面對緊急事件 Facing a Critical Issue

在Sandoz以"維護健康為宗旨"的行銷策略成功地將奶粉銷到中南美洲的四年后，突然有醫學團體指責該公司的奶粉對嬰兒的成長毫無幫助，震驚了Sandoz全體。公司高級主管立刻群集，共商應對大計。

英文正文

Vincent: I hate to say it, but what the papers are saying may be right. No powder is as good as mother's milk. If a mother stops using her own milk and only uses the powder, it could actually hurt the baby.

Sam: Hm. I see your point, but can we please stick to the main subject here? We did a lot of research to make sure our powder had the biggest amounts of all the things a child needs.

Vincent: You said the biggest amounts. The biggest amounts don't always mean the right amounts. New research says each area has different environmental conditions. Our powder may be good for children in the places where we tested, and not so good in other areas.

Grace: So what you are saying is that our powder really can hurt children?! This is terrible. Well, I can see that suing is a bad idea. Let's see how the alternatives stack up against each other; we take the product off the market right away, or leave it there and try to quickly make special powders for each area.

Vincent: he results of the second option are easy to foresee. It will take too long to do the research. There are too many areas. More children may be hurt while we wait, so someone will blow the whistle on us for sure. It's better not to jump the gun.

Grace: Sam, which option do you think is our best bet?

句型總結

●　 引回會議主題

1. I see your point, but can we please stick to the main subject here?
2. I see what you mean, but I think we're off the main point.
3. That's all very well, but I don't see that it has anything to do with today's meeting.
4. That's not the point. We're here to discuss...

"stick to"有‘堅持；固守’的意思，在此解釋為‘維持、固定在…’；"main subject"是‘主題’。這句話表示已聽清楚對方所言，但是請對方不要離題太遠。在集體討論的場合中，難免會有扯到不相關或不重要事情的時候，這時主席就應警覺地要求眾人把握會議的重點。

●　 后果可想而知

1. The results (of the second option) are easy to foresee.
2. What will result with the second option is easy to predict.
3. What will happen with the second option is easy to tell.
4. What we'll end up with by using the second option is easy to tell.

"foresee"是‘預見；預料’。這句話是說‘某件事的結果可想而知’。此句型為半正式用法，習慣上多用于結果不樂觀時。這句話雖然表示此案不可行，但并無貶低提案者的意思，因此較不易得罪人。

●　 征詢選擇

1. Which option do you think is our best bet?
2. Which option do you feel is our safest course?
3. Which option do you believe is the best?
4. Which option do you suggest will be best in the long term?

"bet"原指‘打賭；賭注’，在此比喻為‘最佳選擇；最佳方案’。此句型適用于詢問他人內心最中意的方案為何，不過其意并不僅限于圈選而已，還要求對方表示選擇此案的原由。如果不想將發言局限于所提過的方案，還可在句尾加上"or is there another way"，讓對方有提出新方案的機會。

●　More 回歸主題

在會議桌上發言，有時興之所至，旁征博引以致不能遏止的情況，常是在所難免的。但要如何再回到剛才的主題呢？以下就為您提出幾種說法：

較正式的
To go back to what I was just saying, ...
To return to the main point, ...
Going back to what I said before, ...
Getting back to my original point, ...
As I was saying, ...
Getting back to the main focus of the meeting, ...
As I had said before we got off the topic, ...
Getting back to the point I was originally trying to make, ...
Getting back to the subject of today's meeting ...

較口語的
To get back on track,...
Getting back to where we were before (sidetracked),...