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Monique： Hey， Chad. What’cha looking at there？
Chad： Oh， hey， Monique. ①I’m checking out the 1）classified ads in the city paper.
Monique： Checking the classifieds？ What are you looking for？ Chad： I’m just 2）browsing through the job listings.
Monique： You’re scaring me， Chad. Did you quit your job？ I thought you loved working at the law firm.
Chad： I didn’t quit. ②I do love it there， but the talk around the water cooler is that the firm has fallen on hard times. Some people even think there may be a round of layoffs looming in the future.
Monique： Ouch. ③Are you worried you might be on the chopping block？
Chad： Maybe. It’s hard to say. Either way， I’d better be prepared. I spent a lot of time yesterday polishing my resume， and I check the job listings every morning.
Monique： Sounds like you really are worried！
Chad： ④I just don’t want to end up out in the cold all of a sudden. I’ve got bills to pay， you know！
Monique： I don’t think you have to be so dramatic. There are lots of regulations about layoffs and 3）severance pay. Your employer can’t just fire you out of the blue.
Chad： What makes you so sure？ I’ve heard some horror stories.
Monique： Such as？
Chad： My friend’s friend’s friend’s wife got laid off while she was pregnant. She’s pretty sure they wouldn’t have cut her if she wasn’t expecting. If they can do that to a future mother， what do you think they’d do to someone like me？
Monique： ⑤Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s illegal to fire someone because of a pregnancy. She probably would have gotten laid off either way. Besides， did she get a severance package？
Chad： I don’t know. I didn’t ask.
Monique： Usually， employers give one month of severance pay for each year you’ve worked there.
Chad： I’ve been with the firm for three years now. So， you mean if they lay me off then they’ll have to spot me three months’ pay？
Monique： Maybe not exactly three months， but that’s the legal standard. Also， if a company is planning 4）massive layoffs， they usually have to let the labor unions and local authorities know beforehand.
Chad： I haven’t heard anything from the union. No news is good news， I guess.
Monique： Certainly is.
Chad： ⑥But what if they decide to axe me for some trumped-up charge to avoid paying a fair severance？
Monique： I won’t say that hasn’t happened before. The best thing to do is to keep a copy of all your contracts and employee handbooks. Even the handbooks can be legally binding. If you can prove that you haven’t broken the rules， then you can sue them for firing you. Chad： I wonder how much I can get for suing the firm？ It’s probably more than I’m making now. This is beginning to sound like a pretty good idea…
Monique： Oh， dear. You’ve worked at a law firm for just three years， and you’re already dreaming of getting rich in court.
Chad： I kid， I kid. ⑦But if they try to fire me for no good reason， they’d better be ready to lawyer up！
Monique： Chad， they are lawyers…
莫妮克：嘿，查德。你在看什么呢？查德：噢，嘿，莫妮克。我在看市报上的分类广告。
莫妮克：看分类广告？你在找什么？查德：我只是在浏览招聘启事。
莫妮克：你这是在吓我，查德。你辞职了吗？我原以为你喜欢在律师事务所工作。
查德：我没有辞职。我确实喜欢那里，但是我在饮水机旁听到公司的状况很不好。一些人甚至认为很快就会有一轮裁员。
莫妮克：哎呦。你担心自己的饭碗可能不保？
查德：也许，很难说。不管怎样，我还是先做准备。我昨天花了很多时间来修改简历，而且我每天早上都会查看招聘启事。
莫妮克：听起来你真的很担心！
查德：我只是不想突然被遗弃。你知道的，我还有账单要付！
莫妮克：我认为你不需要那么夸张。有关裁员和解雇金都有许多相关的规定。你的老板不能突然就解雇你。
查德：你为什么这么肯定？我听到了些很可怕的事。
莫妮克：例如？
查德：我朋友的朋友的朋友的妻子在怀孕期间就被解雇了。她很确定如果不是因为她怀孕，他们是不会炒她鱿鱼的。如果他们对一个准妈妈都那样，你认为他们会怎么对像我这样的人？
莫妮克：别想那么远。因为怀孕而解雇某人是违法的。也许无论怎样她都会被解雇的。此外，她得到解雇金了吗？
查德：我不知道，我没有问。
莫妮克：通常，每工作一年，雇主就会给你一个月的赔偿金。
查德：现在我已经在公司三年了。那么，你意思是如果他们解雇我，就要付我三个月的薪水？
莫妮克：也许不完全是三个月，但这是法定的标准。同时，如果一家公司打算大规模地裁员，他们通常必须提前告知工会和地方当局。查德：我没有从工会那边听到什么。我想，没消息就是好消息。
莫妮克：当然。
查德：但是如果他们打算给我捏造一些罪名来逃脱支付解雇金呢？
莫妮克：我不能说这事以前没有发生过。最好的办法就是保留所有合同和雇员手册的副本。即使是雇员手册也具法律效应。如果你能证明你没有违反规定，那么你就可以起诉他们解雇你。
查德：我在想起诉公司我能得到多少赔偿？应该会比我现在赚的多。这听起来是个好主意……
莫妮克：噢，亲爱的。你才在一家律师事务所工作三年，就已经开始想通过打官司发财了。
查德：我开玩笑，开玩笑而已。但是如果他们没有正当理由来解雇我，就准备应诉吧！
莫妮克：查德，他们就是律师……CS
Smart Sentences
① I’m checking out the classified ads in the city paper.我在看市报上的分类广告。
check out： find information about sth.（查看，查找）。例如：
I’m going to check out the high-speed train schedule to Wuhan for my parents.
我打算给父母查一下到武汉的高铁时刻表。
② I do love it there， but the talk around the water cooler is that the firm has fallen on hard times. 我确实喜欢那里，但是我在饮水机旁听到公司的状况很不好。
fall on hard times： experience difficult times， especially financially（遭逢艰难时世，处境艰难，尤指经济上）。例如：
Since the war， his family business has fallen on hard times.
开战以来，他的家族生意就非常不景气。
③ Are you worried you might be on the chopping block？ 你担心自己的饭碗可能不保？
on the chopping block： usu. means sb. is in danger of losing his＼her job（通常指某人有被解雇的危险）。例如：
Our team has not turned out a successful product in two years. I think we are all on the chopping block.
我们组两年都没有推出成功的产品，我觉得我们的饭碗可能都不保了。 ④ I just don’t want to end up out in the cold all of a sudden. 我只是不想突然被遗弃。
out in the cold： excluded， neglected， ignored（被排除在外，被冷落）。例如：
He was left out in the cold at work because he does not like sports.
他由于不喜欢体育而在公司受到了冷落。
⑤ Don’t get ahead of yourself. 别想那么远。
get ahead of oneself： do too much， too fast； be more advanced than the current situation（超前）。例如：
Our son is just in his sophomore year. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and talk about career planning.
儿子现在才大二，别想那么远，现在就谈孩子的职业规划还早呢。
⑥ But what if they decide to axe me for some trumped-up charge to avoid paying a fair severance？ 但是如果他们打算给我捏造一些罪名来逃脱支付解雇金呢？
trumped-up： fabricated， made-up（胡乱编造的，捏造的）。例如：
My roommate lost the scholarship because of some trumped-up accusations.
我的室友因为一些捏造的罪名而没能获得奖学金。
⑦ But if they try to fire me for no good reason， they’d better be ready to lawyer up！ 但是如果他们没有正当理由来解雇我，就准备应诉吧！
lawyer up： get ready to fight in court（准备应诉）。例如：
When poor people can’t afford to lawyer up， they can only rely on legal aid.
穷人无力聘用律师应诉时，只好靠法律援助了。
Chad： Oh， hey， Monique. ①I’m checking out the 1）classified ads in the city paper.
Monique： Checking the classifieds？ What are you looking for？ Chad： I’m just 2）browsing through the job listings.
Monique： You’re scaring me， Chad. Did you quit your job？ I thought you loved working at the law firm.
Chad： I didn’t quit. ②I do love it there， but the talk around the water cooler is that the firm has fallen on hard times. Some people even think there may be a round of layoffs looming in the future.
Monique： Ouch. ③Are you worried you might be on the chopping block？
Chad： Maybe. It’s hard to say. Either way， I’d better be prepared. I spent a lot of time yesterday polishing my resume， and I check the job listings every morning.
Monique： Sounds like you really are worried！
Chad： ④I just don’t want to end up out in the cold all of a sudden. I’ve got bills to pay， you know！
Monique： I don’t think you have to be so dramatic. There are lots of regulations about layoffs and 3）severance pay. Your employer can’t just fire you out of the blue.
Chad： What makes you so sure？ I’ve heard some horror stories.
Monique： Such as？
Chad： My friend’s friend’s friend’s wife got laid off while she was pregnant. She’s pretty sure they wouldn’t have cut her if she wasn’t expecting. If they can do that to a future mother， what do you think they’d do to someone like me？
Monique： ⑤Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s illegal to fire someone because of a pregnancy. She probably would have gotten laid off either way. Besides， did she get a severance package？
Chad： I don’t know. I didn’t ask.
Monique： Usually， employers give one month of severance pay for each year you’ve worked there.
Chad： I’ve been with the firm for three years now. So， you mean if they lay me off then they’ll have to spot me three months’ pay？
Monique： Maybe not exactly three months， but that’s the legal standard. Also， if a company is planning 4）massive layoffs， they usually have to let the labor unions and local authorities know beforehand.
Chad： I haven’t heard anything from the union. No news is good news， I guess.
Monique： Certainly is.
Chad： ⑥But what if they decide to axe me for some trumped-up charge to avoid paying a fair severance？
Monique： I won’t say that hasn’t happened before. The best thing to do is to keep a copy of all your contracts and employee handbooks. Even the handbooks can be legally binding. If you can prove that you haven’t broken the rules， then you can sue them for firing you. Chad： I wonder how much I can get for suing the firm？ It’s probably more than I’m making now. This is beginning to sound like a pretty good idea…
Monique： Oh， dear. You’ve worked at a law firm for just three years， and you’re already dreaming of getting rich in court.
Chad： I kid， I kid. ⑦But if they try to fire me for no good reason， they’d better be ready to lawyer up！
Monique： Chad， they are lawyers…
莫妮克：嘿，查德。你在看什么呢？查德：噢，嘿，莫妮克。我在看市报上的分类广告。
莫妮克：看分类广告？你在找什么？查德：我只是在浏览招聘启事。
莫妮克：你这是在吓我，查德。你辞职了吗？我原以为你喜欢在律师事务所工作。
查德：我没有辞职。我确实喜欢那里，但是我在饮水机旁听到公司的状况很不好。一些人甚至认为很快就会有一轮裁员。
莫妮克：哎呦。你担心自己的饭碗可能不保？
查德：也许，很难说。不管怎样，我还是先做准备。我昨天花了很多时间来修改简历，而且我每天早上都会查看招聘启事。
莫妮克：听起来你真的很担心！
查德：我只是不想突然被遗弃。你知道的，我还有账单要付！
莫妮克：我认为你不需要那么夸张。有关裁员和解雇金都有许多相关的规定。你的老板不能突然就解雇你。
查德：你为什么这么肯定？我听到了些很可怕的事。
莫妮克：例如？
查德：我朋友的朋友的朋友的妻子在怀孕期间就被解雇了。她很确定如果不是因为她怀孕，他们是不会炒她鱿鱼的。如果他们对一个准妈妈都那样，你认为他们会怎么对像我这样的人？
莫妮克：别想那么远。因为怀孕而解雇某人是违法的。也许无论怎样她都会被解雇的。此外，她得到解雇金了吗？
查德：我不知道，我没有问。
莫妮克：通常，每工作一年，雇主就会给你一个月的赔偿金。
查德：现在我已经在公司三年了。那么，你意思是如果他们解雇我，就要付我三个月的薪水？
莫妮克：也许不完全是三个月，但这是法定的标准。同时，如果一家公司打算大规模地裁员，他们通常必须提前告知工会和地方当局。查德：我没有从工会那边听到什么。我想，没消息就是好消息。
莫妮克：当然。
查德：但是如果他们打算给我捏造一些罪名来逃脱支付解雇金呢？
莫妮克：我不能说这事以前没有发生过。最好的办法就是保留所有合同和雇员手册的副本。即使是雇员手册也具法律效应。如果你能证明你没有违反规定，那么你就可以起诉他们解雇你。
查德：我在想起诉公司我能得到多少赔偿？应该会比我现在赚的多。这听起来是个好主意……
莫妮克：噢，亲爱的。你才在一家律师事务所工作三年，就已经开始想通过打官司发财了。
查德：我开玩笑，开玩笑而已。但是如果他们没有正当理由来解雇我，就准备应诉吧！
莫妮克：查德，他们就是律师……CS
Smart Sentences
① I’m checking out the classified ads in the city paper.我在看市报上的分类广告。
check out： find information about sth.（查看，查找）。例如：
I’m going to check out the high-speed train schedule to Wuhan for my parents.
我打算给父母查一下到武汉的高铁时刻表。
② I do love it there， but the talk around the water cooler is that the firm has fallen on hard times. 我确实喜欢那里，但是我在饮水机旁听到公司的状况很不好。
fall on hard times： experience difficult times， especially financially（遭逢艰难时世，处境艰难，尤指经济上）。例如：
Since the war， his family business has fallen on hard times.
开战以来，他的家族生意就非常不景气。
③ Are you worried you might be on the chopping block？ 你担心自己的饭碗可能不保？
on the chopping block： usu. means sb. is in danger of losing his＼her job（通常指某人有被解雇的危险）。例如：
Our team has not turned out a successful product in two years. I think we are all on the chopping block.
我们组两年都没有推出成功的产品，我觉得我们的饭碗可能都不保了。 ④ I just don’t want to end up out in the cold all of a sudden. 我只是不想突然被遗弃。
out in the cold： excluded， neglected， ignored（被排除在外，被冷落）。例如：
He was left out in the cold at work because he does not like sports.
他由于不喜欢体育而在公司受到了冷落。
⑤ Don’t get ahead of yourself. 别想那么远。
get ahead of oneself： do too much， too fast； be more advanced than the current situation（超前）。例如：
Our son is just in his sophomore year. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and talk about career planning.
儿子现在才大二，别想那么远，现在就谈孩子的职业规划还早呢。
⑥ But what if they decide to axe me for some trumped-up charge to avoid paying a fair severance？ 但是如果他们打算给我捏造一些罪名来逃脱支付解雇金呢？
trumped-up： fabricated， made-up（胡乱编造的，捏造的）。例如：
My roommate lost the scholarship because of some trumped-up accusations.
我的室友因为一些捏造的罪名而没能获得奖学金。
⑦ But if they try to fire me for no good reason， they’d better be ready to lawyer up！ 但是如果他们没有正当理由来解雇我，就准备应诉吧！
lawyer up： get ready to fight in court（准备应诉）。例如：
When poor people can’t afford to lawyer up， they can only rely on legal aid.
穷人无力聘用律师应诉时，只好靠法律援助了。