Sharing a Problem互吐苦水

Wallace is an international sales and customer relations officer working in a large technology firm in Taiwan. He has arranged a lunch date with one of his long-time friends, Rebecca, to catch up and casually discuss a recent problem at work.

華勒斯在台灣一間大型科技公司擔任國際業務與客戶關係專員。他跟老朋友蕾貝卡有個午餐約會，除了了解彼此近況，也聊聊最近工作上遇到的問題。

Dialogue 對話

Rebecca: Hi Wallace, it's been a while! Are you alright? You said there was something you wanted to talk to me about?

Wallace: Wow! You're not one for small talk, are you? So, you want me to get right to it then?

Rebecca: Yeah, if you don't mind. I've heard your company made a massive breakthrough in Australia last month.

Wallace: No offense Rebecca, but you haven't done your homework. That trip was one of the biggest disasters in the history of our company.

Rebecca: What do you mean?

Wallace: Well you know that rival company I told you about? The one directly competing with us for contracts? Someone from our office accidentally leaked our appointment date when they shouldn't have. Long story short they made an earlier appointment with our potential clients, and undercut our prices by over thirty-five percent! They've effectively taken the lion's share of the market, right out from under our noses!

Rebecca: No way! So what are you going to do now?

Wallace: Well, my boss is not very pleased about the situation. I suppose there isn't much I can do apart from to get over it and continue looking for more potential customers.

Rebecca: Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've been put on probation at my work. My supervisor's blaming me for something he did wrong to avoid getting into trouble!

蕾貝卡：嗨，華勒斯，好久不見！你還好嗎？你說你有事想跟我談？

華勒斯：哇！妳還真不會寒暄，對吧？所以妳希望我直接切入主題？

蕾貝卡：是啊，如果你不介意的話。我聽說你的公司上個月在澳洲有重大進展。

華勒斯：我沒有惡意，蕾貝卡，但是妳都沒做功課。那趟出差是我們公司有史以來最大的災難。

蕾貝卡：這是什麼意思呢？

華勒斯：嗯，妳知道我說過的那間對手公司吧？直接跟我們競爭合約的那間？我們公司有人不應該卻不小心洩漏了會面時間。簡而言之，就是對手比我們更早跟潛在客戶見面，並提供客戶低於我們35％的價格！他們就在我們面前搶走了大部份的市場！

蕾貝卡：不會吧！那你現在要怎麼做？

華勒斯：嗯，我的老闆對這件事很不開心。我想我無法彌補什麼，只能讓它過去，再繼續找更多潛在客戶。

蕾貝卡：嗯，或許這樣會讓你覺得好過些－－我已經被公司列入觀察名單。我的上司把他的過錯歸究於我，好讓他自己沒事！

Keywords字彙

1. how's it going? 你好嗎？

= a greeting or inquiry about a person's wellbeing

Hey John, how's it going?

2. get right to it 直接進行

= directly begin an action without hesitation

This job isn't going to finish itself. Let's get right to it.

3. breakthrough ['brek`Lru] 突破性的進展

= a person's first important success

This job could be the breakthrough she's been waiting for.

4. no offense 沒有惡意

= a phrase used to make potential insults seem less offensive

No offense Bob, but you don't sound like you know what you're talking about.

5. haven't done your homework 沒做功課

= a colloquial phrase for "have not researched" or "looked into" a particular subject

I'm sorry I haven't done my homework on that company's accounting history.

6. long story short 長話短說，簡而言之

= to take a long story and summarise its main points

We went for a walk and long story short we're getting married!

7. undercut ['KndQ`kKt] 削價競爭

= to offer to sell things or work for a lower cost than (another person or company)

They undercut the competing store by 10 percent.

8. lion's share 最大部份

= the largest part of something

She claimed the lion's share of the credit for the show's success.

9. under our noses 在面前，就在眼前

= right in front of you; within ones grasp

That thief stole my phone out from under my nose!

10. probation [pro'beNDn] 試用期

= a period of time in which a person in a job is tested and watched to see if that person is able to do the job properly

As a new employee, I will be on probation for three months.