ESL Podcast 892 – Preparing for the Busy Season

 　　Yuko: What’s all this?

　　Reza: We’re gearing up for the busy season. We don’t want to get caught with our pants down like we did last season.

　　Yuko: Last season, we had an unusual number of visitors because of the unseasonably warm weather. We can’t expect lightening to strike twice.

　　Reza: We have to prepare for every contingency¹. If we get a flood of visitors, we need to be able to handle the surge in traffic. These three months are our peak months anyway, so we should expect an upswing in business soon.

　　Yuko: But what if people don’t come in large numbers as you’re anticipating? All of these extra supplies will go to waste.

　　Reza: No, they won’t. Most of this stuff isn’t perishable², so we’ll just save it for the next time we get a rush of visitors. Or, maybe, I’ll just invite my buddies³ over at the end of the season and we’ll have a party.

　　Yuko: So when you said that we have to plan for every contingency, this was what you meant.

　　Reza: Exactly!

　　Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 contingency   

n.意外事件，可能性

参考例句：

• We should be prepared for any contingency.我们应该对任何应急情况有所准备。
• A fire in our warehouse was a contingency that we had not expected.库房的一场大火是我们始料未及的。

2 perishable   

adj.（尤指食物）易腐的，易坏的

参考例句：

• Many fresh foods are highly perishable.许多新鲜食物都极易腐败。
• Fruits are perishable in transit.水果在运送时容易腐烂。

3 buddies   

n.密友( buddy的名词复数 )；同伴；弟兄；（用于称呼男子，常带怒气）家伙v.（如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般）交往( buddy的第三人称单数 )；做朋友；亲近（…）；伴护艾滋病人

参考例句：

• We became great buddies. 我们成了非常好的朋友。 来自辞典例句
• The two of them have become great buddies. 他们俩成了要好的朋友。 来自辞典例句