Т. Шелкова - Can You Speak Over the Telephone. Как вести беседу по телефону

C.: Oh dear, I am a dead loss, aren’t I. But tell me about the advert.

J.: …

5. С: . Sounds too good to be true. Expensive?

J.: …

6. C.: …

J.: Would you? That’s very kind of you. They won’t mind, will they?

C.: …

7. C.: No, of course not. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to help.

J.: …

8. J.: … It really is very kind of you to go to all this trouble.

C.: …

9. В.: Bob here. How’s things?

J.: …

10. J.: Very nice, too. Do you feel optimistic about it?

В.: …

11. J.: I shoudn’t think they’ll get many applicants with your qualifications.

В.: …

12. J.: You’re bound to get an interview. What’s the pay like incidentally?

В.: …

13. J.: Was the money the main reason for applying?

В.: …

J.: What was that then?

В.: …

14. J.: I bet you’ll cake walk it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you, at any rate.

В.: …

IV. Reproduce the telephone conversations as close to the text as possible.

V. Make up telephone conversations considering these assignments.

1. Your colleague has come back from Italy where he spent his vacation. Phone him and have a talk about: a) the places he has been to; b) the hotels he has put up at; c) the facilities he has been offered; d) the hotel charges; e) the way he has amused himself; f) the people he has met.

2. You are taking a holiday and leaving Ottawa for a month. Phone your Canadian colleague to say good-bye and tell him how you are planning to spend your holiday.

3. You have a telephone call from your counterpart in London. After discussing business he says that his son is applying for a job. Ask him about the prospects of his son’s new job, its advantages and disadvantages and what his son feels about it.

Harry: Hallo — 5289.

Cynthia: Is that Harry?

Harry: Yes — who’s that?

Cynthia: Oh, Harry. It’s me, Cynthia.

Harry: Cynthia? Cynthia! Oh yes. How are you?

Cynthia: I’m fine. And you and Barbara?

Harry: Oh, we’re both well.

Cynthia: Oh, that’s good. Look, I’m ringing to ask you a small favour. I hope you don’t mind.

Harry: No. No, of course not. Anything I can do, within reason [117] within reason : not beyond one’s possibilities .

Cynthia: Well, the thing is that — you know Shirley?

Harry: Shirley? I don’t think so.

Cynthia: You know, she’s the girl I work with. I think you met her.

Harry: Did I? When?

Cynthia: She’s the one with red hair.

Harry: Oh.

Cynthia: Anyway, I wondered — well — you see Shirley and I are giving a party. Of course we wondered if you and Barbara would like to come…

Harry: Well, that’s very nice of you, I’m sure.

Cynthia: We’d love to have you.

Harry: We’d love to come.

Cynthia: Well, the point is, you see, that we wanted to invite a lot of interesting people.

Harry: Oh yes -

Cynthia: Yes — and well, you know our flat; it really isn’t big enough. And we were wondering if there was just the smallest chance of having it at your place — just for the evening, you know.

Harry: Well — we’d love to let you, of course. But just now it would be a little difficult.

Cynthia: Oh, no. It wouldn’t be now. In about two week’s time.

Harry: Two weeks. Oh, I see. But — unfortunately — I think that would be even more difficult. You see, we’re haying part of the house redecorated, and in two weeks -

Cynthia: I suppose it wouldn’t be possible to use the rooms that aren’t being decorated?

Harry: Well, you know what it’s like, Cynthia, when you’ve got the decorators in; you don’t quite know where you are if you see what I mean -

Cynthia: Yes — yes, of course. It is a pity. I don’t know what we’ll do.

Harry: I’m sorry. We’d help if we could.

Cynthia: Well… Good-bye then, Harry.

Harry: Good-bye, Cynthia.

Joyce: Well, what have you been up to [118] to be up to something usually implies something not altogether permissible, or at least surreptitious. “What have you been up to this time?” implies something likely to involve punishment. So the phrase is used jocularly, from one friend to another, implying that he or she must have been doing something out of the ordinary or at least interesting. since I saw you first?

Kate: I haven’t been up to anything, I’m afraid [119] I’m afraid implies no fear, only regret that she has nothing more interesting to tell. . Just the usual grind [120] Just the usual grind is a way of describing monotony; nothing severe or otherwise unpleasant is implied. . Have you been doing anything?

Joyce: No. James is off to Italy again tomorrow for his firm. He rings me every night from Turin, which is a comfort.

Kate: So you’ll be absolutely tied again with the children?

Joyce: Of course.

Kate: The firm would never pay for you to go to Italy as well, I suppose?

Joyce: As a matter of fact, that’s just come up [121] come up : two idioms with “come” — “come up” meaning “to arise, to occur” and “come off meaning “to take place” for the first time. There’s a big job of entertaining coming off [121] come up : two idioms with “come” — “come up” meaning “to arise, to occur” and “come off meaning “to take place” in about a fortnight — all the possible buyers and their wives are invited to Turin for a demonstration and a party afterwards, and they say they’d pay for me to go and play hostess [122] play hostess : “play” is often used as here to mean “fulfil the function of. and look nice, but of course, with the children… And anyway, what have I got to look nice in?

Kate: I say, ducky, I’ve just got an idea. When is this do at Turin [123] this do at Turin : “do”, used as a noun, is one of the many colloquial words for a social occasion. ? It wouldn’t be at a week-end by any chance?

Joyce: It’s to be a Saturday — best time for a party.

Kate: Well, look here [124] Well, look here is more emphatic than “I say”, to begin a new statement. , why don’t I come and look after [125] Why don’t I come and look after… : this is a more forceful phrase than “Why shouldn’t I?”. It contains the hint of a firm offer which ought not to be refused. Michael and Jane for the week-end? They’re not such demons [126] demons : lively children are conventionally referred to as “young demons” — a phrase conveying admiration for their vitality but at the same time sympathy for the trouble which they can cause. as you seem to think, you know. We usually get on fine [127] get on means “get on well together”, “like each other and are good companions”. .

Joyce: Oh — it’s terribly sweet of you, but I couldn’t.