商务礼节美语第5期:砍价(2)(在线收听

  Gina带美国老板Jason去购物,Jason让Gina教他砍价。
Jason: So what's the general amount that they mark up by? Thirty percent? Forty? 所以他们一般会抬高原有价格的百分之多少?30%?40%?
G: They could mark it up seventy percent or even one hundred! That's why you've got to have an in-depth working knowledge of local prices—that way, if they quote an outrageous price, you can just laugh. 他们会抬高70%,甚至100%! 这就是为什么你要深入地了解行情的原因——那样的话,你可以了然于胸了,如果他们提出载人的高价。
Jason想知道购物中心商品标价一般要比合理价格高出多少,mark up是把抬高价格的意思,相反的,mark down 则是减价销售。Gina说,有时价格会故意标高70%,甚至100%。这也就是为什么要了解当地的价格行情,have an in-depth working knowledge of something,是深度了解的意思,in-depth is spelled i-n in, and d-e-p-t-h, depth, in-depth,这样如果别人quote an outrageous price,抬出宰人的高价,outrageous is spelled o-u-t-r-a-g-e-o-u-s, outrageous, 意思是超乎寻常的,另外需要注意的,要价动词用的是quote, q-u-o-t-e, quote.
J: In America we generally can't get away with bargaining in many shops. The prices are listed on the price tag and that's that. Sometimes you can get a discount, but it's usually never more than ten percent or so. 在美国,我们通常在许多店里面是不能还价的。价格标签上的价格就是它实际的价格。有时,你可以得到折扣,但是大多不会低于九折。
G: In China, pretty much all prices are negotiable. Some vendors tell me they actually respect buyers who can drive a hard bargain. 在中国,很多价格都是可以商量的。有些卖主告诉我其实他们是很期待买家砍价的。
J: That's interesting. 真有意思。
Jason说,在美国,商店都是明码标价,The prices are listed on the price tag. Price tag,是价格标签的意思,有时也能享受优惠discount, discount,是减价、打折的意思,但是一般很少超过百分之十。Gina说,在中国,几乎所有价格都可以砍,negotiable is spelled n-e-g-o-t-i-a-b-l-e, negotiable,是可以商量的意思。有些卖主甚至更瞧得起会砍价的买主,drive a hard bargain,是固定用法,意思是会砍价。
G: Yes...but of course the seller will always try to win the bargaining battle...that's the nature of the game. 是的……但是当然了,卖家总是会盈利的……这是自然法则。
J: Yeah, it is like a game, isn't it? Both people are bluffing, just like in poker. 是的,这就像是场博弈,对吗?双方都在虚张声势,就好像在玩扑克牌。
G: That's right. But you have to get a sense of where the bottom line is. After a while you learn to recognize a look in the seller's eyes that says: I'm really not going to go any lower. 正确,但是你要清楚底线是什么。你要学会读懂卖家的眼神,是不是表示出他真的不会再降价了。
确实,砍价就象打牌,讨价还价的双方都要虚张声势,bluff is spelled b-l-u-f-f, bluff, bluff,是虚张声势的意思。Gina 说,没错,关键是要识别卖主的底线,bottom line,要能从卖主的眼神里看出,他真的不会再降价了。

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/swljmy/261912.html