Using English at Work：47 Meeting with the Boss(6)

A "standout" (one word) is something that is the best, better than anything else.

You might be a standout on the soccer team you play on; you score more goals or points than anyone else.

You are the best player - you're a standout.

Apparently¹ the boss and the regional manager think that my work is a standout,

because they're offering the promotion² to me instead of to my poor coworkers.

Even though I don't think of myself as a corporate³ climber and I don't think that my work is a standout,

I thank my boss, of course, and shake hands with him.

"To shake hands" with someone means you turn to the other person, you put out your usually right hand (in the United States),

you hold the other person's right hand, and you move your arm up and down.

In the U.S., we often shake hands when we meet someone for the first time and when we say goodbye, especially in a business situation.

We also want to shake hands, or sometimes do shake hands, when we agree on something.

In fact, we have an expression "Let's shake on it," meaning let's shake hands as a way of showing that we are agreeing to something,

we are coming to an official agreement.

After shaking my boss's hand, I then leave his office.

It's nice to get a pat⁴ on the back from the boss.

"To get a pat (pat) on the back" from someone means to receive praise from another person,

or to have another person say nice things about something you've done.

When someone thanks you for what you did, especially at work, you are getting a pat on the back.

This is an expression that doesn't mean the person actually touches your back; "to pat" something means to touch it, usually lightly.

You can literally⁵ - actually - go up to someone and pat them on the back; that's a way of congratulating or thanking them,

but the expression is just used to mean you are getting praise, you are getting appreciation⁶.

I say that I hope the promotion does "come through," or happen, but I don't want to jump the gun.

"To jump the gun" means to do, think, or say something too early, before it is actually happened.

1 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

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 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 pat   

n.轻拍，拍打声；vt.轻拍，拍打；vi.轻跑，轻击；adv.适时，彻底；adj.油腔滑调的，恰好的，合适的

参考例句：

• Could you hear the pat?你能听到轻轻的拍击声吗？
• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。