我完成了 I’m done
(X) I’m over.
Over 可以翻作「结束，完毕」，但如果说 I’m over.，听起来会像是说「我结束了，我完蛋了」。所以说，如果要表达自己已经把工作完成时，要用 I’m done. 会比较贴切。 Done 在这边是形容词，表示事情完成了或是某人做完某件事情，主词可以是人或事。若想明确地说出自己完成了哪项工作，也可以用 I finished ____. 或是 I’m done with ____. 这样的句型。
Richard: Gregg, let me know if you need any help with that report. I know you’ve been under a lot of stress lately.
Richard：Gregg，如果你报告需要帮忙的话跟我说，我知道你最近压力很大。
Gregg: No need; I’m already done!
Gregg：不需要，我已经完成了！
Richard: Really? Wow! Can I have a look?
Richard：真的吗？哇！我可以看看吗？
Gregg: Sure! I’ve already made bound copies.
Gregg：好呀，我已经列印成册了。
Richard: Gregg, it’s almost 300 pages! How did you get it done so fast?
Richard：Gregg，这快 300 页了耶！你怎么这么快弄好的？
Gregg: I’ve been doing a lot of overtime.
Gregg：我加了很多班。
Richard: (pages through the report) But Gregg, most of these pages are blank!
Richard：（翻阅报告） 但是 Gregg，多数页面都是空白的耶！
工作量很大 heavy workload
(X) big loading
把「大」直接翻作 big 是非英文母语者很常见的问题，就像「大雨」很常听到有人说成 big rain 。但当事物是由「量」来计算时，形容词应该选用 heavy 而非 big。 Heavy 常见搭配用法包括 heavy rain（大雨）、heavy duty（重责）以及这里谈到的 heavy workload（很大的工作量），动词可以搭配 carry（承担）或是 have。
Susie: And so it was just 300 pages of nothing?
Susie：所以 300 页什么都没有？
Richard: Well… there was a title page. And he’d had the reports professionally bound. But everything else was blank.
Richard：这个嘛… 有书名页。而且他还专业地把把报告集成册了，但其它地方都是空白的。
Susie: I know he’s been carrying a really heavy workload recently.
Susie：我知道他最近工作量很大。
Richard: Exactly. I think the workload has finally pushed him over the edge. I’m a bit concerned about his mental state.
Richard：没错，我想工作量最终还是把他逼到绝境了。我有点担心他的精神状态。
Susie: Now that you mention it, last week, I did see him using a banana as a cell phone. I’ll go speak to him.
Susie：既然你提到了，我上周的确是看到把香蕉手机用。我会去跟他谈谈。
降低成本 lower cost(s)
(X) cost down
开会中常常听到老板说要 cost down ，但其实这个说法是不对的。 Cost down 是中文的直译，并不是道地的英文用法喔！如果提到「降低成本」，正确的说法为 lower cost(s)，lower 在这边是当动词用，表示「降低，减少」。
Richard: Well? Did you talk to him?
Richard：怎么样？你跟他谈过了吗？
Susie: I think this is quite serious. Gregg seems to have gone completely insane.
Susie：我觉得这蛮严重的，Gregg 似乎已经彻底疯了。
Richard: What happened?
Richard：发生什么事了？
Susie: Yesterday I dropped by his cubicle to try and have a chat about how he’s doing.
Susie：昨天我经过他的座位，尝试跟他聊了一下他的近况。
Richard: And?
Richard：然后呢？
Susie: He wanted to show me his “secret plans to lower costs in the company’s supply chain”, but his PowerPoint was just full of drawings he’d done of cats.
Susie：他想要给我看他「降低公司供应链成本的秘密计画」，但他的 PPT 却全都是他画的猫。
拨打我的手机 call me on my cell (phone)
(X) You can call my cell phone.
这句话也是因为直翻而产生的错误，讲出来会让外国人一头雾水的！ Call my cell phone 意思会变成「打电话给『我的手机』」，而不是「打电话给『我』」，所以务必要记得加上介系词 on 再接 my cell (phone)，才会是「你可以打电话到我的手机找我」的意思。
Richard: Gregg? Have you got five minutes?
Richard：Gregg，你有 5 分钟的时间吗？
Gregg: Sorry, Richard, I’m just working on a plan to lower costs in the company’s supply chain.
Gregg：不好意思，Richard，我正在处理降低公司供应链成本的计画。
Richard: Gregg… I can see that you’re just drawing pictures of cats.
Richard：Gregg… 我可以看到你只是在画猫咪的图案。
Gregg: Sorry, Richard, if you need me, you can always call me on my cell phone. Oh, looks like I’m getting a call right now! Hello?
Gregg：抱歉，Richard，如果你需要我的话，可以随时打我手机。喔，看来我现在有电话进来了！喂？
Richard: Gregg, that’s a banana! Let me speak to the boss about getting you a holiday.
Richard：Gregg，那是根香蕉！让我跟老板谈谈，让你放个假吧。
请再说一次 What was that? / I’m sorry? / Pardon?
(X) Please repeat again.
别人说的话没有在第一次听清楚是人之常情，这个时候再请对方再说一遍就好。然而常听到的 Please repeat again. 其实是不自然的说法， 而且 repeat 本身就有重复的意思了，所以后面就不用多此一举再加一个 again 。道地的说法可以用 (I beg your) Pardon?、I’m sorry?、What was that?，或是直接说 Can you please repeat that?，记得句尾语调要上扬才能表示疑问。
Richard: I was wondering if we could have a chat about Gregg…
Richard：我在想我们是不是能聊聊 Gregg…
Theresa: Gregg? No need to ask, I’ve already given him a promotion and a raise.
Theresa：Gregg 吗？不用问了，我已经帮他升职加薪了。
Richard: Wait… what was that?
Richard：等等… 你说什么？
Theresa: Gregg is showing the exact type of innovative thinking that we need to become number one in the industry.
Theresa：Gregg 展现了我们成为产业龙头所需要的创新思考精神。
Richard: I beg your pardon?
Richard：你说什么？
Theresa: I’ve asked him to give a presentation to the Board of Directors tomorrow on his secret plan to lower costs in our supply chain.
Theresa：我已经请他明天针对他降低产业链成本的计画项董事会提交报告了。
投影片 slide
(X) PPT
想必大家对 PPT 这个说词都不陌生，不管上学还是上班，PPT 都是报告的必备工具。但注意了！ PPT 其实是台湾人对 PowerPoint 这个软体独有的简称，在英语世界里并没有这样的说法。 PowerPoint 中的投影片正确说法是 slide ，多张投影片则加上 -s 变成 slides，而投影片报告则是 PowerPoint presentation，不要再说错啦！
Susie: Did you speak to Theresa?
Susie：你和 Theresa 聊过了吗？
Richard: She’s given Gregg his own office and made him an executive.
Richard：她给了 Gregg 个人办公室，还把他升为高阶主管。
Susie: I’m sorry?
Susie：你说什么？
Richard: Theresa is convinced that Gregg is some sort of genius. She’s asked him to show his PowerPoint presentation to the Board tomorrow.
Richard：Theresa 坚信 Gregg 是某种天才，还请他明天向董事会展示他的 PPT！
Susie: What? The one with all the slides of cat drawings?
Susie：什么？那个全都是猫咪投影片的报告？
谢谢聆听 Thanks for listening. / Thank you for listening.
(X) Thank you for your listening.
从小到大听到的 Thank you for your listening. 其实是中式英文喔！事实上，your 后面只能接上「事物」，不能接上「动作」，所以如果表达「感谢『你的』聆听」，只要说 Thanks for listening. 或 Thank you for listening. 就可以了。同理，「感谢你的收看」则可以说 Thanks for watching. 。
Gregg: So, in conclusion, I want you to ask yourself this: Can rabbits even speak Italian?
Gregg：所以总结来说，我想请你们问自己一个问题：兔子会说义大利文吗？
Board member: I’m sorry, what was that?
董事会成员：你说什么？
Gregg: Yes. Thanks for listening.
Gregg：好的，谢谢聆听。
Board member: Oh… I think I see what you’re saying. We need to speak with our customers, not at them.
董事会成员：喔… 我懂你在说什么了。我们要和我们的客户对话，不是向着他们说话。
Gregg: (winks) Thank you for listening.
Gregg：（眨眼）谢谢各位聆听。
Board member: Theresa, this is one smart man. You do whatever you can to keep him at the company.
董事会成员：Theresa，这小子真聪明，务必要尽一切可能把他留在公司。
我的意思是 _____ What I mean is, _____.
(X) My meaning is _____.
中文说「我的意思」，很多人会直翻成 my meaning。这句话文法上没有错，meaning 是名词，确实可以表示「意思」，但是不会说 my meaning、your meaning，道地的说法是 what I mean。所以当你要解释自己所说的话时，可以用 what I mean is, 后面加上一个子句，mean 在这边则是动词，表示「意思是」。
Richard: So, after 20 minutes of nonsense and slides of cats, he just winked and said, “Thanks for listening.”
Richard：结果经过 20 分钟的胡言乱语和一堆猫咪投影片后，他只是眨眼然后说「谢谢聆听」。
Susie: And what did the Board think?
Susie：那董事会觉得如何？
Richard: They loved it! They gave him a standing ovation! One of them called him “the next Steve Jobs”.
Richard：他们爱死了！还起立鼓掌！其中一个人还称他为「下一个贾伯斯」。
Susie: Maybe this is all deliberate? What I mean is, he knows it’s the exact kind of “innovative” bullshit that the people who run this company love.
Susie：或许这全都是故意的？我的意思是，他知道经营这间公司的人就爱这种「创新」的垃圾。
Richard: Yes. And by tricking them into thinking he’s a genius, he can get rid of his heavy workload.
Richard：没错，而且只要骗他们相信自己是天才，他就可以摆脱沉重的工作量了。
Susie: They do say there’s a fine line between genius and insanity.
Susie：人们的确是说到天才和疯子只有一线之隔。
