ESL Podcast 556 – Scheduling an Appointment

Ann: Hello.

Serge: Hi, Ann. It’s Serge. I’m calling to make an appointment for LeeAnn. She wants to meet with Miles next week sometime.

Ann: Let me take a look at his appointment schedule. Let’s see, can LeeAnn be here on Tuesday at 2:00?

Serge: No, she’s tied up all Tuesday afternoon, but I could shuffle¹ around some of her commitments to free her up on Tuesday morning, if that helps.

Ann: Unfortunately, Tuesday morning is out. I could bump² someone on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00. Can LeeAnn be here at that time?

Serge: She has an appointment at 2:30 in this office, but it shouldn’t last more than a half hour. She should be able to make it by 3:00 if she’s not running late. Better yet, I may be able to finagle something, maybe push back that appointment until she gets back to the office. Why don’t you pencil her in for now?

Ann: Okay, I’ll do that, but can you confirm with me by Monday?

Serge: Sure, I’ll give you a heads up no later than noon on Monday if I can’t push back her other appointment.

Ann: Okay, sounds good. Tell me, do you ever feel like we’re spinning our wheels, spending our days making, changing, and canceling appointments?

Serge: Yeah, every single day!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 shuffle   

n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走

参考例句：

• I wish you'd remember to shuffle before you deal.我希望在你发牌前记得洗牌。
• Don't shuffle your feet along.别拖着脚步走。

2 bump   

v.（against,into）碰，颠簸；n.碰撞，隆起物

参考例句：

• I heard a bump in the next room.我听到隔壁房间传来“砰”的一声。
• He got a bad bump on his forehead.他碰得前额隆起一个大包。