【Speak English Like An American】Lesson 23

Bob Has a Surprise Visitor

Bob’s former boss Peter, from the furniture store, comes to visit. He offers Bob his old job back, but Bob’s not interested.

Peter: Hi Bob. I was just in the neighborhood so I thought I’d stop by.

Bob: Come on in. Take a cookie.

Peter: Thanks. I’m glad to see you’re not holding a grudge against me for firing you.

Bob: Not at all. At first, it burned me up. But I feel better now.

Peter: Good. I’m glad you have no hard feelings. How would you like your old job back?

Bob: What happened to your wonderful new manager?

Peter: She drank at work. By five o’clock，she’d be lying under a dining room table, three sheets to the wind. Yesterday, I finally got rid of her.

Bob: Let me get this straight. You replaced me with some crazy woman who got plastered every day on the job?

Peter: Yeah, I lost my head.

Bob: I don’t think you lost your head. I just think you’ve got rocks in your head!

Peter: Bob, I’m trying to level with you. I never should’ve let you go.

Bob: No use crying over spilt milk.

Peter: So you’ll come back and work for me?

Bob: Not on your life! Susan and I are very well off now. We just sold our new company for a small fortune!

Idioms

at first— see Lesson 16 最初

(to) burn someone up- to make someone angry 令某人生气

EXAMPLE1: Jenny didn’t vote for Nicole. That really burns Nicole up.

EXAMPLE2: I can’t believe Kristen and Andrew didn’t invite us to their wedding. That really burns me up!

come on in– enter 进来吧

EXAMPLE1: Come on in, the door’s open!

Example2: If nobody answers the door when you ring tonight, just come on in.

NOTE:This is a more conversational way of saying “come in.”

(to) get plastered [slang] - to get drunk 醉醺醺

EXAMPLE1: Harold got plastered at the wedding and fell into the wed-ding cake.

EXAMPLE2: That’s your fifth martini. What are you trying to do, get plastered?

SYNONYMS:to get loaded [slang]; to get sloshed [slang]

(to) get rid of- to free oneself of; to throw out 赶走

EXAMPLE1: We finally got rid of our spider problem, but now we have ants.

Example2: I've got too many old magazines and newspapers in my office. I need to getrid of some of them.

(to) get (something) straight- to clarify; to understand 弄明白

EXAMPLE1: Are you sure you got the directions straight?

EXAMPLE2: Let me get this straight — you’re leaving your husband?

(to) hold a grudge against(someone) - to stay angry with someone about a past offense 怀恨在心

EXAMPLE1: Nicole holds a grudge against Jenny for voting for Andrea instead of her.

EXAMPLE2: Julia held a grudge against her boyfriend for not bringing her flowers on Valentine’s Day.

(to) let (someone) go- to fire; dismiss employees开除

EXAMPLE1: The investment bank let Chris go after they discovering he was stealing erasers, paper clips, and other office supplies.

EXAMPLE2: The Xerxes Corporation was doing so poorly, they had to let many workers goearlier this year.

(to) level with (someone)— to speak openly and honestly with someone 以诚相待

EXAMPLE1: Let me level with you. I’m voting for Andrea instead of you. EXAMPLE 2: Ihave a feeling you’re not telling me the whole truth. Please just level with me.

(to) lose one’s head- to lose control of one’s behavior; to not know what one is doing 冲昏头脑

EXAMPLE1: Nicole lost her head after losing the elections and started yelling at all her friends.

Example2: Remember to stay calm before the judge. Don’t get nervous and lose yourhead!

no hard feelings- no anger; no bitterness 无恶意

Example1: After the elections, Andrea said to Nicole, “I hope there are no hard feelings.”

EXAMPLE2: I know you were disappointed that I beat you in the golf tournament, but I hope there are no hard feelings.

no use crying over spilt milk- there’s no point in regretting something that’s too late to change 覆水难收

EXAMPLE1: Nicole realized she’d made some mistakes with her campaign for president,but there was no use crying over spilt milk.

EXAMPLE2: Your bike was ruined in an accident? There’s no use crying over spilt milk. You’ll just have to buy a new one.

Not on your life!~ definitely not 一点儿也不，绝对不行

EXAMPLE1: You want me to sit in that sauna for an hour? Not on your life! EXAMPLE 2:Thanks for offering me a job in Siberia. Am I going to take it? Not on your life!

on the job— at work 在工作，在忙着

EXAMPLE1: Jennifer has four men on the job painting her house.

EXAMPLE2: Dan got fired for drinking on the job.

small fortune- a good amount of money 大量的钱

EXAMPLE1: When her great aunt died, Anne inherited a small fortune. EXAMPLE 2: You won $25,000 in the lottery? That’s a small fortune!

(to) stop by- to pay a quick visit 顺便访问

EXAMPLE1: I’m having some friends over for pizza tomorrow night. Why don’t you stop by?

EXAMPLE2: Stop by my office on your way home tonight.

three sheets to the wind– drunk 喝醉

Example1: After drinking four beers, Bob was three sheets to the wind. Example 2: Somebody needs to make sure Greg gets home safely. He’s three sheets to the wind.

SYNONYMS: wasted [slang]; liquored up [slang]; dead drunk

well off— wealthy; financially secure 富裕

EXAMPLE1: Betsy’s grandfather used to be very well off, but he lost most of his fortune when the U.S. stock market crashed in 1929.

Example2: Debbie is a doctor and her husband is a lawyer. They’re quite well off.

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