有讀者問,學過很多年英文,在台灣辦公室溝通也通,但每次到美國出差,就覺得挫折感很重,因為海外辦公室同事們講的話,好像都和自己學的不一樣。自己怎麼講,都少了那種「圈內人」的感覺。今天的幾組道地用字,是我們海外特派員在矽谷期間的英語筆記,和大家分享,體會一下道地感。

1.我職務上有了轉換。

(X) I change to a new role.

(O) I transition to a new role.

從一個職位換到另一個職位,可以用change,但用法是change roles。transition這個動詞深一些,隱含了轉換過渡的歷程。

例:You can also consider transitioning into a new position within the same company.(你也可以考慮在公司內部轉換工作。)

Transition也可以當名詞用。例:

They hope to have a smooth transition when the new owners come.(他們希望新老闆接手時可以順利移交。)

2.我們會每一季向您請款。

(X) We'll request payment quarterly.

(O) We'll send you an invoice quarterly.

請款不要直翻成要求付款"request payment"。對企業的請款,我們可以用send an invoice,invoice就是請款單。常有人會搞混invoice和receipt,receipt是付款之後拿到的收據,invoice是還沒有付錢之前的請款單。

Payment is due within 30 days after the invoice is received. (款項必須在收到請款單的30天內支付。)

還有一個字bill,也是「帳單、請款單」,bill經常是對個人的請款。

The store sent me a bill for $50.(那家商店寄給我一張50美元的帳單。)

3.我們的專案資金充足。

(X) Our project has enough budget.

(O) Our project is adequately financed.

前一句是中文直譯,案子本身不會擁有資金。finance意思是金融,也可以當「動詞」意思是「融資」、或「提供經費」,這種用法大家可能比較不熟,來看兩個例句。

More than $100,000 was donated to help finance Ryan's heart transplant.(超過10萬塊捐款資助Ryan的心臟移植手術。)

She has to finance her son through medical school.(她得資助兒子讀醫學院。)

4.我們可以提早開會,讓每個人都可以參加嗎?

(X)Can we have the meeting in advance so that everyone can participate in?

(O)Can we bring the time of the meeting forward to suit everyone?

想到提前,我們腦海裡很快會出現in advance,但這裡並不合適用。in advance指的是「事先」,「在做某事或在一個特定時間之前」,是一個副詞,並不是「提前」這個動作,例如:

If you're going to come, please let me know in advance.(如果你要來的話,請事先通知我。)

而把會議「提前」,我們需要一個動詞,口語一點,我們可以說make it earlier,這時bring forward這個片語就派得上用場:

The meeting's been brought forward to Thursday.

有「提前」,就有「延後」。常常會脫口而出:

我們不得不將會議延後一周。

(X)We have to delay the meeting to next week.

(O)We have to put the meeting back a week.

延後可以用put back。delay是一種「拖延」的狀態,如果要表現拖到下周再開,可以說:

We have to delay the meeting until next week.

責任編輯:易佳蓉
核稿編輯:鍾守沂