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  单元介绍

  So you have to send something using the postal service, do you? Do like Sandra did, and use Modern English to talk to the postal clerk!

  你必须用邮电系统来送出你的东西,是吧?那么像Sandra那样,用一些现代英语来和邮局工作人员谈话。

  Some companies in China use company stamps, which are basically the equivalent of postage meters in the West, except that they are more personalized for each company. Western companies depend on letterheads to identify their envelopes and correspondence.

  有些中国的公司用自己的邮戳来寄信。这和西方的某些公司用自己的简便邮票相似,只是这些邮票更加有公司个性的体现。西方的公司大多依据信纸的抬头来把自己的信件和其它公司的区分开来。

Post office
http://www.sina.com.cn 2002/10/08 16:38  洋话连篇

  情景对话

  Sandra goes to the Post Office to buy stamps for the letter she has just written. It’s really not so different from what she is used to back home!

  Clerk:Good afternoon, Miss. How can I help you?

  Sandra:Hi, I would like to buy some stamps, please.

  Clerk:Sure thing! What are you sending?

  Sandra:I want to send this letter to China, by air mail. Can you tell me how many stamps I need?

  Clerk:(takes the letter and weighs it) That will be $2.10.

  Sandra:(gives the money) How long will this letter take to get there?

  Clerk: About a week. If you’d like faster service, it will cost you more.

  Sandra:No, a week is fine this time. How fast could a letter get there if I was in a rush?

  Clerk:You could get express delivery, but that’s much more expensive, and still takes about 3 days.

  Sandra:I see. Well, thanks for your time.

邮局

  注释

  1.I would like to buy some stamps, please.

  我想买些邮票。

  想买东西的话不一定非用'buy'来表示,你可以直接说,"I want to get some stamps, please."懒一点儿的话也可以说:"Some stamps, please."当然,懒一点儿没问题,但说话时的语气一定要诚恳,婉转。不然别人会以为你没礼貌。

  2.I want to send this letter to China, by air mail.

  我想把这封信航空邮到中国。

  'Air Mail'是航空信封上必有的标记,用来表示空运。口语中直接说'by air'就可以了。如果你的信件不是那么着急,你又想省点儿钱的话,你可以这样告诉邮局的工作人员: "I want to send this by sea." ("我想海运这个"。)

  3.I would like to mail this package.

  我想把这包裹给寄了。

  包裹的邮递在英语中还可以被称作'parcel post'或'delivery',它的价格大致由四方面来决定的'distance' (距离),'size' (尺寸),'weight' (重量),'speed' (速度)。

  4.How many stamps do I need?

  我需要多少邮票?

  我们都知道邮票的面值有大有小,"我需要几张邮票"这句话仔细研究起来有些别扭,但英语在这一表达上也和汉语一样,只是一种习惯说法而已。

  5.How long will this letter take to get there?

  这封信需要多长时间到那儿?

  一般来说,我们接触到的关于用多长时间的表达都是借助于形式主语it来完成的。如:"How long does it take to get there by bus?" (坐公共汽车到那儿要多长时间?)这种情况一般用在真正主语是说话本人或广大人民群众时才用的。

  6.Can you weigh this for me?

  你能帮我称称这(包裹)吗?

  如果你想寄包裹的话,那么包裹的重量应该是很重要的一个因素,它的多少直接关系到你的钱包。你可要记住这句话,或另外一句更有礼貌的:"May I have this weighed?"

  7.I would like to send this by registered mail, please.

  我想把这封信挂号寄出。

  'Registered mail'是挂号信的意思,如果你的信件很重要,而你想充分保证收信人能安全收到信的话。最好用挂号寄出。

  8.How much do stamps cost?

  邮票多少钱?

  这句话和上面提到的"How many stamps do I need?"意思和用法都差不多,这两种说法一般来说可以相互替换。

  9.How much does it weigh?

  它多重?

  这句问重量的话就显得没有以上提到的两句有礼貌。我们应该注意的另一点是问信件重量的时候,从来不用"How heavy is it?"

  10.Where can I pick up my package?

  我在哪儿领取包裹?

  'Pick up'在这里作领取讲,除了这个意思,'pick up'还有捡起来,领会什么东西的意思。如:"He picks up languages unbelievably quick." (他学习语言快得令人难以置信。)

  文化差异

  Many Western companies use postage meters for convenience. Cost per letter is the same as using postage stamps, but you only need to go to the Post Office once in a while. You pay for the mail you’ve sent, and the Post Office resets your meter.

  在西方国家,很多公司为了方便而使用邮资记数器。每封信的邮资和使用邮票是一样的,但是你只需要隔一段时间去一趟邮局为你在这段时间内邮寄的所有信件付清邮资就可以了。

英语学习论坛

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