2015年ESL之商务英语 12 Doing Impressions

Doing Impressions 

Edison: [in a high-pitched woman’s voice] “I’m paying you less and working you harder. What are you complaining about?” 

Kay: Ha, ha. You sound just like Justine! You really have a gift for doing impressions, but maybe we should shut the door. 

Edison: Oh I’m not worried about Justine hearing me. She’s my boss, but she’s not the boss of me. 

Kay: What would she say if she saw you imitating the way she walks and the gestures she makes? 

Edison: We all know what they say: Imitation is the highest form of flattery. Right? 

Kay: I’m not sure Justine would see it that way. It sounds more like mockery to me. I think it’s all in the tone. 

Edison: It’s a simple parody¹ of how she normally addresses the staff. It’s all done in good fun. It’s not mean-spirited. 

Kay: Of course not, but she might take it the wrong way. 

Edison: Then she would need to learn to laugh at herself. It’s healthy for the ego². 

Kay: “Whatever you say, boss. You’re always right, boss.” 

Edison: Who was that supposed to be? 

Kay: Remember what you said about imitation being the highest form of flattery... 

Edison: That was supposed to be me? Me?! 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 parody   

n.打油诗文，诙谐的改编诗文，拙劣的模仿；v.拙劣模仿，作模仿诗文

参考例句：

• The parody was just a form of teasing.那个拙劣的模仿只是一种揶揄。
• North Korea looks like a grotesque parody of Mao's centrally controlled China,precisely the sort of system that Beijing has left behind.朝鲜看上去像是毛时代中央集权的中国的怪诞模仿，其体制恰恰是北京方面已经抛弃的。

2 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。