三、打电话是职场必修课

　　电话英语也是有一定的讲究的，了解一些常用的打电话时需要用到的词汇有助于我们的交流更好地开展。

　　一般日常接听电话时我们通常会说This is ...(人名)speaking，对方可能会说：Is this ...(电话号码或人名?)有时如果一时没有听出对方的声音，可以问：Who is this? I don't recognize your voice.(谁呀?我听不出你的声音来。)

　　如果对方找的不是自己，可以说：Hold onplease.(请稍等。)然后转告对方要通电话的人：You're wanted on the telephone.(有电话找你。)，那人如果不在则可以主动提议为对方留言：Would you like to leave a message?(你愿意留个话吗?)对方可能会提出如：Would you mind telling him to call back sometime tomorrow?(明天什么时候请你叫他回我一个电话，好吗?)Would you please tell ...(人名) I called?(请你告诉……说我给他打过电话，好吗?)

　　打错电话似乎是件很尴尬的事，但是也很常见，如果对方打错了电话，你可以说：You must have dialed the wrong number.(你一定是拔错号了。)如果是你拨错了号，则要为打扰对方而道歉：Sorry, I dialed a wrong number.

　　如果是公司职员接听正式的商务电话，则要更加注意自己的言辞。因为稍有不慎，可能错过的就是公司的一个大客户。

　　A: Hello, thank you for calling ...(公司名). This is ...(人名)speaking, how may I help you?

　　B: Hello, I would like to speak to your director of human resources please.

　　A: Just a moment. I'll check to see if she is available. May I tell her who is calling?

　　B: This is ...(人名)from ...(公司名), I'm calling in regard to our meeting next Tuesday.

　　A: Thank you, can you please hold for a moment?

　　B: No problem.

　　A: I'm sorry, Ms...(人名)is away from her desk. She has already left for lunch. Would you like to leave a message for her?

　　B: Yes, please have her return my call when she returns to the office. It's best if she can get in touch with me before 3pm. today. Shecan reach me at my office number, ...(电话号码)

　　A: I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that, could you please repeat the number?

　　B: Sure the number is ...，tell her to ask for extension 31.

　　A: All right, I will make sure she receives your message and returns your call before 3pm this afternoon.

　　B: Thank you very much.

　　首先职员应自报家门，说明公司名和自己的名字，并客气地问：How may I help you?在对方说明来意，要找director of human resources(人力资源部主管)后，应首先查实主管在不在，忙不忙，可以说：Just a moment. I'll check to see if she is available/at her desk.(请稍等一下，我去看看她忙不忙/在不在。)电话的另一方也应自报家门，说明这通电话的来意--calling in regards to our meeting next Tuesday(咨询有关下周二会议的事)。

　　发现主管away from her desk，职员主动提出take a message，对方提出要求，希望have her return my call when she returns to the office，也就是ask her to return my call when she returns to the office(在她回办公室后请她回我电话)，并说出自己的office number.

　　为确保message的准确性，职员可以要求对方重复号码和个人信息：I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that, could you please repeat the number?(对不起，我没有听清，可以重复一下号码吗?)或just to confirm...再重复一遍电话号码。对方提出tell her to ask for extension 31，extension即接分机号。

　　如果使用电话预约酒店或其他的服务，可以直接说：I'm calling from New York. I'd like to book a room in your hotel. Receptionist(接待员)会紧接着问：What kind of room would you like, sir? 并问对方的full name, arrival and departure date(入住和登出的日期)。

　　由于预订酒店通常都必须在固定的时间段前到达酒店，receptionist会问：What time will you be arriving，并说明You'll be expected to be here then.

　　四、写好商务信函，给客户留下最佳印象

　　工作的时候，我们少不了要和商务信函打交道，商务信函是联系客户的重要纽带，因此措辞和格式也都有一定的要求。

　　1. 客户下订单的信函

　　May 8,2004

　　Shanghai Sunlight Fiber Product Co.,Ltd.20 Huaihai Road

　　Shanghai, China

　　Dear Mr. Shao,

　　We thank you very much for your letter of May 6, 2004, and your kind interest in our import business of textile products. Your textile products are so attractive in its price and quality that we have a keen interest in doing business with you in this line.

　　We have been closely connected with reliable wholesalers here.Accordingly, we are very con? dent of placing a large order with you if you accept the following terms and conditions:

　　Terms of Payment: By con? rmed irrevocable leter of creditTerm of Shipment: During October-November

　　Reference : Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Japan

　　We look forward to your favorable reply.

　　Yours faithfully,Paci? c Standard Trade Co.,Ltd.

　　Ma lilianGeneral Manager

　　首先要注意商务信函的格式，现在使用的格式主要有传统的缩头式(the conventional indented form) 和现代的齐头式(the modern blocked form) 。 缩头式要在信文每一段缩进五或六个字母的空间，有时可能会缩进更多。现在，齐头式在商务英语书信中使用得非常普遍。 上面这封信函就是用齐头式的格式写的。开头自上至下依次为日期，对方公司的名称、地址。

　　这封信函首先对对方来函表示感谢thank you for your letter of...，此外对于某月某日来函的询价，深表谢意可说thank you very much for your inquiry of...We are very much obliged by your inquiry dated...We are indebted to your inquiry under date (of)...

　　接着切入主题，表明了和对方公司建立贸易关系的意愿：We have a keen interest in doing business with you in this line.也可以说：We are willing to establish trade relations with your company(我们愿与贵公司建立商务关系)，Please allow us to express our hope of opening an account with you(我们希望与您建立业务往来)。

　　再接着提出了place a large order(大量订货)的一些前提条件，terms of payment(付款条件)，term of Shipment(装运条件)，reference(介绍人)。

　　商务往来中terms of payment主要包括remittance(汇付)，collection(托收)和letter of credit(信用证)。这里confirmed irrevocable letter of credit是保兑的不可撤销信用证，其他的信用证还有Documentary Credit(跟单信用证)，Clean Credit(光票信用证)，Revocable L/C (可撤销信用证)，Unconfirmed L/C (不保兑信用证)，Sight L/C (即期信用证)，Usance L/C (远期信用证)。

　　最后结语为：We look forward to your favorable reply(静候佳音).

　　结尾的格式就像平常写的信件一样，yours sincerely或yoursfaithfully.不过注意下面应该先写公司的名字，再写写信人的名字，不然会给人喧宾夺主的感觉。

　　2. 通知信函

　　May 8,2004

　　Shanghai Sunlight Fibire Product Co.,Ltd.20 Huaihai Road

　　Shanghai,China

　　Dear Mr.Shao,

　　We have received with thanks your letter of May 6,2004. We, however, regret to inform you that we are unable to establish business relations with you because we have already been appointed as an agent by a Washington Trade Corporation for the sale of their products.

　　Under the circumstances, we will not be able to transact with you at least until the agency contract expires. Of course, we filed your letter and the catalogue for our future reference. We may contact you as soon as we are free from the agency contract.

　　We thank you again and hope you understand our situation fully.

　　Yours faithfully,

　　Ma Lilian

　　General Manager,Paci? c Standard Trade Co.,Ltd.

　　这封信函主要的来意是regret to inform you that(很遗憾地通知您)，有关道歉我们也可以说：We are deeply sorry for...(我们为……感到很抱歉。)We hope it didn't trouble you too much.(我们希望这并没有给您带来太大的麻烦。)

　　be in a position to do something 指有权，有办法做某事，be appointed as an agent by...意为被指定为销售其产品的代理商，合同到期可以说agency contract expires或contract finishes，不过前一种说法更正式。后文的free from the agency contract意即解除合同。

　　catalogue为产品目录，通常在第一次通信时由买方随信附寄，其他随信附寄的材料还有price list(价目表)，sample(样品)，details of terms(详细资料)，purchase contract(购货合同)，confirmation order(订单确认书)等等。

（编辑：何莹莹）