礼节美语 Business Etiquette 109

David要去面试，他准备穿什么呢？我们一起听听他跟好朋友Peter的对话。

D: I'm going to get there early and make sure I have my best outfit¹ all washed and ironed way ahead of time. If I wait for the last minute, I know I'll panic!

P: Yeah, preparation is key. Remember to call the interviewer by their name. People like to hear their name spoken out loud. But don't over-do it. Ok...so what are you planning on wearing next Tuesday?

D: Well, I want to look good, but I don't want to look too stuffy². I was thinking about nice jeans and a sports coat.

David准备提前到达面试地点，早早把要穿的衣服洗好、熨好。 Way ahead of time意思是早早的。If I wait for the last minute, 如果等到最后一分钟的话，就会panic, 意思是感到慌乱。 Peter提醒David要称呼面试官的名字，但是don't over-do it. 不要做得太过头。David说，他不想显得乏味，古板，too stuffy, 所以想穿牛仔裤和休闲西装上衣去面试。

P: Ummm...I'd recommend erring⁴ on the conservative side when it comes to clothes. I read somewhere that 55% of another person's perception of you is based on how you look. I'd say go with a suit and tie.

D: 55% huh? Then I guess it's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed.

P: Yeah. I'd say a dark suit with a conservative tie.

Peter建议David选择相对正式的西装和领带。 To err³ on the conservative side, 意思是宁可保守一点，因为别人对你的印象有55%都是根据你的外表得出的。It's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. 宁可穿得过于正式over-dressed，也不要穿得过于随便under-dressed。

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P: But the one main thing that I can't stress enough is confidence. If you need a clarification on something, speak up and ask...but don't turn into a blabbermouth.

D: Do you think I should tell him how terrible it is working at Shimomatsu Publishing? I bet he'd get a kick out of that!

Peter强调说，有什么问题尽管问，但不要喋喋不休don't turn into a blabbermouth. Blabbermouth，是多嘴多舌的意思。David想告诉面试官自己对现在的工作不满意。I bet he'd get a kick out of that. 意思是我想他听了一定很高兴。

P: Actually, when I interview people, I hate it when they badmouth previous employers. I think it's bad form and I also think "Is this what you're going to do to me one day?"

D: Good point. Peter, you are a true friend and I value your input⁵.

P: Call me right after the interview and tell me how it went, OK?

D: Absolutely.

Peter觉得，最好不要badmouth previous employers，说以前老板的坏话， badmouth是说别人坏话的意思，因为it's bad form这是一种粗鲁的表现，form在这里是举止行为的意思。

 

1 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

2 stuffy   

adj.不透气的，闷热的

参考例句：

• It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
• It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。

3 err   

vi.犯错误，出差错

参考例句：

• He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
• The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。

4 erring   

做错事的，错误的

参考例句：

• Instead of bludgeoning our erring comrades, we should help them with criticism. 对犯错误的同志， 要批评帮助，不能一棍子打死。
• She had too little faith in mankind not to know that they were erring. 她对男人们没有信心，知道他们总要犯错误的。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。