Narrator: 欢迎大家回到白领英语续集。 在上次 Denise 被裁员的消息后希望今天是个更为愉快的一天。不知道等待 Tom 和 Anna 究竟是什么消息呢?
Paul: …it's really awful having to let a member of your staff go but that's the situation we're in, I'm afraid.
Tom: And now you're going to let us go, aren't you? Honestly Paul, I've given my life to this company and quite frankly I'm disappointed… no, I'm angry at your decision. See your biscuits? Well…
Anna: Tom!
Tom: That's what I think of Tip Top Trading…
Paul: What?! Hold on Tom. I think you're a bit confused. I'm not sacking you, too. I need to talk to you about plastic vegetables… you know, the aubergine idea?
Tom: Oh… I see. You're not sacking us? Sorry Paul… I'll buy you some more biscuits. So what was it that you had to say?
Paul: Plastic vegetables. Yours and Anna's idea for a plastic aubergine. I like it. It's good. So I need you to develop a prototype we can use to show our potential clients.
Anna: Well that's great. So where do we get the prototype made?
Paul: Upstairs, on the 4 floor. We have a great development team who can magic up some amazing designs.
Anna: They're magicians?
Tom: No Anna. They're just developers who make things out of plastic.
Paul: Thank you Tom. Look, why not go and have a chat to them now and get the ball rolling.
Anna: But we're not making balls.
Tom: Come on Anna… I'll explain. See you Paul.
Narrator: To get the ball rolling - 所谓让球滚动起来 – 意思就是让事情开始运作起来。开发人员可以根据你的要求去设计制样，然后你可以去展示并作进一步改进，不过首先你要对他们讲清楚具体的要求是什么。下面我们来听听 Anna 和 Tom 的工作进展怎么样…
(Lift door opens)
Tom: So this is the development team. Alright George, you up for footie on Sunday? Great. You met Anna before?
Anna: Hello.
Tom: We've come to talk vegetables.
George: Try the greengrocers!
Tom: Ha, very funny! Yeah, no, we need to talk plastic aubergine making, mate. It's our new big idea.
George: Easy. We can just remould the design for the Imperial Lemon.
Narrator: Anna 觉得行吗? 这同你的想法一致吗？如果你要想实现你的想法，那么你得掌控局面呢。
Anna: But what shall I say?
Narrator: 告诉他们你的准确的想法是什么，你可以说
I have a specific idea in mind' - 我有个很具体的想法。然后你可以说
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on how to improve my ideas - 我很想听听你对改进我的这个想法有何高见，接着你可以说，
I'd like to use your design skills to produce a fantastic product - 我很想用你的设计技巧来制作一个精美的产品，最后你可以说，
I need to sign off your designs before they go into production - 在投产之前我需要签字同意你的设计。
Anna: I see. OK, time for me to take control. George… this is quite a special project for us… isn't it Tom?
Tom: Oh yeah, right, absolutely.
Anna: So we want to get it right and I already have a specific idea in mind.
George: Great, sure, tell me more.
Anna: Well, based on a real aubergine, I was hoping it could be 20 centimetres in length, using grade 1 plastic resin, with a black-purple colour and a 30 degree curve on that side. Does that make sense?
George: Erm yeah. Quite clear.
Anna: Obviously you are a designer, so I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on how to improve our idea.
George: Well, it looks very impressive already. Gosh, Tom, where did you get her from?
Anna: He didn't get me from anywhere. Now, I'd like to use your design skills to develop a fantastic product that I can show everyone. OK?
George: Err… yes. I'll get onto it straight away.
Narrator: 说的很好 Anna. 有时掌控局面并准确表达你的想法是很重要的，不过口气要积极有所鼓。下面我们再来回顾一下 Anna 使用的几个句子:
I have a specific idea in mind.
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on how to improve my ideas.
I'd like to use your design skills to produce a fantastic product.
Narrator: 最后还有一句话来确保设计者按部就班完成任务，‘I need to sign off your designs before they go into production' - ‘在投产之前我需要最后签字批准，这就是说在投产之前要经过你的批准，这个设计才能成立。好 Anna 继续吧。
Anna: …so when will you have the designs ready then?
George: Hopefully by tomorrow morning. Is that OK?
Anna: That will be great but I will need to sign off your designs before they go into production – that way, there won't be any mistakes – will there?
George: Crikey Tom, she's a bit bossy.
Tom: No! She's a pussy cat really… a bit of a softy.
Anna: Now come on Tom. Fetch my things. We need to go and sort out a leaving present for Denise.
Tom: Oh yeah right, of course, see you George.
Narrator: 嗯，我觉得 Tom's 才是一个小猫咪呢。 希望设计结果能令人满意。不过最重要的是明天就到了 Denise's 在公司的最后一天了 – 大家会怎么应对那一局面? 请留意下一集的白领英语。再会。

听力挑战：

Anna 想要的塑料茄子原形有多长?

上期答案：

Anna 向 Denise 表示安慰时使用了一个短语，依赖什么来 cry on?
A shouder to cry on? 你需要依靠下我的肩膀吗