美國人如何找工作？

考考你：小試牛刀

 

影片對白：

Bruce：Fantastic dinner, Bree. This was a great idea.

Bree: Well, I just wanted to get you together with Tom here. I thought you two mighthit it off.

Bruce：Yeah. Tom, Bree says you used to be quite the ad wiz.

Tom: Oh, I don't know.

Lynette: He's being modest. He was the best.

Bruce：Good, because I'm looking for someone to head up a new division.

Bree: I'm going to put some coffee on. Orson, would you give me a hand? Let these three chat.

Bruce：So do you think you have any interest in getting back in the game?

Tom: I don't know. The timing's a little weird.

Bruce：How so?

Tom: I don't know.

Lynette: Well, Tom was just running a very successful restaurant, and he just sold it at a handsome profit. So he's waiting for the right opportunity. You might have to do a little selling here, Bruce.

Bruce：I guess the good ones are always the hardest to land.

Lynette: Yeah

Bruce：Let megive it a shot. We represent a small stable of elite nonfiction authors from all over the world. So you'd be working closely with those writers to come up with creative approaches to selling their books.

Lynette: That sounds...amazing.

Tom: I don't know. Are there more potatoes?

Lynette: You can have mine. Stop saying, "I don't know."

Tom: Sounds like there's a lot of traveling. I'm not, you know, really big on living out of a suitcase.

Bruce：Even to do two weeks at the book fair in Paris while you stay at a five-star hotel?

Lynette: Paris?

Tom: Like France?

Lynette: Yes, like the greatest city in the world.

Bruce：Gee, I'm getting Lynette excited. Too bad you don't have any advertising experience.

Lynette: Actually, I have 12 years of experience.

Bruce：Really?

Lynette: Yeah. I was account executive for eight years, v.p. for four more after that, and by the way, I wrote my graduate thesis on the rise of the nonfiction novel. I know. So what kind of starting salary are we talking about?

Tom: Lynette, can I see you for a sec?

Lynette: Okay. Bruce, could you hold that thought? I'm gonna be right back.

Bree: Well, we're on pins and needles. How's it going?

妙語佳句，活學活用

1.hit it off: 合得來。影片中Bree介紹失業的Tom與書商認識：“我是想讓你和Tom相互認識一下，我覺得你們倆會很投緣。”來看例句：

He hit it off with them from the start. 從一開頭他就和他們相處得很好。

These foreign students hit it off with the natives. 這些外國留學生和本地人相處得很好。

2.wiz: [美口]奇才(wizard 的縮略)。求賢若渴的Bruce對Tom說：“聽Bree說你曾是廣告才子。”

He is the math wiz of his class. 他是他班的數學天才。

3.head up：主持，領導，負責。Bruce說：“我正在找人開拓新市場。”

Mr Jones will head up the new company.瓊斯先生將是新公司的領導。

4.timing: 時機，時機的選擇。影片中Tom對突如其來的面試很不適應，隨口說：“這個時機有點不妥。”

the timing of a play 一場戲的時間安排

The timing of our statement is very opportune. 我們發表聲明選擇的時機很恰當。

5.give it a shot：試一試，試試看。Bruce以為Tom的漫不經心是故作姿態，進一步說：“才俊難求啊，我來試試。”

Give it your best shot 竭盡所能

6.live out of a suitcase：老是旅居客地，提著衣箱過日子。美國人有重視家庭生活的傳統，Tom繼續冷言冷語：“我可不想總是過舟車勞頓的生活。”

I usually live out of a suitcase on vacation. 一到假期我就四處旅游。

7.on pins and needles：如坐針氈，坐立不安。躲在廚房里的Bree見Tom進來，急忙詢問面試情況：“我們緊張死了，進展怎么樣了?”來看例句：

The close game had us on pins and needles till the very end. 由于比賽雙方勢均力敵，我們一直很緊張，到結束時才平靜下來。

Knowing that the old man was dying, all of us were on pins and needles. 獲悉這位老人病危，我們大家坐立不安。

美國人如何找工作？

考考你：小試牛刀