ESL Podcast 624 – Advantages and Disadvantages in Life

Andy: Doesn’t it make you sick? We bust¹ our butts² around here and the boss brings in his nephew to be the new manager.

Nia: You never know. He may be a good boss.

Andy: I doubt it. He’s getting this opportunity just because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He didn’t have to pull himself up by his bootstraps like the rest of us.

Nia: I’m going to wait and see how he is as a manager. I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

Andy: If you’re a blue blood like he is, born into privilege³ and old money, you can do no wrong.

Nia: That’s not true. He’ll be held accountable for how this department performs.

Andy: But when does somebody like me get a break? Okay, I was born on the wrong side of the tracks. I grew up in a white trash neighborhood. So what? I’ve worked hard to get where I am now. That guy hasn’t paid his dues like I have.

Nia: You can complain all you want, but it doesn’t change the situation. He’s the new boss and we work for him. Get used to it.

Andy: Get used to it?! Not on your life!


Script⁴ by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

2 butts   

笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。
• The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

3 privilege   

n.特权，优惠，特许；v.给予优惠，给予特权

参考例句：

• Of course,no country has the privilege of fishing in our coastal water.当然，在我国的领海内没有一个国家有捕鱼的特权。
• He never abuses his privilege.他从不滥用特权。

4 script   

n.剧本，广播稿；文字体系；笔迹，手迹

参考例句：

• It's easy to identify his script.他的笔迹容易辨认。
• The script is massaged into final form.这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。