Chapter 3: Asking for Information / Help 要求提供資訊或懇請協助

建立人際關係之後，需要開始收集資訊和情報。資訊和情報並非唾手可得，需要靠勤寫信和勤打電話。其實用簡單的 Globish 單字，就能敲開大門，取得你所需。

I.Formal Request (Email Version) 正式的請求（電子郵件篇）：

華東銀行的李民生先生希望有機會跟劉美惠任職的貿易公司合作，但想請劉小姐先寄一些公司資料給他：

Dear Ms. Mei Hui Liu,

I represent a large banking firm, Hua Tung. Our bank is seeking investment opportunities to help customers grow. We are especially interested in an international import and export company. Our research indicates that your company might be a good fit for us, but we would like to learn more about your current financial status.

Could you please send us a copy of your most up to date financial report, including the budget for this year? Please also include a list of your projected costs and returns.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Min-sheng Li
Account Executive,
HuaTung Investment Bank

中譯
劉美惠女士，您好，

我代表一家名叫華東的開發銀行。現在我們正尋求投資機會與顧客共創商機。我們特別有興趣的合作對象是國際進出口公司。據我們的研究顯示，貴公司正屬於我們的上選，但我們想知道更多關於你們目前的財務狀況。

可否請貴公司寄一份最近的財務報告，包括今年的預算、預估的成本和收益清單。

我們期待您的回音。

李民生敬上
會計主任
東華開發銀行

Globish生字

1.firm公司、事務所（名詞）
例句：Lisa was hired by a legal firm straight out of school.
中譯：麗莎剛出校門就被一家律師事務所聘用了。

firm 穩定的（形容詞）
例句：Taiwan dollars stay firm against American dollars.
中譯：台幣兌美金匯率保持穩定。

2.seek (seek, sought, sought) 尋找、徵求（動詞）
例句：You should seek advice from an expert.
中譯：你應該徵求專家的意見。

3.invest投資（動詞）
例句：He decided to invest his money in the stock market instead of saving it in the bank.
中譯：他決定投資股票市場，而不存在銀行裡。

延伸
investment 投資（名詞）
例句：Taiwan wants to attract more foreign investment.
中譯：台灣想吸引更多的外國投資。

investor 投資者 / 投資公司
例句：An investor is a person or an organization that invests money.
中譯：Investor 指的是投資錢的人或組織。

4.especially特別地（副詞）
例句：The market is especially weak right now.
中譯：這個市場目前特別地疲軟。

5.interest興趣（名詞）
例句：He has no interest in science.
中譯：他對科學沒有興趣。

interest 利息（名詞）
例句：What is the interest rate for a savings account?
中譯：活期存款戶頭的利率是多少？

延伸
be interested in 有興趣
例句：I am interested in Finland’s educational system.
中譯：我對芬蘭的教育體制很有興趣。

interesting （形容詞）
例句：This experimental project is very interesting.
中譯：這個實驗性的工作計畫真有趣。

6.international國際的（形容詞）
例句：The two countries just signed an international trade agreement.
中譯：這兩個國家剛簽訂了一項國際貿易協定。

7.import進口（動詞）
例句：Canada must import lots of fruits and vegetables because it is too cold to grow them there.
中譯：加拿大得進口很多水果和蔬菜，因為當地太冷無法種植蔬果。

import 進口（名詞）
例句：Imports of certain items are forbidden.
中譯：某些東西是不允許進口的。

延伸
imported 進口的（形容詞）
例句：Imported goods are often more expensive than local goods.
中譯：進口的東西通常比在地的產品貴。

8.export出口（動詞）
例句：China exports more goods than any other country in the world.
中譯：中國比世界上任和其他國家都出口更多的產品。

export 進口（名詞）
例句：Japan’s exports have started to grow more slowly.
中譯：日本出口的成長開始放慢。

延伸
exported 出口的
例句：All the exported apples have been rejected.
中譯：所有出口的蘋果都被退貨。

9.research研究（名詞）
例句：Part of his research includes doing science experiments in the laboratory.
中譯：他部分的研究工作包括在實驗室裡做科學試驗。

research 研究（動詞）
例句：We are researching the effects of smoking on dogs and cats.
中譯：我們正在研究煙對狗和貓的影響。

10.indicate指出、顯示（動詞）
例句：Red flashing lights indicate that it is not safe to drive.
中譯：閃紅燈表示開車不安全。

11.fit適合（動詞）
例句：The jacket fits him just right.
中譯：這件夾克的大小對他正合適。

fit 適合的（形容詞）
例句：He is not really fit for this job.
中譯：他並不適合做這個工作。

延伸
good fit 正合適（名詞）
例句：His obedient character was a good fit for the military.
中譯：他的順服的個性正適合軍旅生活。

12.finance財務、金融、財源周轉（名詞）
例句：Parents have to teach their children how to handle their finances.
中譯：父母應該教子女如何理財。

finance 資助（動詞）
例句：My parents agreed to finance my college education.
中譯：我父母答應了資助我的大學教育。

延伸
financial 財務的（形容詞）
例句：Our company will offer all kinds of financial services.
中譯：我們公司將提供各種財務管理的業務服務。

13.status狀況（名詞）
例句：We are concerned about the current political status of your country.
中譯：我們關心你國家目前的政治狀況。

延伸
social status 社會地位
例句：In many Asian countries a teacher’s social status is very high.
中譯：在許多亞洲國家，老師的社會地位很高。

marital status 婚姻狀況
例句：She wrote “single” in the blank space under “Marital Status.”
中譯：她在「婚姻狀況」欄填上「單身」。

14.budget財務預算（名詞）
例句：My boss is trying to balance our company’s budget.
中譯：我的老闆正努力去平衡公司的財務預算。

15.project計畫、工程項目（名詞）（重音在第一音節 pro）
例句：Building a road through the mountains is a big project.
中譯：開造一條穿過群山的路是一項大工程。

project 設想、籌劃（動詞）（重音在第二音節 ject）
例句：The embassy projected the two countries’ future development.
中譯：大使館籌劃出兩國未來的發展。

延伸
projector 投影機
例句：She is using a projector to show us the chart of birth rates from 2000 to 2011.
中譯：她用投影機顯示從 2000 年到 2011 年的出生率圖表。

＠＠＠＠＠

16.cost花費、開銷（名詞）
例句：The cost of living in Taipei is increasing.
中譯：台北的生活費愈來愈高。

cost 花（動詞）cost, cost, cost（動詞三態變化）
例句：It cost me NT1000 to buy fuel for my car.
中譯：我花了台幣 1000 元給我的車子加油。

17.return報酬、利潤（名詞）
例句：This investment does not guarantee a high return.
中譯：這項投資不保證有高報酬。

return 返回（動詞）
例句：The soldiers will return home once the war is over.
中譯：戰爭結束後軍人將返回家園。

延伸
file the tax return 報稅
例句：You have to file the tax return by the end of May.
中譯：你必須在五月底之前報稅。

II.Formal Request (Telephone Version) 提出請求（電話篇）

華東銀行的業務員李民生先生打電話給劉美惠小姐，在電話中詢問一起合作投資案的進展情況：

Liu: Hello, this is Mei Hui Liu.

Li: Hi, Ms. Liu. This is Min-sheng Li from Hua Tung Bank calling. I sent you an email earlier this week about possibly working together on an investment deal. I haven’t heard from you yet, so I want to call personally and follow up with you.

Liu: Oh yes, hi Mr. Li. I apologize for not writing back earlier.

Li: That’s not a problem. Do you have time right now to discuss the offer?

Liu: Yes, and we are very interested. Hua Tung is such a large bank; we would love to add your resources to our company.

Li: I’m glad to hear you’re interested. In my email, I requested a few financial documents, such as your budget and your projected costs and returns. Do you think you will be able to send me those materials by next week?

Liu: Yes. I’ve already contacted our accountants. They should have a report ready for you by Monday morning.

Li: Great. Thank you so much for your cooperation. Do you have any questions for me?

Liu: When can we meet to discuss our business plan?

Li: Let’s review your financial reports first, but I will call you again to set up a face-to-face meeting.

Liu: Sounds good. I’ll look forward to your call then.

Li: Talk to you then. Goodbye.

中譯
劉：喂、我是劉美惠。

李：嗨，劉女士，我是華東銀行的李民生。這星期初我寄了一封電子郵件給您，關於一個我們可能可以合作的投資案，我還沒有接到您的回音，所以我想親自打電話給您，進一步瞭解你們的意向。

劉：李先生，很抱歉我沒能早些回你的信。

李：沒問題，您現在有時間討論一下我們的提案？

劉：有，我們很有興趣。華東是一家規模很大的銀行，我們當然希望加些你們的資產來壯大我們的公司。

李：很高興知道你們對這個提案有興趣。在我電子郵件中，我請你們提供一些財務報表，例如：預算、預估的成本和收益清單。下星期可以把這些東西寄給我嗎？

劉：我已經聯絡了我們的會計，他們應該會把這些報表在星期一早上準備好給您。

李：太好了，謝謝您的合作。還有什麼問題我可以效勞的嗎？

劉：我們什麼時候才能見面，談我們的投資計畫？

李：讓我們先審查財務報表過後，不過會再打電話給您，安排一個面對面的會議。

劉：很好，我就等您的下一通電話。

李：再聯絡，再見。

Globish 生字

18.person人（名詞）
例句：My boss is really a good person.
中譯：我的老闆真是一個好人。

personality 個性（名詞）
例句：His strong personality makes him a good leader in the office.
中譯：他果斷的個性使他成為辦公室的好領導。

延伸
personally 對我個人而言（副詞）
例句：I personally like him, but other people think he is difficult to work with.
中譯：對我本人來講，我蠻喜歡他的，但其他的人認為他很難共事。

19.resource資源、資產（名詞）
例句：Larger companies have the resources to expand their businesses.
中譯：大公司有資源來擴展業務。

20.material材料（名詞）
例句：I am collecting material for my new book on the history of Taiwan.
中譯：我正在為我有關台灣史的新書收集材料。

21.cooperate合作、協調（動詞）
例句：These two countries finally decided to stop fighting and to start cooperating.
中譯：這兩個國家終於決定停止爭吵，開始合作。

延伸
cooperation 合作（名詞）
例句：We need everyone’s cooperation to improve the environment.
中譯：我們需要每個人的合作來改善環境。

Exercise 練習題
I.Multiple Choice選擇

1.( ) I hope our _____ will improve this year.
(a) document (b) business (c) budget

2.( ) They will _____ him a hand to pay off the loan for his car.
(a) lend (b) owe (c) export (pay off the loan 還清貸款)

3.( ) Her _____ for a permanent job was not successful.
(a) record (b) return (c) request (permanent job 永久正式的工作)

4.( ) I still _____ the bank NT150,000. I won’t pay it off until next winter.
(a) invest (b) project (c) owe

5.( ) I am looking forward to _____ you soon.
(a) seeing (b) see (c) seen

6.( ) If the government refuses to _____ us, our school will be closed.
(a) finance (b) project (c) invest

7.( ) He decided to _____ money in the international financial market.
(a) project (b) cooperate (c) invest

8.( ) Please write down your name, age, and marital _____.
(a) document (b) status (c) research

9.( ) Germany _____ lots of cars each year to other countries.
(a) indicates (b) seeks (c) exports

10.( ) They expected a high _____ from exporting silk dresses to England.
(a) return (b) firm (c) finance

II.Fill in the Blank請選適當的字填入空格中，沒有用到的字請劃掉

opportunity, export, import, invest, project

Mary 是台灣某食品公司的業務代表，她寫信給在外商公司做事的 Shelly Wen，約時間見面，談談食品進出口的合作事宜：

Dear Ms. Shelly Wen,

My name is Mary Woods. I am a representative from a food company that 1.__________s snacks (零食) out of Canada. We are looking for an international firm to help 2.__________ our products into Taiwan.

I would like a(n) 3.__________ to meet with you in person. I believe this 4.__________ could greatly profit both of our organizations.

I look forward to seeing you in the near future.

Sincerely,
Mary

III.Fill in the Blank請選適當的字填入空格中，沒有用到的字請劃掉

expect, 　organize,　owe,　request,　record

Mei Rui 寫信給同事 Shelly，請她將這個月在公司的花費單寄給她：

Hey Shelly,
I have a small favor to 1.__________. Can you please send me a(n) 2.__________ of your expenses of this month? I am trying to 3.__________ all the departments to list the money we still 4.__________ other companies.

Thanks so much,
Mei Rui