对话文本


M: Please let me see the draft of what you have put together for Monday's meeting.

F: I'm still working on the agenda, there will be a lot to go over on Monday. Here's what I've got so far.

M: Do you think we will spend more than twenty minutes in the opening? I think it should be pretty simple.

F: It shouldn't take too long, but there will be a lot of dignitaries at the meeting. In the opening exercises, it is protocol to spend a little time to recoginise them. I reckon it should take about half an hour before we can even get to the minutes.

M: Really? Well, at least the minutes shouldn't take too long to review. There shouldn't be a lot of active business left over from last meeting.

F: True. After review and acceptance of the minutes, we have several committee reports. Old business won't take up too much time, but sometimes the committee delegates can be a little verbose… Is there where we can limit their time?

M: We can set a five minute report time with a three minute question and answer afterwards.

F: That's not good. Q&A always stretch out the time, because people usually get stuck on some irrelevent point, we'll lose control of the meeting if we open it up to questions too early.

M: True. Well, imposing an eight minute limit on the committee reports then, we'll save Q&A until right before closed session.

F: Sounds good. Overall, we can probably keep the meeting under two hours.

M: Let's hope!

参考翻译


请让我看下你起草的周一会议议程安排.
我还在弄会议议程,周一要有很多事情要做.这是我目前已经完成的部分.
你认为我们开幕式发言需要20多分钟吗?我认为应该非常简短.
是不应该花很长时间,但是会上有很多高管出席.开幕式上,从礼节上讲需要花点儿时间让大家认识下他们.我计算过应该需要半个小时左右才能进入会议纪律环节.
真的吗?那好吧,至少不要花太多时间评议会议记录.上次会议之后应该没有留下太多的后续工作.
是这样.在评议和接受会议记录后,我们还有几份委员会的报告要看.遗留问题不会占太多时间,但有时委员会代表会很啰嗦…有没有办法限制一下他们的时间?
我们可以设定报告时间为5分钟,随后是3分钟的问答时间.
这样不好.问答总会拉长时间,因为人们通常会就无关的论点说个没完.如果我们会上过早让大家提问,我们会失控的.
确实如此.那我们给委员会报告限定8分钟,这样把问答时间拖到会议结束之前.
这样还不错.总的来说,我们很可能把会议控制在两小时之内.
希望如此!

核心词汇词组


Draft: a rough written version of something that is not yet in its final form 草稿;草案;草图
I've made a rough draft of the letter. 我已经写好这封信的草稿.
This is only the first draft of my speech. 这只是我演讲的初稿.
the final draft(= the final version) 定稿
The legislation is still in draft form. 这条法规还只是项草案.
a draft constitution/treaty/agreement 宪法／条约／协议草案

dignitary : a person who has an important official position 显贵;要人;达官贵人

protocol: a system of fixed rules and formal behaviour used at official meetings, usually between governments 礼仪;外交礼节
a breach of protocol 违反外交礼节
the protocol of diplomatic visits 外交访问的礼仪

minute: a summary or record of what is said or decided at a formal meeting 会议记录;会议纪要
We read through the minutes of the last meeting. 我们读了一遍上次会议的纪要.
Who is going to take the minutes(= write them)? 谁来做会议记录?

Verbose: using or containing more words than are needed 冗长的;啰嗦的;唠叨的
a verbose speaker/speech/style 啰里啰嗦的演讲者;言辞冗赘的演说╱文体

take up something: to fill or use an amount of space or time 占用(时间);占据(空间)
The table takes up too much room. 这张桌子太占地方.
I won't take up any more of your time. 我不再占用你的时间了.
Her time is fully taken up with writing. 她把时间全都用在了写作上.

Stretch out: 延长,拖长
The meeting has stretched out for half an hour.
会议已延长了半个小时.