Larry已经开始在一家公司做暑期工作。他正在向李华抱怨工作上的问题。今天李华会学到两个常用语：swamped
和to get axed
。
LL: I've only been working there two days and I'm already totally swamped with work! It's unbelievable
!
LH: Larry，你说 swamped with work，是不是说你不知道怎么做这份工作？
LL: No, I know how to do the work. It's just that there is too much of it. To be swamped means to have too much work to do.
LH: 噢，我懂了，swamp一般是沼泽地的意思，你说swamped with work就是工作太多，好象陷进了沼泽地一样，让你觉得喘不过气。那他们到底给你什么样的工作？
LL: It's all relatively simple stuff like filing, typing, copying. It's just that there are piles
of it and everyone wants it finished right now.
LH: 啊！归档、打字、复印都是很简单的事，可要是办公室每个人都要你做这些事，每个人都要你马上给他做，这确实难以对付。Larry，也许你该建议他们再多雇个人来帮你啊！
LL: I doubt that. Besides, I don't want them to think I'm lazy
. I guess I just have to accept the fact that I'll be swamped with work for the rest of the summer.
LH: 真是的。一个暑假就陷在这些繁琐的工作里，太没劲了。我只想在暑假里轻松轻松。
LL: I was hoping to relax a little, too, but it doesn't look as though that's going to happen.
LH: 不过Larry，虽然你白天在公司里工作很忙，可是你晚上回到家可以轻松一下啦，因为你不必像学期当中忙于写作业或交报告！
LL: That's true, but I'm so tired by the time I get home from being swamped all day that I don't have the energy to do anything fun.
LH: 这你就跟我不一样了。我呀，再累也没有关系，只要一听到玩，我就精神百倍了。不过，Larry，我真希望能帮你一点忙。
LL: Oh, it's not your fault
, Li Hua. I'm sorry for complaining like this.
******
LH: 嗨！Larry！你的暑期工作现在怎么样了！还是很忙吗？
LL: It's even worse than ever! The management
just axed one of the other employees and now they're giving me all of his work!
LH: Ax不是斧头吗？你说你公司把那个雇员怎么啦？Axed？不是把他砍了吧？听起来好吓人的！
LL: To ax someone is to fire them. The other guy was really unreliable so management decided to ax him.
LH: 噢，我明白了，to ax someone就是把某人开除的意思。你真倒霉。公司把那个不可靠的人开除了，他的工作也就落在你头上。你们公司有没有考虑雇用新人来接替他的工作？
LL: I have no idea. In the mean time, I have so much work that I'm running around all day long.
LH: 你真可伶，每天忙得晕头转向的。也许你可以问问他们什么时候会雇用一个新人啊？
LL: I want to ask, but I'm afraid of getting axed, too.
LH: 你不过问问而已嘛！他们为什么要开除你呢？
LL: Well, I guess they wouldn't fire me, because I've been doing a good job although I'm swamped with work. I just don't want them to think that I'm lazy or that I'm complaining.
LH: 我肯定他们不会开除你。他们也不傻，知道你做很多工作，而且还做得很好。你要不说，他们绝对不会再雇一个人。这样不是省钱嘛！
LL: I guess you are right. I'm more likely to get axed for messing up rather than telling them I'm overworked.
LH: 没错。老老实实地告诉他们你太忙，总比你忙不过来，把事情搞砸了要好。
LL：Li Hua, you're so smart!