Everyday Etiquette for Office life

 　　Telephone

　　电　话

　　As your company's representative, your phone manners should be impeccable. Too many workers who are abrupt¹ on the phone rationalize their behavior by saying it's okay or even expected.

　　since they're at work, but this isn't true. You are putting across your company's image and should work just as hard at it on the phone as you would in person.

　　作为公司的代表,你打电话的举止应该是无可挑剔的。许多在打电话时举止粗鲁的工作人员给自己的行为找理由，说那是可以接受的，甚至理应如此，因为他们正在工作。但这是说不通的。你实际上是在为公司树立形象,因此应该就像面见对方一样尽可能打好电话。

　　There are several accepted ways to answer a telephone at work. You can simply say “ Hello” or you can say your name, as in “ June Johnson speaking.” You don't need to say the company's name if a receptionist or a secretary has already done so. Try to speak in a pleasant, unrushed voice. If you are rushed and can't talk, it's better to say this and make plans to call back later. Don't rustle² papers or work while you're speaking on the phone.If you're really too distracted to speak, then reschedule the call.

　　接工作电话有几种广为接受的方式。你可以只说"你好"或说出你的姓名,如"我是琼·约翰逊。"如果接线员或秘书已经说出了公司的名字,你便不必再说。通话时尽量声音悦耳,不急不躁。如果你手头正忙无法说话,最好实话实说，告诉对方一会儿再打过去。通话时不要让纸张瑟瑟作响,也不要边说边工作。如果你实在无法集中精神通话,那就安排另外通话的时间。

　　It's okay and sometimes even necessary to screen your calls. But there's a right and a wrong way to do this. First train your secretary to do it politely. It's better to ask “ May I know who's calling?” than “ Who is this?” or even “ Who's calling?” Second, don't instruct your secretary to say you are out when you are in. It's acceptable to be in but too busy to talk at the moment and it's always better to be honest. Callers sense the difference, and besides, it may not look good if you're always out.

　　有选择地接电话是可以的,有时甚至是必要的。但是如何做则有正误之分。首先训练你的秘书要有礼貌。最好问"我能问是哪位打来的吗?"，而不是"谁呀?",更不是"谁在打电话?"。第二,不要教你的秘书在你在的时候说不在。说工作太忙无暇通话是可以接受的--以诚相待永远是上策。打电话的人能听出不同,况且,如果你总不在也不太好。

　　It's rude not to return telephone calls regardless of whom they are from. You might be ignoring a potential customer. Many people today don't bother to return phone calls, and if you work for someone else,it's highly unlikely that such behavior is acceptable. When you do return calls, try to place them yourself. If you must have your secretary make the call, then get on the line immediately. It's not polite to keep someone waiting when you've placed the call.

　　不回电话是无礼的--不管电话来自何人。你或许会错过一个可能成为客户的人。当今许多人不屑回电话,但如果你身为别人的雇员,如此行为恐怕难以接受。当你能够回电话时,尽量自己做。如果你必须先让你的秘书代劳,那么应尽快接过电话。如果电话是你打的,让对方久等是不礼貌的。

　　Handling Mail

　　处理信件

　　Good manners also dictate³ that you handle your mail promptly⁴ and courteously⁵. Unless mail is obviously mass-produced, it should be deemed worthy⁶ of a reply. Most bosses don't like discovering that their employees are unresponsive to business calls and letters.

　　得体的行为举止也体现在你能及时有礼貌地处理信件。除非是那些大量散发的邮件,每一邮件都值得予以回复。许多老板不愿看到他们的雇员对商务电话和信函迟迟不予答复。

　　Faxes and E-Mail

　　传真和电子邮件

　　The arrival of fax machines and desktop⁷ computers in most offices has also given rise to a new etiquette⁸ regarding their use. Never assume that either a fax or e-mail is private. And with that in mind, never send any communication via either method that you wouldn't like to have your boss, or even your entire office, read. Most fax machines are located in public places, so anyone who passes by can read them, and some businesses routinely screen their employees' e-mail. (That's not necessarily polite, but it's easier to keep e-mail impersonal⁹ than to tell the boss she can't read it.)

　　传真机和桌面电脑进入大多数办公室以后也产生了一种新的有关使用传真机和电脑的礼仪。决不要认为传真或电子邮件是私人的。清楚这点就不要使用它们发任何你不愿让老板甚至是整个办公室都能读到的信件。大部分传真机放在公共地点,所以每位经过的同事都可以看,而有些公司例行公事地检查雇员的电子邮件。

1 abrupt   

adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的

参考例句：

• The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。
• His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。

2 rustle   

v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声

参考例句：

• She heard a rustle in the bushes.她听到灌木丛中一阵沙沙声。
• He heard a rustle of leaves in the breeze.他听到树叶在微风中发出的沙沙声。

3 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

4 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

5 courteously   

adv.有礼貌地，亲切地

参考例句：

• He courteously opened the door for me.他谦恭有礼地为我开门。
• Presently he rose courteously and released her.过了一会，他就很客气地站起来，让她走开。

6 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

7 desktop   

n.桌面管理系统程序；台式

参考例句：

• My computer is a desktop computer of excellent quality.我的计算机是品质卓越的台式计算机。
• Do you know which one is better,a laptop or a desktop?你知道哪一种更好，笔记本还是台式机？

8 etiquette   

n.礼仪，礼节；规矩

参考例句：

• The rules of etiquette are not so strict nowadays.如今的礼仪规则已不那么严格了。
• According to etiquette,you should stand up to meet a guest.按照礼节你应该站起来接待客人。

9 impersonal   

adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的

参考例句：

• Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。
• His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。