美国人如何找工作？

考考你：小试牛刀

 

影片对白：

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?

妙语佳句，活学活用

1.hit it off: 合得来。影片中Bree介绍失业的Tom与书商认识：“我是想让你和Tom相互认识一下，我觉得你们俩会很投缘。”来看例句：

He hit it off with them from the start. 从一开头他就和他们相处得很好。

These foreign students hit it off with the natives. 这些外国留学生和本地人相处得很好。

2.wiz: [美口]奇才(wizard 的缩略)。求贤若渴的Bruce对Tom说：“听Bree说你曾是广告才子。”

He is the math wiz of his class. 他是他班的数学天才。

3.head up：主持，领导，负责。Bruce说：“我正在找人开拓新市场。”

Mr Jones will head up the new company.琼斯先生将是新公司的领导。

4.timing: 时机，时机的选择。影片中Tom对突如其来的面试很不适应，随口说：“这个时机有点不妥。”

the timing of a play 一场戏的时间安排

The timing of our statement is very opportune. 我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

5.give it a shot：试一试，试试看。Bruce以为Tom的漫不经心是故作姿态，进一步说：“才俊难求啊，我来试试。”

Give it your best shot 竭尽所能

6.live out of a suitcase：老是旅居客地，提着衣箱过日子。美国人有重视家庭生活的传统，Tom继续冷言冷语：“我可不想总是过舟车劳顿的生活。”

I usually live out of a suitcase on vacation. 一到假期我就四处旅游。

7.on pins and needles：如坐针毡，坐立不安。躲在厨房里的Bree见Tom进来，急忙询问面试情况：“我们紧张死了，进展怎么样了?”来看例句：

The close game had us on pins and needles till the very end. 由于比赛双方势均力敌，我们一直很紧张，到结束时才平静下来。

Knowing that the old man was dying, all of us were on pins and needles. 获悉这位老人病危，我们大家坐立不安。

美国人如何找工作？

考考你：小试牛刀