Narrator: 歡迎大家回到白領英語續集。 在上次 Denise 被裁員的消息后希望今天是個更為愉快的一天。不知道等待 Tom 和 Anna 究竟是什么消息呢?
Paul: …it's really awful having to let a member of your staff go but that's the situation we're in, I'm afraid.
Tom: And now you're going to let us go, aren't you? Honestly Paul, I've given my life to this company and quite frankly I'm disappointed… no, I'm angry at your decision. See your biscuits? Well…
Anna: Tom!
Tom: That's what I think of Tip Top Trading…
Paul: What?! Hold on Tom. I think you're a bit confused. I'm not sacking you, too. I need to talk to you about plastic vegetables… you know, the aubergine idea?
Tom: Oh… I see. You're not sacking us? Sorry Paul… I'll buy you some more biscuits. So what was it that you had to say?
Paul: Plastic vegetables. Yours and Anna's idea for a plastic aubergine. I like it. It's good. So I need you to develop a prototype we can use to show our potential clients.
Anna: Well that's great. So where do we get the prototype made?
Paul: Upstairs, on the 4 floor. We have a great development team who can magic up some amazing designs.
Anna: They're magicians?
Tom: No Anna. They're just developers who make things out of plastic.
Paul: Thank you Tom. Look, why not go and have a chat to them now and get the ball rolling.
Anna: But we're not making balls.
Tom: Come on Anna… I'll explain. See you Paul.
Narrator: To get the ball rolling - 所謂讓球滾動起來 – 意思就是讓事情開始運作起來。開發人員可以根據你的要求去設計制樣，然后你可以去展示并作進一步改進，不過首先你要對他們講清楚具體的要求是什么。下面我們來聽聽 Anna 和 Tom 的工作進展怎么樣…
(Lift door opens)
Tom: So this is the development team. Alright George, you up for footie on Sunday? Great. You met Anna before?
Anna: Hello.
Tom: We've come to talk vegetables.
George: Try the greengrocers!
Tom: Ha, very funny! Yeah, no, we need to talk plastic aubergine making, mate. It's our new big idea.
George: Easy. We can just remould the design for the Imperial Lemon.
Narrator: Anna 覺得行嗎? 這同你的想法一致嗎？如果你要想實現你的想法，那么你得掌控局面呢。
Anna: But what shall I say?
Narrator: 告訴他們你的準確的想法是什么，你可以說
I have a specific idea in mind' - 我有個很具體的想法。然后你可以說
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on how to improve my ideas - 我很想聽聽你對改進我的這個想法有何高見，接著你可以說，
I'd like to use your design skills to produce a fantastic product - 我很想用你的設計技巧來制作一個精美的產品，最后你可以說，
I need to sign off your designs before they go into production - 在投產之前我需要簽字同意你的設計。
Anna: I see. OK, time for me to take control. George… this is quite a special project for us… isn't it Tom?
Tom: Oh yeah, right, absolutely.
Anna: So we want to get it right and I already have a specific idea in mind.
George: Great, sure, tell me more.
Anna: Well, based on a real aubergine, I was hoping it could be 20 centimetres in length, using grade 1 plastic resin, with a black-purple colour and a 30 degree curve on that side. Does that make sense?
George: Erm yeah. Quite clear.
Anna: Obviously you are a designer, so I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on how to improve our idea.
George: Well, it looks very impressive already. Gosh, Tom, where did you get her from?
Anna: He didn't get me from anywhere. Now, I'd like to use your design skills to develop a fantastic product that I can show everyone. OK?
George: Err… yes. I'll get onto it straight away.
Narrator: 說的很好 Anna. 有時掌控局面并準確表達你的想法是很重要的，不過口氣要積極有所鼓。下面我們再來回顧一下 Anna 使用的幾個句子:
I have a specific idea in mind.
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on how to improve my ideas.
I'd like to use your design skills to produce a fantastic product.
Narrator: 最后還有一句話來確保設計者按部就班完成任務，‘I need to sign off your designs before they go into production' - ‘在投產之前我需要最后簽字批準，這就是說在投產之前要經過你的批準，這個設計才能成立。好 Anna 繼續吧。
Anna: …so when will you have the designs ready then?
George: Hopefully by tomorrow morning. Is that OK?
Anna: That will be great but I will need to sign off your designs before they go into production – that way, there won't be any mistakes – will there?
George: Crikey Tom, she's a bit bossy.
Tom: No! She's a pussy cat really… a bit of a softy.
Anna: Now come on Tom. Fetch my things. We need to go and sort out a leaving present for Denise.
Tom: Oh yeah right, of course, see you George.
Narrator: 嗯，我覺得 Tom's 才是一個小貓咪呢。 希望設計結果能令人滿意。不過最重要的是明天就到了 Denise's 在公司的最后一天了 – 大家會怎么應對那一局面? 請留意下一集的白領英語。再會。

聽力挑戰：

Anna 想要的塑料茄子原形有多長?

上期答案：

Anna 向 Denise 表示安慰時使用了一個短語，依賴什么來 cry on?
A shouder to cry on? 你需要依靠下我的肩膀嗎