4.Introduction and Greeting 见面介绍
greeting 打招呼
selection 选择
outcome 结果
competitor竞争对手
to tie up 缠住
to run into sb。碰巧遇到某人
business visit业务拜访
inconvenient不方便
general manager 总经理
business card 名片
marketing department 市场部sales force 销售业务部门
Thank you，Mr。White，for that kind introduction。
□怀特先生，谢谢您友好的引荐。I appreciate the introduction，Mr。White。
□怀特先生，感谢您的介绍。Thank you for the warm welcome，Mr。White。
□怀特先生，感谢您热情的欢迎。Just to let you know a little about me。
□简单地向你们介绍一下我自己。Let me just briefly tell you a little about myself。
□简单地向你们介绍一下我自己。I’ll be in charge of managing the American and Canadian accounts。
□我将会管理在美国和加拿大的账户。My main responsibilities will include directing our operations in the States and Canada。
□我的主要职责是管理我们公司在美国和加拿大的生意。I’m looking forward to hearing your views on our present and future prospects。
□我期待听到你们对我们公司现在和将来发展的看法。I’m anxious to hear your feelings about our future plans。
□我非常想听到你对我们未来发展计划的看法。My door is always open to your suggestions and ideas。
□我永远欢迎你们向我提意见和建议。I haven’t run into you for a long time。
□好久没有见到你。How are you getting on？
□你怎么样？How is everything going？
□最近怎么样？It’s a great honor to meet you。
□很荣幸见到您。I know you very well by reputation。
□久闻大名。I’ve often heard about you。
□久仰，久仰。I have been looking forward to meeting you。
□一直很期望见到你。How are you getting along with your work here？
□在这里工作得怎么样？I’d like to see the person in charge of purchasing。
□我想见一下负责采购的人。Here’s my business card。
□这是我的名片。I’d prefer to explain that to him directly。
□我想直接向他解释。I’m here to discuss the possibility of establishing business relations with your corporation。
□我来这儿是与您商量和贵公司建立商业关系的有关事宜。Sorry，I’m a little early。I hope it is not inconvenient。
□不好意思，我来得有点早，希望没有妨碍您。Sorry to keep you waiting。I was rather tied up just now。
□让你久等了，刚才太忙了。
A=Martin（马丁）B=Mary（玛丽）
A：Hi there！My name is Martin。You’re new around here，huh？
B：Yes。My name is Mary。I just started a couple of weeks ago。
A：Well，if there’s anything I can do for you，let me know。
B：Thanks。I really appreciate that！Why haven’t I seen you before？
A：I’ve been out of town。I just got back。
B：Where did you go？
A：I went to New York for a meeting。
A：嗨，我叫马丁。你是新来的吧？
B：是的。我叫玛丽，刚来几个星期。
A：哦，如果有什么需要帮忙的，尽管找我。
B：非常感谢！以前怎么没有见过你？
A：我出差去了，刚回来。
B：去哪了？
A：去纽约开了个会。
Emma Allison has just got a position in Summer Corporation。Her boss，Lewis Foster introduced her to her colleagues and the following is Emma’s own introduction。
“Thank you，Mr。Foster，for that kind introduction。You’ve given me a reputation I might not be able to live up to。
Just to let you know a little about me。I’m the new overseas sales representative。I came over from New World Co，a company you might be familiar with。There，I was responsible for exporting supplies to restaurants in South America。
I got my MBA in the States，so I feel quite at home with that territory。Not surprisingly，I’ll be heading up the South American division of Summer Corporation’s sales force。We’ll be concentrating our efforts in Brazil and Mexico，with an eye toward opening new markets in major metropolitan areas。
Summer Corporation has just started out in overseas markets，and I look forward to hearing each of your views on our present and future projects。I may also need your advice，as I’m learning the ropes around here。”
（爱玛？艾里森获得了在夏日公司工作的机会，上司路易斯？福斯特将她介绍给同事认识。下面是爱玛的自我介绍。）
“谢谢福斯特先生友好的介绍，可能我并没有您说得那么出色。
我想就简单地说说自己吧！我是新任的海外业务代表。原来在新世界公司工作，我想诸位大概对那个公司也不陌生。我在那儿负责的是南美洲的出口工作。
我在美国拿到工商管理学硕士学位，对那一带的情形还算熟悉；所以，很自然的，我将负责夏日公司的南美业务部门。我们将集中主力向巴西及墨西哥进军，打算在主要的大城市中开发新市场。
夏日公司在海外市场方面才刚起步，我希望能听听各位对于目前和未来计划的看法。同时也因为我在本公司的工作还处于摸索阶段，还需要各位多多指教。”
1.Hi，there！招呼用语，特别是对小孩。“嗨，小家伙！”
2.live up to 达到（期望）In college，his parents pressured him to live up to all of their expectations。
在大学时，他的父母亲要求他一定要达到他们的期望。
3.feel（quite）at home 非常在行。
I feel at home with numbers，so I want to study accounting。
我对数字很在行，所以我要念会计。
4.head up 主持，领导。
When I was asked to head up the store’s promotional contest，I said“Yes”right away。
有人请我负责店里促销竞赛时，我马上就答应了。
5.with an eye toward字面意思是“眼睛注视着某处”，比喻“将来想朝某处下手”，专指将来想要从事、执行的事。
We’ll open stores in Guangzhou and Shenzhen next month，with an eye toward eventually controlling the market in those cities。
我们下个月将在广州和深圳开分店，计划将来完全控制这两处的市场。
6.learn the ropes 学习做某事
It didn’t take her long to learn the ropes around here。Now she’s the CEO。
当时她很快就熟悉了这里的工作，如今已经升任本公司首席执行官了。
Contract Law（I）
A contract is the body of law that by and large concerns voluntary agreements。Most people understand more or less what it means to enter into a contract。They realize that a contract is a bargain or agreement between two people or more to do some work，to buy or sell goods，to put up a building or tear one down，or to perform any one of countless other activities，which one person or company promises to do in exchange for a counter-promise，usually a promise to pay money。
Over a century ago，the great English jurist，Sir Henry Maine，published a book called Ancient Law。In a famous passage，Maine described the evolution of law over the centuries in modernizing societies。The development went“from status to contract”。What he meant was that legal relations in modern societies do not depend primarily on birth or caste；they depend on voluntary agreements。Elizabeth II is queen of England because of an accident of birth，but it is not an accident of birth that I make payments on a used yellow Plymouth；it is because I agreed to buy the car，on my own，as an adult，quite willingly。
In this sense，a regime of contract is fundamental to a modern society。The whole economy，or even the whole social system，rests on it。But a regime of contract or a system of contract，that is，an economy organized around voluntary agreements，governed mainly by the market，is not the same as the law of contracts as conventionally defined and taught in law schools。The law of contracts deals with only certain aspects of the market，and with certain kinds of agreement。
In legal terms，a contract is a promise or a set of promises that the law protects and enforces。If I promise to deliver a carload of lumber and the buyer promises to pay me a certain price，and I do not deliver the lumber，I have“breached”my contract。The buyer can sue me for damages，if he wants。
To make a valid contract，generally speaking，we need at least two parties；both have to have legal“capacity”。A small child or an idiot cannot legally enter into a contract。One side must make an“offer”；the other side must“accept”it。“Offer”and“acceptance”are ordinary English words，but they have specialized，technical meanings in law。A department store ad which announces an“offer”of a sewing machine for sale at a low price，as a“Thursday Only Special”，is probably not making a legal offer。For one thing，there is no actual promise to sell the sewing machines。If，for example，the public gobbles up the stock，the store does not have to sell sewing machines to disappointed customers。An“offer”，however，has to be legally a promise。
A young couple treated themselves to a meal in an expensive restaurant in Kansas。After eating a huge meal they had settled back in their chairs to relax and chat。The waiter came along and asked，“Will you have American coffee or Mexico coffee？”
The woman replied that she’d have American coffee，while the man chose Mexico coffee。The waiter said，“Coming right up。”and rushed off。
“Ah”，said the woman，“this is a fantastic restaurant。The service is so solicitous and they have just everything。Her date agreed。
After a few minutes the waiter returned with two cups，one small cup and one large coffee cup。He placed the large cup in front of the woman and the small cup in front of the man。Then，with great ceremony，he filled both cups from the same coffee pot！
5.Small Talk in the Office
闲暇聊天
VIP（Very Important Person）大人物，贵宾
acquaintance 相识的人，认识的人
to get acquainted with sb 与某人相识
to apologize 道歉
to owe sb。an apology 欠某人一个对不起，应该向某人道歉
to be pleased with sth 对某事满意to reckon 考虑，估计
non-smoking office 无烟办公室to set off出发
to smoke a cigarette 吸烟to fall asleep 入睡
Do you mind if I smoke here？
□你介意我在这里吸烟吗？Would you mind if I did it？
□我做这件事你介意吗？I wonder if I could do sth。
□我在想我是否能做某事。Do you mind if I smoke a cigarette？/Would you mind if I smoked a cigarette？
□你介意我吸烟吗？
I am sorry to fall asleep during the office hour。
□很抱歉我在办公时间睡着了。Forget it。
□没关系。You have an appointment with Mr。Green at 10 a。m。
□你和格林先生约在上午十点会面。Could you make a copy of China Daily for me？
□你能给我复印一份《中国日报》吗？What’s on this weekend？
□这周末有什么活动吗？Could you help me type this file into the computer？
□你能帮我把这份文件输入到电脑中吗？There is no time left。
□没有时间了。Let’s hurry up。
□我们快点吧！I did not feel quite myself today。
□我今天感觉不舒服。Could I get a day off？
□我能休息一天吗？
Scene 1
A=Andrea（安德莉亚）B=Ben Forrest（本？福瑞斯特）
A：I owe you an apology，Mr。Ben Forrest。
B：What do you mean，Andrea？
A：I’m terribly sorry about the appointment last Friday。I hope you’ll excuse me。
B：Forget it。I’d have done exactly as you did if I had been in your situation。
A：That’s very kind of you to say so。
Scene 2
A=Susan（苏珊）B=John（约翰）
A：Sorry to be late。I was caught up in a traffic jam。Am I the last guest to arrive？
B：Yes，VIPs always are。So it’s quite all right。And you’re a very important person at this party。
A：Oh，please don’t！
B：I was just kidding。We’ve been expecting you all the time！
Scene 3
A=Ann（安）B=Lucy（露西）
A：Sorry to have kept you waiting，Lucy。I was answering an overseas call。
B：It’s all right。You must be a very busy general manager。
A：Well，I hope you weren’t bored while I was on the phone。
B：No。I was reading this new brochure of yours，you see。I’m very much interested in your new product。
场景一
A：本？福瑞斯特先生，我欠您一个对不起。
B：安德莉亚，出什么事了吗？
A：对于上周五的预约我非常抱歉，希望您能原谅我。
B：没关系，如果我遇到了你所遭遇的情况，我也会采取和你完全相同的应对方式。
A：您能这么说真是太好了。
场景二
A：对不起，我迟到了，途中正赶上堵车。我是不是客人中最后一位到达的啊？
B：是啊，大人物总是最后出场，很正常。你是我们这次聚会中举足轻重的人物，所以没有关系。
A：啊，请不要这样说！
B：我只是和你开玩笑而已，我们一直都期盼着你的到达啊！
场景三
A：露西，对不起，让你久等了，我刚才在接一个国际长途电话。
B：没关系，您一定是一位工作非常繁忙的总经理。
A：希望在我接电话时，你没有感觉无聊。
B：没有，您看，我刚才在看你们的新宣传册。我对你们的新产品非常感兴趣。
A=Michael（迈克）B=Sun Qiang（孙强）
C=Joseph（约瑟夫）
The next day after picking up Joseph White at the airport，Michael Taylor introduced his boss Sun Qiang to Joseph。
A：Mr。Sun，I’d like you to meet Mr。Joseph White，sales manager for South Reflections of Australia。（Sun extends hand first；Sun and White shake hands）Mr。White，Mr。Sun Qiang，general manager of WIT Trading。
B：It’s very nice to finally meet you，Mr。White after so many phone calls and faxes。（Sun Qiang offers his business card first）I’d like you to have my business card。
C：Thanks very much，Mr。Sun。Please accept mine。（He offers his own card）and please，call me Joseph。（They both look at cards for a few seconds，and then put them in wallets）。
A：If you don’t mind，Joseph，while you and Mr。Sun get acquainted，I’d like to check the arrangements for the meeting。
C：You’re certainly on top of things，Michael。
B：（Looking at Michael）Mr White，you’ll find Mr。Taylor-Michael-is a force to be reckoned with at WIT Tradig。
A：Thanks for the vote of confidence，Mr。Sun。I’ll be right back。（He leaves room）。
C：He appears to be a top-notch young man，Mr。Sun。Talent and enthusiasm like that are hard to find。
B：Don’t I know it。He’s doing a great job for us。My English name is Kent，and call me Kent please。
C：Kent，can you tell me in a nutshell what the retail market is like in Hong Kong？
B：Well，as per capita income goes up and up，the growth sector seems to be in the high-end。
C：Retail is going upscale here？Hong Kong is certainly growing more quickly than I had imagined。
B：Yes。Things certainly have changed since I was a boy。It has developed very quickly。
C：Do you think the trend will continue？
B：I don’t see why not。We do have some problems，but we are still willing to work hard and wages aren’t too high at this point。
C：Everything I’ve seen so far is very impressive，very impressive indeed。
接机后的次日，迈克？泰勒在公司里，为约瑟夫？怀特引见自己的老板孙强。
A：孙先生，让我为你介绍澳大利亚South Reflections的业务经理约瑟夫？怀特先生。（孙强先伸手，两人握手）怀特先生，这是孙强先生，WIT贸易公司的总经理。
B：多次电话、传真往返之后，非常高兴终于见到您，怀特先生（孙强先递出名片），请收下我的名片。
C：谢谢您，孙先生。也请收下我的名片（递上自己的名片），叫我约瑟夫就行了。（两个人都看了一下对方的名片，放入皮夹中。）
A：如果你不介意，约瑟夫在你和孙先生互相认识时，我先失陪，看看会议安排得如何。
C：迈克，一切都在你掌握之中。
B：（看着迈克）怀特先生，您会发现泰勒先生，也就是迈克，是我们WIT贸易公司的一员大将。
A：孙先生，谢谢你的信任，我马上回来。（走出房间）
C：孙先生，他是个有为青年，像他这样有才干，有热忱的人是很难找到的。
B：我完全同意，他在公司表现不凡。我的英文名叫肯特，请叫我肯特就行了。
C：肯特，你可以简单地告诉我香港市场的现状吗？
B：唔，由于每人的平均收入不断地增加，市场的发展领域似乎偏向于高价位商品。
C：此地的零售走入高价位了？香港的发展比我想象得要快多了。
B：没错，现在的香港和我小时候完全不一样了，这里发展得非常快速。
C：你认为这种趋势还会维持下去吗？
B：我不觉得有什么不行。虽然是有一些问题，但我们仍愿意勤奋工作，而且现阶段工资仍不算太高。
C：到目前为止，我所看到的一切都令我印象深刻，真的十分深刻。
1.get acquainted with sb。认识，熟悉某人。这短语常用于由不熟识到熟悉。
I became acquainted with Shakespeare’s work when I was in college。我在大学的时候逐渐了解了莎士比亚的作品。
2.on top of things“将事情完全掌握”，“控制全局”。
The general manager was always on top of everything。
总经理一直是掌控一切。
3.a force to be reckoned with 值得注意的人物。
Although our company is small now，it will be a force to be reckoned with in the future。
尽管我们公司现在还小，但它未来一定会引起大家注意。
4.Don’t I know it。我完全同意！否定表达肯定的，更有强调的作用意思是“我怎会不知道”，“我当然明白这一点”。
5.in a nutshell 简单地说，极其简括地说。
Steven told us in a nutshell what happened at the meeting。史蒂文简略地告诉了我们会议的情形。
Contract Law（II）
There are，of course，many other issues in the law of contracts。In classic articles，the behavior of businessmen was explored in Wisconsin。It was found that many of them tended to avoid or sidestep formal contract law and contract doctrines。They especially shied away from suing each other，even when they has a“good case”according to law。The reason was not at all mysterious。
Businessmen depended on each other；they lived and worked in networks of continuing relationships。A manufacturer might buy paper clips，pens，and office supplies from the same dealer，year in and year out。Suing at the drop of the hat，or arguing excessively，or sticking up for abstract“rights”，was disruptive；it tended to rip apart these valuable relationships。Also，there were norms，practices，and conceptions of honor and fairness that businessmen customarily followed。These were more subtle，more complicated，than the formal norms of the lawyers。
“Contract Law”is a standard first year course in every law school。Yet it is probably less important a part of the living law than other fields which build on contract law or contract ideas。One of these fields is commercial law。This is the branch of law that concerns the buying and selling of goods，especially sales for credit and on the installment plan；it also deals with checks，promissory notes，and other“negotiable instruments”。Another related field is the law of bankruptcy and creditor’s rights，a bankrupt business or individual goes through a process that wipes the slate clean and allows the bankruptcy to begin again。Even more important，the bankruptcy process is designed to ensure fairness to all of the creditors。It tries to avoid a dog-eat-dog struggle over the assets of wrecked businesses and failed debtors。Bankruptcy law is a federal concern and is administered in the federal courts。Another rapidly growing field is the law of consumer protection。Still other fields concern themselves with special kinds of contract，such as contracts of insurance。Insurance contracts，like the insurance business，are quite heavily regulated and subject to distinctive rules。Two Statues
For decades，two heroic statues，one male and one female，faced each other in a city park，until one day an angel came down from heaven。“You’ve been such exemplary statues，”he announced to them，“that I’m going to give you a special gift。I’m going to bring you both to life for thirty minutes，in which you can do anything you want。”And with a clap of his hands，the angel brought the statues to life。
The two approached each other a bit shyly，but soon dashed for the bushes，from which shortly emerged a good deal of giggling，laughter，and shaking of branches。Fifteen minutes later，the two statues emerged from the bushes，wide grins on their faces。
“You still have fifteen more minutes，”said the angel，winking at them。
Grinning even more widely the female statue turned to the male statue and said，“Great！Only this time you hold the pigeon down and I’ll crap on its head。”
6.Farewell告别
meeting接待parting 分别；告别
take care 保重so long 再见
see you later/Later 回头见until we meet again/next time 下次见
Well，I have an appointment now。I think I have to go。
□我还有约好的事情，得走了。Well，then，perhaps we can get together another time。
□那好吧，我们可以换个时间再聚。See you tomorrow/next week/on Monday。
□明天/下周/周一见。When will we see you again？
□我们什么时候能再见到你？Please give my best regards to your sister。
□请向你姐姐（妹妹）带去我最好的祝愿。I shall miss all of you。
□我会想你们每个人的。I guess I’d better go now。It’s getting late。
□太晚了，我想我现在得走了。I’m in quite hurry too，so see you later。
□我也有点事情，回头见。We’re so sorry that you have to leave。Well，take care of yourself。
□你要走了真是太遗憾啦，那么多保重吧。I really must be going now。
□我现在真的必须要走了。We really enjoyed your company。
□我们真的很高兴能有你（们）陪伴。Let’s get together soon。
□我们快点相聚吧。Well，I’m afraid I should be leaving now。
□恐怕我该走了。I’m better be on my way。
□我最好离开了。I really enjoyed the meal。
□这顿饭我吃得很尽兴。I really had a pleasant/enjoyable/great evening。
□我今天晚上非常愉快。
That was a wonderful dinner。
□这真是一顿丰盛的晚餐。Did you have a good time today？
□您/你今天过得开心吗？On the eve of your departure，do you have any suggestions or advice？
□临走前，您/你还有什么建议或意见吗？Thank you for your warm reception and hospitality。
□感谢您的盛情款待。
Goodbye，my friends。It’s time to depart。
□再见，朋友们，是分手的时候了。I hope you can come back to China again sometime。
□希望你以后还会来中国。
I think it’s about time we got going。
□我想我们该走了。I’ve enjoyed myself very much。
□我过得很开心。I’m glad to have met you。
□很高兴见到您。Thank you for inviting me。
□谢谢您邀请我。Thanks for all your hospitality。
□谢谢您如此好客。I had a wonderful/great time being with you。
□和你（们）在一起真是太开心了。I enjoyed every minute of the party。
□我在这个聚会上很尽兴。Thank you very much for a wonderful party。
□非常谢谢你们组织的精彩的聚会。I hope someday maybe you’ll be able to visit my family in Chicago。
□我希望有一天你能到芝加哥去我家做客。I really enjoy talking with you。
□真的很高兴和你交谈。Would you like to stay for dinner？
□留下吃晚饭怎么样？I hope to see you again soon。
□希望能很快再次与你见面。Please keep in touch。
□请保持联系。It’s been nice working with you。
□很高兴和你在一起工作。I hope you can visit China again some day。
□我希望您以后还会再到中国来。I’m sorry，but I’ve got to be on my way。
□对不起，但我得走了。If you’re ever in Xi’an，look me up。I’d love to see you again。
□如果你到西安，就来找我。我很想再见到你。
A=Li Wei（李伟）B=Jack Huston（杰克？休斯顿）
Jack Huston came to Li Wei’s company to talk about business with him。Now Jack Huston is leaving for the US；。Li Wei drives him to the airport and sees him off。
A：I hope you can come back to China again sometime。It’s been nice doing business with you。
B：It’s very nice to have you to take me to the airport。Thank you for all your help。I hope to see you again soon。Please keep in touch。
A：Always my pleasure。You will keep in touch with us when you are back，won’t you？
B：Of course。
A：It’s a deal，and please let me know if I can be of any help when you are in Beijing。
B：Thank you very much。That’s very nice of you。I will be more than happy to come to Beijing again。Goodbye！
A：Have a good trip！Goodbye！
杰克？休斯顿来到李伟的公司与他谈业务。现在杰克？休斯顿要离开回美国了，李伟开车送他去了机场，并在机场为他送行。
A：我希望你以后能再次来中国。很高兴能和你一起做生意。
B：你能送我来机场真是太好了，感谢你对我所有的帮助。我希望能再次见到你。请保持联系。
A：不客气，我感到很荣幸。你也将继续与我们保持联系，是不是？
B：当然。
A：那就这样说定了，如果你在北京需要任何帮助，别忘了联系我。
B：非常感谢你，这真是太好了。我将非常高兴再次到北京来。再见！
A：旅途愉快！再见！
Scene 1
A：I’ve come to say goodbye。
B：When are you off？
A：I’m flying home on Friday afternoon。
B：Well，goodbye。See you soon。
A：Please don’t forget to say goodbye to the rest of the family for me。
Scene 2
A：I’d like to say goodbye to everyone。
B：What time are you going？
A：My plane leaves at 11：
10.
B：Well，goodbye and have a good trip！
A：Goodbye。Remember to look me up if you’re ever in Huston。
Scene 3
A：I’m calling to say goodbye。
B：When do you leave？
A：I’m catching the 9：00 pm train。
B：Take care of yourself and don’t forget to keep in touch。
A：Goodbye。Thanks again for everything。
Scene 4
A：I just dropped in to say goodbye。
B：What time are you leaving？
A：I’m going to try to leave by 4：00 pm。
B：Take care and give my best wishes to your family。
A：Goodbye。Hope to see you again next year。
场景。
A：我是来道别的。
B：你什么时候走呢？
A：我周五下午乘飞机回去。
B：嗯，再见。希望早日再次见面。
A：请不要忘记替我向你的家人告别。
场景。
A：我来向大家告别。
B：好吧，再见，一路顺风！
B：什么时候你走？
A：再见。如果你任何时候去休斯顿，都别忘来找我。
场景。
A：我打电话向你告别。
A：我乘晚上9：00的列车。
B：多多保重自己，不要忘记保持联系。
场景。
A：我顺便过来和你说再见。
B：你什么时候离开？
A：我打算下午4：00走。
B：好好保重身体，并给你的家人带去我最好的祝愿。
A：再见。希望明年再次见到你。
1.It’s a deal。“好，成交”“好，就这么定了”。
2.drop by 顺便拜访，非正式访问。
You can drop by on your way home。
你可以回家的时候顺路来一下。
Everyday Etiquette for Office Life
Most bosses expect their employees to get along with one another and，more importantly，to get along with clients and customers。This means that however important your job skills are，they may not count for much if you don’t also have some people skills。Fortunately，getting along with people usually boils down to simple，everyday courtesy。
When you work for a company，you are its representative to the outside world。For this reason，everyone from a secretary to a CEO should know how to greet visitors and make them feel comfortable。
Both men and women should stand to greet visitors who come into their office。Coworkers also should be given a warm greeting，but you need not rise each time one comes into your office。For a visitor，though，your hand should be extended just as it would be if you were the host in your own home。Ask the person to sit down and if there is a choice of seats，you may want to wave him into one。
Many managers and executives sit behind their desks when talking to co-workers and customers，but it is more gracious to move a conversation out to a sofa or two occasional chairs。Visitors should be asked whether they would like a beverage。If the answer is yes，the manager should get the drink or ask a secretary or assistant to get it。
Although corporate cultures vary from business to business and even from region to region，the exchange of daily greetings is a ritual everywhere。Co-workers usually say hello first thing in the morning and then simply smile when they pass each other the rest of the day。No further verbal greeting is called for，and no one should take offense when a colleague doesn’t stop to chat。It is considered rude，though，not to acknowledge fellow workers when you see them，even if it is for the fifteenth time in one day。You can nod or smile，but don’t look the other way when you see someone。
Beyond routine greetings，how much people chitchat during the day generally depends on the atmosphere of the work environment？A formal，rigidly organized workplace may allow little room for casual conversation，while one that is informal and loosely organized leaves room for this kind of socializing。Sometimes talk is encouraged or discouraged by the nature of the work。An assembly line that involves heavy equipment or noise，for example，doesn’t promote collegial chitchat，while an underworked sales staff may spend most of its work day talking。
In many workplaces，the chitchat-especially that of extracurricular nature-is frowned on by management，and with good reason，since workers do have jobs to perform。Then the problem for an employee who wants to appear friendly is how to disengage from the friendly chatter without alienating co-workers。
When you must cut short a conversation to get to work，it helps to announce your reason in a friendly manner。For example，you might say，“I’d love to talk more，but I’ve got to finish the year-end budget report，”or，“Can’t talk right now。I have to finish these estimates。”
If you disengage graciously，there should be no problem except for those relatively few workers who don’t get the message。In these cases a little less friendliness is called for。Don’t smile broadly；don’t stop to initiate a conversation。When a talker walks by，quickly say，“Hi there”，but don’t look up from your work expectantly。With time，they should get the message。
The priest arrived in the village and went to the church to hear confessions。As was his custom he left his watch on one of the seats。After a little while a young man came in to confess his sins。
“Father，forgive me，I have stolen a watch。”
“Well，young man，”said the priest，“don’t just say you are sorry，but give the watch back to the owner。”
“Oh，”said the sinner，“let me give you the watch，Father。”
“No，”said the priest，“Don’t give it to me。Give it to the owner。”
“But，Father，I’ve offered it to the owner and he doesn’t want to take it back，”said the young man。
“Well，in that case，I’ve given you absolution for the stealing，but you can keep the watch。”The priest gave the young man forgiveness。Later，however，when the priest left the church he was surprised to discover that his watch had been stolen。
