Level 4-Day 17.Telephone Systems
高效磨耳朵 | 最好的英语听力资源
词汇提示
1.mouthpiece 话筒
2.dial 拨号
3.rival 相提并论
4.forward 发送
5.consensus 共识
6.mute 消音
7.designate 指定
8.indicate 提示
9.courtesiey 礼貌
10.greeting 问候
11.screen 屏蔽
12.promptly 及时地
原文
Telephone Systems
When Alexander Graham Bell developed the telephone in the 1870s, it was fairly simple to use.
You talked into the mouthpiece and then held it to your ear to listen.
For a century of so, using the telephone meant either contacting the operator to dial a number, or dialing yourself.
After that, all you had to do was talk or listen.
Nowadays, the telephone has become a very complex instrument; it rivals the computer as to the number of possible uses.
Answering machines have been around for several decades,but they are now being replaced by voicemail.
Voicemail does away with the need for an answering machine.
Messages are stored on the system.
That means that it is possible to forward the message to someone else's phone, or transfer the call to a more convenient phone of your own.
You can also use "call pickup," so that anyone in your group can answer another's phone.
Conference calls have become very common.
This is when one person phones first one person, then another,and keeps adding people to the telephone conversation.
This can regularly be done with up to six people.
It is very useful for business discussions where different people need to talk about the same thing.
It also speeds up the process of consensus, and allows everybody to be in on the decision or discussion.
The modern phone has many more features.
If you don't want the caller to know what is being said in your office, you can push the "mute" button.
If you want to hang up without putting the receiver down, press "goodbye.
If you don't want to receive calls, just forward them all into your voicemail.
Newer phones will indicate when you have voicemail messages.
If you have trouble with these features, an automatic voice will tell you your options.
This help-system is built into the telephone.
For example, the help-voice will tell you how to set up a distribution list,so that you can send the same voice message to a number of people.
It will also tell you how to send a message directly onto someone's voicemail.
You can designate your message to go to the top of the recipient's voicemail list.
You can also program it so that the recipient cannot forward it.
Some systems have limits on how much space can be used for individual voicemail.
There are a number of courtesies that voicemail users should follow.
Your greeting on your voicemail should be simple.
If you are unable to take calls for any reason, you might want to explain that in your recorded greeting.
If you are on vacation, you might want to include that information in your greeting.
Don't use voicemail as a way to avoid answering the telephone.
Some people use voicemail to screen calls; this can be annoying to someone who can never contact you directly.
Check your messages regularly and reply to them promptly.
Enjoy the telecommunications revolution!
翻译
电话系统
当亚历山大·格雷厄姆·贝尔（AlexanderGrahamBell）在19世纪70年代开发电话时，它的使用相当简单。
你对着话筒说话，然后把它放在耳朵上听。
一个世纪以来，使用电话意味着要么联系接线员拨一个号码，要么自己拨号。
在那之后，你所要做的就是说话或倾听。
如今，电话已成为一种非常复杂的工具；在可能的使用功能数量上，它可以与计算机匹敌。
电话答录机已经存在了几十年，但现在正被语音信箱所取代。
语音信箱不再需要答录机。
消息存储在系统上。
这意味着可以将信息转发到其他人的手机，或将通话转接到自己更方便的手机。
你也可以使用“呼叫接听”，这样你的团队中的任何人都可以接听其他人的电话。
电话会议已变得非常普遍。
这是指一个人先给一个人打电话，然后再给另一个人打电话，并不断地将人添加到电话对话中。
这可以由多达六个人定期完成。
这对于不同的人需要谈论同一件事的业务讨论非常有用。
它还加快了达成共识的进程，并允许每个人参与决策或讨论。
现代手机有更多的功能。
如果你不想让打电话的人知道你办公室里在说什么，你可以按“静音”按钮。
如果你想挂断而不放下听筒，按“再见”。
如果你不想接听电话，只需将它们全部转发到语音信箱。
当你有语音邮件时，新手机会显示。
如果您对这些功能有问题，自动语音将告诉您选择。
这个帮助系统内置在电话中。
例如，帮助语音将告诉您如何设置通讯组列表，以便您可以向多人发送相同的语音消息。
它还将告诉你如何将信息直接发送到某人的语音信箱。
您可以指定您的邮件位于收件人语音邮件列表的顶部。
您也可以对其进行编程，使收件人无法转发。
一些系统对单个语音邮件的可用空间有限制。
语音邮件用户应该遵守一些礼貌。
语音邮件中的问候语应该简单。
如果您因任何原因无法接听电话，您可能需要在录制的问候语中解释这一点。
如果你正在度假，你可能想在问候语中包含这些信息。
不要用语音信箱来避免接听电话。
有些人用语音邮件屏蔽通话；这可能会让那些永远无法直接联系你的人感到恼火。
定期检查您的信息，并及时回复。
享受电信革命吧！
