Sarah轉到新部門工作不久，在去吃午飯的路上遇到原來的同事Amanda。

S: Hi Amanda, how are you? I've missed working with you and the whole gang since my transfer last week.

A: We've missed you too. The office just isn't the same without you. How is your new job?

S: It's great. I really get to focus on what I like to do and everyone has been very nice and welcoming. However, I'm having a small problem with my new colleagues.

A: What happened?

Sarah告訴Amanda她很想念原來的同事，“I missed working with you and the gang.” Gang有團伙的意思，在這里指常聚在一起的一群人。Amanda也說，The office just isn't the same without you. Sarah走了，辦公室好像就不一樣了。雖然Sarah很喜歡她新的工作，但是在跟新同事相處時卻遇到了一些小麻煩。

S: Well, three people are celebrating their birthdays this month and the policy here is for everyone to contribute ten dollars to a card and cake for each person.

A: Wow, so you'll be out?30 dollars on your first week at work!

S: I know. It is a lot of money and I haven't gotten to know any of the people celebrating their birthdays well enough yet. At our old department, it was only three dollars for each birthday and there were only ten of us.

原來，這個月有三個新同事過生日，Sarah不得不跟著一起湊份子，買卡片和蛋糕為同事慶祝。They want her to contribute to the card and cake. contribute是貢獻的意思，湊份子也可以用名詞whip-round。這樣一來，She will be out?30 dollars.（一下要出三十塊。）Sarah跟這些同事還不熟，所以覺得有點虧。Amanda安慰她說，

A: Well, every department is different. You wouldn't want your new co-workers to think you're a Grinch, right?

S: What is that? It doesn't sound like a good thing to be.

A: A Grinch is a person who spoils the mood at a happy occasion by being selfish or unenthusiastic. You know - a party pooper.

S: I definitely don't want to be that! But, I still think it's unreasonable for them to ask me for such a big sum of money when we don't know each other very well. What should I do?

Amanda警告Sarah，如果她不出份子錢的話，同事會認為她是Grinch, grinch專門用來形容自私、不熱情、掃興的人。Sarah當然不想讓新同事覺得她是個敗興的人，a party pooper， 可她還是很不甘心，覺得新同事的要求不合理（unreasonable）。這筆份子錢，Sarah最后會出嗎？答案將在明天的口語欄目揭曉。

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（來源：VOA英語教學 編輯：旭燕）

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