新官上任的開場白

Thank you, Mr. Gibson, for that kind introduction. You've given me a reputation I might not be able to live up to.

Just to let you know a little about myself. I'm the new Overseas Sales Representative. I came over from Magic Kitchen Supplies, a company you might be familiar with. There, I was responsible for exporting supplies to restaurants in the United States.

I got my MBA in the States, so I feel quite at home with that territory. Not surprisingly, I'll be heading up the US and Canadian division of Action's sales force. We'll be concentrating our efforts in the West and Midwest, with an eye toward opening new markets in major metropolitan areas.

Action has just started out in overseas markets, and I look forward to hearing each of your views on our present and future projects. I may also need your advice, as I'm learning the ropes around here.

謝謝Gibson先生好意的介紹，我恐怕要辜負您的讚許了。

我想就簡單的説説自己吧！我是新任的海外業務代表。原來在神奇廚具用品公司工作，我想諸位大概對那個公司也不陌生。我在那兒負責的是出口餐具到美國的餐廳。

我在美國拿到企管碩士學位，對美國那一帶的情形還蠻熟悉的；所以，很自然的，我將負責Action的美加業務部門。我們將集中主力向西部及中西部進軍，打算開發主要大都會區的新市場。

Action在海外市場方面才剛起步，我希望能聽聽各位對於目前和未來計劃的看法。同時也因為我正處於摸索階段，還需要各位多多指教。

短語解説

live up to 達到（期望，配合）

這個詞組常用在談論有關預期效果；表示能符合別人對自己的看法，或是能達到某種要求。

In college, his parents pressured him to live up to all of their expectations.

在大學時，他的父母親要求他一定要達到他們的期望。

feel (quite) at home 非常在行

這詞組以有如在家（"at home"）般地輕鬆自在，比喻對某事應付自如，也就是説對這件事很熟悉、很有研究，即很"在行"。在商場上，常用來形容某人對某種商品，公司或是行銷市場很清楚。

I feel at home with numbers, so I want to study accounting.

我對數字很在行，所以我要念會計。

head up 主持，領導

這個口語表示要做某事或某部門中"帶頭的"（"head of something"），即"領導"的意思。

When I was asked to head up the store's promotional contest, I said "Yes" right away.

有人請我負責店裏促銷競賽時，我馬上就答應了。

sales force 銷售業務主力軍

"force"原意是指‘武力'，在此"sales force"是指銷售業務的負責團體，也可指公司裏的業務員、推銷員。

The company's sales force is divided into smaller divisions which are responsible for a particular region.

公司的業務部門是以小組方式，分別負責各區域的銷售。

with an eye toward 未來計劃於

這也是句口語，字面意思是"眼睛注視着某處"，比喻"將來想朝某處下手"；專指將來想要從事、執行的事。

We'll open stores in Taichung and Kaohsiung next month, with an eye toward eventually controlling the market in those cities.

我們下個月將在台中和高雄開分店，計劃將來完全控制這兩處的市場。

learn the ropes 學習做某事

"ropes"常用來表示"某事的細節、線索"，在此是指新工作中需要學習的各項重點等。

It didn't take her long to learn the ropes around here. Now she's the CEO.

當時她很快就熟悉了這裏的工作，如今已經升任本公司總裁了。