«Let's touch base offline about the low-hanging fruit before we move the goalposts.»
每个单词都很简单,整句话却几乎不知所云。可你真的会在实际的商务会议上听到类似的话——所以商务习语即使该避免使用,也值得先弄懂。
关于决策的习语
| 习语 | 含义 |
|---|---|
| touch base | 简短联系、对一下情况 |
| circle back | 之后再回头讨论 |
| park it | 有意搁置讨论 |
| take it offline | 会后另行讨论 |
| run it by someone | 做决定前先问问别人的意见 |
| get the green light | 获得批准 |
| sign off on something | 正式批准,通常是书面确认 |
| call the shots | 是做决定的人 |
- — Let's park the pricing question. — Fine, as long as we circle back before Thursday.
- — Has the client signed off on the design? — Not yet — I'll run it by them today.
- — Who calls the shots on hiring? — Anya, once she gets the green light from finance.
关于工作和精力投入的习语
| 习语 | 含义 |
|---|---|
| low-hanging fruit | 唾手可得的成果,通常最先着手处理 |
| move the needle | 带来明显、可衡量的效果 |
| bandwidth | 时间和精力上的余裕 |
| on my plate | 目前由我负责的工作 |
| scope creep | 工作量在约定范围之外悄悄膨胀 |
| a hard deadline | 无法推迟的硬性截止日期 |
| on the same page | 意见一致,理解相同 |
| back to the drawing board | 从头再来 |
| cut corners | 偷工减料 |
| in the loop | 了解情况,消息灵通 |
- — We don't have the bandwidth for a second project this quarter. — Then let's pick off the low-hanging fruit and see if it moves the needle.
- — Can you take the report too? — Look at my plate — and this is a hard deadline, not a wish.
- — The client keeps adding features. — Classic scope creep. Time to re-read the contract.
- — Keep me in the loop. — Of course — you'll hear about every change.
关于请求和告知的习语
| 习语 | 含义 |
|---|---|
| a heads-up | 提前打招呼、预先提醒 |
| ping me | 给我发条短消息 |
| win-win | 对双方都有利 |
- — Just a heads-up: the client call moved to nine. — Thanks. Ping me if it moves again.
- — Why would they agree to that price? — It's a win-win: they get the logo, we get the case study.
关于问题的习语
| 习语 | 含义 |
|---|---|
| a red flag | 危险信号 |
| the elephant in the room | 显而易见却没人提起的问题 |
| drop the ball | 没做好自己该负责的事 |
| a stopgap | 权宜之计 |
| bite the bullet | 硬着头皮接受不愉快的事并去做 |
| the ball is in your court | 轮到你采取行动了 |
- — Nobody mentioned the budget. — That was the elephant in the room all meeting.
- — We dropped the ball on the follow-up. — Then the ball is in your court to fix it.
- — Two senior people quit in a month. — That's a red flag, not bad luck.
「Drop the ball」是一种不小题大做地承认错误的方式。 诚恳但不过分自责,而这正是大多数职场道歉需要的分寸感。
这些要听懂,但永远别自己说
部分商务用语已经被用得过于陈词滥调,以至于母语者自己都会拿来调侃。你需要听懂它们,因为别人会说;但不需要自己说出口——而且每一个都有更简单、听起来更自信的替代说法:
| 行话 | 实际含义 | 应该这样说 |
|---|---|---|
| synergy | 一起工作带来的含糊「额外好处」 | 说出具体好处:we'll share one support team |
| blue-sky thinking | 不受任何限制的畅想 | any idea is welcome at this stage |
| reach out | 联系某人 | email her、ask him |
| ideate | 想点子 | think of ideas |
| leverage(用作动词) | 使用 | use |
| double-click on that | 更仔细地研究某件事 | let's look at that more closely |
| going forward | 从今以后 | from now on |
一个非母语者说出「let's take this offline and circle back」,听起来像是在管理培训班上学的英语;而说「let's discuss this after the meeting」的人,则显得清晰而自信。
一个安全的原则是:选用那些真正有实际含义的地道习语(low-hanging fruit、the ball is in your court、a red flag),跳过那些只用来彰显「圈内身份」的说法(synergy、blue-sky thinking)。
在面试中听到它们
在求职面试中,你听到这些习语的次数,远多于你需要说出口的次数。听懂是考验,用简单的话作答才是本事。
A: We got the green light to hire, so the ball is in your court if you're interested.
B: Glad to hear it. I'm interested — let me check the details with my family and I'll give you an answer on Thursday.
B 听懂了两个习语,都作了回应,却一个也没用。这就是目标。
实际对话中
项目进展汇报
A: Where are we on the migration?
B: We got the green light last week, but we've been short on bandwidth. We picked off the low-hanging fruit first.
A: And the database piece?
B: That's the elephant in the room. Honestly, we dropped the ball there — we'll have to bite the bullet and go back to the drawing board.
A: Okay. Give me a heads-up if the deadline moves, and keep me in the loop.
八个习语,每一个都能替代一整句话的解释。正是这种信息密度,让它们在口语中经久不衰。
自测一下
下面的测验检验这些习语的含义,请你判断哪些可以自己放心使用,并检查你能不能把行话换成简单的英语。