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背景介绍
I did my best for my clients, but I never screwed a contractor to gain my client an unfair advantage, and that earned me a reputation for being fair. It made it easier for me to do business and get good deals for my clients.I was more effective with less effort than the other managers in the offce.I got things done faster and the company's board was able to handle business more easily, especially when it came to getting competitive bids.
中译 我一向尽全力服务客户，但我也不会因此压榨承包商，借此为客户获取额外的利益，而这也为我赢得了公平的美誉。跟客户做生意时，我比其他经理更有效率，也花费较少精力。我办事快速，因此董事会可以更轻松地处理公务，尤其是在争取竞争激烈的标价时。
Thankfully, there were a lot of businessmen and women out there who were the same way and bidding out work was one of the easier parts of my job. Being fair and easy to deal with got me the bids on time with a minimum of effort.Once a bid was accepted, working out the details was friendly and quick.
中译 幸好，商场上有许多人也持相同的做事态度，所以对外竞标是我工作上最简单的一部分。“公平”和“亲和力”这两项特质，让我花最少的力气，就能准时得到报价。报价一旦得手，谈细节就会友善又快速。
When I asked for a bid, the contractor knew I was serious and the work would be done. I wasn't just gettingdata for a curious board that might not do the work for another year or two.What I'm getting at is that no matter how large the town where you do business is, not everyone in the town is in the same business.The people in your field are competitors and they may not share trade secrets but they do talk and from time to time you get to be the topic of the day.It's a small town, and everybody knows everybody else.
中译 当我要求标价时，合约商知道我是认真的，就会准时出价。因为我不是在帮一两年内都不打算动工的董事会，搜集满足他们好奇心的资料而已。我的重点是，不管你在多大的城市做生意，遇到的不可能都是同行。同行的人都是竞争者，当然不会把商业机密谈开来。但是大家还是会讨论，甚至有时候，你也会是大家的谈论主题。业界是个小地方，每个人都知道对方的底细。
Remember there's no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has a price and somebody pays for it.A free estimate isn't free.It's called free because you don't have to pay for it, but it cost time and materials for the vendor to prepare.They are part of the game and every proposal doesn't get accepted, but if a vendor has a choice of doing one for someone who only asks when he’s serious or someone who is only testing the waters for a sale that’s still months down the road, and the job will have to be bid for again, who gets priority?
中译 要记住，“天下没有免费的午餐”，每样东西都有价码，总有人要付出代价。“免费估价”不是真的免费，之所以称为免费，是指你不用付费，但它是需要卖方花工夫或材料准备的。这是游戏的一部分，并不是每个提案都会被接受。然而如果厂商能选择为谁估价，一方是很认真询问的人；另一方只是试探地要一些资料，好几个月后才会动工，且到时又要再报一次价。你认为厂商会以谁为优先考量？
If it's for information only, I tell them so. Then, the vendor knows how much research he needs and it will take him or her a tenth of the time it takes to put a formal bid.After you're asked for a bid, stay in contact with your contacts.If they lose the bid, you should call them and tell them the details about why they lost it, so they know all their work wasn't for nothing.
中译 如果我的目的只是为了获取资料，我会坦白告诉对方，让卖方知道自己该出多少力：通常只需正式报价的十分之一准备即可。在招标时，你也该和对方保持联系，若对方竞标失败，你也该致电对方，解释原因，让他们知道自己的努力不是白费。
Dialog 1
MP3-9
The following dialogs are phone conversations. The frst dialog is about asking for bid information only, just to find out what prices are like.The second is about asking for a real bid, and a contract will be awarded.In the third dialog, a loser is called to inform him how the bidding went.Marsha is the manager and Bill is the contractor.
下面的都是电话中的谈话。第一个会话是关于探听行情时的报价资料索取，第二个对话是关于须签订合约的正式招标，第三个对话是没有得标的商家，接到竞标结果的通知电话。玛莎是经理，比尔是厂商。
Marsha：Hi, Bill. It's Marsha Black at MPPM Ltd.How are you?
嗨，比尔。你好！我是MPPM公司的玛莎·布莱克。
Bill：Hello, Marsha, I haven't heard from you in a longtime. I'm great, and you?
嗨，玛莎，好久没有你的消息了。我很好，你呢？
Marsha：Not too bad at all. Do you have a minute?
还不错。你有空吗？
Bill：Sure, what can I do for you?
当然，有什么需要我效劳的？
Marsha：We're getting ready to place our Christmas orders and we need to know about how much it's going to run this year. You know, so we can have the funds put aside.
我们正准备要下圣诞节的订单，因此想先探探行情是多少。你也知道，这样我们才能拨出适当的经费。
Bill：I'm really busy right now. I got a lot on my plate.So this isn't an actual bid you want but just a ballpark fgure?
我现在真的很忙，有很多事得处理。你要的不是正式报价，只是大概的估计数字吗？
Marsha：Right, a ballpark fgure is fne, and slant it a little high if you have to.
对，大约数字就可以了。必要的话，价格可以估高一点。
Bill：Well, I can give you those figures now over the phone, is that okay?Or do you need them in writing?
直接在电话上跟你说，还是你要书面估价？
Marsha：It's going to be shown to the Board so I need it in writing.
这是董事会要看的，所以我要书面估价。
Make all the prices subject to confrmation, so you can't be held to them. How soon can I have it?
每个数值都要再确认，免得人家挑你毛病。什么时候可以给我？
Bill：Is this another rush, dear?Did you forget and wait until the last minute again?
亲爱的，又是急件？你又压到最后一刻才处理啊？
Marsha：Yeah, I'm afraid so. I really need your help here.
是啊，恐怕是，我真的需要你的帮忙。
Bill：Well, just because it's you. Tomorrow, say around noon.
好吧，就为了你，大概明天中午吧。
Dialog 2
MP3-10
In the above dialog, Marsha is very honest about what she needs and gets it as a favor from a busy vendor. In this dialog, she's ready to buy and gets good service.
在上面的对话中，玛莎诚实地说明自己索取资料的目的，所以即使对方很忙，还是愿意帮忙。这个对话中，玛莎决定正式采购，因此也得到积极的回应。
Marsha：Hi, Bill. It's Marsha Black at MPPM Ltd.How are you?
嗨，比尔。我是MPPM的玛莎·布莱克，你好吗？
Bill：Hello, Marsha. I'm great, and you?
嗨，玛莎。我很好，你呢？
Marsha：Not too bad at all. Do you have a minute?
还好，你有空吗？
Bill：Sure, what can I do for you?
当然，有什么需要我效劳的？
Marsha：We're ready to place our Christmas order and we need a formal bid.
我们准备好拿下圣诞节的订单，所以需要正式的标价。
Bill：So this is the real thing?
这次来真的了？
Marsha：Right, this is not a drill. This is for all the marbles.
没错，这可不是演习，而是来真的。
Bill：When do you need it?
你什么时候要？
Marsha：ASAP, in writing of course.
越快越好，当然是书面的。
Bill：Sure, who am I bidding against?
没问题，我的竞标对手是谁？
Marsha：The usual guys, so you better use a sharp pencil.
老面孔，所以你的价格要特别注意。
Bill：Okay, give me a week and I'll have time to get my pencil real sharp. I should have some new fgures from Malaysia by then.
好，给我一个礼拜，我会把价钱算得很精确的。那时候，马来西亚也该有新价格了。
Dialog 3
MP3-11
Telling a vendor who they're bidding against is acceptable. How much they bid is a secret until after the winner is selected.In this dialog, Bill's bid lost and Marsha discusses it with him.
竞标对手不算机密，因此可以告知卖方。而在得标者出炉前，各厂商的竞标价格才是机密。在这个对话中，比尔没有中标，玛莎和他讨论这件事。
Bill：So how did I do?
我表现得怎样？
Marsha：Not too good, I'm sorry.
很遗憾，没有预期中那么好。
Bill：I lost?
我没中标？
Marsha：It was close. To be honest, you had the lowest price by three cents per unit, but they didn't like your delivery date.
差一点。老实说，你的价格是最低的，平均单价便宜了三分钱，但他们不满意你的交货期。
Acme promised them almost a full month sooner.“阿克姆公司”打包票说可以早一个月交货。
Bill：So the price was good?
那就不是价格的问题？
Marsha：Yes, they loved the price；the delivery date was the problem. They just didn't want to cut the delivery date that close.
是的，他们喜欢你的价格，问题是交期；他们不想把交期押得这么急。
If something went wrong and you didn't deliver, we might not be able to get stock in time for Christmas.
万一出问题，你交不出货，我们可能就赶不上圣诞节铺货了。If you could have been two or three weeks faster on delivery, they might have gone with you.
如果你能快个两到三个星期交货，他们可能就会选你。
Bill：So I didn't miss by much then.
那么我没有输很多。
Marsha：No. It was very close and they argued over the bid for a long time.Better luck next time.
没有，你们的标很接近，他们为这个讨论了很久，祝你下次好运。
Bill：I knew the delivery was slow but I figured the price would win it for me.
我知道交期比较晚，但我以为可以靠价格取胜。
Marsha：That's possible, Bill, but the price would have to have been a lot lower, like around fifty cents per unit.
是有可能，比尔。但这样的话，可能要比原来的便宜很多，大概单价只能报五十分而已。
Vocabulary 重要词汇
MP3-12
reputation 声誉
estimate 估计；衡量
vendor 卖方
test the waters 市场测试
priority 优先
award 给予
ballpark 相近的；估算的
drill 演习
marble 弹子
delivery 运送
stock 存货；现货