轉錄工商時報-電影裡的商業英文 Up in the Air
經濟危機催生的新職業:轉職顧問 transition specialist 電影《型男飛行日誌》的英文片名是“Up in the air”。這個片名有好幾個層次的意思，第一是整天在空中飛來飛去；主角在航空公司擔任轉職顧問，必須像空中飛人般四處裁員。第二是懸而未決，“ up in the air”，望文生義，還懸在空中，沒法解決。劇情中，主角喬治克隆尼的情感關係、片中被裁員工的生計，都是up in the air。如果你看過本片，回味一下它的英文，還沒看過也很好，看一看紙上電影，可以學到很多實用的句子.....
●劇情：
剛從Cornell商學院畢業的女孩娜塔莉新加入航空公司，她開發了一套遠端裁員系統，讓裁員變得輕鬆省事，但讓原來負責面對面裁員的萊恩的工作顯得毫無必要。公司老闆克瑞格支持娜塔莉的嘗試，召回所有員工，讓娜塔莉對新系統進行了現場演示，可是萊恩並不服氣……
●精彩對白：
Craig: Welcome home, boys. I know there's been a lot of whispering about why we're here, so let me jump right in. Retailers are down 20%. Auto industry is in the dump. Housing market doesn't have a heartbeat. It is one of the worst times on record for America. This is our moment. Now, last summer, we received a dynamite young woman here from Cornell, and she had some pretty big ideas that she challenged me with. And my first reaction was, “Who does this kid think that she is?” But after I gave it a listen, she really knocked me out. So, with a peek into our future, Natalie Keener.
Natalie: If there's one word I want to leave you with today, it's this.
Colleague: “Glocal”?
Natalie: Glocal. Our global must become local. This company keeps 23 people on the road at least 250 days a year. It's expensive, and it's inefficient. When I came to Craig three months ago with this, he told me, and quite astutely, it's only a problem if you have a solution. Well, today I stand before you with just that. You all know Ned in reception. Today I'm gonna fire Ned. Sorry, Ned. I'm sure HR will hire you back this afternoon.
Craig: We'll see about that.
Natalie: Now Ned could be any employee in any one of our clients' locations worldwide. Strategy packets will be shipped in advance. Ned would be given a seat and find one of our transition specialists waiting for him. Mr. Laskin, the reason we're having this conversation is your position is no longer available.
Ned: I don't understand. I'm fired?
Natalie: Hearing the words “you've been let go” is never easy. Change is always scary, but consider the following. Anybody who ever built an empire or changed the world sat where you are now. And it's because they sat there that they were able to do it.
Ryan: That's my fucking line.
Ned: But what happens now?
Natalie: This is the first step of a process that will end with you in a new job that fulfills you.
Ned: Yeah. But how does it work?
Natalie: I want you to take the packet in front of you. Review it. All the answers you're looking for are inside. Start filling out the necessary information, and before you know it, you'll be on your way to new opportunities. Now, Ned, I need you to go back to your desk and start putting together your things. As a favor to me, I'd appreciate it if you didn't spread the news just yet. Panic doesn't help anyone.
Ned: I understand.
Natalie: Give it up for Ned. You can start the morning in Boston, stop in Dallas over lunch, and finish the day in San Francisco, all for the price of a T1 line. Our inflated travel budget is eviscerated by 85%. And more importantly to you guys on the road, no more Christmases in a hotel in Tulsa, no more hours lost to weather delays. You get to come home.
活學活用的道地英語
1. jump right in: jump in指「匆忙行事，急於行動」，在此對話中的意思是「那我就開門見山了。」 此外，jump in還可以表示「打斷談話、插話」，例如：If you have any questions, jump right in.（如果有什麼問題，就直接說。）
2. don't have a heartbeat: 沒有心跳，在這裡指汽車工業「完全潰敗，一蹶不振」。
3. knock out: 在拳擊中一拳把人打倒叫knock out。在這裡指有共鳴、打動人。Knock out的意思很多，我們看一下幾個例句：
●The film just knocked me out it's the best thing I've ever seen. 這電影好的不得了－是我看過的最好的一部。
●Don't drink too much of this. It'll knock you out! 這種酒別喝太多－喝多了就醉了！
●She's knocking herself out with all that work. 工作把她搞得筋疲力竭。Knock out合起來可以當名詞，如果你聽人說She is a knock-out, isn't she? 意思是她讓人驚豔，像一拳打倒那樣。很傳神吧！
4. glocal: 全球在地化，global和local的合成詞。這種進程也稱為glocalization。
5. transition specialist: 職業轉換專家，也就是「裁員專家」美化的說法。
6. not…just yet 先不要
I wouldn't want to do it, not just yet anyway. 我不想做件事，至少現在不想。
7. as a favor to me: 算幫我個忙。「幫我個忙」還可以用do me a favor來表示。
8. eviscerate: 除去精華，除去主要部分。娜塔莉在此的意思是「我們昂貴的出差預算能削減85％」。
