說到商務會議，是不是立刻想到一群西裝革履的白領們坐在一個大會議桌周圍，表情嚴肅地討論各種文件？確實，商務會議是個嚴肅的場合，這種會議上的用詞非常禮貌，給人的感覺就是"公事公式"。我們來看看在會議上該如何禮貌地引起會議主持的注意、詢問和表達意見以及怎樣做評論吧！
Getting the Chairperson's Attention 引起會議主席的注意
Ø (Mister/Madam) chairman.
Ø May I have a word?
Ø If I may, I think...
Ø Excuse me for interrupting.
Ø May I come in here?
Giving Opinions 表達意見
Ø I'm positive that...
Ø I (really) feel that...
Ø In my opinion...
Ø The way I see things...
Ø If you ask me,... I tend to think that...
Asking for Opinions 詢問意見
Ø Are you positive that...
Ø Do you (really) think that...
Ø (name of participant) can we get your input?
Ø How do you feel about...?
Commenting 做出評論
Ø That's interesting .
Ø I never thought about it that way before.
Ø Good point!
Ø I get your point.
Ø I see what you mean.
Agreeing 表示同意
Ø I totally agree with you.
Ø Exactly!
Ø That's (exactly) the way I feel.
Ø I have to agree with (name of participant).
Disagreeing 表示異議
Ø Unfortunately, I see it differently.
Ø Up to a point I agree with you, but...
Ø (I'm afraid) I can't agree
Advising and Suggesting 提出建議
Ø Let's...
Ø We should...
Ø Why don't you....
Ø How/What about...
Ø I suggest/recommend that...
Clarifying 澄清
Ø Let me spell out...
Ø Have I made that clear?
Ø Do you see what I'm getting at?
Ø Let me put this another way...
Ø I'd just like to repeat that...
Requesting Information 請求資訊
Ø Please, could you...
Ø I'd like you to...
Ø Would you mind...
Ø I wonder if you could...
Asking for Repetition 請求重複
Ø I'm afraid I didn't understand that. Could you repeat what you just said?
Ø I didn't catch that. Could you repeat that, please?
Ø I missed that. Could you say it again, please?
Ø Could you run that by me one more time?
Asking for Clarification 要求澄清
Ø I don't quite follow you. What exactly do you mean?
Ø I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you are getting at.
Ø Could you explain to me how that is going to work?
Ø I don't see what you mean. Could we have some more details, please?
Asking for Verification 請求確認
Ø You did say next week, didn't you? ('did' is stressed)
Ø Do you mean that...?
Ø Is it true that...?
Asking for Spelling 請求拼寫
Ø Could you spell that, please?
Ø Would you mind spelling that for me, please?
Asking for Contributions 請求賜教
Ø We haven't heard from you yet, (name of participant).
Ø What do you think about this proposal?
Ø Would you like to add anything, (name of participant)?
Ø Has anyone else got anything to contribute?
Ø Are there any more comments?
Correcting Information 更正
Ø Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I said.
Ø Sorry, that's not quite right.
Ø I'm afraid you don't understand what I'm saying.
Ø That's not quite what I had in mind.
Ø That's not what I meant.
Keeping the Meeting On Target (time, relevance, decisions) 轉入正題
Ø We're running short of time.
Ø Well, that seems to be all the time we have today.
Ø Please be brief.
Ø I'm afraid we've run out of time.
Ø I'm afraid that's outside the scope of this meeting.
Ø Let's get back on track, why don't we?
Ø That's not really why we're here today.
Ø Why don't we return to the main focus of today's meeting.
Ø We'll have to leave that to another time.
Ø We're beginning to lose sight of the main point.
Ø Keep to the point, please.
Ø I think we'd better leave that for another meeting.
Ø Are we ready to make a decision?
商務會議常用英語（二）
英語中一詞多義的現象很普遍。很多詞在不同的領域有不同的意思。因此難免造成歧義和誤解。當你不明白的時候，你需要別人澄清，當你講到一個可能產生很多歧義的問題時，你也需要為聽眾說明。下面是一些商務會議上常用的要求澄清和澄清時要用的"業務"語言，看看你用得上不？
Asking for Clarification 要求澄清
I don't quite follow you. What exactly do you mean?
我不太明白你的意思。你到底想說什麼呢？
I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you are getting at.
好像我沒太明白你的看法。
Could you explain to me how that is going to work?
你能給我解釋一下這個是怎麼用的嗎？
I don't see what you mean. Could we have some more details, please?
我不明白你的意思。你能說得再詳細一點嗎？
Clarifying 澄清
Let me spell it out...
讓我解釋一下……
Have I made that clear?
明白了嗎？
Do you see what I'm getting at?
你明白我的意思嗎？
Let me put this another way...
讓我換種方式說明……
I'd just like to repeat that...
商務會議常用英語（三）
如果你對會議上正在討論的東西不太不瞭解，你就得請別人給你提供一些詳細的資訊。自己不確定是否明白了對方的意思時，就要確認一下。如果別人誤會了你的意思，你就要趕快更正。看看下面這些關於請求、確認、和更正的表達，是不是能幫上你的忙呢？
Requesting Information 請求資訊
Please, could you...
I'd like you to...
Would you mind...
I wonder if you could...
Asking for Verification 請求確認
You did say next week, didn't you? (did要重讀)
Do you mean that...?
Is it true that...?
Correcting Information 更正
Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I said.
Sorry, that's not quite right.
I'm afraid you don't understand what I'm saying.
That's not quite what I had in mind.
That's not what I meant.
商務會議常用英語（四）
會議上關於一個問題大家討論得非常熱烈，熱烈到從這個問題又引申出了若干問題，結果遠遠偏離了討論的主題。這個時候就得有個人出來挽救會議原來的主題了。那麼，該如何提請大家轉入正題呢？下面是一些提請大家轉入正題的句子，看看能不能用上？
We're running short of time.
Well, that seems to be all the time we have today.
Please be brief.
I'm afraid we've run out of time.
I'm afraid that's outside the scope of this meeting.
Let's get back on track, why don't we?
That's not really why we're here today.
Why don't we return to the main focus of today's meeting?
We'll have to leave that to another time.
We're beginning to lose sight of the main point.
Keep to the point, please.
I think we'd better leave that for another meeting.
Are we ready to make a decision?
主持會議實例（通訊員稿）
Sandoz 國際公司考慮開發中南美洲的奶粉市場。Grace是Sandoz的總經理，主持今日的討論會議。身為主席的她，目的是要鼓勵每位元與會者有機會發言，說出自己的想法。會議的目的是集思廣益，而不是要儘快得到結論，所以每項方案都應該做多種角度的討論。
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?
好，現在會議正式開始。幾天前發下去的通知，大家應該都看過了。我已經請行銷主任Sam來詳細說明今天議程的重點。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?
謝謝Grace。我認為主要的問題有：一是中南美洲的法律，是否會成為我們在當地作生意的障礙？二是如何銷售的問題，我們是要自己直銷呢？還是請當地的廠商代售？Grace？
Grace: As you know, we've asked a legal 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.
大家知道我們請了一位法律專家出席今天的會議，可是他現在還沒到場，所以我想可以從第二個問題開始討論--如何在當地銷售。
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 us. To address this issue, I'd like to call upon our medical expert, Dr. Vincent Davis, to take the floor. Vincent?
好主意。大家同意嗎？很好。這個市場的主要問題是當地的衛生環境不良。我們都知道雀巢在非洲銷售奶粉時所出現的情況，我們不希望重蹈覆轍。談起這個問題，我要請我們的醫藥專家Vincent Davis博士發言。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.
在非洲，當地的住民可獲取的淨水少得可憐，所以他們用不潔的水沖泡奶粉。當時許多人因此生了病，結果雀巢公司就倒楣了。
Grace: Can we find a way to prevent this? Isn't it also very hard to find clean water in Central and South America?
我們可以找出一個預防的方法嗎？畢竟在中南美洲也不太容易找到乾淨的水，對吧？
Notes：
1. lay (something) out 口頭詳細說明
lay out從字面上看，是說將某物展開，使之呈現在目；在此比喻"詳細說明某事或某計畫"。此外， lay something out還有"準備；計畫；擊昏"等解釋。
Let me lay things out for you; our price was higher than our competitor's, so we lost the business.
讓我把話跟你說清楚，我們的價錢比競爭者高，所以才失去那筆生意。
2. get the show started 揭開序幕；開始
show可指任何表演或戲院所上演的戲劇及影片等，用於此片語時則指任何活動。此片語以舞臺開演來比喻"開始進行某一活動"。get在此處為使役動詞，意思是"使"， get something started即有"使……開始"的含意。此外，這片語也等於get the show on the road。
The manager wants to get the show started right now, because he has to leave for the airport in an hour. 經理一小時後要趕到機場，所以他想現在就開始開會。
3. take the floor 上臺發言
floor為"地板"。take the floor是指"起立發言"，有"站上講臺 (stand in open floor space)，面對大家"的意思，通常是指在會議中正式的發言。
主持會議常用表達（通訊員稿）
會議是現代商務中的重要一部分。它可以集思廣益、將公司的智慧集中起來。作為一名會議主持人，該怎樣做才能保證會議順利進行呢？下面是一些主持會議的常用表達，希望能對您有幫助。
● 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"會議的程式與規則"；call 有"宣佈"的含意，call (a meeting) to order 是開會時的慣用語，是"會議開始"的意思。此句型適用于主席宣佈討論要開始時，示意與會者安靜，遵守會場的秩序。這裡"call"亦可以"bring"代替。這個句型適用於正式的場合中。
如果與會者中有公司以外的人，可以這樣說：
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think we should begin.
也可以採用半正式的說法：
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.
較口語的說法有：
Let's begin /get going, shall we?
Shall we start?
● 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）……"。此句中的bring 可用 call代替；main 為"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 為"提及；陳述"；call on someone 這個片語的意思是"要求某人（做某事）"，on之後的賓語為被要求的人。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"，顯示特別強調這位元發言者的意見值得採納、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。
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（成為一份子）的姿態，尤令高層主管不悅。
B. 開會時避免選擇靠門的座位
除了儘量靠近老闆坐之外，不要忘了要遠離門邊的座位。因為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。為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，美景如畫的視窗、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為紅花旁的綠葉，他人關愛的眼神也亦將投射在您身旁的物體上。
The following phrases are used to participate in a meeting. These phrases are useful for expressing your ideas and giving input to a meeting.
