流行美語 第198課

Larry在跟李华讲他办公室里新来的实习生。今天李华会学到两个常用语：eager beaver¹和grunt² work。

LL: A new intern³ started working in my office today. He sure is an eager beaver, Li Hua!

LH: Beaver不是海狸吗？动物怎么能到办公室实习呢？

LL: No, the new intern isn't an actual beaver! But he works hard and is always busy like a beaver building a dam. And he is always eager to do work, so we say he is an "eager beaver.”

LH: 对了，我想起来了。Beaver不仅指海狸，有时也指工作勤劳的人。Eager就是很热情的意思，所以"eager beaver”指的是做事特别努力，特别积极的人。 Larry， 我看你也是个"eager beaver”，早出晚归的。

LL: I am not quite the eager beaver that the new intern is - I've been in the office a while. People are generally eager beavers⁴ when they are new to a job and want to impress their bosses.

LH: 没错，一般新到一个地方工作的人会特别热情积极，因为他们要让老板有个好印象。我刚开始教中文的时候， 也特别卖力，每天都花很多时间备课。

LL: And would you say you still are an eager beaver when it comes to teaching Chinese?

LH: 现在呢，不像刚开始那么卖劲了。像你一样， 我也不是以前的eager beaver了。

LL: That's OK, Li Hua. While being an eager beaver can be a good thing, someone can also take it too far.

LH: 勤奋当然是好事呀！居然还会有的人勤奋过头？这是什么意思？

LL: Well, the intern in my office is such an eager beaver he wants to do everything! He ends up making my work more complicated.

LH: 这个实习生什么都要做，这不是很好吗， 怎么会给你添麻烦呢？

LL: Yeah, that's right. He always wants to help, but sometimes I work better on my own.

LH: 你要是有的时候喜欢自己做，不要别人插手的话，你不能对他说你不需要帮忙嘛！对了，Larry，也许你可以 想办法让他作一些你不喜欢作的事呀。

LL: What a good idea!

******

LL: Thanks to your advice, Li Hua, I've now got the new intern doing some of my grunt work.

LH: 什么是grunt work? Grunt不是指猪发出呼噜呼噜的声音吗？

LL: Yes, pigs grunt. And people make grunting⁵ sounds, too, when they are working really hard at something like digging ditches.

LH: 这我知道。人在做挖沟之类的工作时也会发出表示疲劳的声音。Larry, 那grunt work 是不是就是指繁重的体力劳动？

LL: Not necessarily. Grunt work is basically routine, menial work. There are always some repetitive, boring tasks people working in offices do.

LH: 我明白了，grunt work就是简单的，枯燥乏味的工作。

LL: Yeah, and grunt work generally doesn't require a lot of knowledge or experience. That is why I am having the intern do my grunt work.

LH: 做简单的工作当然不需要丰富的知识，也不需要很多经验。Larry，说了半天，你究竟让这位实习生做什么呢?

LL: I am having him reorganize the office files, make new labels for the file folders⁶, filling out forms and typing up letters.

LH: 你还真让他干不少活耶！整理办公室的文件，并把它们存档， 还要为文件夹贴新的标签、填表格、打信件。这些事的确是既费事又枯燥的。这位实习生该不会在意吧？

LL: No, I am sure he won't mind doing the grunt work.

LH: 你怎么肯定他不在意呀？

LL: He is such an eager beaver, Li Hua, that he will be delighted to do whatever grunt work I give him!

今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是"eager beaver", 意思是做事特别积极，努力的人。李华学到的另一个常用语是，grunt work意思是简单枯燥的工作。
 

1 beaver   

n.海狸，河狸

参考例句：

• The hat is made of beaver.这顶帽子是海狸毛皮制的。
• A beaver is an animals with big front teeth.海狸是一种长着大门牙的动物。

2 grunt   

v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝

参考例句：

• He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。
• I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽，他只哼了一声。

3 intern   

v.拘禁，软禁；n.实习生

参考例句：

• I worked as an intern in that firm last summer.去年夏天我在那家商行实习。
• The intern bandaged the cut as the nurse looked on.这位实习生在护士的照看下给病人包扎伤口。

4 beavers   

海狸( beaver的名词复数 )； 海狸皮毛； 棕灰色； 拼命工作的人

参考例句：

• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。
• Thus do the beavers, thus do the bees, thus do men. 海狸是这样做的，蜜蜂是这样做的，人也是这样做的。

5 grunting   

咕哝的，呼噜的

参考例句：

• He pulled harder on the rope, grunting with the effort. 他边用力边哼声，使出更大的力气拉绳子。
• Pigs were grunting and squealing in the yard. 猪在院子里哼哼地叫个不停。

6 folders   

n.文件夹( folder的名词复数 )；纸夹；（某些计算机系统中的）文件夹；页面叠

参考例句：

• Encrypt and compress individual files and folders. The program is compact, efficient and user friendly. 加密和压缩的个人档案和folders.the计划是紧凑，高效和用户友好。 来自互联网
• By insertion of photocopies,all folders can be maintained complete with little extra effort. 插入它的复制本，不费多大力量就能使所有文件夹保持完整。 来自辞典例句