It's My Fault 工作失誤
Everyone makes mistakes. Usually you can correct your error or just forget about it. Making a mistake at work, however, can be more serious. When you make a mistake at work your career may depend on what you do next.
情景對話1：
交工時間快到了，但工程進展因爲人手不夠可能要拖延，本承認是自己的失誤。
Manager: Ok, let's get started. Mike, we'll begin with reports on the Peace Clinic. Is everything going smoothly? 好，邁克，我們開始吧。我們先來看看平安診所的工程。一切都還順利吧？
Mike: Uh, I'm afraid there'll be a delay of at least one week. 恐怕得要拖延一個星期。
Manager: What's holding things up? 是什麼給耽誤的？
Mike: It's my fault. I didn't hire enough people. I screwed up. 是我的錯。我僱的人手不夠。我把事情給弄砸了。
Manager: Ok, these things happen, but what have you done to correct the situation? Aren't the guys working overtime? 好了。這種事情既然已經發生了，你怎麼解決這種情況呢？工人是不是在加班？
Mike: Yeah, but they've been working overtime for a month now, and they aren't all happy about it. 是的，不過他們加了一個月的班了，他們已經不太樂意了。
Manager: Well, have you hired more people? 那你有沒有再僱人？
Mike: I put an ad in the newspaper, but I haven't got many replies so far. 我已經在報紙上登了廣告，不過目前仍沒有多少迴音。
Manager: How long ago was the ad in the paper? 廣告登了多長時間了？
Mike: Six days ago. I wonder why we're not getting a better response? 六天了。我也奇怪怎麼沒有人來？
Manager: There's a lot of construction in this area right now. There's the new convention center, and the new headquarters for Forex Electronics. It's hard to find good workers at the moment. 目前這個地區的工程很多，像新會議中心、福萊克斯電子公司的總部大樓。現在很難招到好的工人。
Mike: I'm sorry. I made a big mistake not hiring enough guys on the crew last spring. 我很抱歉。去年春季我沒多招些人真是個大錯誤。
Manager: Okay. Tell the guys it'll be just one more week of overtime. But we've got back on schedule. 好了。告訴工人就再加一個星期的'班。不過我們必須得抓緊時間了。
Notes：
1 I didn't hire enough people. I screwed up.
screw up=cause to fail or be spoiled 搞糟，破壞
例句：
Having the car stolen completely screwed up our holiday plan.
We really screwed up when we invited Jane and her ex-boyfriend to the party.
2 Tell the guys it'll be just one more week of overtime.
guys用於非正式場合。在招呼關係友好的幾個人或一羣人時，不論男女性別，都可以稱guys。
例句：Hey, guys, how are you doing?
情景對話2：
老闆對祕書打出來的幾封信不滿意，要求重打。
A: Have you finished the monthly report? 本月的報告做好了嗎？
B: Yes, here it is. Do you approve of the way I typed this report? 做好了，在這兒。報告這樣打，你同意嗎？
A: I be frank with you? 我跟你直說了吧。
B: By all means, please. 儘管說。
A: Well, to be quite honest, I find it unsatisfactory. 說實話，我不太滿意。
B: Oh, I'm sorry. Could you be a little more specific? 真對不起，你能說得再具體點嗎？
A: Yes, I'm not particularly happy about the layout. 行，我覺得格式很不妥。
B: Oh, I see the problem now. I'll retype it. 哦，我知道是什麼問題了。我重打一遍。
A: I'd appreciate that. 謝謝。
Notes:
1 在與英語國家的人們交談時，難免要請教一些詞或詞組的意思，此時慣常的、禮貌的做法是先爲打擾了他人或佔用了他人的時間表示道歉，然後請求解釋詞義。一般來講，只要你提問的場合與時間適宜，他們都會非常樂意回答你的。在本對話中這句 "Oh, I'm sorry. Could you be a little more specific?" 這是澄清含義的一種表達方法。
2 Do you approve of the way I typed the report?
approve (of) = agree officially 同意，贊成
例句：
We had to wait months for the council to approve (of) our plan to extend our house.
If the directors approve of it, we'll buy the new computer system.
3 By all means, please.
by all means 務必，一定，當然可以
例句：--May I borrow this book? --By all means.
常用句型：
I made a mistake.
It's my fault.
I screwed up.
I didn't realize that I should...
Could you be a little more specific?
Oh, you're the guilty party.
What's holding things up?
What have you done to correct the situation?
