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。
