129 Dog Days Off p.390

   Have you ever made an excuse for not going to work? I guess most people have. But have you ever called
in for a day off because your dog is sick? I bet you haven't. Most people wouldn't have the guts¹.
    However, some companies in New Zealand find this as an acceptable² reason for taking a day off. It is
counted as paid sick leave. The reason, they say, is simple: "A sick dog is as much a dependant³ as a sick
child." That makes plenty of sense, doesn't it?  This is now known in New Zealand as "dog days off." I
wonder what the bosses in China will say if someone calls in for a dog day off.

I have three days off. 有空
Mary made an excuse for not doing her homework; she said she had a headache.
I can tell you for sure that you'll going to fail if you don't study hard.
Bill didn't have the guts to break up with his girlfriend. 勇气
to keep mug company 陪伴
take sick leave 请病假    take personal leave 请事假
rascal 小霸王   thug 真流氓

1 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

3 dependant   

n.依靠的，依赖的，依赖他人生活者

参考例句：

• The dependent dependant cannot live independently.依靠别人的被赡养者不能独立生活。
• The fact that the woman is still regarded as the man's dependant.再加上女人仍被看作是男人的附属品这一事实。