ESL Podcast 524 – Talking About Failure

（单词翻译）

Akiko: How did your presentation go over this morning at the meeting?

Gerry: It was a complete flop¹!

Akiko: I don’t believe it. You spent weeks working on that presentation.

Gerry: It wasn’t the presentation that bombed. It was my big idea. Leona called it a retread of what I presented last year, and she was not in the least impressed.

Akiko: Ouch, that’s pretty harsh. What did the others say?

Gerry: Overall, the response was dismal². Everyone else was trying to be tactful, but it boiled down to the fact that they thought it was pathetic.

Akiko: I’m sure that’s not true. And if they didn’t jump up and down about the idea right away, they’re bound to come around after you give them more details.

Gerry: I don’t know…

Akiko: Come on, aren’t you the same guy who told me that you didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘quit’?

Gerry: That was before this morning’s presentation.

Akiko: Are you giving up on your great idea?

Gerry: No, I guess not, but it’ll take some reworking…

Akiko: Good, then you won’t give up?

Gerry: I guess not. What the heck? I’m only risking more humiliation³ and failure, right?

Akiko: That’s the spirit!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse