Luis國際資訊事務所

Dialogue A
Eve, a representative1 from a collection agency2, is calling Jack.
Eve:Hello. Could I please speak with Jack?
Jack:I'm Jack. What do you need?
Eve:Good afternoon. My name is Eve, and I work for a collection agency.
Jack:Oh...OK. What's up?
Eve:Your credit card company hired me since you haven't made a payment in over 15 months.
Jack:I did, three months ago!
Eve:Sorry, sir, but our records say otherwise.
Jack:Well, I tried to pay the minimum, but it didn't work because there was a problem with my bank account3.

Dialogue B
Eve:The important thing now is that you pay it off.
Jack:Tell me something I don't know.
Eve:Do you have the money to make a large payment right away? Say4, half your total?
Jack:That's impossible. I just bought a new computer, so I'm broke.
Eve:Then we should discuss setting up a payment plan.
Jack:What does that mean?
Eve:It means you agree to pay a set amount each month for the next five to six months until your debt is cleared.
Jack:That won't work, either.

Dialogue A
催款公司的代表人員，依芙，打電話給債務人傑克。
依　芙：您好。請問傑克在嗎？
傑　克：我就是。請問有什麼事嗎？
依　芙：午安。我叫做依芙，是催款公司的催收人員。
傑　克：喔……是。有什麼事嗎？
依　芙：您的信用卡公司委託我來催收帳款，因為您已經超過十五個月都沒有繳卡費了。
傑　克：我有啊，三個月前才繳的！
依　芙：很抱歉，先生，但我們這邊的記錄卻不是這麼顯示的。
傑　克：喔，我試過要付最低的應繳金額，但因為我的銀行帳戶出了點問題，所以沒有成功。

Dialogue B
依　芙：現在最重要的事就是您要還清卡債。
傑　克：還用妳說。
依　芙：您手頭上有錢能立刻支付一大筆款項嗎？嗯，比如說卡債總額的一半？
傑　克：不可能。我才剛買一台電腦，所以我現在破產了。
依　芙：那我們就應該來討論一下要如何安排還款計畫。
傑　克：那是什麼意思啊？
依　芙：這就是說，您必須同意在接下來的五到六個月中，每月都支付一筆固定的金額，直到您把錢還清為止。
傑　克：這也行不通啦。

★1. hire　vt. 雇用，聘任
The manager hired Kim because she had experience in the field.
經理雇用小金是因為她有這個領域的相關經驗。
★2. otherwise　adv. 並非如此（置於動詞後）
Thomas said that the bride was very pretty, but Betty thought otherwise.
湯瑪士說那位新娘非常美麗，但貝蒂卻不這麼想。
3. minimum　n. 最少量
The pianist practices his craft for a minimum of four hours each day.
那位鋼琴家每天最少都會練四個小時的琴。
4. set　a.（數目、時間、種類等）固定不變的
Keep an eye on your progress because the set time limit for this section is 30 minutes.
你要注意你的進度，因為這個部分的固定時間限制為三十分鐘。

★1. What's up (with...)?　　（……）怎麼啦？
What's up with Al? He's never been this angry before.
艾爾怎麼啦？他從來都沒有這麼生氣過。
★2. pay...off/pay off...　　還清∕付清……
Joey paid off his student loan in less than five years.
喬伊不到五年就還清了他的助學貸款。
★3. be/go broke　　破產
Mr. Lin's company went broke due to the recession.
林先生的公司因為遇到經濟蕭條而破產了。
★4. set up...　　安排∕架設……
The crew finished setting up the stage in no time.
工作人員很快就把舞台給架設好了。

1. representative　n. 代表
2. collection agency　n. 催債公司
3. bank account　n. 銀行帳戶
4. say　int. 嗯，咦（用於提出詢問、表示驚訝、或突然想到某個主意時）

...but our records say otherwise.
（……但我們這邊的記錄卻不是這麼顯示的。）
以下為各位介紹 otherwise 的用法：
1. 意指『並非如此；以另一種樣子』，可等於"another way"，常用以表示對稱或相反的情況。本句為此用。
　You were there when it happened, so why did you pretend otherwise?
（事發當時你人就在現場，那為何要假裝你不在？）
2. 作連接性副詞，表『否則』之意，使用時其前需置分號，而其後加不加逗點均可。
　You'd better come back early; otherwise, you will miss dinner.
（你最好早點回家，否則你就會錯過晚餐。）
3. 用於形容詞子句，其前有助動詞 might 或 would，意為『本來應當∕不然可能會……』。
　The lifeguard's quick reaction saved the girl who would have otherwise drowned.
（救生員迅速的反應救了那個原本可能會溺斃的女孩。）
4. 表『除此之外；在其他方面』。
　Janet was slightly bruised but otherwise unhurt.
（珍娜有點瘀青，不過除此之外並沒有什麼大礙。）