Normally the dean, Professor John Thomas — yes, we share the same surname — likes to do this, but unfortunately, he has a bad case of flu, so he's doing the sensible thing and staying in bed.
通常情况下,院长约翰·托马斯教授——是的,我们姓氏相同——会负责这件事,但不巧的是,他得了严重的流感,所以他采取了明智的做法,待在床上休息。