纽约英语口语网新版
流行美语
第 160 课:swamped / get axed

Larry已经开始在一家公司做暑期工作。他正在向李华抱怨工作上的问题。今天李华会学到两个常用语:swamped和to get axed。

LL: I've only been working there two days and I'm already totally swamped with work! It's unbelievable!

LH: Larry,你说 swamped with work,是不是说你不知道怎么做这份工作?

LL: No, I know how to do the work. It's just that there is too much of it. To be swamped means to have too much work to do.

LH: 噢,我懂了,swamp一般是沼泽地的意思,你说swamped with work就是工作太多,好象陷进了沼泽地一样,让你觉得喘不过气。那他们到底给你什么样的工作?

LL: It's all relatively simple stuff like filing, typing, copying. It's just that there are piles of it and everyone wants it finished right now.

LH: 啊!归档、打字、复印都是很简单的事,可要是办公室每个人都要你做这些事,每个人都要你马上给他做,这确实难以对付。Larry,也许你该建议他们再多雇个人来帮你啊!

LL: I doubt that. Besides, I don't want them to think I'm lazy. I guess I just have to accept the fact that I'll be swamped with work for the rest of the summer.

LH: 真是的。一个暑假就陷在这些繁琐的工作里,太没劲了。我只想在暑假里轻松轻松。

LL: I was hoping to relax a little, too, but it doesn't look as though that's going to happen.

LH: 不过Larry,虽然你白天在公司里工作很忙,可是你晚上回到家可以轻松一下啦,因为你不必像学期当中忙于写作业或交报告!

LL: That's true, but I'm so tired by the time I get home from being swamped all day that I don't have the energy to do anything fun.

LH: 这你就跟我不一样了。我呀,再累也没有关系,只要一听到玩,我就精神百倍了。不过,Larry,我真希望能帮你一点忙。

LL: Oh, it's not your fault, Li Hua. I'm sorry for complaining like this.

LH: 嗨!Larry!你的暑期工作现在怎么样了!还是很忙吗?

LL: It's even worse than ever! The management just axed one of the other employees and now they're giving me all of his work!

LH: Ax不是斧头吗?你说你公司把那个雇员怎么啦?Axed?不是把他砍了吧?听起来好吓人的!

LL: To ax someone is to fire them. The other guy was really unreliable so management decided to ax him.

LH: 噢,我明白了,to ax someone就是把某人开除的意思。你真倒霉。公司把那个不可靠的人开除了,他的工作也就落在你头上。你们公司有没有考虑雇用新人来接替他的工作?

LL: I have no idea. In the mean time, I have so much work that I'm running around all day long.

LH: 你真可伶,每天忙得晕头转向的。也许你可以问问他们什么时候会雇用一个新人啊?

LL: I want to ask, but I'm afraid of getting axed, too.

LH: 你不过问问而已嘛!他们为什么要开除你呢?

LL: Well, I guess they wouldn't fire me, because I've been doing a good job although I'm swamped with work. I just don't want them to think that I'm lazy or that I'm complaining.

LH: 我肯定他们不会开除你。他们也不傻,知道你做很多工作,而且还做得很好。你要不说,他们绝对不会再顾一个人。这样不是省钱嘛!

LL: I guess you are right. I'm more likely to get axed for messing up rather than telling them I'm overworked.

LH: 没错。老老实实地告诉他们你太忙,总比你忙不过来,把事情搞砸了要好。

LL:Li Hua, you're so smart!

今天李华学到两个常用语。第一个是swamped,是指陷入大量工作,或其他什么事。另一个常用语是to get axed,就是被开除的意思。