Intermediate - Flattery in the Office (C0623)

A:老板早!哟,您今天气色真好!
Good morning, boss! Wow, you're looking energetic today!
Lǎobǎn zǎo! Yō, nín jīntiān qìsè zhēn hǎo!
B:是吗?我觉得和平时差不多嘛。
Really? I feel the same as always...
Shì ma? Wǒ juéde hé píngshí chàbuduō ma.
A:平时就不错,最近是越来越好了。我们公司的业绩也跟您的气色一样,一天比一天好了。
Well, you're always pretty good, but you've been looking better and better lately. Our company's results are also looking good, and getting better every day.
Píngshí jiù bùcuò, zuìjìn shì yuèláiyuè hǎo le. Wǒmen gōngsī de yèjì yě gēn nín de qìsè yīyàng, yī tiān bǐ yī tiān hǎo le.
B:这要多谢大家的努力啊。
Well, we have everyone's hard work to thank for that.
Zhè yào duōxiè dàjiā de nǔlì a.
C:老板,您来得真早。现在哪有像您这样认真的老板!
Boss, you're here early. These days a boss as dedicated as you is hard to come by!
Lǎobǎn, nín lái de zhēn zǎo. Xiànzài nǎyǒu xiàng nín zhèyàng rènzhēn de lǎobǎn!
B:事情多嘛,肯定要早点来。
There's a lot to do. I've got to come early.
Shìqing duō ma, kěndìng yào zǎo diǎn lái.
C:现在好多老板都把工作推给员工。而您都是自己做,还教我们怎么做。这几年我们从您那儿学了不少东西。
Nowadays a lot of bosses push their work onto their employees. But you do it yourself, and teach us how to do it. We've learned a lot from you these past few years.
Xiànzài hǎo duō lǎobǎn dōu bǎ gōngzuò tuīgěi yuángōng. ér nín dōu shì zìjǐ zuò, hái jiāo wǒmen zěnme zuò. Zhè jǐ nián wǒmen cóng nín nàr5 xué le bùshǎo dōngxi.
B:应该的。你们有进步,公司才会进步啊。
That's my job. Only when you all make progress does the company make progress.
Yīnggāi de. Nǐmen yǒu jìnbù, gōngsī cái huì jìnbù a.
D:老板早!您穿西装真好看。您身材保持得这么好,肯定有什么窍门吧?
Good morning boss! You look good in a suit. You've really stayed in shape. You must have some secret technique?
Lǎobǎn zǎo! Nín chuān xīzhuāng zhēn hǎokàn. Nín shēncái bǎochí de zhème hǎo, kěndìng yǒu shénme qiàomén ba?
B:我肚子这么大,怎么能叫好呢?
How can you call a belly this big "staying in shape?"
Wǒ dùzi zhème dà, zěnme néng jiào hǎo ne?
D:您这是福相。别人想要都没有呢。
That's just showing your success. Some people who want that can't get it.
Nín zhè shì fúxiàng. Biérén xiǎng yào dōu méiyǒu ne.
B:呵呵,今天是什么日子?大家都夸我。噢,对了!今天我要决定谁升职。
Heh heh. What day is today? Everyone is complimenting me. Oh, that's right! Today I have to decide who gets promoted...
Hēhē, jīntiān shì shénme rìzi? Dàjiā dōu kuā wǒ. ō, duì le! Jīntiān wǒ yào juédìng shéi shēngzhí.

Key Vocabulary

气色qìsècomplexion
业绩yèjìaccomplishment
认真rènzhēndiligent
推给tuīgěito pass off
进步jìnbùprogress
身材shēncáifigure
保持bǎochíto maintain
窍门qiàoménkey
福相fúxiàngshowing good fortune
kuāto praise
升职shēngzhíto promote

Supplementary Vocabulary

拍马屁pāi mǎpìto suck up
说好话shuō hǎohuàto speak favorably of
精神jīngshenvigor
退步tuìbùto regress