A: Kat, 我可要批评你了，How could you zone out in the middle of the show?

B: I'm really sorry! I was thinking about all the things I want to say to my supervisor! 他今天早晨又让我去帮他买咖啡！我又不是给他跑腿的小时工！

A: 原来是这样！也许你可以跟他谈谈，说不定他根本就没觉得这是个事儿呢！

B: if he asks me to buy coffee again, I will throw it in his face! Yeah, yeah! I will do that! 不过大家先拿我当个模版，咱们来看看跑腿儿用美语怎么说！

Donny 在北京学汉语，他的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词，就会来请教他。今天是方方要问的：跟班打杂的。

Donny: Hey, Fang Fang, what's up? Do you like your new job?

FF: 啊，还行吧。就是初来乍到，专业一点都用不上，尽打杂了。

Donny: 打杂？What do you do everyday?

FF: 无非就是复印文件，取东西，接电话什么的。哎？美国人怎么形容这种工作啊？

Donny: Oh! Someone who does small and unimportant tasks at work is called a go-for. g-o-f-o-r, go-for.

FF: 哦! 这么说，go-for 就是公司里的小弟小妹! go-for 的主要工作就是跑腿儿。那“跑腿”又怎么说呢？

Donny: We say they "run errands for others." Run is spelled r-u-n, errands is spelled e-r-r-a-n-d-s. The word "errand" means a short trip that's taken to finish a necessary task.

FF: Errand 差事，复数加s, errands, 所以 run errands for others 就是替别人“跑腿”的意思。

Donny: That's right. I guess you don't really like running errands for your boss, right?

FF: 是啊，我想做有意义的工作，可老板总让我干些没用的活儿。

Donny: She gives you a lot of busy work, I'm assuming? The phrase "busy work" refers to tasks that keep people busy but are not very useful.

FF: 哦! 原来，busy work 就是花时间，但没意义的工作。老板给我 busy work，并不是因为这些工作重要，而是因为她不愿意看我闲着!

Donny: That's right! Fangfang, a lot of people start as go-fors and work their way up. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Now let's see what you've learned today!

FF: 公司里跑腿打杂的小弟小妹叫 go-for；跑腿是 run errands for others；消磨时间，但是没意义的工作是 busy work.

这次的“美语怎么说”就到这里结束了。如果你也有不会说的词，请写信给 Donny, 电邮请寄meiyu@voanews.com

B: See, I'm such a go-for at work! I hate that they make me do all this busy work!

A: 怎么可能！你可是我们的优秀主持人！上次还有听众说最喜欢Kat的幽默风格呢！

B: haha, you know how to cheer me up, girl! Thanks! 好了，咱们接下来说点好玩的，Today Tom is taking his dog to a pet psychologist!

A: 宠物心理医生？这真的靠谱吗？咱们赶快去听一听！