實用商務英語16：主持會議

主持會議 Starting & Controlling a meeting

音頻試聽：

英文正文

Grace: OK, let's call the meeting to order. You've all looked at the reports given to you a few days ago. I've asked Sam, as marketing director, to lay out the main points of the agenda today. Sam?

Sam: Thanks Grace. Well, let me bring your attention to what I see as the main issues. First are the laws in Central and South America. Will they make it hard for us to do business there? Second is how to sell in that market. Should we try to sell by ourselves? Or should we get people there to sell for us? Yes, Grace?

Grace: As you know, we've asked a law expert to come today. He isn't here yet, so I think we should get the show started with the second issue, how to sell in that market.

Sam: Good idea. Does everyone agree? Good. The main problem in the market is poor health conditions. We all know what happened to Nests when they sold their powdered milk in Africa. And we don't want that to happen to address this issue, I'd like to call upon our medical expert, Dr. Vincent Davis, to take the floor. Vincent?

Vincent: In Africa, people had very little clean water. So they put dirty water in with the powder. Many people got sick, and Nests got in trouble because of it.

Grace: Can we find a way to prevent this? Isn't it also very hard to find clean water in Central and South America?

作業：看到劃線的句子了嗎？請翻譯。

句型總結

●　 宣佈會議開始
1. Let's call the meeting to order.
2. Let's get things under way.
3. Let's get things started.
4. Shall we begin?

"order"在此是指‘會議的程序與規則'；"call"有‘宣佈'的含意，"call (a meeting) to order"爲開會時的慣用語，是‘會議開始'的意思。此句型適用於主席宣佈討論要開始時，示意與會者安靜，遵守會場的秩序。在此"call"亦可以"bring"代替。此詞組適用於正式場合中。

●　 揭示討論要點
1. Let me bring your attention to (what I see as) the main issues.
2. Let's focus on the main issues.
3. Let me tell you what I believe to be the main issues.
4. Allow me to set out the main issues for you.

"bring one's attention to..."的意思是‘讓某人注意（聽、看）...‘。此句的"bring"可用"call"代替；"main"爲‘主要的'；"issue"是‘爭論點；關鍵；議論'。這句話是表示自己要宣佈幾個重要事項，請與會者注意所要說明及提示的要點；這是正式的表達用語，語氣中帶有權威感。

●　 請專人發言
1. To address this issue, I'd like to call on...
2. To discuss this matter, I'd like to call on...
3. To shed some light on this, I'd like to call on...
4. To provide us with more detail, I'd like to call on...

"address"爲‘提及；陳述'；"call on someone"這個詞組的意思是‘要求某人（做某事）'，"on"之後的受詞爲被要求的人。此句型是在正式的場合中用以介紹下一位發言人。由於句首使用"To address this issue,"－－‘談起這個問題'，顯示特別強調這位發言者的意見值得采納、尊重或聽取；有時亦暗示主席或高階人士也同樣支持此人的意見。

●　More 宣佈開會

當您站在主席位，各部門的與會者皆已坐定後，如何以一句話宣佈會議正式開始，正是您學習‘開會英語'的第一課。在本課文中Grace所使用的〝Let's call the meeting to order.〞即是一個普遍常用的說法，尤其這句話的口氣充份表達身爲‘主席'的權威。爲使您能熟悉多種正式宣佈開會的句型，特別舉出以下例子供您參考：

與會者中有公司以外的人
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think we should begin.

半正式的說法
Perhaps we'd better get started / down to business.
All right, I think it's about time we get started / going.
Right then, I think we should begin.

較口語的說法
Let's begin /get going, shall we?
Shall we start?

重點提示

A. 開會時儘量選擇靠老闆的位置坐
開會時除非座位已事先安排好，否則宜選擇靠近老闆或有實權者的座位。此舉並不是勢力眼的表現，而是您若故意保持距離，在他人眼中看來，是有欠團隊精神的表現。這種不願參與（成爲一份子）的姿態，尤令高階主管不悅。

B. 開會時避免選擇靠門的座位
除了儘量靠近老闆坐之外，莫忘了要遠離門邊的座位。因爲門口是出入必經之地，人來人往難免會干擾到您的發言，並會轉移他人對您的注意。況且會議上的一般習慣是：權力愈高者說話，他人愈會注意聽。因此，發言時愈易遭到他人打斷者，愈是人微言輕的人。爲避免造成這種沒有份量的尷尬場面，應避免選擇靠門的座位。

C. 開會時避免選擇靠窗的座位
同樣地，美景如畫的窗口、名畫或令人感興趣的物品旁邊，皆不是好位子，宜避而遠之；否則發言時自己將容易成爲紅花旁的綠葉，他人關愛的眼神也亦將投射在您身旁的物體上。