(Mr. Gao 〈Xiao Gao〉 is about to receive notice from his employer, Mrs. Jing)

（京小姐正准备向高先生〈小高〉提出解雇通知）

Jingjing: We need to talk, please come by my office after your shift.

京晶：高先生，我想跟你谈谈，你下班之后到我的办公室来一趟。

Xiao Gao: Sure thing, Mrs. Jing, I'll be there just after five.

小高：没问题，京小姐，我5点钟之后就去。

Jingjing: Hi, Mr. Gao, come in, have a seat, I'm going to be straight up with you, for some time now your work habits have been in a nose-dive. Are you aware of that? Have you been experiencing some personal difficulties?

京晶：嗨，高先生，请进来坐。我就开门见山地说了，在过去的一段时间内你的工作表现直线下降。你自己意识到了吗？你是不是遇到了一些私人的困难？

Xiao Gao: Actually, yes. I've been having some personal issues, though I didn't think they were seeping into my work.

小高：确实是的，我遇到了一些私人问题，但是我没有想到这会影响我的工作。

Jingjing: I'm sorry to tell you this, it's probably a bitter pill to swallow right now, but I'm going to have to give you notice, a month to be precise.

京晶：尽管现在对你来说可能很难接受，但是我还是得很抱歉地告诉你，你只能在这再工作一个月了。

Xiao Gao: Just like that? No warning? That goes Against the grain of our HR policy regarding an employee's work-place rights.

小高：就这样把我解雇了吗？没有预先警告吗？这跟我们人事管理条例中说的员工的工作权益不符合啊。

Jingjing: Again, I'm sorry Mr. Gao, but for the last two months you've really been out to lunch. You come to work, close your door and that's the last of anyone hearing from you until the end of your day.

京晶：再次抱歉，高先生，但是在过去两个月中，你一直心不在焉。你一过来上班就把门关上了，就这样一直到下班都不出来。

Xiao Gao: That's not fair play. Mrs. Jing, I've been in a very difficult corner these past two months, I just couldn't see an out to my situation.

小高：这不公平，京小姐，过去的两个月我遇到了一个非常棘手的难题，我一直苦于不能找到一个解决办法。

Jingjing: You should have come forward to discuss your problems, that's what HR is for, to lend an ear.

京晶：那你早就应该过来告诉我们你的难题，这就是人事部门的职责啊，倾听你们的难处。

Xiao Gao: In my culture, we don't discuss our personal problems at work.

小高：在我的文化里，我们不在工作中讨论私人问题。

Jingjing: That may be, but again, that's why we have an HR department, tohelp employees transit their personal and professional difficulties.

京晶：可能是这样吧，但是话说回来，我们人力资源部的责任就是要帮助员工处理他们的个人和工作问题的。

习语短语

1. We need to talk. = 我们需要谈谈了（通常是不好的消息）。

2. straight up = 直截了当，开门见山

3. nose-dive = 直线下降，大幅下降

4. seeping into = 渗透，搅合

5. a bitter pill to swallow = 一片难以下咽的苦药，指一件难以接受的事情

6. give you notice = 给某人辞退通知

7. go again the grain = 和某事不符合

8. out to lunch = 心不在焉

9. fair play = 公平的

10. an out = 一个解决方法

11. lend an ear = 倾听某人的问题

12. transit = 改变，过渡