和老外聊天的地道口语第40:期:老板会找谁开刀

E: our company is going to do some cutbacks soon.

J: really? Where did you hear that?

E: I met with the supervisor¹ just this morning. I don't know, but I am a little worried. Who do you think will get sacked?

J: I'm not sure…well, first, it couldn't be George. He is such a kiss-ass. He'd wash the boss's dog if he asked.

E: no, it's not going to be George. I don't think it's Andy either. He is involved with the boss's sister in-law. And you know how whipped our boss is.

J: that's true. What about Lisa? I bet there's nobody who could do a worse job than her.

E: Lisa? No way. I've heard a rumor² that she and the boss were having an affair. You know rumors³ can't come out from nowhere.

J: well,okay. Then there is still Michael. But he's pet after having the best sales record for three months in a row. It definitely won't be Michael.

E: no, that would be crazy. But then who will it be? Oh dear, it must be me. I should have known it! Why else would he have talked to me alone about the downsizing. What should I do? I've got a family to support.

J: well, it could be me too. But I am not too worried. This place is suffocating⁴ me with this boss being such a hard-ass and clleagues who barely know how to get dressed in the morning. It would almost be a blessing⁵ to be fired from this place.
我们公司最近要裁员了.
真的吗?你从哪儿得来的消息?
老板今天上午同我谈话了.不知道为什么,我有点儿担心.你觉得谁会被裁掉呢?
不清楚.嗯,首先我觉得不会是乔治.他是个大马屁精,即使老板去叫他给狗洗澡,他也会去的.
嗯, 不会是乔治.我觉得也不会是安迪,他正在和老板的小姨子谈恋爱呢.你知道咱们老板是个”妻管严”.
没错.丽莎呢?我觉得是个人都能比她做得好.
丽莎?不可能.我听到谣言说她和老板正在搞婚外情,你知道的这种事不可能空穴来风.
好吧.再就是迈克了,但他可是老板的红人,他已经连续三个月高居销售量的榜首了.绝对不会是迈克的.
不会的,不然就太过分了.但是那又会是谁呢?天啊,一定是我了.我应该猜到才对.不然老板怎么会只找我一个人谈减员的事情呢.我该怎么办呢,我还要养家糊口啊.
也可能是我.但是我不太担心,这个地方实在是令我太郁闷了,老板要求太苛刻了,同事们又都是二百五.还真巴不得被炒鱿鱼呢!
Cutback: a reduction in sth 削减;缩减'减少
cutbacks in public spending 公共开支的削减
staff cutbacks 裁员

sack: to dismiss sb from a job 解雇:炒鱿鱼
She was sacked for refusing to work on Sundays.
她因拒绝在星期天上班被解雇了.

Kick-ass:拍马屁的人

Suffocate⁶: to die because there is no air to breathe; to kill sb by not letting them breathe air (使)窒息而死;(把...)闷死
Many dogs have suffocated⁷ in hot cars.
许多狗在热烘烘的汽车里给闷死了.
The couple were suffocated by fumes⁸ from a faulty gas fire.
由于劣质煤气取暖器漏气,这对夫妇窒息而死.
He put the pillow over her face and suffocated her.
他用枕头捂住她的脸,把她憋死了.
She felt suffocated by all the rules and regulations.
她受不了所有那些条条框框的束缚.

Blessing: something that is good or helpful 好事;有益之事
Lack of traffic is one of the blessings⁹ of country life.
往来车辆少是乡村生活的一大好处.
It's a blessing that nobody was in the house at the time.
幸好当时屋子里没人.

In a row
1.if sth happens several times in a row, it happens in exactly the same way each time, and nothing different happens in the time between 连续几次地
This is her third win in a row.
这是她连续获得的第三次胜利.
2.if sth happens for several days, etc.in a row, it happens on each of those days 接连几天(等)地
Inflation has fallen for the third month in a row.
通货膨胀率一连三个月不断下降.

Have an affair:搞婚外恋

Support one's family:养家糊口

Get fired:被炒鱿鱼
 

1 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

2 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

3 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 suffocating   

a.使人窒息的

参考例句：

• After a few weeks with her parents, she felt she was suffocating.和父母呆了几个星期后，她感到自己毫无自由。
• That's better. I was suffocating in that cell of a room.这样好些了，我刚才在那个小房间里快闷死了。

5 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

6 suffocate   

vt.使窒息，使缺氧，阻碍；vi.窒息，窒息而亡，阻碍发展

参考例句：

• If you shut all the windows,I will suffocate.如果你把窗户全部关起来，我就会闷死。
• The stale air made us suffocate.浑浊的空气使我们感到窒息。

7 suffocated   

（使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气

参考例句：

• Many dogs have suffocated in hot cars. 许多狗在热烘烘的汽车里给闷死了。
• I nearly suffocated when the pipe of my breathing apparatus came adrift. 呼吸器上的管子脱落时，我差点给憋死。

8 fumes   

n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

9 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》