Larry 和李華在一家咖啡店里聊天， Larry在告訴李華的辦公室里最近發(fā)生
的事。李華今天會(huì)學(xué)到兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)：head honcho 和slam dunk.

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

    LH：誰(shuí)到你們的辦公室來(lái)？公司的head honcho ？ head 是頭腦， 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就是一個(gè)公司，或一個(gè)機(jī)構(gòu)的最高領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人。Honcho這個(gè)詞
原來(lái)是來(lái)自日文，意思是領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人。Honcho聽(tīng)起來(lái)是像日文。聽(tīng)起來(lái)，你好像挺高
興看見(jiàn)你們公司的head honcho.

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

    LH：你和他從來(lái)沒(méi)有見(jiàn)過(guò)面？難怪他來(lái)了你們都好像有點(diǎn)受寵若驚一樣。那
這位高高在上的主管為什么會(huì)突然到你們辦公室去呢？

    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：你的同事說(shuō)他是來(lái)看看他們領(lǐng)導(dǎo)想提拔的那個(gè)人，可是提拔誰(shuí)呢，你們
又不知道。他要提拔的人他還不認(rèn)識(shí)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，這個(gè)head honcho 在公司總部上班，而總部又不在你們大樓
里。說(shuō)實(shí)話(huà)，即使是在同一個(gè)辦公樓里，老板也不一定認(rèn)識(shí)所有的雇員呀。我們
大學(xué)的校長(zhǎng)我也只是在大會(huì)上見(jiàn)過(guò)。

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

    LH：是啊，東亞研究系的瓊斯教授倒是和我很熟。你們公司總裁是不是來(lái)看
你的。他們想提拔的就是你吧？

    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：他跟你聊了幾分鐘有關(guān)你工作的事？我看他很可能是想提拔你！Larry ，
你將來(lái)也許會(huì)成為一個(gè)head honcho ！

    ******

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

    LH： Slam dunk？ Slam dunk不就是我們?cè)诖蚧@球的時(shí)候常說(shuō)的灌籃嗎？

    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：灌籃得分應(yīng)當(dāng)是十拿九穩(wěn)。人就在欄板下面，一伸手就把球灌進(jìn)去了。
Larry ，我知道公司是否提拔你并不像灌籃那么十拿九穩(wěn)�？墒荓arry ，你的確
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，我們不要過(guò)于樂(lè)觀(guān)，畢竟跟公司總裁談話(huà)的不止你一個(gè)人。
不過(guò)，什么時(shí)候才知道the head honcho 看中的到底是誰(shuí)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：我是申請(qǐng)了獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金，可是現(xiàn)在還沒(méi)有消息呢。對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)，這也不是十拿
九穩(wěn)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，可是用功的學(xué)生很多呀。不過(guò)聽(tīng)到你
這么贊揚(yáng)我，我還是很高興。

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

    LH：什么事情是slam dunk ，一定會(huì)發(fā)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，我就要回家去做作業(yè)了。這是肯定的，That is a real slam
dunk， Larry.

    今天李華學(xué)到了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是head honcho ，意思是公司或組織的最
高主管。還有一個(gè)是slam dunk ，指的是很有把握，肯定會(huì)發(fā)生的事情。