圣誕晚會 At the Christmas Party

英文正文

Oh boy, you know I'm not much of a speechmaker. I might just send everybody heading for the door. Where should I begin?
　I'll make this short and sweet. This has been a momentous, record-breaking year for Action Appliances. We've successfully entered the Canadian market and the future looks bright for U.S. distribution in 1998.

　This lion's share of that success is due to the outstanding efforts of the marketing and sales departments. They've worked their fingers to the bone preparing for the big push overseas.

　And now, I'd like to propose a toast. To my fellow colleagues and their families, and to the prosperous future of Action Appliances; cheers and Merry Christmas!
句型總結

●　 開始演說
1. Where should I begin?
2. How should I get started?
3. What is there to say?

由于這是非正式的晚宴，在輕松、幽默而簡單地開場白之后，演講者可用修辭疑問句（這類的問句并不是真的要對方回答）作為前言的結束，并承接下文。說話者可邊說這句話邊整理思緒。

●　 年度盛事
1. This has been a momentous, record-breaking year for Action Appliances.
2. The year has been filled with record-breaking events and sales.
3. Action has really come a long way in only one year; we've broken all previous sales figures.

圣誕晚宴不是檢討會，而是慶祝性的聚會，因此應該提出好的方面來說。本段的關鍵在于扼要地敘述今年的重要事件；由于這一年是持續的一段時間，因此要用現在完成式。

●　 表揚功臣
1. The lion's share of that success is due to the outstanding efforts of the marketing and sales departments.
2. A large part of Action's success is due to the outstanding efforts of the marketing and sales departments.
3. Much of the credit for Action's success goes to the outstanding efforts of the marketing and sales departments.

既然提出了值得慶賀的事跡，當然應該進一步表揚有功人員，加強員工的榮譽感。將成就歸功于他人時，可用"due to"、"go to"等實用關鍵詞表達。

●　 舉杯致意
1. And now, I'd like to propose a toast.
2. If I may, I'd like to make a toast.
3. And now for a toast.

在慶祝宴上，舉杯敬酒一種很好的結尾。"And now", "If I may"可作為轉接詞，使語氣順暢。此外，可用"I'd like to…"的句型表示請求。邀請眾人舉杯敬酒的不同說法，值得大家牢記。