和老外聊天的地道口语第48期:怎么搞好这场聚会

Ellen: it seems the department¹ still has some money left in the budget². Do you have any suggestions how to use it before the budget is renewed³?

Bob: what about renting a restaurant and treating the empployees to a nice dinner?

E: but we've done that many times. We want something fresh this time.

B: okay, let me think. What about a party-and-movie night? We can rearrange our reference⁴ room, invite a band to play some music, order in some food and watch a movie later.

E: sounds like a good idea, but a band sounds too expensive.

B: well, we can ask people to make small contributions⁵.

E: I don' t think so. I don't think people are going to like it if they have to pay to come. But we certainly can cut costs in other ways, such as make the party BYOB.

B: BYOB? What's that?

E: bring your own beverage⁶. We can provide food, but people have to bring their own drinks.

B: so we're just going to have a party where they bring their own drinks and we just give them some snacks? I don't know how well that will go over.

E: maybe you have a point. How about having a party on a Friday afternoon? We'll stop early, order some pizza, and serve drinks. There'll be music but no band. Having the party in the office will make it cheaper and because it's the end of the week there won't be much work.

B: oh, that sounds like fun!
 

看来我们部的预算还有结余,趁现在还没有重新预算,搞点活动吧,你有什么建议?
我们租个餐馆,请大伙好好吃一顿吧.
我们以前已经吃过很多次了,这次来点新花样.
好吧,让我想想.来个聚会---电影之夜吧.我们可以装饰一下会议厅,请个乐队演奏音乐,点一些吃的,然后再看个电影.
想法不错,但是请个乐队太贵了.
那我们可以让大家再凑点钱.
不好吧,要是花钱来,大家可能就没兴趣了.不过可以换个地方来节约开支,比如聚会BYOB.
BYOB?什么意思?
自带饮料啊.我们来提供食物,但是大家要自己带喝的.
这样就只给大家食物,饮料还要自己带?我不知道大家会怎么想.
也许你有道理,要不我们周五下午聚会吧?我们早点下班,点点儿披萨饼,准备酒水饮料.我们不请乐队,自己放音乐,我们就在办公室里聚,这样还能便宜些,反正周末的工作量也不会很大.
哦,这听起来很有意思啊!
 

1 department   

n.（行政、企业等的）部；局；处；科；部门；系

参考例句：

• What department do you study in?你在哪个系学习？
• Welcome to the sports department!欢迎来到运动品部！

2 budget   

n.预算；vi.编预算；vt.编入预算，安排；adj.廉价的

参考例句：

• Are you doing everything possible to reduce your budget?你在尽一切可能降低预算吗？
• There is a budget department on the first floor.一楼有廉价商品部。

3 renewed   

adj. 更新的，重建的，复兴的，重申的 动词renew的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• They regrouped their forces and renewed the attack. 他们重新聚集兵力，再次发动进攻。
• The army renewed its assault on the capital. 军队重新发动对首都的攻击。

4 reference   

n.提到，说到，暗示，查看，查阅

参考例句：

• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。
• I like to have my reference books within my reach.我喜欢把参考书放到伸手可取的地方。

5 contributions   

贡献( contribution的名词复数 )； 捐赠； 捐助物； （书、杂志、广播、讨论等部份内容的）一则

参考例句：

• We are authorised to receive contributions for the Red Cross. 我们受托接受给红十字会的捐助。
• We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of everyone who helped us. 我们衷心感谢每一位帮助我们的人所付出的努力。

6 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。