ESL Podcast 588 – Hiring Business Consultants

Erica: So your suggestion is to hire outside consultants² to handle the extra work associated with the expansion.

Stefan: I think there are a lot of benefits: we get someone with the right expertise³ quickly, we can use him or her as needed, and we can save on employment taxes and benefits. What’s not to like?

Erica: I’m just not sure that’s the right move right now.

Stefan: To me, it’s a no-brainer. We call the shots. If we don’t like the consultant¹’s work, then we can terminate our relationship at any time.

Erica: Yes, but that also means that the consultant won’t feel any company loyalty⁴ and could quit working with us whenever he or she wanted to, leaving us in a lurch⁵.

Stefan: That’s true, but that’s also true of any employee. Company loyalty is a thing of the past. I really think we should move ahead.

Erica: Well, I think we should take it one step at a time. Start with contracting consultants for smaller projects and see how they do before we have them work on this big one.

Stefan: Okay, I can live with that, as long as we don’t drag our feet in getting people started on the big project.

Erica: Don’t worry. If I drag my feet, I know you’ll tow me along.


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

2 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。

3 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

4 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

5 lurch   

n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行

参考例句：

• It has been suggested that the ground movements were a form of lurch movements.地震的地面运动曾被认为是一种突然倾斜的运动形式。
• He walked with a lurch.他步履蹒跚。