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2011年ESL之商务英语 01 Working on Commission

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01 Working on Commission

GLOSSARY1

sales – the field and profession of persuading people to buy something

* Melissa makes 10-20 sales calls per week, but usually only one or two peoplewant to hear about the products she’s selling.

to make a bundle – to earn a lot of money for one’s work

* High-powered attorneys can make a bundle, but they have to work long hours.

to work strictly2 on – to receiving compensation for one’s work in only one way

* Our tour guides have to agree to work strictly on wages. They aren’t allowed toaccept tips or gifts from customers.

commission – money received for one’s work as a percentage of the sales onemakes, or as a certain amount of money one receives for each sale

* Yehsev receives a 5% commission for each sale he makes.

to coast – to relax and become lazy, not working very hard

* Ingrid got a perfect score on the first major test, so now she plans to coastthrough the rest of the course.

second nature – something that one has learned how to do and nowunderstands well and/or does very well without trying very hard

* After living in Brazil for more than 20 years, speaking Portuguese3 has becomesecond nature to Rebecca.

to barely have to – to almost not need to do something; to not have a verystrong need to do something

* Amber4 barely has to put on any makeup5 because she’s very beautiful.

to lift a finger – to work; to perform a job or task; to do something

* Grant has been living with us for six weeks, but he still hasn’t lifted a finger tohelp us clean the house.

profits – money that one makes from one’s work or business; the differencebetween revenues (the money one receives) and expenses

* They’re trying to increase profits by firing unnecessary employees.

to come rolling in – for something to come or be received in large amounts

* The business really struggled for the first few years, but now new customersare rolling in.

paycheck – a payment of money one receives for one’s work, usually receivedonce a week, two times each month, or once a month

* Franck tries to save 10% of each paycheck for retirement6.

in flux7 – changing a lot; not constant; with a lot of variation; uncertain

* Thomas’s career goals are in flux and he doesn’t know what he wants to studyat the university.

take-home pay – the amount of money one receives in one’s bank account forone’s work after all deductions8 for taxes, health insurance, retirement, and similarexpenses have been subtracted from the total amount earned

* It’s a good idea to put as much money into our retirement savings9 as we can,but that means we’ll have less take-home pay.

cap – a maximum amount; the highest or largest that something can be

* The law would place a cap on how much money someone can receive onunemployment beginning in 2015.

the sky’s the limit – without limitations or restrictions10; anything is possible;something can be as big or high as desired

* Now that your articles are being published in national magazines, the sky’s thelimit. You’ll be famous!

a hint of – a trace; a little bit of something; a small amount of something

* These cookies have a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.

to put (one’s) mind at ease – to relax and stop worrying about something

* It puts my mind at ease to know the kids are with your parents tonight.

to sell ice to Alaskans – to be able to sell anything to anyone, even if peopledon’t really need what you are selling

* Rakkei has the best sales skills I’ve ever seen! I swear he could sell ice toAlaskans.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does Irene mean when she says, “you can’t coast in a job based oncommissions”?

a) You’ll have to work very hard.

b) You won’t be able to travel to the beaches.

c) You’ll have to use your brakes while driving.

2. What does Dennis mean when he says, “There’s no cap on how much I canearn”?

a) There are no limits on his income.

b) He will not have to pay taxes.

c) He doesn’t have to report his earnings11 to the government.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to coast

The verb “to coast,” in this podcast, means to relax and become lazy, not workingvery hard: “Ellery has always gotten good grades, so he thought he’d be able tocoast through medical school, but it was much more difficult than he hadexpected.” The verb “to coast” also means to ride a bicycle without pedaling orto drive a car without using the gas pedal: “Biking up the hill is hard work, but Ilove the feeling of coasting down.” As a noun, “coast” refers to land next to thesea or ocean, like a beach: “Do you want to go to the coast or the mountains thisweekend?” Finally, the phrase “the coast is clear” means that someone can dosomething without being seen: “Please tell me when Victor leaves, so I’ll knowthe coast is clear.”

cap

In this podcast, the word “cap” means a maximum amount, or the highest orlargest that something can be: “New York City put a cap on apartment rent sothat low-income people can afford to live there.” A “baseball cap” is a hat thathas a slightly curved piece in the front to shade one’s eyes: “He pulled thebaseball cap lower to keep the sun out of his eyes.” A “shower cap” is a piece ofplastic with elastic12 around the edges, worn over one’s head to keep one’s hairdry: “Denise washes her hair only twice a week, so she wears a shower capwhen she takes a shower on the other days.” Finally, a “cap” is also a small lidfor a bottle or another container: “Where did I put the cap for the milk carton?”

CULTURE NOTE

Many salespeople13 work on commissions. This is because the “paymentarrangement” (the way people are paid) “aligns” (makes things work together inthe same direction or for the same purpose) the interests of the company and thesalespeople, so that everyone tries to sell as much as possible.

Salespeople sometimes earn commission as a “flat fee” (an unchanging amount)for each sale they make. When salespeople are able to “negotiate” (reachagreements on) the sales price with their customers, they often earn acommission as a percentage of their total sales, so that they have an “incentive14

(a reason to do something) to negotiate a higher sales price and help thecompany increase its profits. Percentage-based commissions are used withpeople who sell cars, for example.

“Real estate professionals” (people who help individuals buy and sell homes)work on commission, usually receiving around 2-3% of the sales price of a home.

“Insurance brokers” (people who help individuals find the best insurance policies)and “mortgage brokers” (people who help individuals find the best loan to buy ahome) also work on commission, receiving a percentage of the amount that theircustomers pay to the insurance company or “lender” (a business that makesloans).

Commission-based payment arrangements work well, because the salespeoplehave an incentive to work hard. However, they can also encourage dishonest or“fraudulent” (breaking the law through dishonesty and deception) practices, likewhen salespeople lie to customers about their products in order to “make thesale” (persuade someone to buy something). For that reason, companiessometimes make the commissions “contingent upon” (dependent on) customersatisfaction, so that the salespeople do not receive their commission if thecustomer complains or tries to return the product.

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT15

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 648: Working onCommission.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 648. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpod.com. Go there to download a Learning Guide for thisepisode. The Learning Guide will help you improve your English even faster –and if you eat it, save money on food!

This episode is called “Working on Commission.” Dennis and Irene are having aconversation. Dennis is a salesman; his job is to sell things to other people.

Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Dennis: I just got a new sales job and I’m going to be making a bundle.

Irene: What kind of job is it?

Dennis: I’ll be working strictly on commission. The more I sell, the more I earn.

It’s a great opportunity for someone with my talents in sales.

Irene: I know you’re great at sales and I’m sure you’ll do well, but you can’t coastin a job based on commissions. You’ll have to work really, really hard.

Dennis: I’m not worried. For me, selling is second nature. I’ll barely have to lift afinger and the profits will come rolling in.

Irene: But isn’t your paycheck going to be in flux all the time? You’ll never knowwhat your take-home pay will be.

Dennis: There’s no cap on how much I can earn, so the sky’s the limit.

Irene: That’s not exactly what I meant. Some weeks, it may be hard to live onwhat you earn, don’t you think?

Dennis: What? Do I hear a hint of uncertainty16 in your voice?

Irene: No, it’s just that…Dennis: Put your mind at ease. I could sell ice to Alaskans!

[end of dialogue]

Dennis begins by saying, “I just got a new sales job and I’m going to be making abundle.” “I just got (I was just given, in this case) a new sales job.” “Sales” is theprofession of persuading people to buy something from you. Dennis says he’sgoing to be making bundle. The expression “to make a bundle” (bundle) meansto earn a lot of money, to get a lot of money for your job. Doctors and attorneyscan often make a bundle, but not all of them are making a lot of money of course.

Irene asks, “What kind of job is it?” Dennis doesn’t answer exactly, he says, “I’llbe working strictly on commission.” “To be working strictly (or only) oncommission” means that you will only get money if you sell something. Manysales positions give you a certain amount of money, and then you can makemore money, what’s called a “commission,” on the things that you sell, typically apercentage of the thing you are selling. So if you are selling cars you may get asalary, that is, a regular amount of money – a regular paycheck. But if you sell alot of cars you can make even more money by getting a commission, apercentage of each car that you sell. Dennis says, “The more I sell, the more Iearn. It’s a great opportunity for someone with my talents in sales,” that is,someone who is good at sales like he thinks he is.

Irene says, “I know you’re great at sales and I’m sure you’ll do well, but you can’tcoast in a job based on commissions. You have to work really, really hard.” “Tocoast” (coast) as a verb means to relax and become a little lazy, not working veryhard. Irene is saying that you cannot coast – you can’t get lazy, you have towork hard. “Coast” has a number of meanings in English, some of them arefound in our Learning Guide.

Dennis says, “I’m not worried (I’m not concerned). For me, selling is secondnature.” Something that is “second nature” is something that you know how to doand you do very well. We might say “it comes naturally to you,” it’s easy for youbecause you know how to do it or because perhaps you have some talent, someability that allows you to do it easily. Dennis says, “I’ll barely have to lift a fingerand the profits will come rolling in.” “To barely have to do (something)” meansthat you have to do it, but you almost don’t; you don’t have a very strong need todo it, however you do actually have to do this thing. Well, Dennis says he willbarely have to lift a finger. In this case, “to lift a finger” means to perform a job ora task, to do something, to work. The expression “I barely have to lift a finger”

means I’m not going to have to work very hard. “And,” Dennis says, even thoughhe’s not going to work very hard, “the profits will come rolling in.” “Profit” (profit)is money that you make in your job or your business; it’s the difference betweenthe money that you spend, what we would call your “expenses,” and the moneythat you get, your “income.” That’s profit. Dennis says, “the profits will comerolling in,” meaning they will be very large, they will come in in large amounts.

There’s going to be a lot of money that he’s going to make, and he’s not going tohave to work very hard. Hmm, I’d like a job like that!

Irene says, “But isn’t your paycheck going to be in flux all the time?” Your“paycheck” (one word) is the money you get for working, often received once aweek, sometimes once every other week – every two weeks, that is, or, in somejobs, once a month. The paycheck is the money that your “employer,” the personwho owns the company or the person you work for, give you for the work you dofor them. Now, Irene says – or really asks Dennis, “isn’t your paycheck going tobe in flux all the time?” Something that is “in flux” (flux) is something that ischanging a lot; it is not constant, there’s a lot of variation. You’re not really sure ifit’s going to be a lot or not very much. That’s when something is in flux, it’s notcertain. Irene thinks that because Dennis is working strictly, or only, oncommission his paycheck will be in flux; some weeks he’ll sell a lot, some weekshe won’t sell very much. She says, “You’ll never know what your take-home paywill be.” Your “take-home pay” is the actual amount that you get from yourcompany after the taxes that you have to pay, after the other what we call“deductions,” things that the company takes out of your paycheck that it’srequired to do. It may be for health insurance, it may be for taxes, it may be foryour retirement savings. Your take-home pay is what you actually can put inyour bank from your paycheck.

Irene says that the take-home pay will be in flux; you won’t know what it is.

Dennis says, “There’s no cap on how much I can earn, so the sky’s the limit.”

Notice Dennis doesn’t even really listen to what Irene is saying. Perhaps they’remarried! Dennis says, “There’s no cap,” that is, there’s no maximum amount. A“cap” (cap) is the highest or largest that something can be. You might live in acity that puts a cap on the height of buildings; they can only be so tall and notaller. “Cap” has several meanings in English, and those are in the LearningGuide. Dennis says, “the sky’s the limit.” That’s an expression that meansanything is possible, it has no limitations. There’s no cap; it can be as big or ashigh as you want – the sky’s the limit.

Irene says, “That’s not exactly what I meant. Some weeks, it may be hard to liveon (to survive on) what you earn (what you make), don’t you think?” Dennissays, “What? Do I hear a hint of uncertainty in your voice?” A “hint” (hint) of something is a little bit of something, a small amount of something. Dennisthinks that Irene is doubting his abilities as a salesman. She is asking thesequestions and he thinks that there is “uncertainty in her voice,” meaning eventhough that’s not what she is saying directly to him that’s what she really means.

Irene says, “No, it’s just that…” Dennis interrupts her and says, “Put your mind atease. I could sell ice to Alaskans!” “To put your mind at ease” (ease) means torelax, to stop worrying about something. The expression “to sell ice (which isfrozen water) to Alaskans,” people who live in the state of Alaska, in the northernpart of North America; Alaska is in between Canada and Russia, and is of coursevery cold because it is close to the North Pole. The expression “to sell ice toAlaskans” means to be able to sell anything to anyone because the idea is thatAlaskans don’t need ice because it’s already very cold, but if you could sell ice tothem then you could sell anything. The original expression was “to sell ice toEskimos.” The term “Eskimo” refers to those people who were living in that areabefore the Europeans arrived there, what we would call in other contexts NativeAmericans. However, the term “Eskimo” is considered, especially in Canada, tobe one that is not complimentary17. That is, it’s a term, like the word “Negro” torefer to black or African Americans, that is no longer used that much. “Eskimo”

is, in fact, still used in Alaska, but because it is a term that our Canadian listenerswould not like, we’ve changed the expression a little bit.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Dennis: I just got a new sales job and I’m going to be making a bundle.

Irene: What kind of job is it?

Dennis: I’ll be working strictly on commission. The more I sell, the more I earn.

It’s a great opportunity for someone with my talents in sales.

Irene: I know you’re great at sales and I’m sure you’ll do well, but you can’t coastin a job based on commissions. You’ll have to work really, really hard.

Dennis: I’m not worried. For me, selling is second nature. I’ll barely have to lift afinger and the profits will come rolling in.

Irene: But isn’t your paycheck going to be in flux all the time? You’ll never knowwhat your take-home pay will be.

Dennis: There’s no cap on how much I can earn, so the sky’s the limit.

Irene: That’s not exactly what I meant. Some weeks, it may be hard to live onwhat you earn, don’t you think?

Dennis: What? Do I hear a hint of uncertainty in your voice?

Irene: No, it’s just that…Dennis: Put your mind at ease. I could sell ice to Alaskans!

[end of dialogue]

Writing scripts is second nature to our wonderful scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Comeback and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2011 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 glossary of7xy     
n.注释词表;术语汇编
参考例句:
  • The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
  • For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便,我们在附录中也提供了术语表。
2 strictly GtNwe     
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地
参考例句:
  • His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
  • The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
3 Portuguese alRzLs     
n.葡萄牙人;葡萄牙语
参考例句:
  • They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
  • Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。
4 amber LzazBn     
n.琥珀;琥珀色;adj.琥珀制的
参考例句:
  • Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗?
  • This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。
5 makeup 4AXxO     
n.组织;性格;化装品
参考例句:
  • Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
  • Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗?
6 retirement TWoxH     
n.退休,退职
参考例句:
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。
7 flux sg4zJ     
n.流动;不断的改变
参考例句:
  • The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。
  • In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。
8 deductions efdb24c54db0a56d702d92a7f902dd1f     
扣除( deduction的名词复数 ); 结论; 扣除的量; 推演
参考例句:
  • Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现,而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。
  • You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促,毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。
9 savings ZjbzGu     
n.存款,储蓄
参考例句:
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
10 restrictions 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf     
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
参考例句:
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
11 earnings rrWxJ     
n.工资收人;利润,利益,所得
参考例句:
  • That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
  • Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。
12 elastic Tjbzq     
n.橡皮圈,松紧带;adj.有弹性的;灵活的
参考例句:
  • Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
  • These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。
13 salespeople xjuz25     
n.售货员,店员;售货员( salesperson的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The shop usually employs additional salespeople for the Christmas toy trade. 这家商店通常雇一些临时售货员来做圣诞节玩具生意。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Under our new system, salespeople sit down with each of our dealers. 根据新的制度,销售人员应逐个地同承销商洽商。 来自辞典例句
14 incentive j4zy9     
n.刺激;动力;鼓励;诱因;动机
参考例句:
  • Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中,钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
  • He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。
15 transcript JgpzUp     
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书
参考例句:
  • A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
  • They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。
16 uncertainty NlFwK     
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物
参考例句:
  • Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
  • After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后,压力开始产生影响了。
17 complimentary opqzw     
adj.赠送的,免费的,赞美的,恭维的
参考例句:
  • She made some highly complimentary remarks about their school.她对他们的学校给予高度的评价。
  • The supermarket operates a complimentary shuttle service.这家超市提供免费购物班车。
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