124 - Asking for Clarification in a Business Meeting

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欢迎收听《英语作为第二语言》播客第124期：在商务会议中寻求澄清。

Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 124, asking for clarification in a business meeting.

大家好，欢迎收听《英语作为第二语言》播客第124期。

Hello, and welcome to English as a Second Language podcast, episode 124.

我是你们的主持人，博士。

I'm your host, Doctor.

杰夫·麦克奎兰，一如既往，为您带来来自加利福尼亚州美丽洛杉矶教育发展中心的节目。

Jeff McQuillan, and as always, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

今天的节目讲的是，在商务会议中，当你没听懂的时候，该如何请对方澄清。

Today's podcast is about asking for clarification when you don't understand something at a business meeting.

我们开始吧。

Let's get started.

我之前在和一位新的商业伙伴谈合同，我们开了一次会议，想把条款说清楚。

I was negotiating a contract with a new business partner, and we had a meeting to clarify the terms.

如果我没理解错的话，合同的期限是一年，之后可以再续一年。

If I understand the terms correctly, the length of the contract would be one year with a one year option.

我说得对吗？

Is that correct?

你指的是设备租赁合同，还是培训合同？

Do you mean the contract for equipment rental or the one for training?

我一直以为这两份合同的条款是一样的。

I was under the impression that both contracts had the same terms.

部分对，部分不对。

Yes and no.

我来帮你理清楚。

Let me see if I can clarify that.

条款基本一样，只是培训合同里有一条：六个月后可以取消。

The terms are the same, except that the contract for training has a clause that allows for the cancellation after the first six months.

你能再详细说说吗？

Could you elaborate on that?

当然可以。

Sure.

我的意思是，任何一方只要以书面形式通知，六个月后都可以取消培训合同。

What I mean is that either side could cancel the training contract after the six months as long as it s in writing.

让我确认一下我有没有理解对。

Let me see if I have that right.

这份合同是六个月的培训期，但如果没取消，就会再延续六个月。

This contract is for six months of training, but if it isn t cancelled, continues for another six months.

是这样吗？

Is that right?

对，没错。

Yes, that's right.

明白了，这下清楚了。

Okay, that's clear enough.

我们接着谈其他条款吧。

Let's move on to the other terms.

在今天的播客里，我们聊的是如何请别人解释不清楚的地方。

In today's podcast, we're talking about asking for clarification or trying to get someone to explain something to us that we don't understand.

‘Clarify’ 这个词，意思是把你不明白的东西讲清楚。

To clarify, c l a r I f y, means to explain something you don't understand.

今天的对话里，故事是从比尔说起他谈合同的经历开始的。

Well, in the dialogue today, the story begins by Bill talking about how he was negotiating a contract.

‘Negotiate’ 就是跟对方沟通，想办法达成一致。

To negotiate, n e g o t I a t e, means to talk to someone and try to come to an agreement, try to create an agreement between two people.

这通常是个商业术语。

Usually this is a business term.

你要去谈判。

You negotiate.

在政治领域也可以用这个词。

You can also use this in politics.

两个国家之间可以进行谈判。

Two countries can negotiate.

我们这里是在谈一份合同。

Well here we're negotiating a contract.

合同，C-O-N-T-R-A-C-T，就是一种协议，两个人或两家公司之间的法律协议。

A contract, C O N T R A C T, is an agreement, a legal agreement between two people or two companies.

在这个故事里，这位男士正试图和一位新合作伙伴谈判合同，也就是他即将共事的人。

In this story, the man is trying to negotiate a contract with a new business partner, someone he is going to work with.

他们开了一次会议，来明确这些条款。

And they had a meeting to clarify the terms.

澄清，我们已经知道，就是把你不明白的东西解释清楚。

Well clarify, we already know, to explain something you don't understand.

条款，T E R M S，在商业里说到条款，指的是合同的条件或具体内容，也就是合同到底写了什么。

Terms, T E R M S, in business when we talk about the terms, we're talking about the conditions or the parts of the contract, what the contract or agreement actually says.

比如，合同的一个条款可能是合同期限有多长，是一年、六个月，等等。

For example, term, one term of a contract could be how long the contract will last, one year, six months, and so forth.

合同的另一个条款，或者说内容，可能是你要花多少钱，也就是资金投入的数额。

Another term of the contract or part of the contract could be how much you are going to spend, how much money you are going to spend.

这些都属于合同的条款。

So those are all terms of a contract.

比尔开头说：‘如果我理解得没错，这些条款是……’，这句话通常用在我们总结或复述别人说的内容时，确认自己的理解是否正确。

Well Bill begins the conversation by saying, If I understand the terms correctly, this is expression that we would use before summarizing or giving our interpretation or understanding of something.

比如，有人在向你解释一份合同，或者向你解释任何事情，你想确认自己有没有听明白。

For example, someone is explaining, a contract to you or someone is explaining anything to you and you want to make sure that you understood.

这时候你就会去跟对方核对一下。

You want to check with that person.

你会说‘如果我理解得没错’，比尔就是这么讲的：‘如果我理解合同条款没错’，接着他就说出自己的理解。

You say, If I understand you correctly and here Bill says, If I understand the terms of the contract correctly, he goes on then to give his understanding.

合同的期限是一年，外加一年的续约选项。

The length of the contract would be one year with a one year option.

在商业合同里，‘选项’指的是你有权利在合同到期后继续延长合作时间。

An option, OPTION, in a business contract means that you have the possibility for continuing the contract for a longer time.

合同到期后，你可以选择延长合作期限。

Once the contract is over, you can continue it for more time.

比尔接着问：‘这样对吗？’

Bill then says, Is that correct?

这是一种在确认‘我理解得对不对’的方式。

Which is a way of asking, Am I correct?

我这样理解对吗？

Do I understand correctly?

这样对吗？

Is that correct?

还有萨缪尔斯女士说，

And Ms.

你是说设备租赁合同，还是培训合同？

Samuels says, do you mean the contract for equipment rental or the one for training?

‘你是指’这种说法是用来请对方进一步说明，获取更多信息的。

Do you mean is a way you ask people to tell you more information, to get more information.

你不太确定对方哪里没明白。

You're not quite sure what they don't understand.

你也不清楚对方到底哪里不理解。

You don't understand what they don't understand.

所以你会问：‘你是想说这个，还是那个？’

So you say, did you mean or do you mean this or that?

培训，t-r-a-i-n-i-n-g，就是给员工、公司职员上的课。

Training, t r a I n I n g, is sort of like classes for employees, for people who work for a company.

这是一种教育方式，是给他们提供更多相关信息。

It's education, it's giving them, some more information about something.

所以你可以参加一个培训，学习怎么使用Macintosh PowerBook G4，比如我的这台电脑。

So you can go to a training to learn how to use the Macintosh PowerBook G4, for example, that's my computer.

我可以去参加一个关于这个的培训，或者上一门相关的课。

I could go to a training about that, a class about that.

比尔接着说，我一直以为这两份合同的条款是一样的。

Bill then says, I was under the impression that both contracts had the same terms.

我说‘我原本以为’，就是i-m-p-r-e-s-s-i-o-n这个单词。

I was under the impression, I m p r e s s I o n.

当你对别人说‘我原本以为’，意思就是‘我理解的是’。

When you say to someone, I was under the impression, you mean that is how I understood it.

我的理解是这样的，然后你再说出你的理解，比如我原本以为那个女孩爱我，结果发现她根本一点都不爱我。

My understanding of this was, and then you give your understanding, I was under the impression that this girl loved me, but it turns out she did not love me at all.

真让人难过。

How sad.

我原本以为……

I was under the impression that.

我明白了。

I understood.

我就是这么理解的。

That's what I understood.

嗯，萨缪尔斯女士说，

Well, Ms.

萨缪尔斯说，让我试着把这一点说清楚。

Samuels says, Let me see if I can clarify that.

当有人说‘让我看看能不能’，意思就是‘请给我个机会’。

When somebody says, Let me see if I can, they mean, Give me the opportunity.

就是请允许我做某事。

Allow me, let me, do something.

这里的意思是，让我试着帮你把这件事说清楚。

Here it's let me see if I can clarify, make it clear for you.

她说，这两份合同——一份是设备租赁，另一份是培训——条款是一样的，但培训合同里有一条，允许在六个月后取消。

And she says the terms of the contracts are the same, the two contracts for equipment rental, renting, equipment and training, but that the contract for training has a clause that allows for the cancellation after the first six months.

条款，就是合同中的一部分。

A clause, CLAUSE, is a part of the contract.

通常是一两句，或者合同里某个有特定内容的段落。

It's usually a sentence or two sentences, or some part of the contract that has a specific term.

所以条款是合同中的一项内容，但往往涉及某种例外或特别之处。

So a clause is one of the terms, but usually it often has to do with an exception or something that's different about the contract.

这里的条款意思是允许你解除合同，而解除就是终止某件事。

So the clause here is allows for or means that you can have a cancellation, and to cancel, of course, means to end something.

所以解除就是终止的意思。

So a cancellation is an ending.

他们在这里的意思是，其中一个合同可以在六个月后就终止。

So what they're saying here is that for one contract they can end the contract after only six months.

比尔接着请萨缪尔斯女士进一步说明一下。

Bill then asks Ms.

要这么做，一个常见的说法是：您能详细解释一下吗？

Samuels to give him more information, and one way to do that is to say, could you elaborate on that?

你能详细说说吗？

Could you elaborate?

详细说明就是提供更多信息，把事情讲得更清楚。

To elaborate means to give more detail, to give more information, to elaborate.

萨缪尔斯女士说，

And Ms.

当然可以。

Samuels says, Sure, yes.

我的意思是，任何一方只要以书面形式通知，六个月后都可以终止培训合同。

What I mean is that either side that either side could cancel the training contract after six months as long as it's in writing.

当别人没听懂时，你可以说‘我的意思是’，然后换种方式解释清楚。

What I mean is is another way of introducing an explanation when someone doesn't understand you and you can say, Well, what I mean is and then you try to explain it in a different way.

在这种情况下，只要书面通知，合同就可以取消。

In this case, the contract can be canceled if it is in writing.

当我们说‘我要书面的’，意思就是希望你写在纸上。

And when we say I want it in writing, we mean I want it written down on a piece of paper.

比尔说，让我确认一下我有没有理解对。

Bill says, let me see if I have that right.

这是另一种说法，意思是跟对方说：好吧，我来确认一下我有没有听懂你的意思。

This is another way of saying to the other person, okay, let me see if I understand you correctly.

让我想想。

Let me see.

我再复述一遍我对这个情况的理解。

I'm going to tell you again what I think the situation is.

所以让我确认一下，我理解得对不对。

So let me see if I have that right or correct.

然后他解释了自己对合同的理解。

And then he explains his understanding of the contract.

这份合同是六个月的培训期，但如果没取消，就会自动延长六个月。

The contract is for six months of training, but if it isn't canceled, continues for another six months.

我说得对吗？

Is that right?

也就是说，对吗？

Meaning is that correct?

然后萨缪尔斯女士说，

And Ms.

对，没错。

Samuels says, yes, that's right.

现在，让我们以母语者的正常语速来听一遍这段对话。

Now let's listen to the dialogue this time at a native rate of speech.

我之前和一个新的商业伙伴谈合同，我们开了个会来明确条款。

I was negotiating a contract with a new business partner, and we had a meeting to clarify the terms.

如果我没理解错的话，合同期限是一年，并且有一年的续约选择权。

If I understand the terms correctly, the length of the contract would be one year with a one year option.

是这样吗？

Is that correct?

你是指设备租赁的合同，还是培训的那个合同？

Do you mean the contract for equipment rental or the one for training?

我原以为这两份合同的条款是一样的。

I was under the impression that both contracts had the same terms.

也不完全是。

Yes and no.

让我试着解释清楚一点。

Let me see if I can clarify that.

条款基本一样，只是培训合同里有一条，允许在六个月后取消。

The terms are the same, except that the contract for training has a clause that allows for the cancellation after the first six months.

你能再详细说说吗？

Could you elaborate on that?

当然可以。

Sure.

我的意思是，任何一方只要以书面形式通知，六个月后都可以取消培训合同。

What I mean is that either side could cancel the training contract after the six months as long as it's in writing.

让我确认一下我有没有理解对。

Let me see if I have that right.

这份合同是六个月的培训期，如果没取消，就会自动延长另外六个月。

This contract is for six months of training, but if it isn't cancelled, continues for another six months.

是这样吗？

Is that right?

对，没错。

Yes, that's right.

明白了，这样就清楚了。

Okay, that's clear enough.

我们接着看其他条款吧。

Let's move on to the other terms.

特别感谢陶医生。

Special thanks to Doctor.

露西·蔡，她是这个播客的作者，也是让这个播客得以实现的关键人物。

Lucy Tse, who wrote this podcast and really makes this podcast possible for you.

我只是播客的朗读者，真正干活的是露西，所以我们一定要感谢她付出的所有努力。

I'm just the voice of the podcast, but Lucy does most of the work, and so we definitely want to thank her for all that she has done.

别忘了访问我们的网站 www.eslpod.com，获取更多资料和本期播客的文本稿。

Remember to visit our website at www.eslpod.com for more information and for the script of today's podcast.

来自洛杉矶，我是杰夫·麦克奎兰。

From Los Angeles, I'm Jeff McQuillan.

感谢收听。

Thanks for listening.

下次再见，欢迎收听 ESL 播客。

We'll see you next time on ESLPodcast.

本播客由陆露西博士撰写和制作，由杰夫·麦克奎兰博士主持。

English as a second language podcast is written and produced by doctor Lucy Tse, Hosted by Doctor.

杰夫·麦克奎兰。

Jeff McQuillan.

本播客版权属于2006年。

This podcast is copyright 2006.