VOA流行美語 Unit 223:trash talking和make waves

Larry在告訴李華他公司裏發生的事。 李華今天會學會兩個常用語，Trash talking和make waves。

LL: So, Li Hua, yesterday at the office I heard two of my co-workers trash talking my boss.

LH: 什麼是trash talking? 難道他們在談垃圾，垃圾有什麼好談的？

LL: No, it's not. Trash talking is saying really mean things about someone.

LH: 噢，trash talking就是說別人的壞話。那你的這兩位同事爲什麼要說老闆的壞話呢？

LL: I think they were upset because he didn't like a proposal they submitted. They were saying my boss wasn't very smart and didn't make good decisions for the company.

LH: 就因爲老闆沒有接受他們的建議，他們就說他笨，作出的決策對公司不利？他們也太自負了吧！ Larry，那你是怎麼看的呢？

LL: I am sure he had his reasons for rejecting their proposal. I have a lot of respect for my boss, and that is why their trash talking him bothers me so much.

LH: 老闆拒絕他們的建議總有他的道理。我知道你很尊重你們的老闆，所以聽見別人在背後說他壞話就感到很討厭。我那天也聽到兩個研究生在說一個教授的壞話。我也覺得很討厭。

LL: Did you do anything about their trash talk?

LH: 我當時就爲這位教授辯護。 他們不一定會改變看法，但是我不能聽任他們誣衊這位教授。

LL: Good for you, Li Hua!

LH: 後來別人告訴我那兩個人又在背後說我的壞話 - They trash talked me 。

LL: I guess you made them mad by bringing attention to their trash talking. I just don't have the courage to deal with my two co-workers who talked trash about my boss.

LH: 你沒有勇氣來對付他們？這有什麼呢？你就對他們說， 你們這樣說老闆的壞話是不對的。

LL: I don't think it is that easy, Li Hua. After all, I still have to work with these trash talkers.

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LH: 你是不是擔心他們會找你的麻煩呀？

LL: It is not so much that I am afraid of them, as it is that I don't want to make waves at work.

LH: 你不是怕他們，而是不想在工作單位make waves。 Make waves是什麼意思？你不想興風作浪？

LL: No, no. Making waves means to cause a disturbance.

LH: 噢， 你是不想得罪他們，引起糾紛。

LL: I know it would make waves at work. These two co-workers are senior to me, and I know if I talked to them, they'd just cause trouble for me.

LH: 這兩個人資歷都比你深。你要批評他們，他們就會給你找麻煩，你實際上還是有點怕他們。

LL: You know, I also don't want to make waves at home, too.

LH: 公司裏的事情怎麼會牽涉到你的家人，又怎麼會給家裏製造麻煩呢？

LL: Well, my parents just want me to do well and be successful. It would upset them to know I was having trouble at work.

LH: 我明白了， 你不想讓父母擔心。 Larry，你不愧是個孝子。 我的一個學生可不像你。他暑假回家的時候， 給家裏製造了不少麻煩。

LL: What did he do?

LH: 他在肚臍上穿了一個洞， 帶上了一個金屬環。他要趕新潮。可把他的父母都快要氣瘋了。

LL: Well, that certainly is one way to make waves. Li Hua, you don't seem to be able to make waves.

LH: 那你就不瞭解我了。幾個月前我也跟我的房東鬧了一場呢。

LL: Really, Li Hua, you didn't tell me about this. What happened?

LH: 我公寓裏的浴缸漏水了。我跟老闆說了好幾次他都不理我。 後來我實在忍無可忍，就去他辦公室問他爲什麼不給修，so I made some waves。

LL: It is too bad you had to make some waves to get your landlord to do what he is supposed to do.

LH: 其實我是不喜歡這樣做的 - I don't like to make waves。他要早派人修了不就沒事了嘛！

今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是trash talking, 意思是說別人的壞話。還有一個是make waves， 意思是製造麻煩或糾紛。