Business Etiquette 礼节美语 第039讲

陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他去找美国同事Amy。

(Office ambience)

CH：Amy, 你在，太好了。你看没看见Marshall, 他简直气死我了。我得马上找到他，把话说清楚。

A：I'm glad he is not around. I don't know what he did, but you need to calm down before you talk to him.

C：冷静？

A：When we are angry, we say things that we don't necessarily mean; but we can't retract¹ them after they are said.

C：我才不管呢！

A：Remember, you are going to have to work with him for a long time unless you plan to leave. If you chew him out now, you will have a difficult, if not impossible, time, rebuilding your relationship. Now tell me what the problem is.

C：他有个项目，要我帮忙。

A：So you agreed?

C：是啊，可以没成想，他错过了最后期限，反而跟老板说是我没有把数据给他，可他压根就没告诉我有什么限期。

A：I understand why you are upset, and rightfully so. I still suggest that you take time to calm yourself and then plan when and how you will confront him. You can't simply run him down in the hall and have it out.

C：我就是要让大家都知道，来评评理。

A：It will only make matters worse. Let's talk after work today and try to avoid Marshall in the meantime.

******

下班以后陈豪又见到了Amy。

A：Chen Hao, how are you feeling now? Still angry?

C：我还是不高兴，但已经不那么气了。不过，明天一大早，我还是要让他知道，我很不痛快。

A：May I suggest that you choose a time and place to talk to him?

C：那有什么区别吗？

A：First of all, don't interrupt him when he is working. If the time is not right for him, he may resent your interruption and won't be agreeable to hearing you out.

C：那应该选在什么地方呢？

A：Choose a place to meet with him where others cannot overhear your conversation. This issue is between you two, so keep it private. You don't want to expose your problem to office gossip or draw anyone else in.

C：行。不过，除了昨天的事儿，我得一气儿都告诉他。他讲电话、吃东西声音都太大，纯属扰邻。

A：This will not be the time to take up all sorts of issues with him. Stay focused on what is bothering you now. Otherwise, he will just think that you are whining².

C：Amy, 你能不能再告诉我一遍，要怎么处理跟同事的纠纷？

A：First, take time to calm down. Select a private spot to talk. Plan what you will say and know what you want the outcome to be.

C：谢谢你，Amy.
 

1 retract   

vt.缩回，撤回收回，取消

参考例句：

• The criminals should stop on the precipice, retract from the wrong path and not go any further.犯罪分子应当迷途知返，悬崖勒马，不要在错误的道路上继续走下去。
• I don't want to speak rashly now and later have to retract my statements.我不想现在说些轻率的话，然后又要收回自己说过的话。

2 whining   

n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚

参考例句：

• That's the way with you whining, puny, pitiful players. 你们这种又爱哭、又软弱、又可怜的赌棍就是这样。
• The dog sat outside the door whining (to be let in). 那条狗坐在门外狺狺叫着（要进来）。