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Jingjing: Mark, are you all set for the Spring Festival?
京晶：马克，一切就绪准备好过春节了吗?
Mark: Ready as I'm going to be. My wife planned a trip for me with her family. I finished work the day before esterday.
马克：准备好了。我太太为我和她的家人策划了一次旅行。我前天已经完成了自己的工作。
Jingjing: You've got it easier than me. I still have a few more days at the office.
京晶：那你这情况比我简单多了。我还得在办公室忙上几天。
Mark: Is it a mad house?
马克：那是一片（节前）忙乱吗？
Jingjing: Not really. I was expecting people to come at me with a lot of odds and ends. But that really hasn't happened. I've even had time to get started on my reading goals for 2020.
京晶：那到没有。我之前以为会有好多杂事来找我解决。实际上还真没有。我甚至还有时间开始执行我的2020年阅读目标。
Mark: Yeah, I know you told me you plan to read a lot more this year. Hey, it's the Year of the Rat, isn't it?
马克：对啊，我记得你告诉过我今年你打算读更多的书。嘿，今年是鼠年，不是吗?
Jingjing: It will be after the “Beginning of Spring”
京晶：得过了立春才是鼠年。
Mark: That's what I meant. Jingjing, what can you tell me about the rat zodiac sign?
马克：我就是那个意思。京晶，关于鼠年生肖,你有什么可以告诉我的？
Jingjing: Well, first of all, the Rat Year is a good year for careful planning. Things go well if they are planned well. Otherwise, they might go worse than usual.
京晶：首先，鼠年是一个适合精心规划的好年头。如果计划得当，事情就会进展顺利。否则，情况可能会比平时更糟。
Mark: What does that have to do with rats?
马克：这和老鼠有什么关系呢？
Jingjing: Well, rats are industrious and and alert. So, if you pay attention to your plans and all the details, you'll probably be quite successful in what you do.
京晶：嗯，老鼠是勤勉和机警的。所以，如果你重视你的计划和所有的细节，可能会让你所做之事大获成功。
Mark: I wasn't born in a Rat year, though. Does that still affect me?
马克：不过，我不是在鼠年出生的。那对我有影响吗?
Jingjing: It sure does. You mentioned a trip. That's a good thing to plan carefully, in addition to projects at work.
京晶：当然有。你提到过旅行。除了工作项目之外，这就是一个很好的需要仔细做好计划的事。
Mark: Hmm. I'd better start thinking about that. I usually fly by the seat of my pants whenever I travel; but that probably isn't a good idea when travelling with family members.
马克：嗯。我最好马上开始考虑起来。我每次旅行都是跟着感觉走，但和家人一起出去旅行，这可不是一个好主意。
Jingjing: Think about a rat's personality. It stores a lot of food for winter. It knows its surroundings very well.
京晶：想想老鼠的个性。它为过冬储存大量食物。并对周围环境了然于胸。
Mark: Those are good things to keep in mind.
马克：这些都是很好的需要谨记在心的。
Jingjing: I'll tell you more next time I see you.
京晶：下次见面我再告诉你一些。
a mad house 喧闹之地 极为忙碌吵闹的场所
a busy and chaotic place (often a workplace with lots of people)
odds and ends 零碎；琐碎的东西
small things that are not very necessary (here it refers to small tasks and requests from colleagues)
fly by the seat of
do something without planning or foresight
Jingjing: Hi again, Mark. Are you ready to talk more about the Year of the Rat?
京晶：嗨,马克。准备好多谈谈鼠年了吗?
Mark: Yeah, I just looked up a list of names: famous people born in Rat years.
马克：是的，我刚查找了一份名单:鼠年出生的名人。
Jingjing: Oh yeah. I know Jude Law, one of my favorite actors, was born in a Rat year.
京晶：噢,是的。我知道裘德·洛，我最喜欢的演员之一，他就出生在鼠年。
Mark: Yeah, so was Hugh Grant, as well as a couple politicians. Can you guess which ones?
马克：是的，休·格兰特也是，还有一些政治家。你能猜出是哪些吗?
Jingjing: George Washington and John F Kennedy?
京晶：有乔治·华盛顿和约翰·肯尼迪吗？
Mark: You must have seen that list already!
马克：你肯定已经看过那份名单了！
Jingjing: I just looked at it a few minutes ago. Do you remember which business leaders were on there?
京晶：我几分钟前刚看的。你还记得在名单上还有哪些商界领袖吗?
Mark: Yeah, Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg.
马克：记得，蒂姆·库克和马克·扎克伯格。
Jingjing: Typically, someone born in a Rat year doesn't rise to be a leader.
京晶：一般来说，鼠年出生的人不会成长为领导者。
Mark: How come?
马克：怎么说？
Jingjing: Well, even though Rats are well-organized and hard-working, they sometimes lack the courage to stand up to people.
京晶：嗯，尽管老鼠很有条理，工作努力，但有时它们还是缺乏勇敢面对人群的勇气。
Mark: So, they tend to be better managers than leaders, right?
马克：因此，他们往往是好的管理者而不是领导者，对吗?
Jingjing: Yes. They have good relationship skills and stick to a small group of close friends. Some Rats are tactful and diplomatic, while others speak a bit too frankly.
京晶：是的。他们有良好的人际关系技巧，和亲近的朋友小团体保持密切关系。有些老鼠圆滑得体老练，而另一些说话时则有点过于坦率.
Mark: That rings a bell. I know a few people who are Rats. That's a pretty fitting description.
马克：这提醒我了。我认识一些属鼠的人。这是一个非常贴切的描述。
Jingjing: Well, they get along with almost anyone. No wonder they're your friends.
京晶：嗯，他们几乎和任何人都处得来。难怪他们是你的朋友。
Mark: Ha ha. Live and let live.
马克：哈哈。宽容待人，和平共处嘛。
New words : 习语短语
stand up to
confront someone
ring a bell 使某人想起某事，使人回忆起
remind someone of something, sound familiar
Live and let live. 待人宽容；和平共存（自己活也让别人活）
(a saying) be tolerant of others, live peacefully among people who are different from you
