Dawn：What did the boss think about your latest marketing proposal? It sounded good to me.
道恩：你最近的銷售策略建議，老闆認為怎樣？我覺得似乎很好。
Roger：It is good, really good. It's been working well in other countries. Some companies are making millions using the new technique.
羅傑：那方案的確很好。其他國家推行，甚見成效。有些公司利用這種新技術，賺錢以百萬計。
Dawn：So what did he say?
道恩：老闆怎麼說呢？
Roger：He gave it the thumbs down.
羅傑：他把建議否決了。
Dawn：Oh, what a shame! You spent so much time on it.
道恩：啊，真可惜！你花了很多時間擬定這方案。
Roger：Too right. It's all very disappointing. I'm beginning to consider my options.
羅傑：一點不錯，令人非常失望。我要知所選擇了。
Dawn：What do you mean?
道恩：我不明白你的意思。
Roger：Well, since this company's not interested in this new technique, I'm thinking of moving to one that is.
羅傑：既然這家公司對這新技術沒有興趣，我打算轉投對此有興趣的公司。
羅傑的老闆否決了他的建議：He gave it the thumbs down。Thumbs down即「拇指向下」，和「否決」有甚麼關係？
原來古羅馬人喜歡驅奴隸上競技場(the Colosseum)格鬥。戰敗的鬥士（gladiator）假如表現出色獲得欣賞，觀眾會向上豎起拇指，表示饒他性命；假如拇指向下，鬥士就要喪命。今天世界已經沒有這種殘酷玩意，但thumbs up、thumbs down 二詞仍常見使用，一表示滿意或贊同，一表示不滿意或否定，例如：（1）The movie critics almost unanimously gave the thumbs down to the new production of Batman（電影評論界幾乎一致批評新製作的《蝙蝠俠》）。（2）I asked if he had enjoyed his vacation in New Zealand, and he gave me the thumbs up （我問他往紐西蘭度假愉不愉快，他豎起拇指表示滿意）。To get/ receive the thumbs up/ down 則是「獲贊許」或「被否定」，例如：My proposal got the thumbs up/ down from the board of directors (董事會批准╱否決了我的建議)。
道恩說羅傑擬定方案花了很多時間，羅傑回答：Too right.… I'm beginning to consider my options。Too right 兩字，常用來表示「你說得對」；option是「選擇」，動詞opt可配for 帶出所選擇的東西，例如：（1）"We have been fleeced by that hotel." "Too right."(「我們被那家旅館敲竹槓。」「一點不錯。」（2）He opted for a trip to Singapore rather than to Malaysia(他選擇去新加坡，不去馬來西亞)。
明天課文
Gloria threw a tantrum
葛蘿莉雅大發脾氣
