在全球金融危机的背景下,许多行业都在进行战线收缩,保存实力,唯独快速消费品行业一枝独秀,不仅在销售量上节节高升,而且很多公司都在招兵买马,拓展市场。在化妆品部门上了轨道之后,B&Z也开始考虑着要分市场的一杯羹了。
发音：澳式发音 语速：160词/分钟 使用方法：精听+角色扮演
(One month later)
Stephanie: It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed
you guys.
Donald: Yeah, but I bet you haven’t missed the work.
Stephanie: Well, yes, you would be right about that. Campus life is pretty sweet. But ①I’m 1)addicted to caffeine all over again. So, how is everything going at B&Z?
Donald: ②Gosh, when you said you were leaving we all thought the earth would stop turning.
Stephanie: Oh, whatever. ③I’m sure you guys had a big party after I left.
Donald: Yes, there were a few celebrations. Just kidding. No, generally, things are going smoothly. However, Mr. Jacobs wants to 2)expand into new markets. ④He’s
3)come up with this list of all these 4)emerging markets and is thinking up all sorts of new products for us to 5)hone
in on.
Stephanie: Really? That seems full on. What products are you talking about?
Donald: Electronics, clothing, media. ⑤There is no set end point, which is getting to me.
Stephanie: Why? What’s the problem?
Donald: Well, I have no real experience in all of these fields. I have no idea how to go about market research and investment 6)strategies. ⑥It’s all Dutch to me.
Stephanie: I can imagine. ⑦We were only just getting the cosmetics department off the ground, and now he throws this at you. You know what you should do?
Donald: Oh, please tell me.
Stephanie: I have a friend who works in a 7)consultation firm. He deals with problems like yours on a daily basis. You should give him a call.
Donald: Oh, that sounds brilliant. You’re a life saver, Steph!
(一个月后)
史蒂芬妮:见到你真是太高兴了。我很想念你们呢。
唐纳德:那是,不过我打赌你肯定不想念工作。
史蒂芬妮:嗯,没错,你说的对极了。校园生活实在太惬意了,但我又彻底投入了咖啡的怀抱(每天喝大量咖啡)。好了,B&Z还好吧?
唐纳德:唉,你说你要离开的时候我们觉得地球都停止转动了。
史蒂芬妮:噢,怎么样都好啦,我敢说在我走之后你们肯定大肆庆祝呢。
唐纳德:的确,我们还庆祝了一下。开玩笑的啦。说真的,从大体上说,公司运作得蛮顺利的。只不过,雅各布斯先生想开拓新市场。他做了一份新兴产业的清单,正考虑着进军各种各样的新产品呢。
史蒂芬妮:真的吗?那貌似有点走极端。你们考虑的是什么产品呢?
唐纳德:电子、服装、媒体。简直无所不包,没有一个大概的范围,这让我烦恼不已。
史蒂芬妮:为什么?问题出在哪里?
唐纳德:呃,我在这些领域上毫无实践经验,根本不知道该如何开展市场调研、如何制定投资战略方案。我对这些一窍不通。
史蒂芬妮:我能想象得到。我们的化妆品部门才刚刚进入轨道,现在他又把这个重担扔给你。你知道你应该做些什么吗?
唐纳德:噢,快告诉我。
史蒂芬妮:我有一个在咨询公司工作的朋友。他每天都要处理一些像你现在所遇到的问题。你可以给他打个电话。
唐纳德:噢,这太棒了。你就是我的救世主啊,史蒂芬!
Smart Sentences
① I’m addicted to caffeine all over again. 我又彻底投入了咖啡的怀抱(每天喝大量咖啡)。
all over again: sth. starts from the very beginning one more time(某事从头开始)。例如:
My computer crashed and I have to start my paper all over again.
我的电脑死机了,我得重写我的论文。
② Gosh, when you said you were leaving we all thought the earth would stop turning. 唉,你说你要离开的时候我们觉得地球都停止转动了。
the earth would stop turning: normal activities are not carried out because sth. very important happened(发生严重的事件导致正常秩序无法维持)。
例如:
When my father died, everyone thought the earth would stop turning.
我父亲去世的时候,所有人都觉得生活无法继续下去了。
③ I’m sure you guys had a big party after I left. 我敢说在我走之后你们肯定大肆庆祝呢。
have a big party: having a big celebration(大肆庆祝)。例如:
After knowing Mr. Ober, the wicked manager, was demoted, we had a
big party.
在听说邪恶的经理奥伯先生被降职后,我们大肆庆祝。
④ He’s come up with this list of all these emerging markets and is thinking up all sorts of new products for us to hone in on. 他做了一份新兴产业的清单,正考虑着进军各种各样的新产品呢。
hone in on (sth.): focus or concentrate on sth. (把注意力集中在某事,关注某事)。例如:
Now that we have got the machines all fixed, we need to hone in on the quality control.
现在我们把机器都修好了,那就要把注意力转向质量控制上面了。
⑤ There is no set end point, which is getting to me. 简直无所不包,没有一个大概的范围,这让我烦恼不已。
get to sb.: annoy sb.(让某人生气或烦燥,影响情绪)。例如:
Those noises at night have been getting
to me.
晚上的那些噪音让我很烦燥。
⑥ It’s all Dutch to me. 我对这些一窍不通。
it’s all Dutch to sb.: sth. is completely incomprehensible to sb.(某人对某事一窍不通)。例如:
Don’t talk to me about the election; politics are all Dutch to me.
别跟我说什么选举,我对政治一窍不通。
⑦ We were only just getting the cosmetics department off the ground. 我们的化妆品部门才刚刚进入轨道。
off the ground: sth. begins or starts functioning(开始,起作用)。例如:
Starting loans can help small companies get off the ground.
创业贷款可以帮助小企业起步。