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-- 但是我们工厂第三季度的生产任务已全部排满了。事实上，我们很 多客户在订第四季度交的货呢。
-- 布朗先生，你知道的，交货时间对我们来说很重要。如果在我 们把商品投放到市场上去的时候，别的进口商已经把商品脱手 赚钱了，那我们就亏了。
-- 这点我明白。但是今年我们做的贸易比以往哪一年都要大。很 遗憾不能提前交货。
-- 那糟了，但我真心希望你们对我们的要求给予特殊的考虑。
-- 我可以向你保证，我们最不愿做那些让像你们这样的老客户失 望的事，但是我们的厂家眼前的交货压得很重，这是事实。
-- 你不能想些办法说服厂家提前一些时间交货吗? 请你特别加把 劲。及时交货对我们关系可大啦！
-- 好吧。我们和厂家联系一下，听听他们的意见。
Dialogue 2
A: It has just occurred to me that there is still another possibil- ity to ensure a prompt delivery of the goods.
B: And that is?
A: How about making Hong Kong the port of shipment instead of New York?
B: I’m afraid we can’t agree to that. We concluded the business with you here in Houston, and the goods you ordered are manufactured in New York. We wish to point out that all orders accepted by us are shipped from New York or Seattle. Hong Kong is out of the question.
A: It’s like this. There are only one or two ships sailing a month from New York to Osaka, while sailings from Hong Kong are quite frequent. If shipment were effected from Hong Kong, we could receive the goods much earlier.
-- 我刚想起来了，还有一种可能性确保即期交货。
-- 什么可能性？
-- 把交货港从纽约改为香港怎么样？
-- 那个我们恐怕不能同意。我们是在休斯顿达成交易的，而你所 订货物在纽约生产。我们要指出的是，我们接受的所有订货是 从纽约或西雅图发货的。香港不行。
-- 原因是这样的：从纽约到大阪每个月只有一二个航班，而从香 港到大阪的船却相当频繁。如果在香港交货，我们收到货物的 时间就会早很多。
B: I see. You want to have your goods shipped from New York to Osaka via Hong Kong, where they can be transshipped. Is that the idea?
A: Yes, exactly, because I want these goods on our market at the earliest possible date.
B: Your idea may be a good one, but the trouble is that there are risks of pilferage or damage to the goods during transshipment at Hong Kong. How about shipping them from Seattle instead of NewYork? You may choose either one as port of shipment. It makes no difference to us. There are more sailings from Seattle than from New York.
A: It sounds all right to me, but I will have to think about it. I’ll give you a definite answer tomorrow. If I choose Seattle, will it be possible for you to ship the goods by the end of March?
B: We’ll try our best. Anyway, we assure you that shipment will be made not later than the first half of April.
-- 原来是这样。你想经由香港中转把货从纽约运到大阪，是不是？
-- 对，就是这样，因为我们想把商品尽可能早地投放市场。
-- 这个想法倒不错。不过问题是，在香港转船期间，货物有被偷窃和 损坏的风险。交货港由纽约改为西雅图怎么样?你可以随便选择一 个装运港。对我们来说都一样。从西雅图启航的船只比纽约多。
-- 我是觉得不错，但我得想一想，明天给你答复。如果我选择西雅 图，你们能在三月底前交货吗？
-- 我们尽力而为吧！不管怎样，请你放心，交货不会迟于四月上旬。
Dialogue 3
A: Could you do something to advance your time of shipment?
B: Well, our manufacturers are fully committed at the moment. I’m afraid it’s very difficult to improve any further on the time.
A: I hope you’ll try to convince them to step up production.
B: We check their production schedule against our orders almost every day. As new orders keep coming in, they are working three shifts to step up production. I’m sorry, but we simply can
BUSINESS ENGLISH 300
not commit ourselves beyond what the production schedule can fulfill.
A: Well, in that case, there is nothing more to be said. What’s your last word as to the date then?
