Larry和李华在一家咖啡店里聊天， Larry在告诉李华的办公室里最近发生的事。李华今天会学到两个常用语：head honcho和slam dunk。
LL: So, Li Hua， yesterday the head honcho of the company I work for came into the office.
LH: 谁到你们的办公室来？公司的head honcho？ head是头脑， honcho是什么呀？
LL: A Head honcho is the person with the highest position in a company or organization. I think “honcho” actually comes from a Japanese word meaning leader.
LH: Head honcho就是一个公司，或一个机构的最高领导人。Honcho这个词原来是来自日文， 意思是领导人。Honcho听起来是像日文。听起来，你好像挺高兴看见你们公司的head honcho。
LL: Yes, indeed. I was very happy to meet the company president. I had never met the head honcho before.
LH: 你和他从来没有见过面？ 难怪他来了你们都好像有点受宠若惊一样。那这位高高在上的主管为什么会突然到你们办公室去呢？
LL: Well, some of my co-workers have said that someone in our office is being considered for a promotion, but they don’t know who. They think the head honcho came by to see the candidate for himself.
LH: 你的同事说他是来看看他们领导想提拔的那个人，可是提拔谁呢，你们又不知道。他要提拔的人他还不认识呀？
LL: You know how head honchos are. He works in the company’s main office across town, and he doesn’t always personally meet everyone that is hired.
LH: 那倒也是，这个head honcho在公司总部上班，而总部又不在你们大楼里。说实话， 即使是在同一个办公楼里，老板也不一定认识所有的雇员呀。我们大学的校长我也只是在大会上见过。
LL: But, Professor Jones is the head honcho of the East Asian Studies Department, and you know him.
LH: 是啊， 东亚研究系的琼斯教授倒是和我很熟。 你们公司总裁是不是来看你的。他们想提拔的就是你吧？
LL: I don’ t know, Li Hua. He did chat with me for a few minutes about my work. Maybe the head honcho IS thinking about me for the promotion.
LH: 他跟你聊了几分钟有关你工作的事？我看他很可能是想提拔你！Larry，你将来也许会成为一个head honcho!
LL: I really don’t think the promotion is a slam dunk, Li Hua.
LH: Slam dunk? Slam dunk不就是我们在打篮球的时候常说的灌篮吗？
LL: That’ s right. A slam dunk is a shot taken by a basketball player that can’t be missed. The player is usually right by the hoop and is literally shoving it right in the basket.
LH: 灌篮得分应当是十拿九稳。 人就在栏板下面， 一伸手就把球灌进去了。Larry，我知道公司是否提拔你并不像灌篮那么十拿九稳。可是Larry，你的确很出色呀！
LL: The company president DID talk to several other people in the office, so I have to say it is too early to think of the promotion as a slam dunk.
LH: 我看也是，我们不要过于乐观， 毕竟跟公司总裁谈话的不止你一个人。不过，什么时候才知道the head honcho看中的到底是谁呢？
LL: I don’t think I will know. Say, what about you, Li Hua? I remember you applied for a fellowship for next year. I’d say for you that is a slam dunk!
LH: 我是申请了奖学金， 可是现在还没有消息呢。 对我来说， 这也不是十拿九稳的， I don’t think it is a slam dunk.
LL: How could it not be a slam dunk? You are honestly one of the hardest working students I know. I can’t imagine any one else getting the fellowship.
LH: Thanks, Larry。 我是很努力， 可是用功的学生很多呀。 不过听到你这么赞扬我， 我还是很高兴。
LL: Well, let’s talk about something that is a slam dunk!
LH: 什么事情是slam dunk，一定会发生呢？
LL: I’d say it is a slam dunk that after we finish our coffee, you are going to go home and study.
LH: 喝完了咖啡，我就要回家去做作业了。这是肯定的，That is a real slam dunk, Larry.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是head honcho，意思是公司或组织的最高主管。还有一个是slam dunk，指的是很有把握，肯定会发生的事情。