Using the Phone 利用电话

One Saturday afternoon, Susan and Paul were feeling bored.
一个星期六的下午，苏珊和保罗都觉得很无聊。
Susan:What can we do besides watch TV? I really need some good books to read.
Paul:Read books? I already do enough of that in school.
Susan:I'm not talking about textbooks. I mean novels that are so exciting you can't put them down. Even you would enjoy books like that. Let's go to the library and I'll show you some.
Paul:Well, there's nothing else to do anyway.
苏珊：除了看电视，我们还能做什么呢？我真的需要读一些好书。
保罗：读书？我在学校里已经读够了。
苏珊：我不是说教科书，我是指那些引人入胜、让你爱不释手的小说。这样的书连你都会喜欢看的。我们去图书馆好了，我会介绍几本书给你看看。
保罗：好吧，反正也没别的事可做。

Mr. Lin:Before you head to the library, you can call ahead and see when they're open. You can find the phone number in the yellow pages.
Susan:Let me check the listing under "libraries." Here's the public library. Oh, the hours are listed right here! Monday through Thursday 9 to 9; Friday and Saturday 9 to 5; Sunday 1 to 5. Uh-oh. Today's Saturday, and it's already 4:30. We can't go to the library today.
Mrs. Lin:Too bad. Well, you can go tomorrow afternoon.
Mr. Lin:Can I borrow the phone book for a minute? I want to find a computer store.
Susan:What for?
Mr. Lin:I need a new cartridge for the laser printer. I'll call several computer stores so I can get the best price.
林先生：你们去图书馆之前，可以先打个电话看他们什么时候开放。你可以在电话簿的黄页分类上找到他们的电话号码。
苏　珊：我来查「图书馆类」下所列的。啊，公共图书馆在这里，开放时间就列在这儿！周一到周四是上午九点到晚上九点；周五和周六是上午九点到下午五点；糟了，今天是星期六，现在已经四点半，我们今天去不成图书馆了。
林太太：真是不巧，不过你们可以明天下午再去。
林先生：电话簿可不可以借我一下？我想找一家计算机专卖店。
苏　珊：要做什么？
林先生：我的激光打印机需要换一个新的墨水匣。我要打电话去几家计算机专卖店问问看，好问到最好的价钱。
【Word Bank】
novel (n) 小说
cartridge (n) 打印机的墨水匣
head somewhere (v) 向某处走去
yellow pages (n phr pl) 电话簿中的黄页分类广告

Clerk:Hello, Cleveland Computers. How can I help you?
Mr. Lin:I'm looking for a new cartridge for my laser printer.
Clerk:We have several different kinds. The prices range from $110 to $130.
Mr. Lin:OK, let me write that down. Thank you.
Clerk:You're welcome. Good-bye.
店　员：哈啰，「克里夫兰电脑」，我可以帮什么忙吗？
林先生：我想买一个激光打印机的墨水匣。
店　员：我们有几种不同的墨水匣。价钱从110美元到130美元。
林先生：好，我记一下，谢谢你。
店　员：不客气，再见。

Mr. Lin thought that store was too expensive. He decided to call a few other stores.
林先生觉得那家店的价钱太高了，他决定再多打几家问问看。
Clerk:Good afternoon! Best Computers.
Mr. Lin:Hello. I'm looking for a laser printer cartridge.
Clerk:Just one moment, please.
(three minutes later)
Mr. Lin:I've been on hold for a long time now!
Paul:Just hang up, Dad. They're not giving you good service.
Mr. Lin:But they might have a good price. I'll just wait.
店　员：午安！这里是「最佳计算机」。
林先生：哈啰，我想买一个激光打印机的墨水匣。
店　员：请等一下。
（三分钟后）
林先生：我已经等好久了！
保　罗：干脆挂掉嘛，爸。他们对你的服务实在不周到。
林先生：可是他们的价钱也许不错呢，我要继续等。

【Word Bank】
range (v) 在某个范围之内
service (n) 服务
on hold (prep phr) 在电话中等候

Clerk:Thank you for holding. What kind of laser printer do you have?
Mr. Lin:It's a Hewlett Packard LaserJet 4L.
Clerk:OK, we do have a few cartridges in stock. The price is $99.
Mr. Lin:Good, I'll come down and pick one up. What are your hours?
Clerk:We're open 10 to 10, seven days a week.
Mr. Lin:Thank you.
Clerk:Thank you for calling. Good-bye.
Susan:Wow, Dad, you saved a lot of time and money by "letting your fingers do the walking"!
店　员：谢谢你等这么久，你是那一型的激光打印机？
林先生：是惠普激光打印机4L型。
店　员：我们现在还有几个存货，价钱是99美元。
林先生：太好了，我会过来买一个。你们的营业时间是几点？
店　员：我们从上午十点开到晚上十点，周一到周日。
林先生：谢谢你。
店　员：谢谢你的来电，再见。
苏　珊：哇！爸，你光用手指翻翻电话簿就省下好多时间跟金钱呢！

Mrs. Lin:We should give my parents a ring tonight. And we also ought to call Aunt Lucy and Uncle Walt in New York.
Susan:What time is it in New York, though? It's in a different time zone.
Mrs. Lin:Let's look it up in the phone book. Here's the time zone map. New York is three hours ahead of California.
Susan:To dial New York you dial 1, then the area code, then the phone number.
Paul:What about calling to China?
Susan:Dial 011, then the country code, 86, then the city code and the phone number.
林太太：我们今晚应该打个电话给我爸妈，也该打电话给住在纽约的露西阿姨和华特叔叔。
苏　珊：可是纽约现在几点啊？它是在不同的时区。
林太太：我们来查一下电话簿。这里有一张时区地图，纽约的时间比加州快三个小时。
苏　珊：打电话到纽约要先拨1，然后拨区域号码，再来是电话号码。
保　罗：那打电话到中国呢？
苏　珊：先拨011，然后是国码86，再来是区码和电话号码。
【Word Bank】
give someone a ring (v phr) 打电话给某人
time zone (n phr) 时区
area code (n phr) 区域号码

Mrs. Lin:It should be early morning in China now. And it's early evening in New York. Let's go ahead and make our phone calls.
Mr. Lin:But what about supper? I'm getting hungry.
Mrs. Lin:Why don't you pick up something while you're out running errands?
Mr. Lin:Great idea! What do you want?
Paul:Let's order pizza! We can find a good pizza place in the yellow pages!
Mrs. Lin:OK, you go ahead and order the pizza, Paul, and Dad can pick it up while he's out. Meanwhile, I'll call Aunt Lucy and Uncle Walt. Maybe I'll even have time to call and say hello to Grandma and Grandpa.
Mr. Lin:As much as you like to talk? The pizza will be cold by then!
林太太：中国现在应该是清晨，纽约则是傍晚，我们去打电话吧。
林先生：那晚饭怎么解决呢？我开始觉得饿了。
林太太：你出去办事时，何不顺便买点东西回来呢？
林先生：这个主意不错，你们要吃什么？
保　罗：我们叫披萨吧！黄页分类广告上可以找到很棒的披萨店呢！
林太太：好，保罗，你就去订披萨，爸爸在外面时可以顺便去拿。在这同时呢，我就打电话给露西阿姨和华特叔叔。也许还有时间打电话问候爷爷奶奶呢。
林先生：你那么爱讲电话，披萨到时候一定就凉掉了！
【Word Bank】
errand (n) 杂事

The origin of article: Studio Classroom

资料来源: 空中英语教室