商务英语情景口语100主题095

　　95 Strikes and Demonstrations²
Dialogue1
A:Do you have the day off today?How come you're not at work now?
B:I don't have the day off. Our labor³ union is staging a nationwide strike today,all of the workers in our department are supporting the labor union by participating and not going in to work this week.
A:Are you serious? Why would they have to go to such extreme measures like a strike? Doesn't your company have a pretty good corporate⁴ image? I'll bet the folks at headquarters are going nuts over something as serious as a strike....
B:It happens quite often,actually.Whenever there arises a dispute between the union and the executive group,the first thing they do is to call a strike. Usually it only lasts a day or two before both sides can come to an agreement and we start work again. Anyhow,it's a nice,unanticipated holiday....
Dialogue2
A:Did you hear what's going on downtown today? All the worders from the factory are staging a demonstration¹ in the streets. Not one of the two thousand employees showed up for work today,and they have gathered outside the city hall to demand better working conditions for all factory employees.
B:Wow,sounds chaotic⁵.... two thousand people in the streets carrying picket⁶ signs and shouting sloans. What gave them the motivation to finally organize and call management on the substandard working conditions?
A:I think they gained courage after the mayor's speech last week on equality and opportunity for all town citizens. Anyway,the sentiments have been brewing⁷ for quite some time.I mean, we all know the working conditions at the factory are quite horrendous⁸.
B:So what kind of demands do they have? What are they asking for specifically?
A:They want raises and medical insurance, and I think they want to clean up the factory's safety hazards. That's probably the most important issue.

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

5 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

6 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

7 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

8 horrendous   

adj.可怕的，令人惊惧的

参考例句：

• He described it as the most horrendous experience of his life.他形容这是自己一生中最可怕的经历。
• The mining industry in China has a horrendous safety record.中国的煤矿工业具有令人不安的安全记录。