現(xiàn)在很多年輕人大學(xué)畢業(yè)后選擇當(dāng)清潔工，或回農(nóng)村耕作，或養(yǎng)豬等等，這些職業(yè)在很多人眼里似乎不那么“高尚”。然而，職業(yè)無分高低貴賤，只要用心去做，努力去做，總會闖出一片天地。我們來看看Liaomi回老家務(wù)農(nóng)的感受。

(Two old friends see each other in a coffee shop.)

Chrissy: Hey Liaomi, long time no see!

Liaomi: Wow, yeah! Its been a while. What are you doing here?

（兩位老朋友在咖啡館里偶遇。）

克麗茜：嘿，廖米，很久不見！

廖米：哇，是??！有陣子沒見了。你在這干什么？

Chrissy: ①Just getting myself a cup of Joe before hitting the office. You?

Liaomi: This shop lets me take away their 1)coffee grounds whenever I want. Todays my pick up day.

Chrissy: Ummm…okay. But…why are you taking the coffee grounds?

Liaomi: Haha, a little weird, I know. But I really got into gardening, and this stuff is good for the soil.

Chrissy: That makes a little more sense. But its a Wednesday. Dont you need to be at work?

Liaomi: ②Well, to cut a long story short, this is my work. I became a farmer.

Chrissy: A farmer? Really? ③You always were a bit of a 2)queer fish—no offense—but why farming?

Liaomi: Because if I can do this, I can do anything. ④And none taken.

Chrissy: Is it really that hard being a farmer? Kinda seems like a piece of cake.

Liaomi: No way! Its tons of work. ⑤You cant just wing it. Youve really got to know what youre about. You gotta know about weather, the environment, pests…

Chrissy: Hold on, ⑥thats jogging my memory—didnt you study the environment? Something to do with environmental law?

Liaomi: Yeah, ⑦but I wanted to get back to my roots before joining the jet set. My parents and grandparents were farmers, and I really wanted to know what it was all about.

Chrissy: You dont think its a little bit low class? Again, no offense.

Liaomi: Again, none taken. And most definitely not! There isnt really “high class” or “l(fā)ow class” when it comes to jobs any more. A farmer is just as important as the lawyer who protects him.

Chrissy: ⑧I hadnt really thought about it in that light.

Liaomi: Plus, this is a labour of love. What better way to enjoy the environment than by working with it every day?

Chrissy: I guess youre right. And you definitely seem relaxed and happy.

Liaomi: I am. Anyway, gotta get a move on—I got some planting to do! Nice seeing you, Chrissy.

Chrissy: You, too, Liaomi!

克麗茜：去辦公室之前喝杯咖啡而已，你呢？

廖米：這家店允許我隨時(shí)帶走他們的咖啡渣，今天我是來取的。

克麗茜：嗯……好吧。但是……你為什么要拿那些咖啡渣？

廖米：哈哈，我知道是有點(diǎn)奇怪。但我確實(shí)是在做園藝，而這些東西對土壤有好處。

克麗茜：似乎有點(diǎn)道理，但是今天是星期三，你不用上班嗎？

廖米：嗯，長話短說，這就是我的工作，我當(dāng)農(nóng)民去了。

克麗茜：農(nóng)民？真的？你一直就是個(gè)怪人，沒有冒犯的意思，但是為什么當(dāng)農(nóng)民？

廖米：因?yàn)槿绻夷茏龊眠@份工作，我什么都能做好。我不介意（你這么問）。

克麗茜：當(dāng)農(nóng)民真的有那么難嗎？似乎有點(diǎn)輕而易舉。

廖米：不可能！工作多著呢。你不能臨時(shí)發(fā)揮，必須掌握你所做事情的相關(guān)知識。必須要了解天氣、環(huán)境、害蟲……

克麗茜：等等，我想起來了，你不是學(xué)環(huán)境專業(yè)的嗎？跟環(huán)境保護(hù)法有關(guān)的？

廖米：是的，但是在加入有錢人的行列前我要回歸祖業(yè)。我的父母和祖父母都是農(nóng)民，我真的很想了解這片土地上的一切。

克麗茜：你不覺得這工作有點(diǎn)低級嗎？再一次，沒有冒犯之意。

廖米：再次表示不介意。當(dāng)然不會，現(xiàn)在工作真的不再有高低貴賤之分，一個(gè)農(nóng)民跟保護(hù)他的律師一樣重要。

克麗茜：我確實(shí)沒有從那個(gè)角度去想過。

廖米：另外，這是我喜歡做的事。有哪種方式比得上每天就在其中勞作更能享受大自然。

克麗茜：我想你是對的，而且你確實(shí)好像很放松很快樂。

廖米：是的。不管怎么說，我得趕快走了，還有農(nóng)活要做！很高興見到你，克麗茜。

克麗茜：我也是，廖米！CS

Smart Sentences

① Just getting myself a cup of Joe before hitting the office. 去辦公室之前喝杯咖啡而已。

a cup of Joe: a cup of coffee（一杯咖啡）。例如：

On Sunday afternoon, I love to sit on the balcony and enjoy a cup of Joe.

在星期天的下午，我最愛坐在陽臺上喝咖啡。

hit the office: arrive at the office（到達(dá)辦公室）。例如：

Im going to hit the office at seven tomorrow and finish the report before the meeting.

我會在明天七點(diǎn)到公司，在開會之前完成那份報(bào)告。

② Well, to cut a long story short, this is my work. 嗯，長話短說，這就是我的工作。

cut a long story short: give the final result of an event or story without giving any details（長話短說）。例如：

A lot was said and done in the four-day meeting. To cut a long story short, two new departments will be set up and we all will get a raise.

四天的會議說了并且決定了許多的事，長話短說，我們會有兩個(gè)新的部門，所有人都會加工資。

③ You always were a bit of a queer fish—no offense—but why farming? 你一直就是個(gè)怪人，沒有冒犯的意思，但是為什么當(dāng)農(nóng)民？

a queer fish: a strange person（怪人）。例如：

I know Johns brother and he is a queer fish like John.

我認(rèn)識約翰的哥哥，他跟約翰一樣，是個(gè)怪人。

no offense: used when words may seem rather rude, but with no intention to offend the other, same as “I do not mean to insult you.” （用于言語似乎無禮，但并無意冒犯時(shí)，等同于“I do not mean to insult you.”）。例如：

No offense, Steve. But I think Bobs suggestion is better.

我沒有冒犯你的意思，史蒂夫，但我覺得鮑勃的建議更好些。

④ And none taken. 我不介意（你這么問）。

none taken: used to respond to “no offense” to indicate that you dont mind the comment just said（用以回復(fù)“no offense”，表示你對剛才的話并不介意）。例如：

None taken. Were here to solve the problem, not to compete with each other.

我不介意，我們是來解決問題的，不是來相互競爭的。

⑤ You cant just wing it. Youve really got to know what youre about. 你不能臨時(shí)發(fā)揮，必須掌握你所做事情的相關(guān)知識。

wing it: do sth. without preparation, improvise（臨場發(fā)揮）。例如：

My flight landed late the night before. I decided to wing it at the conference with my old PPT.

我前一晚的航班到得很晚，我決定在會上用舊的PPT臨場發(fā)揮。

⑥ Thats jogging my memory—didnt you study the environment? 我想起來了，你不是學(xué)環(huán)境專業(yè)的嗎？

jog sb.s memory: rouse or stimulate sb. to remember sth.（喚起某人的記憶）。例如：

The picture jogged my memory of the college life.

那張照片喚起我對大學(xué)生活的回憶。

⑦ But I wanted to get back to my roots before joining the jet set. 但是在加入有錢人的行列前我要回歸祖業(yè)。

jet set: a rich and fashionable social set the members of which travel widely for pleasure（往來各地旅游的有錢人）。例如：

This new resort was built to cater for the jet set travelers.

這個(gè)新的度假勝地就是專為那些有錢的游客所建。

⑧ I hadnt really thought about it in that light.我確實(shí)沒有從那個(gè)角度去想過。

in…light: a way of looking at or considering a matter（觀察或考慮事情的方式、角度）。例如：

Different people see things in very different light.

不同的人會以非常不一樣的方式考慮事情。