2015年ESL之商务英语 01 An Expiring Business Lease

An Expiring Business Lease

Jane: Our lease is up at the end of this year and we need to negotiate a new one. 

Monty: I know, but if I bring it up first, the landlord will think I’m desperate to renew. 

Jane: We are desperate to renew. We’ve built our business here, and it would be really difficult to uproot¹ it and reestablish it elsewhere. 

Monty: I know, but given our antagonistic² dealings in the past, I’m afraid the landlord is going to jack³ up our rent and we’ll be forced out. 

Jane: It’s in the best interest of the landlord to keep a steady business leasing his property. 

Monty: He might not see it that way. He might see this as an opportunity to bring in a higher-paying tenant⁴. 

Jane: Or he may realize that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 

Monty: Or he might think, “Out with the old and in with the new.” 

Jane: You won’t know until you contact him. 

Monty: Right, but I think I’ll let him stew⁵ just a little longer. 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 uproot   

v.连根拔起，拔除；根除，灭绝；赶出家园，被迫移开

参考例句：

• The family decided to uproot themselves and emigrate to Australia.他们全家决定离开故土，移居澳大利亚。
• The trunk of an elephant is powerful enough to uproot trees.大象的长鼻强壮得足以将树木连根拔起。

2 antagonistic   

adj.敌对的

参考例句：

• He is always antagonistic towards new ideas.他对新思想总是持反对态度。
• They merely stirred in a nervous and wholly antagonistic way.他们只是神经质地，带着完全敌对情绪地骚动了一下。

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 tenant   

n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用

参考例句：

• The tenant was dispossessed for not paying his rent.那名房客因未付房租而被赶走。
• The tenant is responsible for all repairs to the building.租户负责对房屋的所有修理。

5 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。