VOA流行美語 Unit 52: TO BE CANNED / TO KISS&
VOA流行美語 Unit 52: TO BE CANNED / TO KISS UP TO
to be canned
to kiss up to
今天Michael和李華下了班以後就去逛街。他們邊走邊聊，李華會學到兩個常用語：to be canned和to kiss up to。
M: Man, it was crazy at work.today!
L: 真的？你們辦公室今天發生什麼事啦？
M: My friend George was late again, so the boss canned him!
L: 你的朋友George今天上班遲到，你們老闆對他怎麼了？對他大喊大叫嗎？
M: No, it's much worse than that. The boss canned him. In other words, the boss fired him!
L: 什麼？你是說George被解僱了。所以To be canned就是被解僱的意思啊？
M: Yeah, here, "canned" is the past form of "to can," which means "to put something in a can," or slang for "to throw something in the trash can".
L: 噢，這裏canned就是把什麼東西扔到垃圾桶。可這跟解僱人有什麼關係呢？
M: Hehheh, when your boss "cans" you, he's getting rid of you. It is like he is throwing you in the trash can.
L: 原來這是一種比喻啊。不過這種說法聽起來挺嚇人的。Michael, 你覺得George應該被解僱 嗎？
M: To tell the truth, George was not a very good employee. If I were the boss, I would have canned him too.
L： 哎呀，Michael，你這麼說你的朋友未免太過份了吧！George又沒做壞事，爲什麼要解僱他 啊？
M: Well, George was often very late to work. This month, he came in late a least four times. The boss warned George many times before he finally canned him.
L: 看來你一點也不同情George。要是我的朋友碰上這種倒黴事，我至少也會替他難過啊。
M: Hmph. When George was late, it caused me and the other employees a lot of trouble. No one is really sad that he was canned.
L: 也許你說得沒錯。如果每個人都象George這樣老遲到，那會給其他人造成多大的麻煩啊。
M: Well, you are right and wrong. Because George was canned, we all have a lot more work to do right now.
L: 對，希望你們公司會趕快僱一個人來接替George的工作。
M: I'm sure they will.
音樂間隙
L： 哎，Michael，你有沒有擔心過自己有一天會被老闆解僱呢？
M: Me? Not at all. I'm a good worker, and I kiss up to the boss all the time.
L: 你說你工作表現很好，而且你還經常親你的老闆。哎呀，Michael, 你好惡心哦，你的老闆 不是男的嗎？
M: No no no...I said I "kiss up to" my boss. To "kiss up to" someone is to try to be extra friendly to someone so they will treat you well.
L: 那你到底是怎麼樣"kiss up to"你的boss呢？
M: Well, when I want to "kiss up to" the boss, I might bring him coffee, or help him clean the office. I also try to say nice things about him and his family, or tell him he just looks really cool.
L: 噢，現在我懂了。你不用說的那麼好聽，"kiss up to"無非就是拍什麼人的馬屁嘛。哎呀， 真沒想到，你還是個馬屁精啊。你不怕同事看不起你啊？
M: No, not at all. All of the employees kiss up to my boss. Actually, there's nothing wrong with that, because our boss is a really nice guy.
L: 如果你的老闆真象你說的那麼好，或許討好他也沒什麼錯。
M: I Guess kissing up to someone can be useful, but not so that everyone hates you.
L: 你說的沒錯，拍馬屁有時候是挺管用的，不過要是搞得人人都討厭你，那就太不值得了。
M: Don't worry about me. I don't want the boss to do anything for me, I just don't want to be canned.
L: 其實我才應該向你學幾招，去討好討好我的老闆，也讓他對我另眼相看。
今天李華學會了兩個常用語：to be canned和to kiss up be canned在這裏就是被解僱的意思，kiss up to是討好某人，拍馬屁的意思。
