當上海來敲門

21世紀什么最重要？人才！金融海嘯刮倒了一片金融機構，也刮散了一批精英骨干。但是人才無論何時何地都是受歡迎的，中國金融中心上海就深諳這一道理。這不，上海金融機構為求精英，風風火火地向著倫敦和華爾街招聘來了。

Stephanie: What have you got there?

Colin: It’s an application form for a job in China. Haven’t you heard? There are a whole heap of recruiters coming to ①scope out the place to 1)poach any interested employees and offer them jobs in Shanghai.

Stephanie: No， I haven’t heard anything about it. ②You’re thinking of jumping ship?

Colin: Yeah， I’d be crazy not to. Times are tough at the moment. And I have nothing holding me here. Besides， I’ve always wanted to travel. This will be a great opportunity for me. What’s wrong?

Stephanie: I’m just a little surprised to hear that， Colin. I mean， just last week you were talking about your plans with this company in the future. ③I thought you were in it for the long haul. ④This really came out of left field.

Colin: Look around， Steph. Everyday more and more companies are pushed into 2)bankruptcy and 3)buyouts. It’s only a matter of time before they have to make changes around here. ⑤I think our days might be numbered.

Stephanie: ⑥I don’t buy into that. We weren’t hit too hard by the financial crisis and we have taken adequate measures to stand strong over the coming year. I honestly have faith in the company and my position here.

Colin: Well， speak for yourself. ⑦But I’m getting off this sinking ship. I don’t want to be so pessimistic about it; I’m just trying to be realistic. And these jobs in China look really attractive. There are hundreds of vacancies for foreign talents.

Stephanie: What sorts of positions are available?

Colin: Seems like ⑧the sky’s the limit. Risk management and control， asset management， product research and development， macroeconomics， policy analysis. ⑨The list goes on.

Stephanie: Good luck with it then. I hope it all goes well for you.

Colin: I’ll let you know.

史蒂芬妮：你拿的是什么東西？

科林：是一份去中國工作的職位申請表。你沒聽說嗎？最近有大批招聘團來這里打探情況，給有興趣的人提供了在上海工作的機會。

史蒂芬妮：不，我一點風聲都沒聽到。你想跳槽？

科林：對。我瘋了才不想跳槽。現在世道不好，我在這里也沒什么牽掛。再說，我一直都想旅游來著。這對我來說是一個很好的機會。有什么問題嗎？

史蒂芬妮：我只是聽到這個消息有些意外而已，科林。我是說，上個星期你才大談特談你在公司的未來計劃。我以為你會在這兒呆很久呢。所以這個消息真的出乎我意料。

科林：看看周圍環境，史蒂芬。每一天都有越來越多的公司倒閉或被兼并。這里無論如何需要一番變革的了，只是時間問題而已。我覺得我們公司的好日子也不長了。

史蒂芬妮：我不相信。我們受金融危機的沖擊并不大，再說我們也為即將到來的一年準備好了充足的應對措施。我對這間公司和我的工作還是很有信心的。

科林：呃，你自己判斷吧。但我就不再趟這渾水了。我也不想把它看得這么悲觀，我只是想現實點。再說那些在中國的工作看起來真的挺吸引人的。它給外國高級人才提供了成百上千的工作

機會。

史蒂芬妮：它都提供了哪種類型的工作職位？

科林：基本上什么都有。風險管理與控制、資產管理、產品研究和發展、宏觀經濟學研究和政策分析等等。還有好多別的。

史蒂芬妮：那么就祝你好運啦。我希望你一切都順利。

科林：有結果我會告訴你的。

Smart Sentences

① scope out 打探

scope out: check out（打探）。例如：

I’m going to scope out who will be my boss after Mr. Johnson leaves next month.

我要去打探一下下個月約翰森先生走后誰會是我的老板。

②You’re thinking of jumping ship? 你想跳槽？

jump ship: to quit a job， usually to start a job somewhere else（跳槽）。例如：

You need to be very careful before jumping ship at this difficult time.

在這種艱難時期，想跳槽真的要想清楚啊。

③ I thought you were in it for the long haul. 我以為你會在這兒呆很久呢。

long haul: a long period of time（長期）。例如：

Over the long haul the company’s marketing performed well.

從長期看，公司的營銷做得不錯。

④ This really came out of left field. 這個消息真的出乎我意料。

come out of/to be out in left field: unusual， strange in some way（不同尋常，怪誕的）。例如：

The question came out of left field， but Mary handled it well.

這個問題很怪，但瑪麗還是處理得很好。

⑤ I think our days might be numbered. 我覺得我們公司的好日子也不長了。

days are numbered: sth./sb. will not survive or be successful for much longer（日子不長）。例如：

Our printer has broken down quite frequently in the past months. Its days are probably numbered.

我們那臺打印機過去幾個月里常常出狀況，估計也捱不了多久。

⑥ I don’t buy into that. 我不相信。

buy into sth.: believe or accept an idea or a theory（相信）。

例如：

John bought into the logics that more efficient computers are causing layoffs.

約翰相信了高效率電腦會導致裁員的邏輯。

⑦ But I’m getting off this sinking ship. 但我就不再趟這渾水了。

get off: leave a place（離開）。例如：

I’m getting off work soon.

我很快就下班了。

sinking ship: sth. that is failing， usually a business or company（正在走下坡路的機構，多指企業）。例如：

Don’t invest in ComTech; it’s a sinking ship.

不要投資ComTech，他們已經不行了。

⑧ The sky’s the limit. 基本上什么都有。

The sky is the limit.: nothing to prevent sb. or sth. from becoming successful（沒有限制，一切都有可能）。例如：

Joe believes that the sky is the limit if you work hard enough.

喬相信如果一個人努力工作的話，成功是沒有止境的。

⑨ The list goes on. 還有好多別的。

The list goes on.: there is a lot more to be included（內容還有很多）。例如：

There are a lot of common first names for girls: Mary， Jane， Jennie， Nancy， Elaine， Maria…The list goes on.

適合女孩子的名字很多，有瑪麗、簡、簡妮、南希、伊蓮、瑪麗亞等等。