迷你对话学地道口语第47期:很在行

　　迷你对话：
A:Finding an excuse is obviously down your alley¹. And trying to avoid taking care of the children is what you are good at.
你最擅长的就是找借口。不去照顾孩子也是你的专利。
B:Listen, Nancy. If I don't work hard, I will be laid off.
听着，Nancy。如果我不去工作的话就会下岗。
A:You are passing the buck². I'll be hanged if I ask you to go to the park with us.
你又推卸责任了。我绝不会让你陪我们去公园的。
B:Come on, Nancy. Play it cool. I go with you and burn the middle night oil tonight.
好了，Nancy。你冷静点。我和你们一起去，今天晚上我熬夜就行了。
词海拾贝：
1.down one's alley：最擅长的
Exp：alley原指“保龄球的球道”。该习语的字面意思是“顺着某人的道来了”，意即“某事对某人的胃口”，引申为“某人最擅长的”。该习语也可以说成up one's alley，指“适合某人兴趣爱好的，为某人所熟悉的，正合某人所长的”。
Eg.Football is right down Jim's alley.
足球正好适合吉姆的口味。
Eg.Repairing watch is right down his alley.
修表正好是他的本行。
2.be laid off：解雇, 下岗
Eg.Jimmy was laid off. But the fell on his feet and found a better job very soon.
吉米被解雇了。不过他逢凶化吉，很快便找到了更理想的工作。
Eg.They were laid off because of the lack of new orders.
由于没有新的定货，他们遭暂时解雇。
3.pass the buck：推卸责任
Eg.I do not know enough about it to decide, so I'll pass the buck to you.
我所知有限，不能决定，所以请全权处理。
Eg.When things get difficult he's too ready to pass the buck.
如果事情陷害入困境，他就随时准备推诿责任。
Eg.Every time something goes wrong, you try to pass the buck.
每次有什么出错的地方，你总是把责任推给别人。
3.play it cool：抑制住感情(持冷漠态度, 不表态)
Eg.No matter how agitated³ and upset other people get, Gill just plays it cool and gets on with her work.
不管其他人怎样焦虑不安、心烦意乱，吉尔只是若无其事地干自己的工作。
Eg.I should advise you to play it cool it you wish to make any progress in the negotiation⁴.
假使你想在谈判中取得一些进展，我劝你还是保持冷静为好。
4.burn the middle night oil：熬夜，开夜车
Eg.She always burns the middle light oil to practice because she want to be sent to a wonderful ballet college.
她总是开夜车地练习，因为她想进入一所理想的芭蕾舞学院学习。

1 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

2 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

3 agitated   

adj.被鼓动的，不安的

参考例句：

• His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。
• She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

4 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。