A: Long time no see! How have you been since you graduated?
A： 好久不见！毕业后你怎么样？

B: Not too bad. Why hasn't C arrived yet? Didn't we have a lunch appointment at twelve
B：还不错。为什么 C 还没有到来？我们不是在十二点约好午餐吗

A: I just asked her. She explain that she was coming from the airport and there was some traffic on the way. It might take another seven or eight minutes.
答：我刚才问了她。她解释说她是从机场过来的，路上有一些交通。可能需要 7 到 8 分钟。

B: I saw her!
B：我看到她了！

AB waved and C embraced
AB 挥手，C 拥抱

C: Sorry to keep you waiting. There was a little traffic jam on the road. This is my gift to you from America.
C：很抱歉让你久等了。路上有点堵车。这是我从美国送给你的礼物。

AB Open Presents

B: Oh my God, how did you know I happen to like this!
B：天哪，你怎么知道我碰巧喜欢这个！

A Express in action
A Express 的实际应用

A: I thought you were going to stand us up. I was just telling B that if you stood us up, we would break off our friendship.
答：我以为你会站起来。我只是告诉 B，如果你站出来支持我们，我们就会断绝我们的友谊。

B: Yeah, you were so late. But it's okay, I'm glad you're back in China! Alright, alright, come sit down. This is our favorite restaurant from before; it's been renovated now, but the owner is still the same. I'm sure you'll like it.
B：是的，你来得太晚了。但没关系，我很高兴你回到了中国！好了，好了，过来坐下。这是我们以前最喜欢的餐厅;现在已经装修过了，但老板还是一样。我相信你会喜欢的。

C sits down, A and B pour water for her.
C 坐下，A 和 B 为她倒水。

C: I'm really sorry. I apologize for my lateness. I hope you don't mind. (C spots her favorite noodles) Wow, these are my favorite noodles. (Seeing the fork, C asks A and B) Can I use a fork instead of chopsticks?
C：我真的很抱歉。我为我的迟到道歉。我希望你不介意。（C 发现她最喜欢的面条）哇，这些是我最喜欢的面条。（看到分叉，C 问 A 和 B）我可以用叉子代替筷子吗？

A: Of course! But Chinese people usually use chopsticks. If you're interested, you can learn to use them with us.
A： 当然可以！但中国人通常使用筷子。如果您有兴趣，可以与我们一起学习使用它们。

C: That's great! Chinese culture is so inclusive! how is everything going?
C：太好了！中国文化如此包容！一切进展如何？

A: As you know,I just graduated. It's hard to find a job. Things are complicated and the salary is small. I've been working late lately, mostly at 11 or 12.
答：如您所知，我刚刚毕业。很难找到工作。事情很复杂，薪水也很少。我最近工作到很晚，大部分时间都在 11 点或 12 点。

B: Yes, the office leader also makes me work overtime every day. The salary is only enough to support myself, and even the family subsidy is not enough. When will this day end
B：是的，办公室领导也让我每天加班。工资只够养活自己，连家庭补贴都不够。这一天什么时候结束

A: It's okay. We'll relax when we retire. Come on.
答：没关系。我们退休后会放松。加油。

AB sigh
AB叹息

C frowns, drinks water, looks at the two people in front of him and thinks how can you talk about this
C 皱着眉头，喝着水，看着眼前的两个人，心想怎么谈这个

B: What about you? How's your job going these days? How much money do you make a month?
B：你呢？你这几天的工作怎么样？你一个月赚多少钱？

C didn't want to open his mouth and he couldn't help but speak
C 不想张口，忍不住开口

C: How can you talk about this (it involves my privacy)
C：你怎么谈这个（这涉及到我的隐私）

A: What? Why can't we talk about this?
A： 什么？为什么我们不能谈论这个？

C: It's a taboo topic! In the United States, talking too much about privacy issues will be considered disrespectful by our friends, so we usually don't talk about these topics.
C：这是一个禁忌话题！在美国，过多谈论隐私问题会被我们的朋友认为是不尊重，因此我们通常不会谈论这些话题。

B: But this is very common in China. We talk about this kind of topic almost every time we have dinner in order to know the life of our friends and enhance our feelings.
B：但这在中国很常见。我们几乎每次吃饭都会谈论这种话题，以了解我们朋友的生活并增进我们的感情。

A: Yes, things like working days, annual leave, overtime and overtime pay are our daily topics
答：是的，工作日、年假、加班和加班费等都是我们的日常话题

C: Well, I didn't know there were so many gaps, but now that I'm in China I should try to get used to talking to you about these topics.
C：嗯，我不知道有这么多差距，但现在我在中国，我应该试着习惯和你谈论这些话题。

B：Do you only work four days a week?
B：你每周只工作四天吗？

C：It’s not true.99% of people still have to work five days a week.
C：这不是真的，99% 的人仍然必须每周工作 5 天。

A：I learned online that you can choose when to work, is that correct?
A：我在网上了解到你可以选择什么时候上班，对吗？

C：oh，This is called a flexible working schedule.And others, Mostly in office job do you flexible hours. They can start and finish work whenever they want, as long as they do a certain number of hours a week，And we don't need to clock in.
C：哎呀，这叫弹性工作时间表。和其他人Mostly 在办公室工作 你 灵活的时间。他们可以随时开始和结束工作，只要他们每周做一定的小时数，而且我们不需要打卡。

B: That's great. I wish I could have that too, instead of working from 9AM to 9PM，six days a week or work all year around with clocking in. Your work system is literally my dream system. I'm so eager for a relaxed and enjoyable work environment.
B：太好了。我希望我也能拥有这样的生活，而不是每周工作六天，从早上 9 点到晚上 9 点工作，或者全年打卡工作。你的工作系统简直就是我梦寐以求的系统。我非常渴望一个轻松愉快的工作环境。

C: I heard you also have take working days off. Is that true?
C：我听说你也有工作日休假。这是真的吗？

A: Of course, it's true. Don't you have that?
答：当然，这是真的。你没有吗？

C: Of course not! There's not even a direct translation for "调休" in English. Public holidays are on weekends, and there might be an additional day off on a Monday or Friday within the week, like for the king's coronation.This can barely be called "time off in lieu".
C：当然不是！在英语中甚至没有直接翻译“调休”。公共假期在周末，一周内的周一或周五可能会有额外的休息日，就像国王的加冕典礼一样，这几乎不能称为“代替休假”。

B: That's really nice. I envy you, C. Our company doesn't even offer many annual leave days, and we have Big and little weeks. Sometimes, team-building activities also take up weekend time, which doesn't relax me but makes me feel tired. I just want to rest properly!
B：那真是太好了。我很羡慕你，C。我们公司甚至没有提供很多年假，我们有大周和小周。有时，团队建设活动也会占用周末时间，这不会让我放松，反而会让我感到疲惫。我只想好好休息！

C: Oh, your company sounds terrible! Our company offers 20-30 annual leave days a year for us to relax and adjust our mood, so we can work more efficiently. We generally keep work and life strictly separate, but occasionally we'll have small gatherings with colleagues.
C：哦，你的公司听起来很糟糕！我们公司每年提供 20-30 天的年假，让我们放松和调整心情，这样我们就可以更高效地工作。我们通常将工作和生活严格分开，但偶尔会与同事举行小型聚会。

B: Oh my god, your life is exactly my ideal life!
B：天哪，你的生活正是我理想的生活！

A: Will you work overtime?
A： 你会加班吗？

C: Of course, everyone I know works overtime occasionally. But not super late, maybe an hour or 2 a day But nothing super crazy to lie 11 pm or something. Some foreigners do work super long hours. They work 70 hour weeks.
C：当然，我认识的每个人都偶尔会加班。但不是特别晚，也许一天一两个小时，但晚上 11 点躺着什么的没什么超级疯狂的。一些外国人确实工作时间超长。他们每周工作 70 小时。

B: We usually get paid extra for overtime, but not much. Is it the same for you?
B：我们通常会得到额外的加班费，但不会很多。你也一样吗？

C: While most hourly salaried jobs pay extra for over time, for example: waiters and shop assistants. But most office based jobs don't get paid extra for over time, but we get time off in lieu.
C：虽然大多数小时工工作都会为加班支付额外费用，例如：服务员和店员。但是大多数办公室工作不会因为加班而获得额外报酬，但我们有休假代替。

A: Then working overtime is a common thing for us.
答：那么加班对我们来说是很常见的事情。

B: Maybe that's why people here seek complete relaxation and don't want to work.
B：也许这就是为什么这里的人们寻求完全的放松，不想工作的原因。

C: Nevertheless, we should work happily and love life! Work is to find a better self, not to work hard for the company and boss.
C：尽管如此，我们应该快乐工作，热爱生活！工作是为了找到更好的自己，而不是为了公司和老板而努力工作。

A: Are everyone done eating? I'll go pay the bill.
A： 大家都吃完了吗？我去付账。

B: The delicious food has been eaten up, go ahead.
B：美味的食物已经吃完了，请继续。

C: How much is the meal? I'll send you the money via mobile payment.
C： 餐费多少钱？我会通过移动支付将钱汇给您。

A: No, no, I'll go pay the bill.
答：不，不，我去付账。

B: It was really hard for you to fly here from abroad, you should take this opportunity to experience Chinese life and relax before going back to work.
B： 从国外飞到这里真的很难，你应该借此机会体验一下中国生活，放松一下，然后再回去工作。

C: Of course, even if I didn't come to China, I often take such vacations with my friends to go picnicking or hiking. I'm very happy that I could talk about things I used to be afraid to discuss openly during this trip.
C：当然，即使我没有来中国，我也经常和朋友一起度假，去野餐或远足。我很高兴在这次旅行中可以谈论我以前害怕公开讨论的事情。

B: Chinese culture is profound and rich.It's reassuring for me that you can adapt to it.
B：中国文化博大精深。你可以适应它，这让我很放心。

A: Let's go together to the next destination.
A： 让我们一起前往下一个目的地。