公司陷入困境，史蒂夫要求莉莉娅裁掉一名下属。回复“0817yinpin”收听今天的商务音频。
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F: Are you sure that there's no other way?
你确定没别的办法了吗？
M: Lilia, you've seen the books. The company is in real trouble, we have to do something.
莉莉娅，你也看了账簿，公司确实有困难，我们必须做点什么。
F: I know. I just can't believe it's come to this.
我知道，我就是无法相信走到了这一步。
M: I know. Letting someone go is never easy, I understand that, especially when it's a subordinate of yours. But we can't go any
further without laying someone off.
我知道，裁员从来都不容易，这点我懂，特别是裁掉自己的下属，但是我们不裁员公司就无法运转了。
[口语点睛]
Book在商务英语里常常指公司记录财务数据的账簿，一般以复数形式出现，如：The books show a profit.(从账簿来
看是盈利的。)
陷入困境除了用be in trouble表示，还可以用be in hot water, be in a pickle, be in a plight等等。
Subordinate在上文中作名词，是下属的意思，它还可以作形容词，意为次要的，从属的，如：His contention is that
environment plays a subordinate role to heredity in determining what we become.(他的观点是，相比遗传，环境在塑造我
们人格方面起次要作用。)
内容来源：Chinadaily双语手机报（回复“免费体验”查看免费阅读30天使用方式）