白领也务农

现在很多年轻人大学毕业后选择当清洁工，或回农村耕作，或养猪等等，这些职业在很多人眼里似乎不那么“高尚”。然而，职业无分高低贵贱，只要用心去做，努力去做，总会闯出一片天地。我们来看看Liaomi回老家务农的感受。

(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?

（两位老朋友在咖啡馆里偶遇。）

克丽茜：嘿，廖米，很久不见！

廖米：哇，是啊！有阵子没见了。你在这干什么？

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 “low 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!

克丽茜：去办公室之前喝杯咖啡而已，你呢？

廖米：这家店允许我随时带走他们的咖啡渣，今天我是来取的。

克丽茜：嗯……好吧。但是……你为什么要拿那些咖啡渣？

廖米：哈哈，我知道是有点奇怪。但我确实是在做园艺，而这些东西对土壤有好处。

克丽茜：似乎有点道理，但是今天是星期三，你不用上班吗？

廖米：嗯，长话短说，这就是我的工作，我当农民去了。

克丽茜：农民？真的？你一直就是个怪人，没有冒犯的意思，但是为什么当农民？

廖米：因为如果我能做好这份工作，我什么都能做好。我不介意（你这么问）。

克丽茜：当农民真的有那么难吗？似乎有点轻而易举。

廖米：不可能！工作多着呢。你不能临时发挥，必须掌握你所做事情的相关知识。必须要了解天气、环境、害虫……

克丽茜：等等，我想起来了，你不是学环境专业的吗？跟环境保护法有关的？

廖米：是的，但是在加入有钱人的行列前我要回归祖业。我的父母和祖父母都是农民，我真的很想了解这片土地上的一切。

克丽茜：你不觉得这工作有点低级吗？再一次，没有冒犯之意。

廖米：再次表示不介意。当然不会，现在工作真的不再有高低贵贱之分，一个农民跟保护他的律师一样重要。

克丽茜：我确实没有从那个角度去想过。

廖米：另外，这是我喜欢做的事。有哪种方式比得上每天就在其中劳作更能享受大自然。

克丽茜：我想你是对的，而且你确实好像很放松很快乐。

廖米：是的。不管怎么说，我得赶快走了，还有农活要做！很高兴见到你，克丽茜。

克丽茜：我也是，廖米！CS

Smart Sentences

① Just getting myself a cup of Joe before hitting the office. 去办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，我最爱坐在阳台上喝咖啡。

hit the office: arrive at the office（到达办公室）。例如：

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

我会在明天七点到公司，在开会之前完成那份报告。

② Well, to cut a long story short, this is my work. 嗯，长话短说，这就是我的工作。

cut a long story short: give the final result of an event or story without giving any details（长话短说）。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.

四天的会议说了并且决定了许多的事，长话短说，我们会有两个新的部门，所有人都会加工资。

③ You always were a bit of a queer fish—no offense—but why farming? 你一直就是个怪人，没有冒犯的意思，但是为什么当农民？

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

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

我认识约翰的哥哥，他跟约翰一样，是个怪人。

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.” （用于言语似乎无礼，但并无意冒犯时，等同于“I do not mean to insult you.”）。例如：

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

我没有冒犯你的意思，史蒂夫，但我觉得鲍勃的建议更好些。

④ And none taken. 我不介意（你这么问）。

none taken: used to respond to “no offense” to indicate that you dont mind the comment just said（用以回复“no offense”，表示你对刚才的话并不介意）。例如：

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

我不介意，我们是来解决问题的，不是来相互竞争的。

⑤ You cant just wing it. Youve really got to know what youre about. 你不能临时发挥，必须掌握你所做事情的相关知识。

wing it: do sth. without preparation, improvise（临场发挥）。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，我决定在会上用旧的PPT临场发挥。

⑥ Thats jogging my memory—didnt you study the environment? 我想起来了，你不是学环境专业的吗？

jog sb.s memory: rouse or stimulate sb. to remember sth.（唤起某人的记忆）。例如：

The picture jogged my memory of the college life.

那张照片唤起我对大学生活的回忆。

⑦ But I wanted to get back to my roots before joining the jet set. 但是在加入有钱人的行列前我要回归祖业。

jet set: a rich and fashionable social set the members of which travel widely for pleasure（往来各地旅游的有钱人）。例如：

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

这个新的度假胜地就是专为那些有钱的游客所建。

⑧ I hadnt really thought about it in that light.我确实没有从那个角度去想过。

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

Different people see things in very different light.

不同的人会以非常不一样的方式考虑事情。