大洋彼岸的開始

結束了在中國3年工作的Stephanie回到了美國，開始了新的職場生涯?；蛟S是對于中國的回憶仍縈繞心頭，或許紐約的變化太日新月異，入職新公司的Stephanie竟無法立刻適應紐約的生活。

Mr. Jacobs: Welcome， Stephanie. Come in. So， does it feel strange being back in the States?

Stephanie: Yeah， I can tell it’s going to take some time to adjust. I’ve been away for almost three years. Plus living in a city like New York is completely overwhelming.

Mr. Jacobs: Have you found a place to live yet?

Stephanie: ①I’m staying with a friend until I find my feet. I’ve barely had time to scratch my head.

Mr. Jacobs: Well， get used to it. We do things at a fast pace over here. ②Hope you are prepared to put in the hard yards.

Stephanie: I’ll do whatever it takes.

Mr. Jacobs: Now， ③I just want to run over the terms of your contract quickly. So， you’ll be here for at least a year under the training program， after that we’ll see about expanding your career and taking it up to the next level. You understand this could mean another relocation?

Stephanie: Yes， I’m fully aware.

Mr. Jacobs: Now， ④you may be fresh meat here but ⑤don’t let them treat you like a small fry; ⑥stand your ground. Looking at your C.V.， I can see you are fluent in four languages and have worked extensively in sales， marketing and quality control. I think you could teach everyone here a thing or two.

Stephanie: Thanks for the high praise; you’ve really put the pressure on me now. I really hope to get to know everyone not only on a professional level but also on a personal level. Obviously， the training I have received in China is very different to the way things run over here， so ⑦I really hope everyone can point me in the right direction.

Mr. Jacobs: It will be our pleasure， Stephanie. Now， let’s get you set up in your new office.

雅各布斯：歡迎，斯蒂芬妮。請進。怎樣，回到美國的感覺奇怪嗎？

斯蒂芬妮：是啊。我敢說我得花一段時間才能適應。我離開這里差不多3年了，而且住在紐約這樣的大城市對我來說壓力挺

大的。

雅各布斯：你找到落腳的地方沒？

斯蒂芬妮：在適應新環境之前我會住在一個朋友那兒。我現在還沒時間煩惱這些事情呢。

雅各布斯：嗯，要趕緊習慣。這里的生活節奏很快。我希望你做好了努力工作的準備。

斯蒂芬妮：不管怎樣，我都會做

好的。

雅各布斯：現在，我想把你的合同條款快速地過一遍。那么，你在這里的培訓項目要持續至少一年的時間，這之后我們會考慮拓展你的工作范圍，進入下一個階段。這可能意味著另一個異地委派，你清楚嗎？

斯蒂芬妮：是的，我很清楚。

雅各布斯：好，你在這兒可能還算新丁，不過別讓他們小看你，要保持自己的立場。我看了你的簡歷，你熟練掌握4門語言，曾在銷售、市場和質量控制等領域工作過。我相信你一定可以給這里的員工指點一二。

斯蒂芬妮：謝謝您這么高的評價。您現在倒讓我有壓力了。我真的希望能跟這里的員工熟絡起來，不止能成為職場的伙伴，還能做生活中的朋友。顯然，我在中國受的培訓跟這兒的相當不同，所以我很希望大家能給我指一個正確的方向。

雅各布斯：我們很樂意，斯蒂芬妮?，F在，你先去布置你的新辦公室吧。

Smart Sentences

① I’m staying with a friend until I find my feet. 在適應新環境之前我會住在一個朋友那兒。

find one’s feet: start to feel comfortable in a new situation or environment（適應新環境）。例如：

Once he had found his feet he was able to deal with any problem.

他一旦適應了新環境，就能夠應對任何困難。

② Hope you are prepared to put in the hard yards. 我希望你做好了努力工作的準備。

put in the hard yards: work very， very hard（異常努力，付出很多）。例如：

I really put in the hard yards before I earned my place in

the team.

我可是付出了不少努力才在這個團隊中贏得我自己的位置。

③ I just want to run over the terms of your contract quickly. 我想把你的合同條款快速地過一遍。

run over: to read or review quickly（匆匆過一遍）。例如：

You better run over the speech before the meeting.

你最好在會議開始前把演講過一次。

④ You may be fresh meat here. 你在這兒可能還算

新丁。

fresh meat: new comer(s)（新來者，新人）。例如：

Usually， fresh meat is the target of practical jokes.

新人通常是惡作劇捉弄的對象。

⑤ Don’t let them treat you like a small fry. 別讓他們小看你。

small fry: sb. or sth. that is considered to be unimportant（微不足道，可有可無的人或事），同義詞：lesser fry， young fry。例如：

Pay attention to those interns. They are no small fry.

注意那些實習生，可不要小看他們。

⑥ Stand your ground. 要保持自己的立場。

stand (sb.’s) ground: do not run away from a situation， but face it bravely（勇敢面對，不退縮）。例如：

You can always expect John to stand his ground when a situation gets tough.

每當情勢變得艱難時，你總能指望約翰毫不退縮。

⑦ I really hope everyone can point me in the right direction. 我很希望大家能給我指一個正確的方向。

point sb. in the right direction: show sb. the correct way to do things（指明正確方向）。例如：

Why don’t you have a meeting with them. These kids need someone to point them in the right direction amid all the confusion.

要不你跟他們開個會吧，這么亂的形勢，這班小子得有人點撥點撥了。