【商業英語】職場常用的俚語
不久以前,曾經培訓一些行政及管理層人員
有關商業英語的應用。其實,他們的英語水平已有一定程度。既然已能說得一口流利英語,為甚麼還要花時間再去學英語?在我的經驗看來,愈是英語好的人士,愈覺得自己的英語不夠好,關鍵在於他們還應學些甚麼來精益求精,以及採用甚麼方法更有效地去教導他們。
假如英語程度已達到某一個水平,不妨開始去探索一些能體現西方文化內涵的具體東西,如成語、俚語(slang)等。適當地使用俚語,不但能把你的口語變得更地道及自然,如能在與外國客戶交談中正確地運用一些俚語,還會使人眼前一亮。但是大家切勿濫用俚語,否則有反效果,給人家過分造作的印象。
以下是一些職場上常用俚語,希望大家能好好掌握運用。
1. Ace (adj.) – excellent (優秀的)
e.g. He’s an ace employee in our company.
2. Chicken (n.) – a coward (膽小鬼、懦夫)
e.g. You dare not talk to the boss. You’re really a chicken!
3. Cool (adj.) – fashionable or attractive (時髦的;吸引人的;酷的)
e.g. Your new iphone looks really cool!
4. Shot (n.) – try (嘗試)
e.g. Do you want another shot at making your own PowerPoint presentation?
5. Grand (n.) – a thousand dollars (一千元)
e.g. Give me two grand and I’ll give you my mini iPad.
6. Guts (n.) – courage (勇氣、膽量)
e.g. Do you have the guts to try bungee jumping?
7. Fishy (adj.) – seeming dishonest or false (可疑的;虛假的)
e.g. The whole deal sounds fishy.
8. You know what?/ Know what? – said before giving an opinion or a piece of information
([用於告知意見或資訊之前]要我告訴你嗎?/你聽說了嗎?)
e.g.You know what? Bill and Jane have an affair!
9. Suck – if something sucks, it’s bad or unpleasant (糟糕,差勁;令人厭惡)
e.g. Staying until 10pm every day at work really sucks!
10. Deep pockets - If a person has deep pockets, they have a lot of money (財力雄厚)
e.g. I don't wanna buy it. It's for people with deep pockets.
11. Dump – to suddenly end a romantic relationship with someone (拋棄(戀人))
e.g. When you dump Joan, don’t forget to tell me.
Fruit & Vegetables
1. Go bananas – to become extremely angry or excited (勃然大怒的,極度興奮激動的)
e.g. The boss will go bananas if she hears the news.
2. Top banana – the best (最優秀的)
e.g. Mavis is simply the top banana in our department.
3. Bowl of cherries – pleasant (一切都完美無缺)
e.g. Work is not always a bowl of cherries, isn't it?
4. Hear through the grapevine (聽小道消息)
– to hear news from someone who heard the news from someone else
e.g. I heard through the grapevine that you are going to another company.
Colour
1. In the red – owing the bank money (負債)
e.g. My bank account is $20,000 in the red.
2. Green (adj.) – not experienced or trained (缺乏經驗的)
e.g. He was a young lad, very green and immature.
3. Green with envy – be very unhappy because someone has something that you want
(十分妒忌;眼紅)
e.g. I was absolutely green with envy when I knew that he would be promoted.
Frankie Chan
MA in English Language Teaching, BSc (First Honour), TEFL Dip.
現代教育IELTS/ TOEFL /Workplace English資深英語名師,著名TOEFL參考書作者及星島日報IELTS攻略專欄作者。曾任劍橋商業英語考試BULATS寫作及口試考官,並於國際大型英語學院任教多年並擔任其多間分校校長,具十多年教學經驗,並具豐富管理與發展商業英語及國際英語考試課程經驗。
facebook: frankieps.chan@gmail.com
email: frankieps.chan@gmail.com