"Can You Speak Over the Telephone. Как вести беседу по телефону" - читать интересную книгу автора (Шелкова Т. Г., Мелех И. Я.)

D. INQUIRIES

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?

Secretary: It is seven-seven-four; two-five-nine-three.

Mr Com: Thank you. Good-bye.

Secretary: Good-bye.

Mr Frolov: Good morning. Is this Mr Applebee?

Mr Applebee: Yes, I’m Applebee.

Mr Frolov: I’m Frolov and I’m calling about the house you advertised to rent for the summer months.

Mr Applebee: How many are you in your family, Mr Frolov?

Mr Frolov: Four: my wife, two children and myself. Your house sounds like the sort of place we need for three months — June, July and August.

Mr Applebee: Yes, of course, we have all the conveniences and plenty of rooms to accommodate all of you.

Mr Frolov: How many closets and dressers do you have?

Mr Applebee: A lot.

Mr Frolov: My wife and I would like to see your house, Mr Applebee, but I don’t have a car right now. Can we get to you easily some other way? We are on West 86th Street.

Mr Applebee: Yes, of course. Take the 86th Street subway station, and in fifteen minutes you will be here. You have our address, don’t you?

Mr Frolov: Yes, I do.

Mr Applebee: How soon would you like to come?

Mr Frolov: Is this Saturday at three o’clock all right?

Mr Applebee: Fine. I’ll expect you.

Mr Frolov: Thank you, Mr Applebee. Good-bye.

Mr Applebee: Good-bye.

I. Read the dialogues and reproduce them paying attention to telephone phrases.

II. Practise the spelling of the following names by phone:

Mr Smith, Miss McKennan, Mrs Sonnenfeld, Mr Kutuzov, Mr Surikov, Mr Schipatchev, Mrs Raskolnikov

III. What would you say in reply to these remarks and questions?

1. There will be a delay on your long-distance call to Paris. Will you wait? 2. Where can we get in touch with you, sir? 3. I’ve heard you are looking for a nice summer cottage. What sort of place do you need? 4. We have an apartment with all the conveniences. 5. Flight Information. Can I help you? 6. What kind of books are you interested in? 7. There is some delay on the flight from Moscow today. 8. Sorry, Train Inquiries is engaged now. 9. What information would you like to obtain? 10. Whom could we approach to make inquiries about your export of furs to this country?

IV. In what situations would you say the following?

1. Could you put me through to somebody who can tell me the take-off time of the plane to Milan? 2. What time does the coach leave for the airport? 3. I’ll go to the airport on my own. 4. Where can I pick up the ticket? 5. “Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga” is concerned with a wide range of records, books, stamps and other goods. 6. I would like to rent an apartment for a year. 7. Will you check my telephone line, operator? It doesn’t operate properly. 8. When is Flight 903 due to get to Washington? 9. What is the arrival time of the train from Liverpool? 10. I’m afraid your charge for the summer cottage is too high.

V. Make inquiries by phone:

1. about the take-off time of the plane to Moscow; 2. about the arrival time of the train from Paris; 3. about the goods the company is importing; 4. about the accommodation at the hotel; 5. about books dealing with modern British and American fiction, available at the shop; 6. about the trunk-call which is delayed

Working in groups of two, read aloud the following Telephone Dialogues.

Secretary: Consular Department.

Mr Ноrn: Good morning. This is Horn speaking.

Secretary: Good morning, Mr Horn. Could I help you?

Mr Horn: Five days ago I sent you my passport to obtain a visa for a business trip to the Soviet Union.

Secretary: Wait a minute, Mr Horn. I’ll make some inquiries. (After two minutes’ interval.) Yes, Mr Horn, we have your completed application form and your passport. But you did not send us three passport-size photographs.

Mr Horn: I’m afraid I didn’t. The thing is, I don’t have them.

Secretary: Then go to the local photographer and have the pictures taken.

Mr Horn: Thank you. If I send the photographs tomorrow, when can I have my passport back?

Secretary: We need at least seven clear days to issue a visa. In your case we’ll do it in three days.

Mr Horn: You are very kind, thank you. Good-bye.

Secretary: Good-bye, Mr Horn.

Miss Dodge: Good afternoon. Could I speak to somebody from the Soviet Consular Department, please?

Secretary: Good afternoon. Secretary’s speaking.

Miss Dodge: My name is Dodge. I am going to visit the Soviet Union as a tourist.

Secretary: You are welcome, Miss Dodge.

Miss Dodge: Should I apply for a visa personally or by post?

Secretary: Any way you wish.

Miss Dodge: What documents should I submit to the Consular Department, pдease?

Secretary: A completed application form, your passport, three recent passport-size photographs, and a letter from your travel agent.

Miss Dodge: Do I have to get in touch with a travel agency?

Secretary: Yes, Miss Dodge. All individual tourist trips to the Soviet Union are arranged through the “Intourist” Travel agency.

Miss Dodge: Can’t I arrange it through the Consular Department?

Secretary: I’m afraid, Miss Dodge, you cannot. It is done for your convenience. The “Intourist” will take care of the tickets and your hotel accommodation in the USSR.

Miss Dodge: Thank you very much. When you are open?

Secretary: Monday through Friday. Our Consular office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays and on all legal holidays.

Miss Dodge: Thank you again, Miss Secretary.

Secretary: You are welcome. Good-bye.

Miss Dodge: Good-bye.

Mr Stock: Hello, is this the Soviet Consular Department, please?

Secretary: Yes, it is.

Mr Stock: This is Stock speaking. I would like to make some inquiries about the Soviet visa.

Secretary: Have you sent the documents to the Consular Department, Mr Stock?

Mr Stock: Not yet. The matter is, I don’t have the passport at present. It is with the Foreign Office.

Secretary: Then I connect you with our Vice-Consul, Mr Stock.

Vice-Consul (after a minute): Speaking.

Mr Stock explains his situation.

Vice-Consul: As a rule, Mr Stock, the Consulate does not issue visas without the applicant’s passport.

Mr Stock: This is an urgent business trip to Leningrad, Mr Vice-Consul, and the passport will be available from the Foreign Office within three days, I am sure.

Vice-Consul: In exceptional cases like yours we can issue a visa providing you send us all the necessary documents now, and the passport will be presented later.

Mr Stock: Thank you very much, sir. What documents do I have to supply now, except the passport?

Vice-Consul: A completed application form, three recent passport-size photographs, and a letter from your firm confirming your business trip to the USSR.

Mr Stock: I’ll deliver the documents to your Office tomorrow afternoon.

Vice-Consul: And the passport, of course, as soon as you get it from the Foreign Office.

Mr Stock: Sure thing, Mr Vice-Consul. Thank you very much.

Vice-Consul: Good-bye.

Mr Stock: Good-bye.

1. to obtain visa получать визу

a completed application form анкета, заполненная подателем

clear days рабочие дни; непраздничные дни

2. to apply for a visa personally лично обращаться за визой

to submit a document предъявлять документ

a recent passport-size photograph последняя фотография паспортного размера

for somebody’s convenience для чьего-либо удобства

legal holidays официальные праздники

3. to explain a situation объяснять ситуацию

an urgent trip безотлагательная поездка

in exceptional cases в исключительных случаях

providing adv при условии, если

to supply documents представлять документы

confirm v подтверждать

to deliver documents доставлять документы; официально вручать документы

personify v воплощать(ся), имитировать

I. Learn the dialogues.

II. Say what documents you have to submit to the Consular Department to obtain:

— a business visa;

— a tourist visa;

— a visa when your passport is not available.

III. Make up small dialogues of your own personifying an applicant for visa and Vice-Consul.

IV. Phone the Consular Department inquiring about the delay in issuing visas for a group of Polish students.