【有声英语文学名著】CHAPTER FOUR（15）

As a matter of fact, I think there are more important things in life than ―relationships‖.‘

What, like your career, you mean?‘ She shot him a look. Sorry.‘They  turned  back  to  the  sky, shading  into  night  now  and  after  a  moment  she  said, 

Actually my career took a bit an upturn¹ today if you must know.‘

You got fired?‘

Promotion².‘ She started to laugh. I‘ve been offered the job of manager.‘

Dexter sat up quickly. In that place? You‘ve got to turn it down.‘

Why do I have to turn it down? Nothing wrong with restaurant work.‘

Em, you could be mining uranium with your teeth and that would be fine as long as you were happy. But you hate that job, you hate every single moment.‘ 

So? Most people hate their jobs. That‘s why they‘re called jobs.‘

I love my job.‘

Yeah,  well, we can‘t all work in the  media, can we?‘ She hated the tone³ of her voice now, sneering⁴ and sour. Worse still, she could feel hot, irrational⁵ tears starting to form in the back of her eyes.

Hey, maybe I could get you a job!‘

She laughed. What job?‘

With me, at Redlight Productions!‘ He was warming to the idea now. As a researcher. You‘d have to start as a runner, which is unpaid⁶, but you‘d be brilliant—‘

Dexter, thank you, but I don‘t want to work in the media. I know we‘re all meant to be desperate to work in the  media  these days, like the  media‘s the best job in the world—‘  You sound  hysterical,  she  thought,  jealous  and  hysterical.  In  fact  I  don‘t  even  know  what  the media  is—‘  Stop  talking,  stay  calm.  I  mean  what  do  you  people  do  all  day  except  stand around drinking bottled water and taking drugs and photocopying⁷ your bits—‘

Hey, it‘s hard work, Em—‘

I mean if people treated, I don‘t know, nursing or social work or teaching with the same 

respect as they do the bloody⁸ media—‘

So be a teacher then! You‘d be a fantastic teacher—‘

I want you to write on the board, ―I will not give my friend careers advice!‖‘ She was talking too loud now, shouting almost, and  a long silence followed. Why was she being like this? He was only trying to help. In what way did he benefit from this friendship? He should get up and walk away, that‘s what he should do. They turned to look at each other at the same time.

Sorry,‘ he said.

No, I‘m sorry.‘

What are you sorry for?‘

1 upturn   

n.情况好转

参考例句：

• Experts have forecast an upturn in the stock market.专家已预测股票市场价格有上升趋势。
• The economy is experiencing an upturn.经济正在好转。

2 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

3 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

4 sneering   

嘲笑的，轻蔑的

参考例句：

• "What are you sneering at?" “你冷笑什么？” 来自子夜部分
• The old sorceress slunk in with a sneering smile. 老女巫鬼鬼崇崇地走进来，冷冷一笑。

5 irrational   

adj.无理性的，失去理性的

参考例句：

• After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
• There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

6 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

7 photocopying   

v.影印，照相复制（photocopy的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• All photocopying machines need careful usage, and regular cleaning and maintenance. 所有照像复制机都需要小心使用、定期擦洗和维修。 来自辞典例句
• A trademark used for a photocopying process or machine employing xerography. 商标名，用于采用静电复印术的影印过程或机器。 来自互联网

8 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。