Larry 已经开始在一家公司做暑期工作。他正在向李华抱怨工作上的问题。

    今天李华会学到两个常用语：swamped 和to get axed.

    LL： I've only been working there two days and I'm already totally
swamped with work ！ It's unbelievable！

    LH： Larry，你说 swamped with work，是不是说你不知道怎么做这份工作？

    LL： No ， I know how to do the work. It's just that there is too
much of it. To be swamped means to have too much work to do. LH ：噢，
我懂了，swamp 一般是沼泽地的意思，你说swamped with work 就是工作太多，
好象陷进了沼泽地一样，让你觉得喘不过气。那他们到底给你什么样的工作？

    LL： It's all relatively simple stuff like filing ， typing ， copying.
It's just that there are pilesof it and everyone wants it finished right
now. LH ：啊！归档、打字、复印都是很简单的事，可要是办公室每个人都要你
做这些事，每个人都要你马上给他做，这确实难以对付。Larry ，也许你该建议
他们再多雇个人来帮你啊！

    LL： I doubt that. Besides， I don't want them to think I'm lazy.
I guess I just have to accept the fact that I'll be swamped with work
for the rest of the summer. LH：真是的。一个暑假就陷在这些繁琐的工作里，
太没劲了。我只想在暑假里轻松轻松。

    LL： I was hoping to relax a little ， too， but it doesn't look as
though that's going to happen. LH ：不过Larry ，虽然你白天在公司里工作
很忙，可是你晚上回到家可以轻松一下啦，因为你不必像学期当中忙于写作业或
交报告！

    LL： That's true， but I'm so tired by the time I get home from being
swamped all day that I don't have the energy to do anything fun. LH ：
这你就跟我不一样了。我呀，再累也没有关系，只要一听到玩，我就精神百倍了。

    不过，Larry ，我真希望能帮你一点忙。

    LL： Oh ， it's not your fault， Li Hua. I'm sorry for complaining
like this.

    ******

    LH：嗨！Larry ！你的暑期工作现在怎么样了！还是很忙吗？

    LL： It's even worse than ever！ The managementjust axed one of the
other employees and now they're giving me all of his work ！

    LH： Ax 不是斧头吗？你说你公司把那个雇员怎么啦？Axed？不是把他砍了
吧？听起来好吓人的！

    LL： To ax someone is to fire them. The other guy was really unreliable
so management decided to ax him.

    LH：噢，我明白了，to ax someone 就是把某人开除的意思。你真倒霉。公
司把那个不可靠的人开除了，他的工作也就落在你头上。你们公司有没有考虑雇
用新人来接替他的工作？

    LL： I have no idea. In the mean time ， I have so much work that
I'm running around all day long.

    LH：你真可伶，每天忙得晕头转向的。也许你可以问问他们什么时候会雇用
一个新人啊？

    LL： I want to ask， but I'm afraid of getting axed ， too.

    LH：你不过问问而已嘛！他们为什么要开除你呢？

    LL： Well ， I guess they wouldn't fire me， because I've been doing
a good job although I'm swamped with work. I just don't want them to think
that I'm lazy or that I'm complaining.

    LH：我肯定他们不会开除你。他们也不傻，知道你做很多工作，而且还做得
很好。你要不说，他们绝对不会再雇一个人。这样不是省钱嘛！

    LL： I guess you are right. I'm more likely to get axed for messing
up rather than telling them I'm overworked.

    LH：没错。老老实实地告诉他们你太忙，总比你忙不过来，把事情搞砸了要
好。

    LL：Li Hua， you're so smart！