Bryce和Kalinda的暑期社会实践都是在餐厅做侍应。Bryce感叹女生在服务行业有优势，Kalinda则认为这与个人的性格以及待人处事的方式有关……

（At a local upscale Italian restaurant. Shift has just ended.）

Bryce： Hey Kali， how much did you make in tips？

Kalinda： Eighty-five1）bucks！ ①Not too 2）shabby.

Bryce： Eighty-five？？ I made less than thirty. I wish I had breasts.

Kalinda： Excuse me？

Bryce： I mean， I dont 3）literally want the burden that goes along with them. I just thought that when I leaned over to clear peoples plates，②it would be cool if there was something about my body that inspired whoever flips the bill to provide me with a more generous 4）gratuity.

Kalinda： You are such a pig， and a 5）misogynist at that. Before you start 6）spewing anymore 7）sexist nonsense， ③why dont you take into account the fact that I am naturally more of a people person than you are？ Face it―social practice is not exactly your 8）forte.

Bryce： Regardless of the proven fact that women actually earn 9）considerably more tips than men do， you are right about one thing： I need more practice being social. ④Unlike you， its in my nature to shy away from conversation. I catch myself avoiding eye contact all the time， which to me， if I were a customer， would be pretty 10）disconcerting.

Kalinda： I never noticed you having any problem talking to me.

Bryce： Thats because of who you are. The first time we met， you 11）exuded this， kind of， positive energy when you spoke. Youre so 12）engaging and 13）inviting， and that sort of positivity is infectious and helps put people at ease， as if theyve known you for years.

Kalinda： Aw...Thats such a nice thing to say. I never knew you felt that way.

Bryce： Oh， no no no―Dont get the wrong idea. You know I have a girlfriend and…

Kalinda： I didnt…I mean I…I know you do…you know， have a girlfriend， I mean. I just never heard anyone say that about me before. Bryce： Well， you are my closest friend. You should know how much you are appreciated. And for who you are， not how you look.

Kalinda： Truth is， I sometimes do think the reason men are so nice to me all the time is because of the way I look. Thats one of the reasons I like to work during the summer； ⑤to prove， in a way， that Im capable of bringing home the bacon—no pun intended.

Bryce： Hehe. You seem to be bringing home quite a bit more bacon than I. ⑥Sorry I got all bent out of shape about it before. I just get the feeling this isnt the occupation for me. As for you， I think youd be perfect doing something like Public Relations or advertising.

Kalinda： Funny you should say that. As a matter of fact， I interviewed for a few internships around town， but none of them offered any sort of salary， just credit hours. So I went to my 14）faculty advisor and found out I could get a few credits， and make some extra money at the same time， waiting tables. So here I am. As for you， I think youd be better suited doing something less social and more intellectual， like tutoring students at home， or publishing a blog.

Bryce： Hmmm...⑦I think you may be on to something there...

Smart Sentences

① Not too shabby. 还不赖！

not too shabby： same as “not bad，” used to respond to general greetings（“还行”，用于回应普通问候语）。例如：

—How is the summer vacation so far？

暑假过得怎么样？

—Not too shabby.

还行。

②It would be cool if there was something about my body that inspired whoever flips the bill to provide me with a more generous gratuity. 我只是想当我俯身去收拾客人的盘子时，如果我的身体能够让买单的人给我更多的小费，那就太棒了。

flip the bill： pay for something； pay for a bill（负担费用，付账）。例如：

Whenever the whole family eats out， each of the siblings takes turns as to who flips the bill.

全家人出去吃饭，兄弟姐妹几人轮流付账。

③ Why dont you take into account the fact that I am naturally more of a people person than you are？ 你为什么不考虑到我生来就比你更善于与人打交道的事实？

take sth. into account： consider sth. when thinking about a situation or making a decision（考虑到，顾及）。例如：

Whenever you plan for a trip， you need to take the weather into account.

你在为旅行做计划时，要把天气因素考虑进去。

people person： sb. who enjoys interacting with people（善于与人打交道的人）。例如：

Look at Jenny over there with the crowd. I cant believe a girl who was once shy has now turned into a people person.

看看在人群当中的简妮，我真不敢相信从前的羞怯女孩儿变成了一个乐于与人打交道的人。

④ Unlike you， its in my nature to shy away from conversation. 不像你，我生来就很怕与人交谈。

in sb.s nature： belonging to sb.s basic quality or character（某人的禀性或本质）。例如：

Its not in her nature to be shy.

她生来就不知道害羞为何物。

⑤ To prove， in a way， that Im capable of bringing home the bacon—no pun intended.以某种方式证明，我能养家糊口——这里没有双关的意思。

bring home the bacon： earn a salary； to bring home money earned at a job（赚钱糊口，打工养家）。例如：I need to get a job soon so I can bring home the bacon.我得赶快打份工来养家糊口。

no pun intended： a pun/joke wasnt in the plan（说双关语不是原意）。例如：

Ive been in the circus for 10 years， and walking the tight rope is my forte—no pun intended.

我在马戏团十年了，走钢丝是我的强项——没有双关语的意思。

⑥ Sorry I got all bent out of shape about it before.对不起，我之前因此而气坏了。

bend （sb.） out of shape： make （sb.） angry（惹某人生气）。例如：

The siblings fight really bent Mom out of shape.

姐妹之间的争吵真的让妈妈非常生气。

⑦ I think you may be on to something there. 我想你说的有一定道理。

on to sth.： find some important information about sth.（找到与某事相关的重要资料）。例如：

Nick looks very confident about the next step. I think he may be on to something.

尼克对下一步很自信，我想他肯定知道了点什么。