英语播客EnglishPod 322

（单词翻译）

 A:     ... Now that we have been over the gory¹ details
       of our disastrous² first quarter, Ed! Give us some
       good news. How are things looking for us in terms
       of sales this month?

 B:     Uh well...would you like the bad news first or the
        really bad news?

 A:    What? Ed, don’t tell me you only have bad news!

 B:    Well sir, our sales have dropped, no plunged³, fifty
        percent in the past month alone. We are currently
       overstocked  and  overstaffed  and  our  profits  are
       falling  fast. The  market  is  in  recession  and  we
        have  no  way  of  moving  our  inventory,  or  getting
        rid  of  our  staff. If  we  consider  redundancies,  it
       would cost us a fortune because of the new reg-
        ulations governing compensation packages. It’s a
        real mess.
 A:     For crying  out loud...  How  fast are we losing
        money?

 B:     Um...how can I put this? Let’s just say that at this
        pace,  we will be filing for Chapter eleven in less
       than three months.

 A:    What! Geez! How could this have happened? So
       what’s the bad news?

 B:    Oh, that’s the really bad news. Our supplier suf-
       fered QC problems and, well, half of our produc-
       tion is faulty. We’re going to have to recall all items
       sold in the last quarter. And the worst part? We’re
       going to have to shoulder this cost.

 A:    Are you joking?  Get the supplier on the line now!
       They have to assume the costs of this mess!

 B:    We tried that, sir. The factory has gone under and
       the owner apparently⁴ has fled the country.
 A:    We’re doomed⁵!

 B:    There is some really good news though!

 A:     Really? What!

 B:     I got offered a new job!