Moving Up in the World 突破工作瓶頸－快樂學習網

Moving Up in the World　突破工作瓶頸(part 1 of 6)

Suzie Brown is executive assistant to Harvey Walker, president of Walker Publications. Her job brings her into frequent contact with Tom Wilson, Harvey's right-hand man.

Conversation 1

(at Suzie's desk)
Tom: Good morning, Suzie. Is Mr. Walker in yet?
Suzie: Hi, Tom. No, he isn't. He called to say he'd be late. I guess that means you're in charge until he gets here. Is there anything I can do for you, "Mr. Wilson"?
Tom: Well, I do have a problem, but I doubt you can be of much help.

蘇西．布朗是沃克出版公司總裁哈維．沃克的機要助理。因著工作的緣故，她經常和哈維的得力助手湯姆．維爾森接觸。

會話一

（在蘇西的辦公桌旁）
湯姆：早安，蘇西。沃克先生來了嗎？
蘇西：嗨，湯姆。還沒。他打過電話說會晚點到。我想，那也就是說，在他到之前，由您當家。我可以為您做什麼呢，維爾森大人？
湯姆：嗯，我現在的確有個狀況，不過恐怕妳是幫不了什麼忙。

⊙　Word Bank
　　right-hand man (n phr)　得力助手；左右手

Moving Up in the World　突破工作瓶頸(part 2 of 6)

Conversation 2

Tom: Did I say something wrong? You don't look very happy.
Suzie: Well, I'm not very happy. What you just said makes me feel useless. And maybe I am. All I do is answer the phone, usher people into Mr. Walker's office, and smile really big. Anyone could do that.
Tom: Now, Suzie. Don't sell yourself short. Listen, you arrange Mr. Walker's schedule. You handle his correspondence. And you have a very nice smile. Nobody else I know can smile the way you do.
Suzie: (smiling) Thank you, Tom.
Tom: That's better.

會話二

湯姆：我說錯話了嗎？妳看起來不怎麼高興。
蘇西：嗯，我是不怎麼高興。你剛才說的話讓我覺得自己很沒用。或許我真的沒什麼用。我做的事就是接電話，把人帶進沃克先生的辦公室，然後露出個大笑臉。誰都能做這些事。
湯姆：嘿，蘇西。別小看妳自己。聽著，妳不但安排沃克先生的行程，還處理他往來的信件，而且妳臉上總是保持微笑。我認識的人，沒有一個擁有妳那種笑容。
蘇西：（微笑）謝謝你，湯姆。
湯姆：這就好多了。

⊙　Word Bank
　　usher (v)　

　引導；招待
　　sell someone/something short (v phr)　低估某人／某事
　　correspondence (n)　

　(官方、商業）信件

Moving Up in the World　突破工作瓶頸(part 3 of 6)

Conversation 3

Suzie: (frowning) But my smile can't hide the fact that I'm in a dead-end job. Think about it. There's nowhere to go from here, no chance for me to get ahead. Sure, I help a very important person live his very important life. But I want a life, too.
Tom: What do you mean? You have a great job and a great life, Suzie.
Suzie: That's easy for you to say. But would you want to do what I'm doing?
Tom: Hmmm. Probably not. Although it would be interesting to read Mr. Walker's correspondence.

會話三

蘇西：（皺眉）可是，我的笑容並不能隱藏我的工作是個「死胡同」的事實。想想看，這個職位無處可升，我根本毫無長進的機會。沒錯，我是在幫一個很重要的人物過他那很重要的生活。但我也要有我自己的生活啊！
湯姆：妳在說些什麼？妳有一份很棒的工作和很棒的生活，蘇西。
蘇西：你說得很容易。但是你會想做我現在做的工作嗎？
湯姆：嗯，大概不會。不過讀沃克先生的信好像還蠻有趣的。

⊙　Word Bank
　　dead-end job (n phr)　沒晉升機會的工作
　　get ahead (v phr)　進步

Moving Up in the World　突破工作瓶頸(part 4 of 6)

Conversation 4

Suzie: It's very uninteresting, believe me. I've seen more than enough of it. Anyhow, I'm tired of drudgery. I want to move up in the world, to spread my wings and fly, to take responsibility. I want to hear people say, "Suzie, we have a problem and we're counting on you to solve it."
Tom: Well, why don't you try seeing your own situation in just that way?
Suzie: Huh?
Tom: Look, your "dead end" feeling is a problem that needs to be solved, right? So spread your wings and fly, Suzie. Solve the problem.

會話四

蘇西：一點也不好玩，相信我。我已經讀夠了那些信。總之，我已經對這些瑣事感到厭倦了。我想要往上爬，張開翅膀飛翔，能負責些事情。我希望聽到別人說：「蘇西，我們現在有個狀況，我們全靠妳來解決了。」
湯姆：嗯，妳為何不從這個角度來看妳現在的情況呢？
蘇西：嗯？
湯姆：瞧，妳現在這個「死胡同」的感受不就是一個有待解決的問題，不是嗎？那麼就張開妳的翅膀飛吧！蘇西。把這個問題解決掉。

⊙　Word Bank
　　drudgery (n)　

　沈悶、辛苦、無趣的工作
　　count on someone/something (v phr)　信賴；憑藉；靠（某人／事）

Moving Up in the World　突破工作瓶頸(part 5 of 6)

Conversation 5

Suzie: You can't be serious, Tom. How am I going to do that?
Tom: You decide, Suzie. You may only be Harvey Walker's assistant here at work, but you're the CEO over your own life. So take the initiative. Make something happen for yourself.
Suzie: You make it sound so easy, Tom. Do you have any ideas that would help?
Tom: Sure. But I think I'll keep them to myself. That way, you'll get the most out of your problem-solving experience. See you around.

會話五

蘇西：你不是當真的吧，湯姆。我要怎麼做呢？
湯姆：蘇西，妳來決定。在這裡，妳或許只是哈維‧沃克的助理，不過妳可是妳自己生命的CEO（總裁）。所以採取主動，讓生活精采起來。
蘇西：湯姆，你把事情說得那麼簡單。你有任何幫得上忙的點子嗎？
湯姆：當然。不過我先不告訴妳。如此，妳才能從這個解決問題的經驗中得到最大的效益。下回見。

⊙　Word Bank
　　CEO [Chief Executive Officer] (n phr)　最高決策者
　　initiative (n)　

　主動的行動
　　See you around. (exp)　回頭見

Moving Up in the World　突破工作瓶頸(part 6 of 6)

Later in the week, Tom stopped by Suzie's desk again.

Conversation 6

Tom: How's it going, Ms. CEO?
Suzie: Great, Tom! I've enrolled in an evening course in business management. I also talked to Mr. Walker. He encouraged me to read his business books and periodicals in my free time. I'm on my way up!
Tom: Wonderful. I'm sure glad to see your smile again. In fact, it's wider than ever. Why?
Suzie: Because now I'm thinking about doing your job. (laughs)

同一個星期過了幾天後，湯姆再次來到蘇西的辦公桌。

會話六

湯姆：進行得怎麼樣，CEO小姐？
蘇西：很好，湯姆。我報名參加了一個夜間的商業管理課程。我也和沃克先生談過。他鼓勵我在空檔的時候，讀他的商業書籍和期刊。我已經開始往上爬了。
湯姆：太棒了。我真的很高興能夠再看到妳的笑容。事實上，妳笑得比以往都開心。為什麼？
蘇西：因為，我已經開始覬覦你的工作了。（大笑）

⊙　Word Bank
　　enroll (v)　