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.

    ******

    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。