Michael是纽约大学的美国学生,他同时也在一家建筑公司实习。他的中国同学李华今天要去他的公司看他。Michael听得懂中文,但是说还有点困难。Michael和李华在今天的对话里会用两个常用语,一个是:big gun; 另一个是to quarterback。Michael现在在办公室门口和李华打招呼。- `' C- Q" A) T, ]( w; [- i# @
M: Hey, Li Hua, Come on in. How're you doing?# A( z+ x& Y5 Q6 ^
L:我挺好。你怎么样?对了,你下午想干什么?
0 x/ x5 x/ L7 m% E! ^1 Z* g1 B M: Ah, I've got a meeting with the big guns this afternoon. They want to talk to me about continuing to work here after graduation.
1 O0 d1 ^% }; b5 |3 r: `( }) }; m L:我听懂了你后面的一句话,他们要跟你谈关于毕业后回来工作的事。那真是太好了。可是,你刚才说今天下午要跟谁开会?, h9 a. @6 u n
M: Yea, I 'm meeting with my bosses. Sometimes we call them the big guns of the office.
1 n' J9 Q" ]7 H/ V; U7 J" u- h% L L:噢,你要跟你的几个老板开会。你们把老板叫做the big guns。; u2 j/ f$ Q0 E% z
M: It's an expression that can be used to describe powerful people.% I4 R# M# Z5 y# u' F
L:噢,那是指权力很大的人,也就是大人物。那么,总统的顾问能,称为big guns吗?
; O+ S. | h9 T4 W' B( m7 H M: Yes, a president's advisors are big guns. But it can also be used in sports. In soccer the stars of a team are the big guns., Q1 w/ E8 H h( B6 q% z
L:Big guns还能用在体育方面。
3 _2 x, B. s! n Q( v M: OK, let me show you around the rest if the office.
# Z, Q8 ?$ w* d, j L:你要带我去看看这公司的大楼,那太好了。Let's go!
" X3 c+ o' u+ Q; h M: This is the conference room. We had a meeting here yesterday on our plan for a new building. The project leader quarterbacked the meeting.
& s/ Z$ `0 M2 m: l1 m: X) D+ c L:等等,你说这是会议室,你们昨天在这里开了一个会,讨论盖一栋新楼的计划。可是,你还说那项目主任是踢美式足球的,是quarterback,四分卫,对不对?
" S* U0 ^0 }7 P: Q M: No, no, no! Quarterback here is a verb, meaning to lead. The word quarterback is borrowed from American football, where the quarterback leads the team.
3 ]" h: j5 o& ~. H+ m L:噢,quarterback在这里是动词,意思是领导。你说这里的quarterback是从美式足球里借来用的,因为quarterback在球队里是主力。你刚才是怎么说的?
8 Y- T3 L: C5 D1 I% {! V* @ M: The project leader quarterbacked the meeting.
" j, y. W2 n) Y& E& Z4 N, | L:现在我听清楚了,你刚才说的是:项目领导人主持会议。那么,to quarterback还能用在别处吗?. L; P0 C! [1 d/ g6 @- m/ B
M: To quarterback is business slang. If someone is responsible for a group working on a new project that individual is quarterbacking the team.2 C6 [! T5 m9 a( E9 O
L:知道了,to quarterback 是用在商业方面的。要是某人负责一个新项目,这个人就是在领导这个项目的小组。要是某人在一个法律事务所主持会议,那该怎么说呢?
) j7 ?+ f/ f, e0 N: G. h M: Someone quarterbacked the meeting at the law firm.& O0 @& A6 o8 M7 _ T
L:你们公司的一位重要领导主持会议,讨论公司的收入报告,这又该怎么说?8 z* m/ i4 a. b' \
M: The company's big gun quarterbacked the meeting about their revenue report. Hey, I need to get back to work. I'll call you later.
; V( w( T8 ]+ _" Z: l L:好吧,那就再见吧!希望你将来成为a big gun.
9 K0 t4 q- I+ t& \' V M: Oh, yea, I'm sure soon I'll be quarterbacking every meeting and every project.( K# T0 ^7 {; Z" q9 I
L:你真的当真呐!还想主持所有会议,总管所有项目。得啦,再见吧!7 K8 m# H8 M; d2 P* ^% X; |2 q) s s
Michael 和李华在对话中用了两个常用语,一个是:the big guns,意思是大人物,对决策有重大影响的人;另一个是:to quarterback,意思是主持会议,或总管项目。 |