下班後,一班同事到咖啡室閒聊,輕鬆一下,談天說地一番之後,話題不經不覺又回到工作上,於是席間有人說:
Let's not talk shop after working hours.
意思是「公餘時候,不要談公事了」。Talk shop的意思就是在工作時候以外,與同事談公事。
談話沉悶 語帶貶意
大家都知道shop是商店,但其實shop亦可解作工場,即是製造或修理物品的地方,故此shop就是工作的地方。至於talk shop,則是指一班同事或同一職業的人士在辦公時間以外談論公司事務或行業情報,有時帶有一點貶意,指談話沉悶,更會令在場其他人覺得沒趣。
My colleagues often hang around in small groups after work and talk shop.
我的同事常常在下班後三五成群聚在一起談公事。
She was bored in the party as everybody was just talking shop all the time.
聚會上她感到很悶,因為大家都只是在談公事。
Shop talk 公事對話
Talk shop是動詞,而shop talk(或作shoptalk)則是名詞,泛指這類公事對話,是統稱,不可數名詞。
Conversations during dinner started with family matters, but soon turned to shop talk.
晚餐上的交談起初只涉及一些家庭瑣碎事,但不久便變成公事對話。
He avoided his colleagues socially because he didn't like their shop talk.
他避免與同事交際應酬,因他不喜歡他們在社交時談公事。
A talk shop 只談不做
此外有另一個是可數名詞a talk shop(或作a talking shop)。不要混淆了,這是指一個只會說,卻做不出成績來的組織或機構。
Without funding, the organization will achieve nothing and become a talk shop.
沒有撥款,這個機構做不出甚麼來,只會變成清談組織。
We are very disappointed at the committee. There is no real result and it is just a talking shop.
我們對於這個委員會很失望。他們沒有做出真正的成績,只是一個空談機構。
公餘時本應談天說地,卻去談公事(talk shop),有時會令人感覺很沉悶。然而,一個機構沒有實務,卻只談不做,就變成清談組織(a talk shop)。 ■Lina CHU
linachu88@netvigator.com
逢周三見報
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