Friends,中文译名为《六人行》或《老友记》是美国正在热播的一个sitcom (即situation comedy)也就是我们所说的情景喜剧。它之所以这么受欢迎，是因为其内容轻松，语言幽默，每每令人捧腹不已。对于英语学习者来说，我们更能从中学到不少地道的口语。现在就请大家和我一起感受其中的乐趣吧！

　　Chandler公司里正好缺个录入数据的人，他见Joey最近一直没戏可拍，就建议他到公司上班。Joey担心自己不行，因为他从没干过那个，Chandler鼓励他说演员不是演什么像什么吗？于是Joey就到Chandler的公司里扮演起数据录入人员Joseph了。

　　Joseph(也就是Joey)老给Chandler添乱，这不他又来到了Chandler的办公室：

　　语音讲解：
　　　(点击右键“另存为”可下载语音)

　　JOEY: Hey. Mr. Douglas is looking for you.

　　CHANDLER: Why? Wh- wh- why is Mr. Douglas looking for me?

　　JOEY: 'Cause he has a strong suspicion that you dropped the ball on the Lender project.

　　CHANDLER: Wha- wh- why, why, why does he suspect that?

　　JOEY: Becasue at first he thought it was Joseph. But after he asked Joseph about it, turns out it was you. Anyway, I just thought you should know.

　　CHANDLER: Alright, that's it. Look Joey, I'm sorry, I realize this is the role of a lifetime for ya, and if I could just fire Joseph, I would, but unfortunately that's not possible so I'm gonna have to let both of you go.

　　JOEY: What're you talking about, everybody loves Joseph.

　　CHANDLER: I don't, I hate Joseph, ok. I think he's a brown-nosing suck up.

　　JOEY: Oh yeah. Well you can't fire Joseph. You know why, 'cause he's not in your department.

　　【世博视角】

　　Joey这次是来给Chandler通风报信的，说是他的上司Mr. Douglas正在找他呢(Hey. Mr. Douglas is looking for you.)，原因是He has a strong suspicion that you dropped the ball on the Lender project(他非常怀疑你在蓝德项目中犯了个错误)。来看一下drop the ball这个表达法，从字面上不难看出它源于体育用语：如果一个选手没有接到球，也就是drop the ball,那他就会被记一次失误。后来这个用语就被广泛用来表示“犯了个错误”或“错失一次机会”,例：She really dropped the ball when she forgot to call back.

　　Chandler很奇怪为什么Mr. Douglas会怀疑他犯了个错误，Joey (也就是Joseph)说起先Mr. Douglas是怀疑Joseph的，可等找他谈过话后就怀疑是Chandler了(Becasue at first he thought it was Joseph. But after he asked Joseph about it, turns out it was you.)，也就是说Joseph把过错推给了Chandler.

　　这下Chandler可是受够了，他向Joey喊道：Alright, that's it.这里的that’s it就表示说“到此为止”，他再也受不了Joey所扮演的Joseph了,决定让他走人，这样Joseph也就不存在了。Joey听后很受伤地说What're you talking about, everybody loves Joseph. (你在说什么啊？大家都很喜欢Joseph)。“I don't, I hate Joseph, ok. I think he's a brown-nosing suck up.”这是Chandler的回答，他觉得Joseph是个溜须拍马的马屁精。brown nose和suck up都可以用来表示“拍马屁”的意思。brown(棕色)nose(鼻子)，两词放在一起为什么会表示“拍马屁”呢？我国历史上有勾践尝吴王粪便以诊其病这一典故，想必国外也有人这么做过，结果把棕色的粪便给弄到了鼻子上，于是就落下了brown nose这一说吧。suck up也常常表示对有权势的人阿谀奉承，以便自己能够up (向上爬)，例如：

　　He's always sucking up to the boss.

　　Kristen is already sucking up to the new boss.

　　Harry was always brown nosing, but it didn't help his grades.

　　He had just brown-nosed his way to the top.

　　*本篇所讲到的表达法:

　　drop the ball

　　brown nose

　　suck up

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