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下面是几个有意思的商务英语口语表达:
1. add up to
合计达;总括起来意味着。此语本义指“合计为”,在日常生活中多用喻义,即“总括起来意味着”。在使用中应注意与“add up”一词的区别。“add up”本指“把 … 加起来”,其喻义为“言之有理,说得通”。
如:The facts just don't add up.(这些事情合计起来不对头。)
A: The cashier said he had locked the safe before he left. 出纳说他走时把保险柜锁上了。
B: But how did the money disappear from it if it was locked? 如果锁上了那钱怎么没的?
A: I just wonder ... 我只是奇怪……
B: What do you think it all adds up to? 你想这一切意味着什么?
A: It adds up to the fact that we have been cheated. 意味着我们被骗了。
2. agree to differ
求同存异。指的是“各自保留不同意见(不再说服对方)”,意即“求同存异”。
A: What do you mean? 你是什么意思?
B: Considering the major contracts they might give us, I overlooked the small loss. 考虑到他们可能与我们签订大宗合同,小小的损失我就忽略不计了。
A: So you agreed to differ? 所以你就求同存异?
B: That's right. 没错。
3. all told
合计;总之。此语原义为“总计,合计”,引申为“总之”。
如:All told,it was a great credit to them.(总之,这给他们大大增了光。)
A: How many people attended today's meeting?有多少人参加了今天的会议?
B: There were seventeen of us at the meeting, all told. 一共有十七个人。
A: Issue an announcement that if somebody doesn’t attend meeting next time, his or her bonus will be deducted. 发布一则通知,就说如果有人下一次不参加会议,他或她的奖金全扣。
4. all wet
搞错了。wet原义为“湿的”,引申为某人“没经验”。All wet多见于美国俚语,意为“大错特错”。
A: I made a reservation two days ago. My name is David Johnson. 我前天在这儿预订了房间,我叫戴维-约翰逊。
B: Reservation? What do you mean? 预订?什么意思?
A: I booked a single room here for tonight. 我订了一间今晚的单人房。
B: Oh! You're all wet, actually. This is not a hotel. The hotel is the building across the road. 哦,你搞错了。这不是旅馆,旅馆是路对过的那座楼。