【职场点睛】都是电子邮件惹的祸
作者：Lucy Kellaway
2009-04-02 09:44
The Problem 问题
One of our most important suppliers is extremely difficult. I thought I was forwarding a particularly tiresome e-mail from her to a colleague and headed my message "VILE BITCH" followed by a string of (actually not unreasonable) criticism. Tragically, I sent it back to her instead. We need to continue working with her. Oh God, it's so embarrassing and difficult. I need some help.
我们最重要的供应商之一是个极难相处的人。我以为自己是在把她的一封特别烦人的电子邮件转发给同事，在标题栏写上了"可恶的泼妇"，然后还写了一串（实际上并非没有道理的）批评。悲惨的是，我没有把邮件发给同事，而是发回给了她。我们需要继续与她合作。天呐！这太难堪了！而且很棘手。我需要帮助。
THE ANSWER 回答
Oh God, indeed. I know how embarrassing and difficult this is, as I've done it myself. I once mistakenly sent an e-mail to the then editor of the FT in which I cruelly and unfairly parodied a conversation we had just had, making him look weak and dithering. In the split second after I pressed send I aged 10 years. I propelled myself straight into his office and grovelled. In the end, I think he found my beetroot face and pathetic jabbering so dreadful he felt sorry for me.
哦，天呐！我知道这有多难堪，多棘手，因为我自己也干过同样的事。我曾将一封电子邮件错发给英国《金融时报》当时的编辑。在那封邮件中，我刻毒而且不公平地模仿了我们刚刚进行的一次谈话，使他看上去既软弱，又优柔寡断。按下发送键后的一瞬间，我老了10岁。我强迫自己走进他的办公室，低声下气地认错。最后，我估计他是觉得我的面红耳赤和可怜巴巴的絮叨是如此可怕，于是反过来开始同情我。
In a way your situation is less bad as she isn't your boss (most suppliers can be replaced), though "vile bitch" is a touch extreme and will take some apologising for.
在某种程度上，你的情况还没有那么糟糕，因为她不是你的老板（多数供应商是可以替换的），不过"可恶的泼妇"这种说法有些极端，需要为此道歉。
Don't dream of doing it via e-mail; pick up the phone and ring the VB herself. Be careful how you do it, though. I detect from the tone of your message a tiny note of glee, as if you think she got what she deserved and the whole thing was hilarious in a gruesome sort of way. Squash those thoughts at once, and get grovelling. There is a (tiny) chance that she will be nice about it, and you'll realise that she isn't such a VB after all.
不要妄想通过电子邮件道歉；拿起电话，给"可恶的泼妇"本人打电话，但要小心行事。从你的来信中，我察觉到一丝得意，好像你认为她罪有应得，整件事既可怕又好笑。马上丢掉这些想法，夹起尾巴做人。她有（微小的）可能会善待此事，那么你会意识到，她压根儿就不是一个"可恶的泼妇"。
BEC备考书籍推荐：
新编剑桥商务英语PASS BEC口试必备手册
One of our most important suppliers is extremely difficult. I thought I was forwarding a particularly tiresome e-mail from her to a colleague and headed my message "VILE BITCH" followed by a string of (actually not unreasonable) criticism. Tragically, I sent it back to her instead. We need to continue working with her. Oh God, it's so embarrassing and difficult. I need some help.
我们最重要的供应商之一是个极难相处的人。我以为自己是在把她的一封特别烦人的电子邮件转发给同事，在标题栏写上了"可恶的泼妇"，然后还写了一串（实际上并非没有道理的）批评。悲惨的是，我没有把邮件发给同事，而是发回给了她。我们需要继续与她合作。天呐！这太难堪了！而且很棘手。我需要帮助。
THE ANSWER 回答
Oh God, indeed. I know how embarrassing and difficult this is, as I've done it myself. I once mistakenly sent an e-mail to the then editor of the FT in which I cruelly and unfairly parodied a conversation we had just had, making him look weak and dithering. In the split second after I pressed send I aged 10 years. I propelled myself straight into his office and grovelled. In the end, I think he found my beetroot face and pathetic jabbering so dreadful he felt sorry for me.
哦，天呐！我知道这有多难堪，多棘手，因为我自己也干过同样的事。我曾将一封电子邮件错发给英国《金融时报》当时的编辑。在那封邮件中，我刻毒而且不公平地模仿了我们刚刚进行的一次谈话，使他看上去既软弱，又优柔寡断。按下发送键后的一瞬间，我老了10岁。我强迫自己走进他的办公室，低声下气地认错。最后，我估计他是觉得我的面红耳赤和可怜巴巴的絮叨是如此可怕，于是反过来开始同情我。
In a way your situation is less bad as she isn't your boss (most suppliers can be replaced), though "vile bitch" is a touch extreme and will take some apologising for.
在某种程度上，你的情况还没有那么糟糕，因为她不是你的老板（多数供应商是可以替换的），不过"可恶的泼妇"这种说法有些极端，需要为此道歉。
Don't dream of doing it via e-mail; pick up the phone and ring the VB herself. Be careful how you do it, though. I detect from the tone of your message a tiny note of glee, as if you think she got what she deserved and the whole thing was hilarious in a gruesome sort of way. Squash those thoughts at once, and get grovelling. There is a (tiny) chance that she will be nice about it, and you'll realise that she isn't such a VB after all.
不要妄想通过电子邮件道歉；拿起电话，给"可恶的泼妇"本人打电话，但要小心行事。从你的来信中，我察觉到一丝得意，好像你认为她罪有应得，整件事既可怕又好笑。马上丢掉这些想法，夹起尾巴做人。她有（微小的）可能会善待此事，那么你会意识到，她压根儿就不是一个"可恶的泼妇"。
BEC备考书籍推荐：
新编剑桥商务英语PASS BEC口试必备手册
本书是针对可望获得剑桥商务英语证书、说好商务英语的学习者而编写的。作者在分析、参考历年试题和有关辅导用书的基础上，根据2002年改型后的实际口试样式和题型，针对多年来所接触的考生在实际口试过程中表现出来的弱点，精心设计编写了这一BEC口试专题辅导用书。本书的特点为：分类编写，专题设计；循序渐进，点面结合；针对性强，方面实用。本书可让读者深入了解和充分接触BEC口语考试的方方面面。读者对象：大、中专院校、参加剑桥商务英语证书考试的确相关人员，以及想说好英语的学习者。
