2009年能够迎头赶上日本 的业绩，老板。

Building Your Vocabulary

1. manage　vt. 管理，经营
Joseph is good at managing businesses.
乔瑟夫擅于经商。
2. total　vt. 总数为，总计达
The typhoon damage totaled $200 million.
这次台风所造成的损失总计达两亿元。
3. invest　vt. 投资
Max invested heavily in energy stocks.
麦斯在能源股里投下巨资。

Phrases for Learning

1. go ahead　　进行，请做
If you want the steak, go ahead and order it.
如果你想吃牛排，那就点吧。
2. make a profit (of...)　　获利（……）
Chris may close his shop because it hasn't made a profit so far.
克里斯的店一直都没赚什么钱，因此他可能会把店收起来。
3. keep up...　　保持∕继续……
Kim kept up her training after the game.
比赛结束后，阿金还是继续着她的训练。

Extra Words

1. year-end　a. 年终的
2. expansion　n.（企业的）扩张
3. market share　n. 市场占有率
4. advertisement　n. 广告

Grammar Check

While we didn't do quite as good as Japan, our sales...
（虽然我们的业绩比不上日本，但我们……的销售……）
while 在本句中作副词连接词用，表『虽然』，等于 though 或 although，其所引导的副词子句通常置于句首，其后加逗点，再接主要子句。
While my father is retired¹, he still leads a very busy life.
= Though my father is retired, he still leads a very busy life.
（我爸虽然退休了，但他仍旧过着非常忙碌的生活。）

More to Know

为避免自己成为职场中的后知后觉者，以下被解雇裁员之十大征兆您不可不知，请提早发现以积极面对改变。
1. 您是否被除去重要职务而转为负责『特别企划』，专处理一些无关紧要的芝麻绿豆事？
2. 原本是公司万事通的您，一下子得从清洁的阿桑或是新进员工那才得知公司消息？
3. 公司开始发出征人启事，其职务跟您所负责的类似？
4. 最近您是否被指派一些成功机率微乎其微的任务？
5. 最近您的公司是否被其它企业收购或是并购了？
6. 公司的其它员工是否尽可能的闪躲您？
7. 您的工作内容变得比实习生还少？
8. 您的工作空间或是办公桌缩水了？
9. 最近上司要您多休息或是放长假？
10.您的薪资被冻结，甚或遭到减薪？

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。