Larry在告诉李华他公司里发生的事。 李华今天会学会两个常用语，trash talking和make waves。
LL: So, Li Hua, yesterday at the office I heard two of my co-workers trash talking my boss.
LH: 什么是trash talking? 难道他们在谈垃圾，垃圾有什么好谈的？
LL: No, it’s not. Trash talking is saying really mean things about someone.
LH: 噢，trash talking就是说别人的坏话。那你的这两位同事为什么要说老板的坏话呢？
LL: I think they were upset because he didn’t like a proposal they submitted. They were saying my boss wasn’t very smart and didn’t make good decisions for the company.
LH: 就因为老板没有接受他们的建议，他们就说他笨，作出的决策对公司不利？他们也太自负了吧！ Larry，那你是怎么看的呢？
LL: I am sure he had his reasons for rejecting their proposal. I have a lot of respect for my boss, and that is why their trash talking him bothers me so much.
LH: 老板拒绝他们的建议总有他的道理。我知道你很尊重你们的老板，所以听见别人在背后说他坏话就感到很讨厌。我那天也听到两个研究生在说一个教授的坏话。我也觉得很讨厌。
LL: Did you do anything about their trash talk?
LH: 我当时就为这位教授辩护。 他们不一定会改变看法，但是我不能听任他们诬蔑这位教授。
LL: Good for you, Li Hua!
LH: 后来别人告诉我那两个人又在背后说我的坏话 – They trash talked me 。
LL: I guess you made them mad by bringing attention to their trash talking. I just don’t have the courage to deal with my two co-workers who talked trash about my boss.
LH: 你没有勇气来对付他们？这有什么呢？你就对他们说， 你们这样说老板的坏话是不对的。
LL: I don’t think it is that easy, Li Hua. After all, I still have to work with these trash talkers.
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LH: 你是不是担心他们会找你的麻烦呀？
LL: It is not so much that I am afraid of them, as it is that I don’t want to make waves at work.
LH: 你不是怕他们，而是不想在工作单位make waves。 Make waves是什么意思？你不想兴风作浪？
LL: No, no. Making waves means to cause a disturbance.
LH: 噢， 你是不想得罪他们，引起纠纷。
LL: I know it would make waves at work. These two co-workers are senior to me, and I know if I talked to them, they’d just cause trouble for me.
LH: 这两个人资历都比你深。你要批评他们，他们就会给你找麻烦，你实际上还是有点怕他们。
LL: You know, I also don’t want to make waves at home, too.
LH: 公司里的事情怎么会牵涉到你的家人，又怎么会给家里制造麻烦呢？
LL: Well, my parents just want me to do well and be successful. It would upset them to know I was having trouble at work.
LH: 我明白了， 你不想让父母担心。 Larry，你不愧是个孝子。 我的一个学生可不像你。他暑假回家的时候， 给家里制造了不少麻烦。
LL: What did he do?
LH: 他在肚脐上穿了一个洞， 带上了一个金属环。他要赶新潮。可把他的父母都快要气疯了。
LL: Well, that certainly is one way to make waves. Li Hua, you don’t seem to be able to make waves.
LH: 那你就不了解我了。几个月前我也跟我的房东闹了一场呢。
LL: Really, Li Hua, you didn’t tell me about this. What happened?
LH: 我公寓里的浴缸漏水了。我跟老板说了好几次他都不理我。 后来我实在忍无可忍，就去他办公室问他为什么不给修，so I made some waves。
LL: It is too bad you had to make some waves to get your landlord to do what he is supposed to do.
LH: 其实我是不喜欢这样做的 – I don’t like to make waves。他要早派人修了不就没事了嘛！
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是trash talking, 意思是说别人的坏话。还有一个是make waves， 意思是制造麻烦或纠纷。