Can You Speak Over the Telephone. Как вести беседу по телефону - страница 14

VI. a) Extend an invitation by phone:

1. to a reception; 2. to the Bolshoi Theatre; 3. to an International Book Exhibition; 4. to a luncheon; 5. to your place; 6. to a cocktail party

b) Accept or decline the invitation by phone.

Read the dialogues aloud working in groups of two.

Mr Block: They say that entertaining guests is an essential part of diplomatic activity. Do you share this opinion?

Mr Bulatov: I would rather consider entertaining not an essential but a most important part of diplomatic work. Apart from improving the public image of the country you represent it helps to establish contacts and make friends.

Mr Block: It takes a lot of time and efforts to say nothing of money to arrange a diplomatic reception such as an official dinner, for instance.

Mr Bulatov: Yes, it does. But the most difficult job is to make the people you have invited feel comfortable and at ease.

Mr Block: I suppose it depends on the host.

Mr Bulatov: And the hostess, the way she works out the seating plan and observes the order of precedence. Ministry officials and foreign diplomats are touchy people, you know.

Mr Block: Should the common interests and the profession of the invited guests be taken into consideration while arranging the seating plan?

Mr Bulatov: If you want your dinner to proceed smoothly you ensure it as tar as possible. The conversation among the guests will be more lively, and most probably there will be no conflicting situations.

Mr Block: Conversation is an art.

Mr Bulatov: You are right. A conversation is not an interchange of words, but ideas. Even a dinner conversation should be thoughtful, natural and still light. It is an art which is acquired by experience.

Mr Block: Some topics are in themselves unpleasant or are sure to bring out from some guests dissatisfaction or even anger.

Mr Bulatov: I don’t think that there are taboo subjects the discussion of which should be avoided.

Mr Block: Are there any topics which you wouldn’t recommend to touch upon during an official dinner?

Mr Bulatov: If there are guests whom you don’t know well enough, avoid to talk on local or national politics, religion, death and other tragedies.

Mr Block: Some people are interested in local scandals, gossip and divorces.

Mr Bulatov: Exclude them. There are some topics which interest almost everyone and are fairly sure to go well in any company. These are books, the theatre and motion pictures, radio and TV programmes, travel-places visited, scientific achievements and so on.

Mr Block: In other words the worth of the topic depends on the time, the place, and the people you are talking to.

Mr Bulatov: You are right, Mr Block.

Operator: Foreign Office. Good afternoon. Can I help you?

Mr Klochek: I’d like to speak to Mr Drake, please.

Operator: Who’s calling, please?

Mr Klochek: Mr Klochek of the Polish Embassy.

Operator: Wait a minute, please. (Pause.) You are through now, Mr Klochek.

Mr Drake: This is Drake speaking.

Mr Klochek: Good afternoon, Mr Drake. Klochek calling.

Mr Drake: Good afternoon, Mr Klochek. How have you been all this time?

Mr Klochek: Very well, thank you. And you?

Mr Drake: Fine, thank you. Since my return from Egypt I have been eager to see you.

Mr Klochek: You will have a chance. I’m calling to invite you and your wife to the reception to be held in our Embassy on Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m.

Mr Drake: What is the occasion?

Mr Klochek: A group of actors from the National Theatre arriving for the performance in this country.

Mr Drake: You mean from the Warsaw Theatre of opera and ballet?

Mr Klochek: Exactly.

Mr Drake: Wonderful. My wife will be delighted.

Mr Klochek: I’ll get the invitation card in the mail early morning tomorrow. We are looking forward to seeing you and your wife. Good-bye.

Mr Drake: Thank you very much, Mr Klochek. Good-bye.

Mr Hunter: Good evening, Mr Won Diem.

Mr Won Diem: Good evening, Mr Hunter. It’s ages I heard from you.