当你拿起话筒用英语打电话时,开头打招呼的第一个词便是Hello,Hello,不像中文中的“喂”可以连喊几声,挂电话打招呼时,只要说一次就够了。也可视情况说 Good morning (afternoon , evening)。习惯上,英语国家的人(特别是美国人)打电话一开始就自报姓名或自己的电话号码,甚至是工作单位或住址等等。如: “Hello ( Good morning ,…)、This is 2856123 ”(喂,你好,我这儿的电话号码是2856123。)或“ This is Marg’s phone or This is Mary speaking”(我是玛丽)。有的人在接电话时只回答Hello,而等待对方开始说话。但是这样做法必定地使对方提出“Is this 7856111?”(这是7856111电话吗?)或 “Is that Peter’s phone?”(这是彼得家吗?)这样的问题,势必导致双方在正式通话前花费不少时间与口舌。因此,不要只说Hello 而已,这一点与我们国内双方通话的情形相差甚远。
用中文打电话或接电话时,可以问:“你是谁?”但用英语通话时,则千万不可以问:“Who are you?”问对方是哪一位时,可以用以下几种方式:
Who’s that / who’s speaking , please? 请问你是谁?
Whom an I speaking to ? 跟我通话的是谁?
May I have your name ?我可以问你的名字吗?
Is that you , … ? / Is … there, please?某某在吗?
回答对方问话或自我介绍时,可用This is … It’s …speaking . It is (Mary) here / Hello , Mary here . This is 3132459 等等,不能用“I am ….”如果对方找的正是本人,可用“ Yes ,speaking ”即可。
转告某人接电话时,可用“You’re wanted on the phone ”或“Someone wants you on the phone(有人打电话找你)。也可说“There’s telephone call for you”(有你的电话)。
如果此人就在身边时可以说“It’s for you , Tom .”或“For you Tom”(汤姆,找你的),若来电话时对方要找的人正在隔壁房间或在别处办事,你接了电话以后要过去叫他,请对方稍等一下时,可用Hold on (the time)please, Hold on a moment , please, just a moment, please, Don’t hang uplease 等。如果来电话要找的人一时无法找到,应尽快回答对方,并最后询问对方是否愿意留下口信。这时可用“May I take a message for you?”(我可以给你带个口信吗?)或者“Would you like to leave a message?”(你要留吗?)反之亦然,若是你打电话给某人,对方恰巧不在,你也可以要求接电话的`人带个口信或留个便条,就说:“Could you take a message for me please ?”然后你可酌情简单地向接话者说:“Please tell him that I want to speak to him 。”(请转告他我有事要告诉他),或“Tell him that I called(告诉他我来过电话)也可说:“Will you please tell him to call me back later?”(请你告诉他回个电话给我,好吗?)
当然,打电话也并非尽善尽美,也有其烦人之时。譬如,你给某人打去电话时,对方正忙得很。你最好礼貌地表示一下歉意,可以说:“I am sorry to make a phone call to you when you are very busy ”。(你现在正是很忙的时候,我却打电话给你,很对不起)。如果你有十分紧急的事需打电话给某人,又是清晨或半夜了,可以说:“I am
sorry to have called you so early ,but……“(这么早打电话给你,对不起,但是……)。Sorry to have waked you wp
(对不起,把你吵醒了)。“I am sorry to have called you at such a late time but ……”(这么晚打电话给你,真对不起,但是……)
如果在打电话或接听电话时,中途为了某事而不得不暂时中断与对方的通话,需请对方等候一下时,可以说:“Excuse me 或
Excuse me for a moment”(对不起,请稍等一下),再次拿起话筒时,自然要向对方道歉,应该说:“I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long ”(很抱歉让您久等了)。熟人之间也可以直接说:“Are you still there ”?(你还听着吗?)。
结束通话时,可以说:“Call me at any time”(随时打电话来),“Please say hello to everyone ”(请代我向大家问好),“Nice talking to you ”(很高兴与你通话)等等。电话中的告别一般用Good bye !或See you !
另外,电话号码在英语中的读法。一般按号码的顺序读数字的读音即可。数字0,即可读作Zero,连在一起的相同的数字还可读成double…。 如 读作zero double seven one five six seven eight nine zero zero 询问对方电话号码时,可以说 Could you tell me your telephone number ? What’s your number? Can you tell me his home number等。
最后,笔者列举一段英语电话会话实例以供读者参阅:
(The telephone is ringing电话铃响了)
James: Hello This is Johnsons Company. May I help you?
A Man: I’d like to speak to the manager please.
James: Hold the line, please. I’ll see if he is around. Linda, It’s for the manager. Do you know where he is now?
Linda: I think he has gone out and won’t be back for quite a while.
James: Hello ,Sir. The manager isn’t in at the moment. Can I take a message?
The man:oh!yes , please. Just tell him I’ll expect his call at 10 this evening. My number is 4856659,Thanks.
(一) 打电话的人找的是你自己,你又恰好接了电话。A: Daisy 在吗?Is Daisy there?B: 我就是。1. Speaking.2. This is she/he.3. You're speaking/talking to her/him.4. This is Daisy。5. That's me. 我就是。(二) 打电话的人要找的人不在A: May I speak to Mr. Gates? (请问 Gates 先生在吗?)B: 1.He's not here right now. 他现在不在这里。2. He's out. 他出去了。3. He's in a meeting right now. 他现在正在开会。4. You've just missed him. 你刚好错过他了。5. He's just stepped out. 他刚好出去了。(三) 打电话的人要找的人不在, 问对方是否要留言A: Can I talk to Mark? (Mark在吗?)B:1. He's out on his lunch break right now. Would you like to leave a message? 他出去吃午饭了, 你要留言吗?2. He's not available right now. Can I take a message? 他不在, 我可以帮你传话吗?(四) 打电话的人问他要找的人何时回来A: Do you know when he will be back? 你知道他什么时候会回来吗?B: 1. I'm sorry. I don't know. 抱歉, 我不知道。2. He should be back in 20 minutes. 他应该二十分钟内会回来。(五)打电话的人要找的人不在, 愿意接受对方的留言A: Can I leave a message? 我可以留个话?B: 1. Yes. Go ahead, please. 可以, 请继续。
比如This's xxx speaking 遇见需要让对方持线等待的情况下还可以说Could you hold on a moment? 当你要打断对方的时候也可以说May I interrupt you for a second? 结束通话的时候可以说Well,it’s been a pleasure talking to you. 还有一些常用的,例如 Can I leave a message?我可以留言吗? I'll call back later.我稍后会再打来. Could you tell her to call me as soon as possible?能不能请她尽快打电话给我? 就这多吧,一时半会也想不起来了