C：有了这次的教训，我下次一定会主动自我介绍。
A：Right. Find the approachable people, start with a greeting, give your name, and say something about yourself. Don"t wait for other people to introduce you.
C：我记住了。
礼节美语027讲
陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作，他的美国同事Amy来找他谈事儿。
(Office ambience)
A：Hi Chen Hao, have you got a minute?
C：Amy, 刚才你过来的时候，我正在电话上。
A：It"s not polite to hang around when someone is the phone so I decided to come back.
C：嗨，别提了。我刚才一直在电话上等。想挂，可是好不容易才打通，挂了又得从头来，我就在那儿傻等着，烦死了。
A：I know what you mean. Putting callers on hold for more than thirty seconds is bad for customer relations.
C：半分钟，别说半分钟；我刚才足足等了半小时。不过，Amy, 说实话，我让别人等的时候，有时候也容易把时间忘了。What can I do?
A：Watch the clock. Time passes quickly for the person who is busy with other callers or issues, but for the person on hold, time creeps by.
C：就是这么回事。在电话上等，确实觉得时间过得特别慢，所以越等越不耐烦。
A：Since your job doesn"t involve answering other people"s calls, I would guess that your callers are waiting for you to look up information while they hold.
C：没错，一般情况下，我都会让客户在电话上等着别挂，我马上设法帮他们解决问题。
A：There is a difference in holding for someone to answer the phone and holding for someone to look up information for you.
C：在线上等别人接你的电话和等别人去帮你查资料有什么不一样呢？
A：If you ask people to hold while you are looking up information or trying to help them in some way, they are willing to wait.
C：我怎么还是不明白？
A：People are happy to wait while you work on their behalf.
C：噢，他们知道对方是在为自己解决问题，所以等得心甘情愿。那些等着别人接听电话的人呢？
A：When you take your time getting to the call, the caller starts to imagine all sorts of scenarios.
C：没错，我就经常怀疑对方是把我给忘了。
A：The caller may suspect you don"t think the caller is important.
C：还有呢？
A：Maybe you don"t value the caller"s time?
C：对呀，在线上等电话是越等越急，越急就容易胡思乱想。
A：Yes, and the result is that your caller is pretty annoyed when you finally answer the phone.
C：没错，那客户肯定很不高兴，觉得我没有礼貌。
A：Exactly. So if you want to avoid making people feel unimportant or ignored, pick up your phone as soon as you know you have a caller waiting.
C：如果没办法马上接电话，我通常都会让秘书请客户决定，是在线上继续等，还是在电话信箱里留言。
A：Exactly, good business etiquette as usual is to be considerate of the other person.
礼节美语028讲
陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他上班中间休息，跟美国同事Amy一起下楼喝茶。
(Office ambience)
C：Amy, 你干嘛老看我的脚啊？
A：I"m sorry. I just couldn"t help noticing that you aren"t wearing socks today.
C：天儿太热了，不穿袜子还凉快点儿。
A：Personally, that might be all right, but professionally that"s a bad decision.
C：为什么？我见过很多人上班都不穿袜子的。
A：However, at ABC Company, professional dress is important for our corporate image.
C：我上班穿西装，打领带，这还不够吗？
A：No. Would you consider not wearing a shirt with your coat and tie?
C：我当然不会光着膀子穿西装打领带了。
A：Then you shouldn"t consider wearing your shoes without socks. If your boss Mr. Jones sees you, he will not be pleased.
C：那可坏了。我可我没带袜子。这怎么办呀？
A：Avoid Mr. Jones at all cost. Then buy some socks when you go out for lunch today. There"s a department store right around the corner.
C：你说得对，我得先躲着点儿老板，中午吃饭的时候赶紧去商店买袜子穿上。I will see you later.
******
MC：午饭后，陈豪找到Amy.
A：Chen Hao, did you find any socks?
C：我正准备穿上呢！天儿热，所以我买了两双白袜子，起码比深颜色的袜子凉快点儿。
A：Oh dear.
C：怎么了？
A：White socks are inappropriate for corporate dress. They are more for athletic wear and outdoor attire.
C：啊？白袜子是跑步打球穿的，不是上班穿的。怎么这么多讲究呀！好在我还买了一双深色的。服务员一直向我推销高腰儿的，就是可以拉到小腿肚儿上来的那一种。我觉得太热，没买。
A：Oh dear.
C：又怎么了？
A：You should have listened to the salesman. Short socks just won"t do in the business environment.
C：那为什么？
A：It"s because when you sit down and cross your legs in short socks, you expose everyone around you to the sight of your hairy legs.
C：Amy, 我从来没想到穿袜子还有这么多讲究。
A：Your business attire is extremely important "right down to your socks".
C：这么说，我穿成什么样儿也会影响到公司形象了。看来我下班还得再去买袜子，Amy，你陪我去吧，完了事儿我请你吃饭。
A：Thank you. I"ll look forward to that.
C：Amy，你能不能再告诉我一下上班要穿什么样的袜子。这样我心里就有数了。
A：Avoid white socks and short socks. The right sock in business is the one that covers your calf and matches your shoes and pants.
礼节美语029讲
陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他在走廊上远远地看到美国同事Amy，连忙赶了过去。
(Office ambience)
C：Amy, 我有点儿急事想请教你。
A：OK, What is it?
C：跟我一个办公室的Todd, 他妈妈在美国去世了。
A：I don"t know Todd, but I am sorry to hear that.
C：他要回美国奔丧。我想为他做点儿什么，但又不知道怎样做才符合西方的礼节，所以今天早上我一直在躲着他。
A：That"s a perfectly natural response. May I suggest a few things?
C：太好了，你快告诉我。
A：First of all, don"t avoid him. Make a point of going to him immediately and offering your condolences.
C：什么是condolences?
A：Condolences就是表示同情、慰问。
C：我唯一能想到的就是 "I"m sorry to hear about your loss." 就这么一句好像不太够吧？
A：Sometimes that"s all you can say. If you try to say more, it may be the wrong thing.
C：是呀，我也是怕说多了反而坏事。
A：If you can, follow your statement of condolence with an offer to help.
C：帮忙， 可我能帮什么忙呢？
A：Think of what he may need that you can do. You might offer to take him to the airport.
C：开车送他去机场确实是个好主意，可惜我没车。
A：What about work issues? Are there things you can help him with while he is away?
C：对呀，我们是一个组的，他请假，我可以承担一部分他的工作。我这就去跟他说。谢谢你，Amy.
******
MC：午饭时陈豪又看见了Amy.
A：Chen Hao, How did things go with Todd?
C：你说得没错。我说可以承担他的工作，Todd显得如释重负。另外，我还想到了其它可以出力的地方。
A：What was that?
C：Todd是我的邻居，他养了一只猫，叫Fluffy. 我告诉他说，他离开这段时间，我可以照顾Fluffy, 他听了以后特别高兴。
A：It is important to be specific at times like these. So often people simply say, "Let me know if there is anything I can do to help."
C：Amy, 你觉得我还需要送花和卡片吗？
A：You can, but that"s not necessary since you are expressing your sympathy in a concrete way.
C：Todd还让我帮他取信。我有他公寓的钥匙。他回来之前，我还可以帮他买点儿新鲜蔬菜和水果。
A：You see how easy it is to think of acts of service for people who are grieving?
C：是啊，我们总是不好意思求别人办事，要是能主动提出来，那是再好不过的了。
A：That"s right. Too often when people don"t know what to do at a time of loss, they end up not doing anything.
C：幸亏有你，Amy.
礼节美语030讲