Как вести беседу по телефону
Шрифт:
Joan: Well, strange as it may seem, the kids are very good in the car. And if you go by train or air you don’t see much on the way, you’re sort of insulated from all the lovely places you’re passing.
Charles: Yes, I agree with you.
Joan: But I’m sure you must have better things to do than listen to me rattling on [81] .
Charles: Oh, that’s all right. It’s nice to hear from you. But I will drop in on the Crofts and ask them to phone you. Don’t expect to hear anything until after nine, though, because they’re usually out on Sunday until some time in the evening.
81
rattling on: colloquial for “chattering”
Joan: Well, I shall be around [82] whatever time they ring. Busy getting things ready for school tomorrow. And thanks again, Charles. It really is very kind of you to go to all this trouble.
Charles: No trouble at all. Only too glad [83] to help if I can.
Joan: Well, thanks anyway. Bye-bye, Charles.
Charles: Bye for now, Joan.
82
around: at home; “around the house” meaning “in the house”
83
only too glad: an expressive way of saying “glad”
Joe: Peatley two-seven-one [84] .
Bob: Hello, is that you, Joe?
Joe: Yes.
Bob: Bob here. How’s things? [85]
Joe: Oh, hello, Bob. Fine. How are you?
Bob: О. K. Listen, I’ve decided to apply for that job I was telling you about. You remember?
84
Peatley two-seven-one: although more and more telephone exchanges in Britain are being converted to all-figure numbers, some are still identified by a name
85
How’s things: a colloquial variant of “How are you”
Joe: Yes. I remember. Croydon [86] , wasn’t it? What was it, a car factory?
Bob: No, light engineering. Rather like that place I was at in Leeds.
Joe: Oh yes, of course. Light engineering. I remember now. And it was for a manager, wasn’t it.
Bob: Yes. Personnel Manager.
Joe: Very nice too. Do you feel optimistic about it?
Bob: Well, I wouldn’t say I exactly feel optimistic, but at least my training and experience have put me in with a chance [87] . So perhaps I could say I feel reasonably optimistic about getting short-listed [88] . But the interview — that’s different.
86
Croydon: a suburb of London
87
put me in with a chance: given me a chance
88
short-listed: placed on the “short list” of people who are selected from all the other applicants and given an interview.
Joe: Why, for goodness sake? [89] You’re not scared of interviews, are you?
Bob: No, I’m not scared of them, but I don’t feel at my best in interviews. Not when I’m on the receiving end [90] , that is. I suppose I spend so much of my time interviewing other people that I feel off balance when I’m in the hot seat [91] myself.
Joe: Oh, I shoudn’t worry too much about it if I were you [92] . As you say, the job is absolutely made for you. I shoudn’t think they’ll get many applicants with your qualifications [93] .
89
for goodness sake: a mild exclamation often used to express varying degrees of exasperation
90
on the receiving end: in the position of receiving something
91
in the hot seat: a colloquial metaphor used of any uncomfortable situation
92
I shouldn’t worry too much about it if I were you: this sentence, or something very much like it, is used so often in these circumstances that it amounts almost to a fixed phrase
93
with your qualifications: the sense is that there are unlikely to be many applicants “with such good qualifications”, rather than “with the same qualifications”
Bob: Well, we’ll see [94] .
Joe: Yes. You’re bound to get an interview. What’s the pay like incidentally?
Bob: Oh, the pay’s good. Nearly twice what I’m getting now. Joe: Mm!
Bob: But then it is in London, and the rates tend to be a lot higher there, anyway.
Joe: Yes, but even so, it’ll make a big difference if you get it. You’ll be loaded [95] !
94
we’ll see: we’ll see eventually what happens. Often used as a way of expressing doubt about the
95
loaded: loaded with money — a colloquialism
Bob: Well, I don’t know about [96] loaded. I should need a damned sight more than twice my present wages to be loaded.
outcome of something.
Joe: Was the money the main reason for applying?
Bob: One of the reasons. Probably, not the main reason.
Joe: What was that then?
Bob: Well, I don’t know, it’s just that I… well, I like working at Yorkshire Engineering, but I’d like more scope [97] for putting a few ideas into practice. You know, old Billings [98] is all right, he’s very understanding and pleasant to work for and all that.
96
I don’t know about: a standard phrase for expressing doubt about whatever it introduces
97
scope: opportunity
98
old Billings : a common informal way of referring to people, especially men. The adjective “old” does not necessarily carry its normal sense, and it’s use in this way often implies a measure of affection.
Joe: Yes.
Bob: And he’d never do anyone a bad turn [99] , but…
Joe: He’s a stick-in-the-mud [100] .
Bob: Well no, not exactly, but he’s very slow to respond to new ideas. He will accept changes, but it takes him so long to come round to a new idea that by the time he’s trying it out it’s not new any longer.
Joe: And that doesn’t suit you.
99
do anyone a bad turn: harm anyone
100
a stick-in-the-mud: someone lacking in enterprise and averse to change. It is a classic instance of the kind of English “idiom” which used, to be collected in phrase books; and it sounds rather odd and a little old-fashioned as so many phrase-book idioms do, probably because they are not used very much nowadays. The most famous of all is perhaps “It’s raining cats and dogs” which no Englishman would ever be likely to say any longer unless he was trying to be funny.
Bob: Well it doesn’t really bother me, but, I mean, you’ve got to move with the times [101] these days or you’re soon left behind.
Joe: Too true [102] .
Bob: So, anyway, I thought I’d have a bash [103] .
Joe: Good for you [104] . I hope you fed [105] them all that guff [106] about your qualifications and experience in your application.
101
move with the times: keep pace with current thinking. Another idiom that to some people might sound a little old-fashioned.
102
Too true: an emphatic way of agreeing’
103
have a bash: have a try’
104
Good for you: a common way of expressing approval of someone’s action
105
fed: gave
106
guff: a colloquialism for “information”, often used with the implication of irrelevance
Bob: Oh yes, of course.
Joe: But you didn’t lay it on too thick [107] , did you? They can go off [108] if you make yourself sound too good, you know.
Bob: Well, I don’t think I did. I just tried to be factual and emphasise the most important points.
Joe: I bet you’ll cake walk it [109] . I’ll keep my fingers crossed [110] for you, at any rate.
107
lay it on too thick: exaggerate
108
go off: take a disliking to
109
cake walk it: the sense here is “get the job easily”. A “cake walk” is a simple undertaking.
110
keep my fingers crossed: the reference is to the traditional belief that crossing one’s fingers is a way of guarding against bad luck
Bob: Thanks, I’ll need it.
Joe: But what about the prospect of going South? Does that bother you at all?
Bob: Well, I know it’s got its disadvantages. Housing’s very expensive and travelling in the rush hour can be a bit of a bind [111] . But no doubt it’s got its compensations, too, and if you want to get on you’ve got to be prepared to move around, haven’t you?
Joe: Well, that’s true. But you’ve always lived in Yorkshire and you’ll find things very different in London. No more Sunday mornings on the moors [112] .
111
a bit of a bind: a nuisance
112
the moors: вересковая пустошь, охотничье угодье (there are a great deal of open moorland in Yorkshire within easy reach of the large towns, and Sunday mornings walks there are popular)