三专题：商务英语交流中的几种新鲜的说法
1.add up to
合计达;总括起来意味着.此语本义指'合计为',在日常生活中多用喻义,即'总括起来意味着'.在使用中应注意与'add up'一词的区别.'add up'本指'把 … 加起来',其喻义为'言之有理,说得通'
如:The facts just don't add up.(这些事情合计起来不对头.)
A:His cashier said he had locked the safe before he left. 出纳说他走时把保险柜锁上了.
B:But how did the money disappear from it if it was locked? 如果锁上了那钱怎么没的?
A:I just wonder ... 我只是奇怪......
B:What do you think it all adds up to? 你想这一切意味着什么?
A:It adds up to the fact that we have been cheated. 意味着我们被骗了.
2.agree to differ
求同存异,指的是'各自保留不同意见(不再说服对方)',意即'求同存异'.
A:What do you mean? 你是什么意思?
B:Considering the major contracts they might give us, I overlooked the small loss. 考虑到他们可能与我们签订大宗合同,小小的损失我就忽略不计了.
A:So you agreed to differ? 所以你就求同存异?
B:That's right. 没.
4.all wet
搞错了,wet原义为'湿的',引申为某人'没经验',All wet多见于美国俚语,意为'大错特错'.
A:I made a reservation two days ago. My name is David Johnson. 我前天在这儿预订了房间,我叫戴维-约翰逊.
B:Reservation? What do you mean? 预订?什么意思?
A:I booked a single room here for tonight. 我订了一间今晚的单人房.
B:Oh! You're all wet, actually. This is not a hotel. The hotel is the building across the road. 哦,你搞错了.这不是旅馆,旅馆是路对过的那座楼.