How to Make Phone Conversations

如何打電話

⊙ By Robert Dick

聽力難度

美式發音 適合精聽

語速：140詞/分鐘

Jack: Citywide Copy Service, Repair Desk. This is Jack. How can I help you?

Angela:Hello, Jack. This is Angela Dodgeson at Wallberg Hotels. One of your repairmen, Paul,was here yesterday to repair our photocopier[復印機]. But it’s not working again this morning. I need him to come back as soon as he can.

Jack:Oh, yes. It was Paul who came out.

Angela:May I please speak to him?

Jack:I’m sorry, Ms. Dodgeson, he’s not in at the moment. Can I take a message for him, or will you call back?

Angela:Uhm, I’ll call him back in about half an hour.

Jack:OK, I’ll tell him.

Angela:Thanks.

（30 minutes later）

Jack:Citywide Copy Service, Repair Desk. This is Jack.How can I help you?

Angela:Hello, Jack. It’s Angela Dodgeson again. Can I speak to Paul, please?

Jack: Please hold. （Pause） Sorry, Ms. Dodgeson, he’s in a meeting just now.

Angela:Oh, no. Do you have any idea when the

Part 1: Copy Machine Breakdown

meeting will end?

Jack:I have no idea ’cause I don’t know what the meeting is about.

Angela:Well, I really need him to come back to our office as soon as possible to repair the copy machine again. It’s quite urgent. We have aconference[會議]tomorrow and we need to make a lot of copies today. Could you give him that message?

Jack:Sure. Could you spell your name for me?

Angela:Yes, it’s Angela, A-N-G-E-L-A;Dodgeson, D-O-D-G-E-S-O-N.

Jack: Got it. And your address again, please?

Angela:The Wallberg Hotel on Ellis Avenue at Donald Street.

Jack:OK, Ms. Dodgeson. I’ll ask Paul to get out there as soon as he can today.

Angela:Thanks a million, Jack.

Sorry, Ms. Dodgeson, he’s in a meeting just now.

Just now是由兩個副詞疊加構成的副詞詞組，多用在口語中，表示時間，但具體意思因應上下文而異。它可以指說話的時候，作“現在，眼下”解，也可指剛剛過去不久，作“剛才，才不久”解，亦指事情馬上就要發生，作“現在就，馬上”解。我們在理解時除了看上下文，還可以看句子的時態，如：

● I am busy just now.（此刻我正忙。

——說話的時候正在發生）

● Ted just now called.（泰德剛剛來電話

了。——說此話前不久發生）

● We are leaving just now.（我們就要走

了。——動作在說話后不久馬上發生）

Part 2: The Lost & Found

DiNG!

John:Toronto Transit System Lost and Found. This is John.What can I do for you?

Daisy:Hello. My name’s Daisy Willamson. I think I may have forgotten a bag on the subway yesterday afternoon, and I’m wondering whether it might have been turned in.

John:We find things people forget every day. Could you give me some details about what you lost? What did your bag look like?

Daisy:It’s a light brown bag with a lot of dark brown Xs and Os all over it. It has two carry handles sewn on to the sides of the bag.

John:Anything else you can tell me about the bag, like what it’s made of, or its size?

Daisy:Well, it looks like leather and has a largezipper pocket[拉鏈袋]on the inside.

John:Can you tell me what was in the bag?

Daisy:Yes, a dark blue wallet with all my ID and some credit cards and receipts inside. It folds, it has a zipper pocket on one side and a magnetic closure clip[磁鐵扣]. It has a bigscratch[刮痕]on the back. I think there was about $125 in there. I really hope you have my bag ’cause I especially need my wallet and phone.

John:Could you please repeat your name for me?

Daisy:Daisy Willamson. Have you got my bag?

John:Please spell your last name for me.

Daisy:W-I-L-L-A-M-S-O-N.

John:Address?

Daisy:Apartment 1604, 2180 Conway Avenue.

John:Well, Ms. Willamson, the good news is we have your bag. The bad news is you’ll need to go to the bank and also buy a new phone. Sorry, there was no money and no phone in the bag. Everything else seems to be there.

Daisy:Money can be replaced, but losing my phone is a big problem. What do I need to do to get my bag back?

John:You need to come to the TTS office at room 201, 1623 Spadina Avenue between…

Daisy:Oh, hold on a minute while I get a pen and paper.（Pause） OK, what was the address again?

John:1623 Spadina Avenue, room 201. We’re open between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday. You’ll also need to bring some form of ID with you or tell us the time you made this phone call.

Daisy:OK. It’s 8:45 now, right?

John:Right.

Daisy:Thank you. I’m on my way to you right now.

I’m wondering whether it might have been turned in.

I’m wondering/I wonder

在口語中很常用，其實就是I want to know的意思，但比后者更客氣、更婉轉，特別是對不熟悉的人，或者晚輩對長輩，又或者下級對上級，用I’m wondering/I wonder顯得沒那么突兀，如： I wonder

if I might have a word with Mr. Thompson.（請問我能否和湯姆森先生說幾句話？）

Part 3: Change of Plans

Adam:Hello?

Jenny:Is this Jerry?

Adam:No, he’s not here.

Jenny:Who am I speaking to, please?

Adam:It’s Adam. Is this Jenny?

Jenny:Yes. How come you’re answering Jerry’s phone, Adam?

Adam:You just missed him, and he forgot his phone.

Jenny:Oh. Do you know when he’ll be back?

Adam:I’m not really sure. Maybe in about an hour.

Jenny:I need to talk to him to change our plan for this evening.

Adam:Do you want me to take a message for him?

Jenny: Yeah, that’s a good idea.

Adam:Wait. Just let me find a pen. （Pause）OK, shoot.

Jenny:Well, we can’t go to Brazilian Barbeque because they had a fire there and,obviously, it’s closed, so, I thought we’d try the Aussie Steak House instead, so I made areservation[預訂]for 7 o’clock, and I had a car accident and I can’t drive, so he needs to pick me up at Burke Auto Repair at 530 Fort Street about 6:30.

Adam:An Accident! Was it bad? Were you hurt?

Jenny: Not too bad. Some guy hit the right side of the car and damaged the rear wheel. I wasn’t hurt, thankfully.

Adam:Yeah!

Jenny:So, could you read back the message?

Adam: Not going to Brazilian Barbeque;burned down; going out to Aussie Steak House instead at seven; pick you up at Burke Auto Repair on Fort Street at 5:30.

Jenny:Almost right. He needs to pick me up at 6:30, not 5:30, and the repair shop address is 530 Fort Street. Got it?

Adam:Oh, pick you up at 6:30 at 530 Fort Street, right?

Jenny:Yes. And ask him to phone me on my cell, 555-6318, as soon as he gets in, OK?

Adam:Phone Jenny ASAP at 555-6138.

Jenny:No. It’s 555-6-3-1-8.

Adam: Got it. OK. I’ll give him the message as soon as he gets home.

Jenny: Thanks, Adam.

Gotta go. Bye.

Adam:Bye.

Is this Jerry?

口語學習

● Shoot.

我們知道，shoot作動詞時，可作“射擊，（籃球）投籃，拍攝”等解。在口語中，它通常以祈使句的形式出現，用于讓對方開始說話，相當于“開始吧，說吧”，但此用法較隨意，不適合在正式場合使用，如：

—Can I ask questions about last night? （我可以就昨晚問幾個問題嗎？）

—Sure. Shoot.（當然，說吧。）

● Got it.

這是非常常用的口語表達。在對方解釋某事，或者提供某方面的信息后，說話者用它表明自己已經明白對方的意思，相當于“知道了，我懂了”；它也可以在解釋某事，或者提供某方面的信息后，用問句的形式來詢問對方是否理解，如：

—Go straight for about 100 meters and turn right at the traffic lights. You will see the library. （直走一百米左右，到了紅綠燈轉右，你就會看到圖書館了。）

—Got it. Thanks.（明白了，謝謝。）

打電話常用語

● 通話雙方：This is…/It’s…/Who am I speaking to?/Is this…?

● 找人：May I please speak to…?/Can I speak to…?/…is not in at the moment./Do you know when…will be back?/Will you call back?/You just missed him.

● 留言：Can I take a message?/Could you give…that message? Do you want me to take a message for…?/Could you read back the message?/Could you repeat that?

● 請對方稍等：Wait./Wait a minute./Please hold./ Hold on a minute while…