Larry 和李华在一家咖啡店里聊天， Larry在告诉李华的办公室里最近发生
的事。李华今天会学到两个常用语：head honcho 和slam dunk.

    LL： So ， Li Hua ， yesterday the head honcho of the company I work
for came into the office.

    LH：谁到你们的办公室来？公司的head honcho ？ head 是头脑， honcho
是什么呀？

    LL： A Head honcho is the person with the highest position in a company
or organization. I think "honcho" actually comes from a Japanese word
meaning leader.

    LH： Head honcho就是一个公司，或一个机构的最高领导人。Honcho这个词
原来是来自日文，意思是领导人。Honcho听起来是像日文。听起来，你好像挺高
兴看见你们公司的head honcho.

    LL： Yes， indeed. I was very happy to meet the company president.
I had never met the head honcho before.

    LH：你和他从来没有见过面？难怪他来了你们都好像有点受宠若惊一样。那
这位高高在上的主管为什么会突然到你们办公室去呢？

    LL： Well ， some of my co-workers have said that someone in our office
is being considered for a promotion ， but they don't know who. They think
the head honcho came by to see the candidate for himself.

    LH：你的同事说他是来看看他们领导想提拔的那个人，可是提拔谁呢，你们
又不知道。他要提拔的人他还不认识呀？

    LL： You know how head honchos are. He works in the company's main
office across town， and he doesn't always personally meet everyone that
is hired.

    LH：那倒也是，这个head honcho 在公司总部上班，而总部又不在你们大楼
里。说实话，即使是在同一个办公楼里，老板也不一定认识所有的雇员呀。我们
大学的校长我也只是在大会上见过。

    LL： But， Professor Jones is the head honcho of the East Asian Studies
Department， and you know him.

    LH：是啊，东亚研究系的琼斯教授倒是和我很熟。你们公司总裁是不是来看
你的。他们想提拔的就是你吧？

    LL： I don' t know， Li Hua. He did chat with me for a few minutes
about my work. Maybe the head honcho IS thinking about me for the promotion.

    LH：他跟你聊了几分钟有关你工作的事？我看他很可能是想提拔你！Larry ，
你将来也许会成为一个head honcho ！

    ******

    LL： I really don't think the promotion is a slam dunk， Li Hua.

    LH： Slam dunk？ Slam dunk不就是我们在打篮球的时候常说的灌篮吗？

    LL： That' s right. A slam dunk is a shot taken by a basketball player
that can't be missed. The player is usually right by the hoop and is literally
shoving it right in the basket.

    LH：灌篮得分应当是十拿九稳。人就在栏板下面，一伸手就把球灌进去了。
Larry ，我知道公司是否提拔你并不像灌篮那么十拿九稳。可是Larry ，你的确
很出色呀！

    LL： The company president DID talk to several other people in the
office， so I have to say it is too early to think of the promotion as
a slam dunk.

    LH：我看也是，我们不要过于乐观，毕竟跟公司总裁谈话的不止你一个人。
不过，什么时候才知道the head honcho 看中的到底是谁呢？

    LL： I don't think I will know. Say ， what about you ， Li Hua ？
I remember you applied for a fellowship for next year. I'd say for you
that is a slam dunk ！

    LH：我是申请了奖学金，可是现在还没有消息呢。对我来说，这也不是十拿
九稳的， I don't think it is a slam dunk.

    LL： How could it not be a slam dunk？ You are honestly one of the
hardest working students I know. I can't imagine any one else getting
the fellowship.

    LH： Thanks ， Larry. 我是很努力，可是用功的学生很多呀。不过听到你
这么赞扬我，我还是很高兴。

    LL： Well ， let's talk about something that is a slam dunk ！

    LH：什么事情是slam dunk ，一定会发生呢？

    LL： I'd say it is a slam dunk that after we finish our coffee， you
are going to go home and study.

    LH：喝完了咖啡，我就要回家去做作业了。这是肯定的，That is a real slam
dunk， Larry.

    今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是head honcho ，意思是公司或组织的最
高主管。还有一个是slam dunk ，指的是很有把握，肯定会发生的事情。