Penny: How come you didn’t go into work today.

Sheldon: I’m taking a sabbatical, because I won’t kow-tow to mediocre minds.

Penny: So you got canned, huh?

Sheldon: Theoretical physicists do not get canned. But yeah.

taking a sabbatical
sabbatical
【釋】a period of paid leave granted to a university teacher for study or travel, traditionally one year for every seven years worked.
公休
【例】she＇s away on sabbatical.
她正在休公休假中
【例】Perhaps I should have said : I 'm taking a sabbatical．
也許我應該這么說“我正在休公休假中”

kow-tow
【釋】act in an excessively subservient manner
由中文“磕頭”音譯而來。這里指Sheldon修飾自己對新老板的嘲諷，不向平庸的頭腦臣服。

got canned
can
【釋】North American informal dismiss from a job
北美對失業(yè)的不正式說法
【例】he was canned because of a tiff over promotion.
他因為升職而引發(fā)的爭吵而被解雇。

got canned
【釋】'To get canned' means to lose your job. We also say to get fired or sacked or dismissed usually without prior notice.
被解雇，被炒魷魚
【例】he got canned from his job for slacking off too much.
他因為懶惰而被解雇
【例】Did you hear about Bobby? He got canned yesterday.
你聽說Bobby了嗎？他昨天被解雇了

生活大爆炸S01E04 MJE美劇筆記：煎蛋實驗

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作者@MJE美劇口語聯(lián)盟（麥田精注 聰*elephant審校）