Как вести беседу по телефону
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III. In what situations would you say the following?
1. Sorry to have caused you this inconvenience. 2. Say hello to your wife, please. 3. I’m afraid he won’t be able to attend the conference. 4. I wonder if Flight 753 is due to get to London on schedule. 5. The aircraft bound for Moscow has been diverted to Amsterdam. 6. I wonder if you would be so kind as to give me a ring when you come to know the date of his departure. 7. I’m pretty sure we’re free on Sunday but I’ll have to check with my wife. 8. My call is really urgent. 9. No, thank you. I’ll call back later. 10. How long will it take to have my suit pressed? 11. Could you tell me when you have flights from here to Moscow? 12. You hit the spot with your gift.
IV. Make calls according to these assignments:
1. You had your TV set repaired. But it does not work well. Report your complaint to the TV repair shop. 2. Thank your friends who sent you a birthday card and a gift. 3. Your colleague has been taken ill. Ask after his health. 4. Ask the Deliveries Department to send you foodstuffs. 5. The delegation which was due to be in London on Monday is delayed. Call off the meeting with the President of the Steel Corporation.
Read the dialogues aloud working in groups of two.
IV
FORMAL AND INFORMAL TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS
The language used for speaking on the telephone is basically very similar to that of ordinary conversation, but limited in certain important respects by the special situation, which imposes a number of restrictions. Attention may be called to some of the chief differences between formal and informal telephone conversations. The most notable difference is that a formal telephone conversation is conducted at a much more formal level because the people speaking are taking care to maintain the high level of politeness usually felt appropriate in this kind of discussion. Another difference is that the formal discussion is very precise and factual, keeping to the point and never straying off into the chatty vagueness which is found at times in informal telephone conversations. Finally, there is of course a considerable difference in the vocabulary, with more technical terms than one would expect to find in the average informal telephone conversation, and a mixture of formal and informal words and phrases. Informal chatty telephone calls usually take place between friends who have nothing in particular to discuss and are simply engaging in a bit of social pleasantness. In this kind of telephone conversation there is a great deal of informal idiom.
A. FORMAL TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS
Operator: Good morning. Hawles Engineering. Can I help you?
Mr Weston: I’d like to speak to Mr James Marsh, please, I think it’s extension forty-seven.
Operator: Who’s calling, please?
Mr Weston: My name is Weston. I’m from Plant Installations Limited.
Operator: Will you hold the line for a moment, Mr Weston? I’ll see if Mr Marsh is free [17] .
Mr Weston: Yes, thank you.
Mr Marsh: Hello. Marsh speaking [18] .
Operator: Oh, hello, Mr Marsh. I’ve got a Mr Weston [19] from Plant Installations on the line [20] . Can you speak to him now?
17
free: unoccupied
18
Marsh speaking: the generally accepted formal way for a man to announce himself on the telephone is for him to use his surname only, omitting the title Mr. An alternative, perhaps slightly less formal, would be to use the Christian name as well, which is generally accepted in American English, e.g. This is James Marsh speaking.
19
a Mr Weston: the fact that the operator uses the indefinite article with the name indicates that she does not know the caller.
20
on the line: a standard phrase used by operators to refer to an incoming call
Mr Marsh: Oh yes. Thank you. Put him through, please.
Operator: You’re through now, Mr Weston.
Mr Marsh: Hello, Mr Weston. What can I do for you? [21]
Mr Weston: Good morning, Mr Marsh. You’ll remember that our surveyor [22] took another look at the floor of your main polishing shop last week.
Mr Marsh: Yes.
21
What can I do for you?: almost a fixed phrase, which is very often used as a polite way of asking someone what he wants
22
surveyor
Mr Weston: Well I’ve just got his report, and’I thought I’d let you know the result.
Mr Marsh: Splendid [23] . That was quick work [24] .
Mr Weston: Yes, it was quite quick, wasn’t it? And you’ll be pleased to know [25] that he’s been able to confirm what he said in his original report. Mr Marsh: Has he? Oh, good.
23
Splendid: an exclamation of approval which may sound to some people just a little too hearty or pompous
24
quick work: often used to refer to anything that has been done quickly, not simply a job or work; e.g. “You made quick work of that ice-cream”, where the implication is that ice-cream was eaten quickly.
25
you’ll be pleased to know: a fixed phrase which would be more appropriate in written English. It is one of the phrases which adds formality to this conversation, and would be unlikely in informal telephone conversations.
Mr Weston: Yes, he says that the subsidence [26] hasn’t gone any further since he first inspected the floor, and that there’s no need to increase the strengthening measures he recommended.
Mr Marsh: Well I’m very pleased to hear that, Mr Weston. You’ve taken a load off my mind [27] .
Mr Weston: Yes, I’m glad it won’t be necessary to hold things up [28] on account of the floor. I’ll confirm all this in writing of course, but I thought that I’d let you know as soon as possible in the hope that we could agree on a defenite starting date.
26
subsidence осадка
27
You’ve taken a load off my mind: this phrase is colloquial, and is used by someone who has had a cause for worry or anxiety removed.
28
to hold things up: to delay proceedings (задержать работу)
Mr Marsh: Yes, of course.
Mr Weston: If we can fix that, then I can go ahead with arrangements here.
Mr Marsh: Well it’ll take us about two days to finish off the outstanding work [29] in the plating and polishing shops [30] , and then you can have a free hand [31] to begin your operations. How does that suit you?
Mr Weston: Two days. That brings us to Thursday morning [32] , doesn’t it?
29
the outstanding work: work that has not yet been completed. Contrast the frequent use of “outstanding” to imply “of outstanding merit, qualities”, etc., as in “He is an outstanding man in every way”, “She has done some outstanding work at school”.
30
the plating and polishing shops плакировочный и полировочный цехи
31
then you can have a free hand: the sense is that there will be complete freedom from any hindrance: the “hands” of the workmen will be “free”.
32
That brings us to Thursday morning: note that idiomatic use of “bring” in such sentences as “That brings us to the next item to be discussed”.
Mr Marsh: Thursday, yes.
Mr Weston: And I did understand you to say we could continue working at week-ends.
Mr Marsh: Yes, that’s right.
Mr Weston: Well in that case Thursday morning will suit us very well. I’ll put it in hand [33] straight away.
Mr Marsh: Good.
Mr Weston: Now there is one other matter that I’d like to discuss breifly with you if you can spare the time. I’m not keeping you from anything [34] , am I?
33
put it in hand: give instructions to have the job started, e.g. “I’ve got the job in hand”, which means that the job is either being done, or is about to be started.
34
I’m not keeping you from anything: the meaning here is “I’m not preventing you from doing anything else (by talking to you)”.