manager: sure, come in. what can i do for you?
经理：当然可以，请进。有什么事吗？
king: well, sir, as you know, i have been an employee of this prestigious company for more than eight years.
金：先生，您知道的，我在这家很有声望的公司已经工作8年多了。
manager: yes, so you want…
经理：是的，那么你想……
king: i won't beat around the bush. i would like to ask you for a raise. at present i have two companies after me and so i think it's better to talk to you first.
金：我就不拐弯抹角了，我想要加薪。现在有两家公司想让我去，但是我想还是先和你谈谈比较好。
manager: a raise? i'd like to give you a raise, but this is just not the very time.
经理：加薪？我会给你加薪的，但这个时候不太合适。
king: i understand the position you are in, and i know that our company's benefits now are not very favorable, but you must take into consideration my hard work and loyalty to this firm for nearly a decade.
金：我理解你的处境，我也知道我们公司目前的效益不是很乐观，但是你必须考虑我的努力工作和对公司将近10年的忠心耿耿。
manager: given these factors and i don't want to start a brain drain, i'm willing to give you a ten percent raise. how about that?
经理：考虑到这些因素，而且我也不想让人才流失，我愿意给你加薪10%。怎么样？
king: great! it's a deal! thank you!
金：太好了！就这么说定了，谢谢你。
notes
1. prestigious [pres'tid?i?s] adj. 享有声望的，声望很高的
2. beat around the bush 拐弯抹角
3. be after 寻求，寻找；追求
4. loyalty ['l?i?lti] n. 忠诚，忠心，忠贞
5. given [giv?n] adj. 特定的；假设的；有……倾向的；prep. 考虑到，如果
6. brain drain 人才外流
小贴士
升职加薪二选一，你会选择哪个？
according to a newly published survey, some staff in british cash-strapped companies are being given bigger job titles rather than higher salaries to keep employees happy. for examples, businesses seeking “stock replenishment executives” were actually looking for shelf stackers and a window cleaner given the impressive designation of “optical illuminator enhancer.” at a time of economic uncertainty, some companies are using the fancy titles as an incentive to retain staff rather than pay them more. the staff view a grander title as recognition of their contribution to the organization and feel more committed for that. therefore, “up-titling” seems to have won converts.
根据最新公布的调查结果，一些资金匮乏的英国公司正在给他们的员工更大的头衔而不是更多的薪水。比如招募“库存补给主管”的公司实际上是在招货物堆码工，以及授予窗户清洁工“光照加强员”这一令人印象深刻的称谓。在目前经济形势难以预料的状况下，很多公司正在以稀奇古怪的头衔作为奖励，而不是付给他们更多的钱来挽留员工。员工们把更大的头衔看作是对自己为集体所作贡献的肯定，并因此变得更有责任感。因此，“拔高头衔”看起来颇得人心。
辞职，新的开始
dialogue
jane has decided to quit her job in the company. and now she is in the manager's offic.
简决定辞去公司的职位，现在她正在经理办公室。
jane: excuse me, sir. i want to resign from my design director. here is my resignation letter.
简：打扰了，先生。我想辞去设计总监一职，这是我的辞职信。
manager: can you tell me why you want to quit your job?
经理：能告诉我你为什么要辞职吗？
jane: i'm sorry to bring up my resignation at this moment, but i don't want to be stuck in a rut. i want to move on and meet big challenges.
简：很抱歉在这个时候提出辞职，但是我不想止步不前。我希望能往前迈进，去迎接更大的挑战。
manager: do you have any plans in mind?
经理：你有什么打算吗？
jane: to be honest, i want to try something different. after a short adjustment, i would like to find another job in a new environment.
简：老实说，我想尝试一些不一样的东西。短暂的休整后，我想在一个新环境里找一份工作。
manager: ok. i won't ask you to stay anymore. good luck for you!
经理：好吧，那我就不再留你了。祝你好运！
jane: thank you. i'd like to say that i've really enjoyed working with you.
简：谢谢。真的很高兴与您共事。
manager: i am glad to work with you, too. welcome back anytime.
经理：我也是。欢迎你随时回来。
notes
1. design director 设计总监
2. bring up 养育，教养；提出；呕吐
3. be stuck in a rut 停滞不前
小贴士
steve jobs has resigned from apple's ceo on august 24th, 2011. here is his resignation letter.
to the apple board of directors and the apple community:
i have always said if there ever came a day when i could no longer meet my duties and expectations as apple's ceo, i would be the first to let you know.
unfortunately, that day has come.
i hereby resign as ceo of apple. i would like to serve, if the board sees fit, as chairman of the board, director and apple employee.
as far as my successor goes, i strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name tim cook as ceo of apple.
i believe apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. and i look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
i have made some of the best friends of my life at apple, and i thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
steve jobs
约翰·乔布斯于2011年8月24日辞去苹果公司首席执行官职务。以下是他的辞职信。
致苹果董事会和苹果团体：
我总是说，如果有一天我不再能够胜任，无法满足你们对我作为苹果首席执行官的期待，我会第一时间让你们知道。非常不幸的是，这一天已经来临。
我借此辞去苹果首席执行官一职，但是，如果董事会认为合适，我愿意担任董事会主席、董事以及苹果员工继续服务。
就我的继任者而言，我强烈建议公司按照我们的继任计划进行，任命蒂姆·库克为苹果新任首席执行官。
我相信，苹果最光明、最创新的时代就在眼前。我也希望能够看到这一切，并在新的角色上继续为苹果的成功贡献一份力量。
在苹果，我结交了一些最好的朋友，感谢你们所有人，感谢你们多年来能和我一起工作。
乔布斯
工作失职被解雇
dialogue
recently joe has little interest in his job. his boss is very dissatisfied with him and sacks him that afternoon.
最近乔工作总是心不在焉的，老板对他很不满，因此在下午解雇了他。
boss: come in, please!
老板：请进。
joe: you want to tell me something?
乔：您找我有事？
boss: yes, sit down please. i'd like to talk with you.
老板：是的，请坐。我想和你谈谈。
joe: thank you sir! i am glad to hear your guidance.
乔：谢谢，先生。我很乐意听从您的指导。
boss: you don't do well with your job lately. i know that you have a habit of sleeping during working time, don't you?
老板：你最近工作表现不是很好。我了解到你有上班睡觉的习惯，是吗？
joe: of course that isn't a habit! i just doze off once in a while. i promise i won't doze any more.
乔：那当然不是习惯，我只是偶尔打盹。我保证以后不会了。
boss: then what about your slapdash work? first you make a big mistake in statistical data, then the report.
老板：那么关于你工作马虎呢？你先是统计数据出错，然后是工作报表。
joe: sorry, i don't know what's got into myself recently. i should not have made lots of mistakes.
乔：对不起，我也不知道我最近是怎么回事，真不该犯那么多错。
boss: i am sorry to inform you that you are fired!
老板：很遗憾地告诉你你被解雇了。
joe: i feel so sorry. please give me another chance! i promise i won't let you down.
乔：真的很对不起，请再给我一次机会。我保证不会让您失望。
boss: still sorry here.
老板：我无能为力。
notes
1. doze off 打盹儿
2. slapdash ['sl?p'd??] adj. 草率的，马虎的；adv. 鲁莽地；仓促地
3. should [?ud] aux. 竟然会；应该
小贴士
pink slip
公司裁员的时候，如果谁收到了pink slip（字面意思是：粉红色的纸条），那他最好赶快收拾东西，另谋出路。pink slip就是“解雇通知书”的意思。pink slip最早出现于20世纪初，指的是“员工周薪信封里夹着的粉红色小纸条”，收到 pink slip 的员工随即将被解聘。那么解雇通知书为什么要用粉红色呢？有解释说，粉红色相对而言比较柔和，似乎可以慰藉被裁员工的“受伤心灵”。与fire（开除）有所不同，收到pink slip往往是由于公司财务不佳，不得不裁员。而fire多半是由于员工不称职或犯了错而被“炒鱿鱼”。和解雇有关的地道短语有sack somebody（解雇某人）和to get the sack（被解雇）。另外，介乎pink slip和fire之间的是lay off（暂停雇用）。我们在日常生活中，i am pink slipped.（我被公司裁掉了）这句话还是不说为妙，我们宁可告诉别人：i dismiss my boss.（我炒了老板鱿鱼。）