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    2004 年 4 月 14 日 (No.157)
     
    包含商業會話、辦公室會話、商場新知、商用文書、企業及人物介紹等豐富內容,會話課程均真人實景拍攝情境影片,每月一次TOEIC模擬測驗,讓讀者從最真實的商用環境中實戰學習.......<更多介紹>
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    培育高產量稻種 科學家獲獎(2004/3/30)
    Scientists win prize for high yield rice
    陪審團問題難解 泰科國際貪污案懸而未決(2004/3/29)
    Jury problems continue to plague Tyco corruption trial
    美最高法院衡量死刑方式利弊(2004/3/30)
    U.S. Supreme Court weighs execution methods
    台灣醫界重大突破 癲癇藥副作用可避免(2004/4/1)
    Taiwan makes strides against epilepsy drug side effects
    罕見五星連珠奇觀 肉眼可見(2004/3/31)
    Rare five planet alignment visible
    製造景氣持續回升(2004/4/2)
    Manufacturing sector continues expansion
    yield 產量;收穫
    yield 可指農作物的「產量」或投資、事業等的「利潤、報酬」;亦可作為動詞,表示「出產」(農作物)或「創造、獲得」(利潤、報酬)等。
    A 5-percent yield on a $50,000 investment amounts to $2,500.
    以百分之五的投資報酬率計算,五萬美元的投資可獲得兩千五百美元的利潤。
      My investment yielded 3 percent last year.
    我去年的投資獲利率為百分之三。
     
    plague 煩擾;折磨
    plague 指感染性很強的「傳染病、瘟疫」;十四世紀時肆虐歐洲、使歐洲總人口降為三分之一的黑死病(鼠疫),英文即稱為 bubonic plague ,亦稱作 black death;有趣的是,對於那些被認為會帶來災禍、不受歡迎的人,我們常謔稱其為瘟神,而英文亦有類似說法,如:avoid someone like the plague(避之如瘟神)。plague 作為動詞時,則表示「使染瘟疫;折磨、煩擾」。
    The company has been plagued by negative media coverage in recent months.
    媒體近幾個月來的負面報導,已使該公司感到不勝其擾。
     
    weigh 衡量;評估
    weigh 指測量一個物體的重量,可引申為「衡量、評估」某事,所以,要提醒別人謹慎發言,可說 weigh your words/weigh each word(請仔細斟酌用詞);表示「深思熟慮」的動詞除 weigh 外,常見的還有 ponder、mull 等。
    CEOs have to weigh many options before making decisions.
    企業的執行長們在作出決定前,必須對許多選擇方案進行評估。
     
    make strides 大有進展;突飛猛進
    stride 有「自信地闊步行走」之意,make strides 則指「有長足的進步」。take something in stride 亦為常見的片語,字面意義是「在自信從容的步伐中完成某事」,即「輕易地克服;從容地應付」的意思。
    Scientists continue to make strides in the battle against cancer.
    科學家在對抗癌症的戰役中接連告捷。
     
    rare 罕見的;稀有的
    rare 是「稀有罕見的」,反義字為 common(常見的;尋常的)。另外,在餐廳點菜時,侍者常會詢問牛排要幾分熟,倘回答 rare,則表示「三分熟」,其他還有 medium(五至七分熟)或 well-done(全熟)等。
    A rare Japanese painting was sold for $600,000 at the auction.
    一幅珍奇稀有的日本畫作在拍賣會上以六十萬美元售出。
     
    sector 產業;領域
    sector 在經濟學上指某種「產業」,如 manufacturing sector(製造業)、service sector(服務業);但在較大型的機構或組織中,sector 則指其中的某個「部門」。
    The high-tech sector is showing signs of profitability.
    高科技產業的利潤十分可觀。
    <top>
        Smart Solar Charger 智慧型太陽能充電器
     
    As our use of mobile devices, such as cell phones and PDAs, increases, so too does our dependence on these devices' power sources.
    To put it another way, a mobile phone is only as good as its battery.
      .隨著我們對手機及「個人數位助理」(PDA)等隨身裝置的使用愈趨頻繁,對於該類設計的電力來源也更加依賴。換言之,電池是判斷手機好壞的關鍵
    There is nothing worse than a cell phone dying right in the middle of a very important call.
    Fortunately, you will never get caught with a dead battery again thanks to the Smart Solar Charger.
    The charger's simple-yet-innovative technology lets you charge up your mobile devices using the world's biggest energy source -- the sun.
      沒有什麼比在講某通重要電話時手機突然沒電更糟的事了。幸運的是,智慧型太陽能充電器將幫助你永久脫離電池沒電的窘境。該充電器簡單卻創新的科技,使你可利用全世界最大的能量來源--太陽,來為你的手機充電。
    So the next time, you're in the sticks and your cell phone's battery dies, just plug your phone into the Smart Solar Charger and you can get on with business.
      所以,下次當你身居窮鄉僻壤而手機沒電時,只要把手機插上智慧型太陽能充電器,就可以連絡上外界了。
    put it another way 換言之;換句話說
    此語的使用非常普遍,亦可說成 put it in a different way(換句話說)。
    The company is in the red. To put it another way, the company is losing money.
    這家公司的營運呈現赤字。換言之,這家公司出現虧損。
     
    is only as good as 和……一樣;實際上等於
    as good as 字面上的意義是「和……一樣好」,但很多時候它僅說明了某物「實際上等於」另一物,並無稱許或正面評價之意。我們常說一個團隊的優劣取決於每位團員的表現,只要一位成員出了紕漏,就可使該團隊的努力功虧一簣,在英文中可以下列成語表達:a chain is only as good as its weakest link(一條鏈子是否牢靠,取決於它最弱的那個環節)。
    A company is only as good as its worst employee.
    表現最差的員工是判斷一家公司好壞的關鍵。
     
    in the sticks 在窮鄉僻壤(荒郊野外)
    stick 在口語中有「荒涼的地區;偏遠的山地」之意,故 in the sticks 即表示「在遠離城市的偏遠地區」,提醒讀者,另一個常見的用法為 in the boondocks。
    May's nearest neighbor lives five miles away; she sure does live in the sticks.
    梅的住家與其最近的鄰居相隔五哩之遙;她住的地方實在偏僻。
    <top>
     
    multichannel 多管道
    multi 為首的字,常表示「多……:種種的……」之意,如 multilateral(多邊的)、multilingual(會說多種語言的)、multimedia(多媒體的)。
    Many banks are adopting a multichannel system of distribution of their services to meet customers' needs.
    許多銀行皆採用多管道服務制度,以滿足客戶的需求。
    Claire and Frankie are discussing how best to distribute one of their new products.
    克萊兒和法蘭奇正在討論如何有效配銷某項新產品。
    Claire: So, what do you think? 克萊兒: 那麼,你有什麼想法?
    Frankie: We should adopt a multichannel distribution system. 法蘭奇: 我們應該採取多管道配銷制度。
    Claire: Could you elaborate on that a little more? 克萊兒: 你能不能說得更詳細一些?
    Frankie: Well, we should weigh all the options that are open to us, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, the Internet. 法蘭奇: 嗯,我們應該評估所有開放給我們的可能選擇,例如超市、便利商店和網際網路等。
    Claire: I see. What about mail order or direct marketing? 克萊兒: 我懂了。那郵購或直銷呢?
    Frankie: Yes, we should consider those, too. As you know, the supermarkets and convenience stores have a lot of pricing power, so we need to come up with other options. 法蘭奇: 沒錯,這些也必須列入考慮。你知道,超市和便利商店對於價格的訂定有很大的權力,所以我們需要想出其他的替代方案。
    Claire: I totally agree. Last year, we sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of products through those channels, but our profits were wafer thin. 克萊兒: 我完全同意。去年我們透過那些管道售出價值數萬元的產品,但獲得的利潤卻很低
    Frankie: Actually, we experienced a loss. To make money, we'll have to be able to increase our margins, and those new channels may allow us to do that. 法蘭奇: 事實上,我們還有虧損。若要賺錢,我們必須提高利潤額度,而那些新的行銷管道應該會允許我們這樣做。
    Claire: OK. Let's arrange a meeting for early next week with the boss so that we can present our case to him. 克萊兒: 好吧,讓我們來安排下週初與老闆開會,向他報告這個提案。
    Frankie: Fine. I'll give him a call this afternoon. 法蘭奇: 好的,我今天下午會打電話給他。
     
    elaborate on 詳述
    此說法非常普遍。當別人提出某論點,而你覺得不太瞭解,需要其進一步說明時,你就可請其 elaborate on(詳述)該論點。
    I will elaborate on the first part of my presentation later.
    我待會兒再為你詳細說明報告的第一部份。
     
    direct marketing 直銷
    direct marketing「直銷」就是不透過經銷商或店面,而直接與消費者接觸的行銷方式。其他常見的行銷手法包括:在路上發廣告、傳單,提醒讀者,這類廣告或傳單的英文為 flyer,在台灣常聽見的 DM 是不正確的說法;大量寄發電子郵件,這種電子郵件常被稱作 junk mailspam(垃圾郵件)。
    Book clubs usually participate in direct-marketing campaigns.
    閱讀俱樂部常舉辦一些直銷活動。(註:閱讀俱樂部指書店或出版社以舉辦關讀相關活動或提供購書優惠價格來吸引消費者加入的俱樂部。)
     
    pricing power 價格訂定權
    price 作為動詞時,指「訂定價格」;pricing power 即「價格訂定權」,表示可提高價錢或將提高的成本轉嫁至消費者的權力。
    Pc manufacturers have very little pricing power as a result of oversupply.
    由於個人電腦的市場供過於求,製造商享有極小的價格訂定權。
     
    wafer thin 極薄的
    wafer「威化餅」是一種很薄的酥餅,故 wafer thin 可形容物體或利潤「非常薄」,提醒讀者,另一個常見的用法為 razor thin。
    Sales of the company's wafer-thin calculator have been high.
    該公司出產的超薄計算機銷售量很高。
    <top>
    True or False
    1.
    If an investment has a "yield" of 3 percent, its value increases by 3 percent.
    2.
    If you "elaborate on" a point, you don't talk about it.
    3.
    If you are "plagued by" problems, you seldom have problems.
    4.
    A manufacturer with "pricing power" can raise prices easily.
    5.
    If you live "out in the sticks," you live downtown.
     
    Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.

    a. rare b. weighed c. multichannel d. made great strides e. is only as good as

     
     
    6.
    The Middle East peace process has __________ lately.
    7.
    The __________ stamp sold for $189,000.
    8.
    A cup of coffee __________ the beans from which it is made.
    9.
    My boss ________ all the options before making a final decision.
    10.
    The supermarket uses a _________ distribution system.
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