倫敦一家進口行的代表約琴夫-帕麥先生正在訪問中國，自幾天前他抵達廣州，他就一直參加廣州交易會。他受倫敦總公司的指示，要和中國外貿公司廣州分公司的唐同志聯系，商談索賠案件。唐是代表上海分公司處理這一案件的。

　Palmer: Hello, Mr Tang, how are you? It is nice to meet you again.

　帕：唐先生，你好。又見到你感到愉快。

　Tang: How are you, Mr Palmer. It's really a pleasure to see you here again. I do hope you have had a very enjoyable trip from London.

　唐：帕麥先生，你好。在這兒又見到你，實在榮幸。你從倫敦回來，希望你這次旅途快樂。

　Palmer: I must confess that the air trip is really a long one. But, you see, the air-lines are very comforable so that one does not feel tired at all the end of the journey.

　帕：我該承認這次乘飛機航程夠長的了。但是你知道，客機非常舒適，到終點時一點不感到勞累。

　Tang: Glad you have had a pleasant trip. I have to doubt you are comfortably settled and find things at the hotel satisfactory.

　唐：你旅途愉快我也高興。想必你已安頓下來，旅館設備都還滿意。

　Palmer: Everything is perfect, thank you. Well, now, Mr Tang, if you don't mind. I'll talk shop with you directly.

　帕：謝謝你，一切都美滿。噢，唐先生，要是你不介意的話，現在咱們直截了當談談業務吧。

　Tang: Perfectly all right with me. In fact, we'd better talk over our business first and then have a chat afterwards. You wish to take up the subject of the Arbutus, don't you?

　唐：那很好，說實話，我們最好先談業務，然后再聊聊。你想提出楊梅的事，是不是?

　Palmer: That's right. You see, Mr Tang, you have probably been advised of the serious damage done to the last consignment of 60 cases of Arbutus. Upon its arrival in London on board S. S. Corna, it was found, much to our regret, that about 50% of the cases were leaking. Closer inspection by the Health Officers showed that the contents were considered unfit for human consumption.

　帕：是，唐先生，也許你早已接到通知，最后一批60箱楊梅損壞嚴重。“柯娜”輪到達倫敦時，我們發現其中有百分之五十左右是漏的，對此我們感到十分遺憾。經衛生檢疫所官員仔細檢查，認為內裝的食品不再可以供人們食用。

　Tang: Just a minute, if you please, Mr Palmer. Have your people in London discovered what were the exact causes of the leakage? It was rather a singular case, for thounsands of tons of this product have been exported and this seems to be the only case of having been damaged en route.

　唐：帕麥先生，稍等一等。我請問，在倫敦你們有人發現漏的確切原因是什么?這樣的事還只有這么一次。我們已經出口了幾千噸，在中途損壞的看來僅此頭一回。

　Palmer: I am sorry I have to say it was not en route. It was definitely damaged prior to loading onto the S. S Corna. You may think it a singular case, yet the fact remains that this has made it necessary for us to file a claim on you. Here, Mr. Tang, I have brought along with me the certificate issued by the London Health Officer. It speaks for itself. As to the causes, closer inspection and examination by our cargohandling people revealed that the leakage of juice was brought about by damaged tins. They were evidently broken through careless handling while being loaded into the ship's hold in Shanghai dock.

　帕：很抱歉，我得說明，損壞不是發生在運輸途中，是在裝上“柯娜”輪之前，你可能認為這是獨一無二罕見的事。可是簡單的事實就是如此，我們有必要向你提出索賠。唐先生，這兒有倫敦衛生檢疫所官員發的證書，書上寫得的一清二楚。我們經辦裝卸的人仔細檢察過，看出果汁漏出的原因是罐頭損壞池。很明顯，當貨在上海碼頭搬運裝船時，因操作不慎造成損壞貨物。

　Tang: As I have said before, the whole business is most unfortunate. We have never come across such a case of damage during loading.

　唐：我剛才講過，這件事實在是很不幸。我們從沒有遇到罐頭正在裝船時發生損壞的事。

　Palmer: I have to remind you that our terms are C.I.F London port. While we have full confidence in your Commodities Inspection Bureau in its capacity of quality inspection, this is a case which occured after their sampling and analysis at the works. And the broken tins through careless handling and deterioration of contents en route necessarily about this state of affairs. Now, Mr Tang, you are well aware that our business has just started this branch of activites and the losses thus sustained will be a blow to this department. I am sure you will think it fair on our part when we suggest that the total value of the parcel should be reduced by 50% and that you should give us an allowance by way of credit for the amount to be set against our future purchases of canned fruits from you.

　帕：我得提醒你，我們成交的條款是倫敦到岸價。雖然我們對你商品檢驗局檢驗品質的能力是信任的，可是損壞是在工廠中抽樣化驗之后發生的，操作不慎，罐頭損壞，中途貨物變質，必然會造成這個情景。唐先生，你很清楚我們才開始經營這項業務，蒙受的損失將對業務部門是一個打擊。我建議這批貨從總價中削減百分之五十，我肯定說，是公平的。請你給予補貼，這款就用于將來向你們訂購罐頭水果時沖銷。

　Tang: To be fair to your company, I am directed by my Shanghai Branch to settle this issue with you amicably on condition that you give us a certificate issued by your Health Department. Now that this is a available, I think everything will be in order.

　唐：上海分公司給我提示，對于你公司辦事要公平，要和你友好解決問題，可是有一個條件，衛生檢疫所官員發的證書要給我們。現在證書已經有了，我想萬事俱備。

　Palmer: I am so glad to hear of your ready agreement. Your fairness in business dealings is really unsurpassed. shall we send you a letter confirming this?

　帕：聽到你這么痛快地同意，我很高興。辦理業務這么公平，真的誰也比不上你。我們將寄信給你證實這個協議，好嗎?

　Tang: As soons as you send us a letter confirmning this conversation, we'll send you a reply immediately.

　唐：你們寄出證實這次談話的信之后，我們立刻答復。

　Palmer: Thanks ever so much for your co-operation, Mr Tang. Good-bye.

　帕：萬分感謝你的合作。唐先生，再會。

　Tang: Good-bye Mr Palmer. Come over here when you are through with your business and we'll have a friendly chat.

　唐：你辦完業務后就到這兒來，我們可以敘敘友情。帕麥先生，再見。

　重點 詞匯 ：

　1. talk shop: 三句不離本行(談買賣)

　2. by way of: 通過……方法

　3. set against: 使平衡