礼节美语 249 Cell Phone 1

Sue跟坐在隔壁的同事George聊天。

Sue: Hey George, take a look at this article. It says several major airlines are considering allowing people to use their cell phones while in the air.

George: Oh no, really? That's one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.

S: Oh? Why do you feel that way?

G: Well, I fly for business quite frequently and a plane is now one of the last places where I don't have to hear people chatting on cell phones. I really enjoy the peace and quiet.

S: But it would be so convenient if we were able to make calls during long flights. Just think of how much work we could get done!

Sue告诉George, 现在好几家航空公司都考虑允许乘客在飞行途中使用手机。George觉得这个主意简直糟糕透了，因为飞机是公共场所里所剩无几不用听别人打电话的地方之一，I really enjoy the peace and quiet. George 说自己很享受这种宁静，但是 Sue 觉得，如果能在飞机上打手机，就方便多了，好多事都能在飞机上处理完毕。
 
G: I think perhaps people are taking the idea of multitasking a little bit too far. I get calls from people on my cell phone and they say things like "Where were you? I've been trying to reach you all afternoon." Well, I was on the golf course and I turned off my cell phone...is that a crime?

S: I see what you mean. We are so connected these days that there is hardly any time for peace and quiet. I'll tell you a secret that's a little embarrassing: I leave my cell phone on all night long, just in case a call comes in.

George觉得有些人 take the idea of multitasking a little bit too far. to take something too far 意思是一件事做得过头了，multitasking is spelled m-u-l-t-i-t-a-s-k-i-n-g, multitasking, multitasking 意思是同时做好几件工作。George说，有时候去打高尔夫球，把手机关机 turn off the cell phone，就会有人因为找不到他而质问他到哪里去了，George跟Sue这些手机24小时开机的人形成了鲜明对照。

G: I know lots of people who do that. They say, "what if there is an emergency?" I guess I can understand why someone would feel that way, but I think sometimes we need to turn off our cell phones and tune out all the noise.

S: I can see your point. I get really frustrated by businesspeople that seem to never put down their cell phone. I have to listen to their long, boring conversations and there is really no way I can tune it out.

G: So people take calls every 2 or 3 minutes! Most of the time I think business conversations can probably wait until you get back to the office.

George认为，不能因为担心别人有急事，就把手机随时开机。Sue对George的看法表示赞同，说 I see your point. point在这里是观点的意思，有时候别人打电话，交谈内容很无聊，可是 There is no way I can tune it out. 我又没办法把这种噪音屏蔽掉，to tune something out 意思是不去管它，听而不闻。George 也觉得，其实很多跟工作有关的电话都可以等回办公室再打。