Как вести беседу по телефону | страница 27

IV. Reserve by phone:

1. two rooms at the hotel for your colleagues who are coming to New York on Friday; 2. a passage on board the ship bound for Leningrad; 3. two seats on the train to Paris; you want to travel first class; 4. a table at the restaurant; arrange with the manager what you will have for dinner; you will be entertaining your friends; 5. a long-distance call to Madrid; you want to make it personal; ask the operator about the charge rates; 6. a seat on the plane to Moscow after you inquire about flights and make sure that the take-off time is convenient to you; 7. two seats at Covent Garden for a Sunday matinee.

Operator: Good morning. British European Airways.

Mr Sokolov: Good morning. Could you please connect me with someone who can tell me what time the afternoon plane from Moscow will be arriving?

Operator: You want Flight Information. I’ll try and put you through. I’m sorry. Flight Information is engaged at the moment. Will you hold on or call back?

Mr Sokolov: I’ll hold on, thanks.

Operator: I’m putting you through to Flight Information now.

Clerk: Flight Information. Can I help you?

Mr Sokolov: Could you please tell me if there is any delay on the flight from Moscow this afternoon?

Clerk: Yes, it’s due in at 16.35, that’s an approximate delay of twenty minutes.

Mr Sokolov: Thank you. Good morning.

Telephone Operator: British Railways, King’s Cross.

Passenger: Train Inquiries, please.

T.I.: Inquiries.

Passenger: Can you give me the times of fast trains to Edinburgh, please, and arrival time? I’d like to get there about 6.00 p.m.

T.I.: Just a minute. Let’s see. Week days 8.48 arrive 5.10, 9.30 arrive 5.30, 10.20 arrive 6.30. Do you want any more?

Passenger: No. That’s fine, thank you very much. These are week day trains, aren’t they?

T.I.: Yes, Monday and Saturday inclusive.

Secretary: Consular Department.

Mr Com: This is Corn speaking. I’m calling you to inquire about some books, please.

Secretary: Yes, what kind of books are you interested in, Mr Corn?

Mr Com: You see, I’m working on the problem of American-Soviet relations prior to World War II.

Secretary: Mr Corn, this is the Consular Department and we, as a rule, do not deal with such questions. Here, in the city we have a branch office of our book company “Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga”. You may approach them if you wish.

Mr Com: What is their phone number, please?