2014年ESL之商务英语 10 Importing Goods to the U.S.

 

Importing Goods to the U.S. 

Daniel: You look like you’re sitting on pins and needles. 

Muriel: I am. I’m waiting to hear if our goods have cleared customs yet. We’re in big trouble if our 50 crates¹ aren’t released soon. 

Daniel: You’ve filled out the proper paperwork. What could go wrong? 

Muriel: You have no idea how much red tape there is when importing goods to the U.S. There are all kinds of rules to follow and we have to pay the correct tariffs². 

Daniel: But I thought we had a free-trade agreement with Niebuhrland. All goods imported from and exported to Niebuhrland should be duty-free. 

Muriel: Most things are duty- free, but not everything. There are tariffs on spirits and the tax rate varies depending on the type of spirits. It’s all very confusing. 

Daniel: Well, sitting here fretting³ won’t do any good. 

Muriel: If only I had access to those 50 crates of spirits... 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 crates   

n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱

参考例句：

• We were using crates as seats. 我们用大木箱作为座位。
• Thousands of crates compacted in a warehouse. 数以千计的板条箱堆放在仓库里。

2 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

3 fretting   

n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的, 焦虑的

参考例句：

• Fretting about it won't help. 苦恼于事无补。
• The old lady is always fretting over something unimportant. 那位老妇人总是为一些小事焦虑不安。