The art of selling
Selling
1What do these quotations suggest are the qualities of a successful salesmen?
‘Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.’
'People don't buy for logical reason. They buy for emotional reasons.'
'Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street’.
'People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing–that’s why we recommend it daily.'
‘The complaining customer represent a huge opportunity for more business.'
Zig Ziglar , author of Secrets of Closing the Sale
2Have you ever sold anything? Do you consider yourself to be good at selling?
Why?/Why not?
3Complete this short article about the importance of selling using the words given below.
There is so much competition in the market place today, particularly (0) price competition, that it is unusual for a seller to be able to find a (1)___selling point or a
(2)___advantage with which to convince the customer. Instead he has to rely on using
(3)___ benefits and/or giving (4)___value to the customer through (5) ___service. This makes the job of the seller all the more Important. What he has to do is identify the real decision (6)___in the buying process and then act quickly on a buying signal.
A buying signal la when the (7)__customer gives a sign to the seller that he is open to being sold the product or service.
4Look at these statements by different prospective buyers of a car. Imagine you are the sales person at a car dealer's dealing with them. What would you say or do next to try to close the sale.
1 'I really like the car, but it's a bit outside my budget’.
2 It's got everything I want, but silver is not the colo r I had in mind’.
3 I’m really confused about all these ext ra options - I just wanted to buy a
car, not a spaceship!'
4 'Thank you for your time. I'm going to go away and think about it’.
5 'I've always had VW, I don't know if this car suits my image.'
Sales techniques
5Work with your partner. Make a list of the main reasons for a customer deciding not to buy a product or service.
6Compare your answer with Zig Ziglar’s on page 127.
7 4.1 Listen to an extract from a radio series At Work where people talk about their working experiences. In this programme two sales people describe their approach to selling.
1What are they selling?
2What is the approach of each?
3What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?
8 Look at these extracts from the programme and complete the gaps .Listen
again to check your answers.
1 Competition is a ______-not necessarily price competition, because in our sector , quality, ____and service are far more important factors.
2 We use a sales___ that's called 'relationship selling’.
3 We spend a lot of time getting to know each ____individual needs.
4 I have to freely admit to people that our products may not be best___ to their particular needs.
5 I'd much prefer to be doing that than using some ___technique.
6 In my line of business, it's all about___ b enefits.
7 It’s difficult t o ___any kind of technical competitive advantage for long.
8 I deal only with the decision maker, who’s generally a ___for a chain of stores.
9 ... the most expensive options, because this increases our __sales.
10 As soon as I get a buying signal from them.... I_ __in and close the sale...
11 ... by discussing quantities required, special delivery arrangement , ___payment terms.
? cost? mass or niche (targeted advertising)
?reach (how many see it)? success rate
Advertising trends
1Read the headline on page 39 and predict what the article will say about advertising trends.
2Read the text quickly. Were you correct in your prediction? Do you agree with the author’s analysis?
3Study the text again to find the best answer(A,B,C or D) to each question.
1According to the author changers are occurring in
A the types of television programme we watch.
B the way people, especially young people, access video
C the way televisions are made.
D the amount of programmes that are recorded.
22005 was a significant year for television in the UK because
A it was the year Internet use overtook television viewing.
B spending on TV advertising declined.
C viewing figures peaked and started to decline.
D the 16 to 24 age group watched more television than before.
3In the future, big global companies will
A move away from TV to alternative advertising media.
B still use television to establish their brands.
C try to target their advertisements more precisely.
D return to non-broadcast methods like direct mailing.
4The growing use of PVRs means that television viewers
A skip through the advertisements without looking at them
B are exposed to a bigger range of advertisements
C can get advertising on demand.
D can pause and rewind advertisements
5The other growing area of opportunity for advertisers is
A outdoor advertising
B ice dancing.
C big live sporting events
D football
6The trend for on-demand viewing of programmes
A represents a big threat for advertisers
B means advertisers will spend a lot of money to reach a clear target audience
C will challenge search-based advertising on the Internet
D will increase agencies advertising revenues
7Advertisers in the future will ask their agencies to attract the young
A with arrange of new Internet-based media
B with more friendly messages
C through chat rooms
D using computer viruses
THE AD REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED
Among most advertisers, agencies and media companies there is a growing consensus that the old broadcast models of advertising are being eroded by the march of technology and that new models will have to be found to promote their products.
Consider the growing ubiquity of broadband access and the digital revolution that is fragmenting television viewing across hundreds of channels. Then combine those trends with the upsurge in personal video recorder technology (PVR) and the tendency for younger viewers to watch less TV in favor of sharing their own words, pictures, music and movies online.
In the UK, television viewing fell in 2005 for the first time in the medium’s history. The decline was most pronounced among those aged 16 to 24. In the US, where broadband penetration is even more widespread, those under 25 now spend more time on the Internet than watching television. The effect of these changing media habits is now having a material effect on advertising spending.
But according to Neil Jones of media agency, Carat UK, and others at the sharp end, big companies like Coca Cola and Unilever are actively reducing the amount they spend on television in favour of boosting their Internet budgets and so-called ‘direct response’ advertising –anything from online viral ads to traditional mail campaigns.
Unilever, the consumer goods giant, has said that during the last five years around a fifth of its ￡300m ad budget was shifted out of television and into outdoor posters, online advertising and sponsorship, such as Flora’s long-running association with the London Marathon. Meanwhile, the PVR effect is starting to make its presence felt now that the devices, which allow viewers to easily record shows as well as pause and rewind live TV, are in a meaningful number of homes. Over 1.3 million people now use the technology, with the majority fast forwarding through adverts on recorded shows.
Increased broadband penetration and download speed are only likely to accelerate the trend for on-demand viewing. Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncan recently forecast that by 2016 ‘the majority of all programmes will be consumed in an on-demand way, whether through personal video recorders or video-on-demand over the Internet’. As the boom in search-based advertising on the Internet has proved, if advertisers are sure that they are accurately, targeting a receptive audience they will pay a huge premium. Meanwhile event television, which viewers will tune on to watch live, and could be anything from the World Cup to Dancing on Ice will become increasingly vital.
As a result of these trends the amount spent on traditional television advertising on the main channels is declining, while the amount spent on the web is booming. Advertising experts are agreed that brands will increasingly have to engage with individual consumers rather than hoping to catch their attention with traditional catch-all ads.
Advertisers are demanding a more holistic view from their agencies, asking them to consider how to tap into younger consumers via blogs, social networking sites, advertiser-funded content and viral advertising. The latter, which involves making branded messages so engaging and interesting that web users feel compelled to send them on to friends, has come of age during the past two years. ‘We’re seei ng a new wave of interest because brands are looking for new forms of media and new marketing techniques,’ says Will Jeffery, Managing Director of viral advertising agency Maverick.
In the short term, Hassell , director at digital agency Ralph, believes that advertisers will increasingly release adverts on the Internet first as a means of creating a buzz around a particular clip
Tenses and time phrases
2 A few years ago …
3 At the moment...
4 By the year 2050 …
5 Nowadays...
6 Over the past ten years...
7 In the next five years...
8 During the I980s...
9 Sooner or later...
2 Use the appropriate time phrase from exercise 1 to complete each sentence.
1 _____we have seen a gradual reduction in working hours.
2 _____no-one has found a satisfactory solution to the problem of the ageing population.
3 _____watching television was more popular among younger age groups than using the Internet.
4 _____the advertising industry enjoyed a boom.
5 _____the economy will begin to recover from its recent
6 _____global temperatures will have risen by 3℃.
7 _____politicians pay too much attention to presentation of their policies and too little attention to their substance.
3 Write some sentences of your own using the time phrases from exercise 1.
■Transitive and intransitive verbs
4 Choose the correct verb to complete each sentence.
1 The government is going to rise /raise the school leaving age from 16 to 17.
2 The price of oil has risen / raised again.
3 Sales have reduced /fallen in the last two months.
4 You will have to reduce/fall the price to attract ordinary working people. What are the grammatical differences between the pairs of words?
your country.
1 house prices
2 the gap between rich and poor
3 taxes
4 the cost of living in genera
In the field
7 As a sales rep for a medium-sized Italian company, you are visiting shops and department stores in Denmark to persuade them to sock your designer lamps. ?Work with a partner. Take the roles of sales rep and buyer for a shop. Look at the situations below and plan what each will say.
?Act out the conversations following the example. Try to use at least one of the verbs [rise, lower, etc) in your conversation.
0 The shop buyer only has a few Italian catalogues.
Shop buyer: People drop into the shop all the time to pick up catalogues , but you've only sent us ten and they’re all written in Ita lian.
Sales rep: We can certainly increase the number of catalogues we sent you, but until the volume of sales goes up, it's not economical to publish them in Danish.
1 The buyer wants to place a small order (four or five) as a trial, but the prices are too high.
2 The buyer loves the lamps, but wants a shorter delivery time on orders. Customers won't wait three to four weeks.
3 The shop normally marks up prices by 100%, but in this case that will make the price to the customer too high.
4 The buyer likes the lamps but feels very loyal to existing suppliers.
5 The buyer needs more point-of-tale promotional material - displays, catalogues, etc.
A sales report
7During your sales trip to Denmark you receive the following email from your
Using the framework below and expanding the notes in italics, write a sales report (200 words approx).
SALES REPORT --DENMARK
? Results(sales down 30% on last year; market generally flat)
? Reasons (new Ikea store recently opened near Copenhagen ;no Danish brochures; biggest customer wants more commission 25%,has frozen orders)
? Prospects (good--signs of recovery in consumer confidence ; possible contract with big hotel chain refurnishing twelve hotels)
? Recommendations(get Danish brochures out; increase commissions across the board; more advertising, eg articles in lifestyle magazines)
高级英语第三版第一册课后英译汉答案 Unit1Paraphrase: 1.We’re23feet above sea level. 2.The house has been here since1915,andno hurricane has ever caused any damag e to it. 3.We can make the necessary preparations and survive the hurricane without much damage. 4.Water got into the generator and put it out.It stopped producing electricity,so the lights also went out. 5.Everybody goes out through the back door and runs to the cars! 6.The electrical systems in the car(the battery for the starter)had been put out by w ater. 7.As John watched the water inch its way up the steps,he felt a strong sense of guilt because he blamed himself for endangering the whole family by deciding not to flee i nland. 8.Oh God,please help us to get through this storm safely 9.Grandmother Koshak sang a few words alone and then her voice gradually grew di mmer and finally stopped. 10.Janis displayed the fear caused by the hurricanerather late. 1.每架飞机起飞之前必须经过严格的检查。（check out） Each and every airplane must be checked out thoroughly before taking off. 2.居民坚决反对在附近建立垃圾焚烧厂，因为他们担心工厂排放的气体会污染周围的空气。（waste incineration plant,concerned about） The residents were firmly against the construction of a waste incineration plant in th eir neighborhood because they were deeply concerned about the air pollution emitt ed by the plant. 3.在这个地区，生态工程的投资额高达数十亿。（mount to） In this area,investment in ecological projects mounted up to billions of yuan. 4.干枯的河道里布满了大大小小的石块。（strewn with） The dry riverbed was strewn with rocks of all sizes. 5.虽然战争给这个国家造成巨大的损失，但当地的文化传统并没有消亡。（perish）Although war caused great losses to this country,its local cultural traditi ons did not perish. 6.为了建筑现代化的高楼大厦，许多古老的、具有民族特色的建筑都被拆毁了。（demolish） To make space for modern high rises,a lot of ancient buildings with ethnic cultural fe atures had to be demolished. 7.在地震中多数质量差的房子的主体结构都散架了。（disintegrate） The main structures of most of the poor-quality houses disintegrated in the earthqua ke. 8.他为实现自己的目标付出了最大的努力，但最后美好的梦想还是化为了泡影。
Lesson One 1. And it is an activity only of humans. And conversation is an activity found only among human beings. 2. Conversation is not for making a point. Conversation is not for persuading others to accept our ideas or points of views. 3. In fact, the best conversationalists are those who are prepared to lose. In fact , people who are good at conversation will not argue to win or force others to accept his ideas. 4. Bar friends are not deeply involved in each other’s lives. People who meet each other for a drink in the bar of a pub are not close friends for they are not deeply absorbed in each other’s private lives. 5. ....it could still go ignorantly on ... The conversation could go on without anybody knowing who was right or wrong. 6. There are cattle in the fields ,but we sit down to beef. These animals are called cattle when they are alive and feed in the fields , but when we sit down at the table to eat, we call their meet beef. 7. The new ruling class had built a cultural barrier against him by building their French against his own language. The new ruling class by using French instead of English made it hard for the English to accept or absorb the culture of the rulers. 8. English had come royally into its own. English received proper recognition and was used by the King once more. 9. The phrase has always been used a little pejoratively and even facetiously by the lower classes. The phrase , the King’s English ,has always been used disrespectfully and jokingly by the lower classes.(The working people often mock the proper and formal language of the educated people.) 10. The rebellion against a cultural dominance is still there. As the early Saxon peasants , the working people still have a spirit of opposition to the cultural authority of the ruling class. 11. There is always a great danger that “ words will harden into things for us. “ There is always a great danger , as Carlyle put it , that we might forget that words are only symbols and take them for things they are supposed to represent. Translation
高英课内考点：第一课：Paraphrase 1、we’re elevated 23 feet. Our house is 23 feet above sea level. 2、The place has been here since 1915,and no hurricane has ever bothered it. The house was built in 1915,and since then no hurricane has done any damage to it. 3、We can batten down and ride it out. We can make the necessary preparation and survive the hurricane without much damage. 4、The generator was doused,and the lights went out. Water got into the generator,it stopped working.As a result all lights were put out. 5、Everybody out the back door to the cars! Everyone go out through the back door and get into the cars! 6、The electrical systems had been killed by water.
The electrical systems in the cars had been destroyed by water. 7、John watched the water lap at the steps,and felt a crushing guilt. As John watched the water inch its way up the steps,he felt a strong sense of guilt because he blamed himself for endangering the family by making the wrong decision not to flee inland. 8、Get us through this mess,will You? Oh,God,please help us to get through this dangerous situation. 9、She carried on alone for a few bars;then her voice trailed away. She sang a few words alone and then her voice gradually grew dimmer and stopped. 10、Janis had just one delayed reaction. Janis didn’t show any fear on the spot during the storm,but she revealed her feelings caused by the storm a few nights after the hurricane by getting up in the middle of the night and crying softly. 英译汉： 1、But,like thousands of others in the coastal communities,John was reluctant to abandon his home unless the family----his wife,Janis,and their seven children,aged 3 to 11---was clearly endangered.
Lesson 1 Question: 1. Why did John Koshak decide to stay although he knew the hurricane would be bad? For the following reasons: For one thing, the house was 23 feet above sea level; for another,he was unwilling to abandon his home. 2. How did the man prepare for the hurricane? Why was a generator necessary? They filled bathtubs and pails. Besides, they checked out batteries for portable radio and flashlights, and fuel for the lantern. A generator was necessary because John's father wired several light bulbs to it and prepared a connection to the refrigerator. 3. What made it impossible for the Koshak to escape? It was impossible for the Koshers to escape both by car and on foot. The car's electrical system had been killed by water. Meanwhile, the water became too deep for them to escape on foot. 4. Why did John Koshak feel a crushing guilt? Because he blamed himself for underestimating the power of the hurricane and then endangering the whole family by his wrong decision not to flee safer inland. 5. Why did Grandma Koshak ask children to be sing? A: Because she knew how frightened the children were and wanted to boost their spirit. 6. What was a hurricane party? What happened to the party gores? A hurricane party was the one that was held by several vacationers to enjoy the spectacle of the hurricane with a clear and broad view in the fancy Richelieu Apartments from where they believed they would be safe. Richelieu Apartments were smashed apart by the hurricane and 26 people perished. 7. What did Grandma Koshak mean when she said," We lost practically all our possessions, but the family came through it. When I think of that, I realize we lost nothing important?" She meant that human lives are more important than material possessions. 8. How did the community of Gulfport act after Hurricane Camille was over? They managed to make their lives return to normal and began rebuilding their community without any delay. Paraphrase: 1. We're elevated 23 feet. Our house is 23 feet above sea level. 2. The place has been here since 1915, and no hurricane has ever bothered it. The house was built in 1915 and since then no hurricane has done any damage to it. 3. We can batten down and ride it out. We can prepare ourselves for the hurricane and manage to survive it without much damage. 4. The generator was doused, and the lights went out. Water got into the generator, and it didn't work. As a result, the lights were put out. 5. Everybody out the back door to the cars! Everybody go out though the back door and get into the cars. 6. The electrical system had been killed by water. The electrical system in the cars had been destroyed by water. 7. John watched the water lap at the steps, and felt a crushing guilt. When John watched the water inch its way up the steps, he felt a strong sense of guilt because he b
高级英语第1册修辞练习第3版 Point the rhetorical devices used in the following sentences Lesson 1 1.We can batten down and ride it out. (Metaphor ) 2.Wind and rain now whipped the house. ( Metaphor ) 3.Stay away from the windows. (Elliptical sentence ) 4.--- the rain seemingly driven right through the walls. ( Simile) 5.At 8:30, power failed. (Metaphor ) 6.Everybody out the back door to the cars. (Elliptical sentence ) 7.The children went from adult to adult like buckets in a fire brigade. ( Simile ) 8…the electrical systems had been killed by water.( metaphor ) 9.Everybody on the stairs. ( elliptical sentence) 10.The wind sounded like the roar of a train passing a few yards away. ( simile ) 11. A moment later, the hurricane, in one mighty swipe, lifted the entire roof off the house and skimmed it 40 feet though the air. ( personification ) 12…it seized a 600,000-gallon Gulfport oil tank and dumped it 3.5 miles away. ( personification ) 13.Telephone poles and 20-inch-thick pines cracked like guns as the winds snapped them.( simile ) 14.Several vacationers at the luxurious Richelieu Apartments there held a hurricane party to watch the storm from their spectacular vantage point. ( Transferred epithet ) 15. Up the stairs --- into our bedroom. ( Elliptical sentence ) 16.The world seemed to be breaking apart. ( Simile ) 17. Water inched its way up the steps as first floor outside walls collapsed. (Metaphor ) 18.Strips of clothing festooned the standing trees.. (Metaphor ) 19…and blown-down power lines coiled like black spaghetti over the road.( simile ) 20…household and medical supplies streamed in by plane, train, truck and car. (metaphor ) 21.Camille, meanwhile, had raked its way northward across Mississippi, dropped more than 28 inches of rain into West.( metaphor ) Lesson2 1 Hiroshima—the”Liveliest”City in Japan.—irovy 2 That must be what the man in the Japanese stationmaster’s uniform shouted,as the fastest train in the world slipped to a stop in Hiroshima Station.—alliteration 3 And secondly.because I had a lump in my throat and a lot of sad thoughts on my mind that had little to do with anything in Nippon railways official might say.—metaphor 4 Was I not at the scene of crime?—rhetorical question 5 The rather arresting spectacle of little old Japan adrift amid beige concrete skyscrapers is the very symbol of the incessant struggle between the kimono and the miniskirt.—synecdoche,metonymy
第一课Face to face with Hurricane Camille Translation (C-E) 1. Each and every plane must be checked out thoroughly before taking off. 每架飞机起飞之前必须经过严格的检查。 2. The residents were firmly opposed to the construction of a waste incineration plant in their neighborhood because they were deeply concerned about the plant’s emissions polluting the air.居民坚决反对在附近建立垃圾焚烧厂，因为他们担心工厂排放的气体会污染周围的空气。 3. Investment in ecological projects in this area mounted up to billions of Yuan. 在这个地区，生态工程的投资额高达数十亿元。 4. The dry riverbed was strewn with rocks of all sizes.干枯的河道里布满了大大小小的石块。 5. Although war caused great losses to this country, its cultural traditions did not perish.虽然战争给这个国家造成巨大的损失，但当地的文化传统并没有消亡。 6. To make space for modern high rises, many ancient buildings with ethnic cultural features had to be demolished.为了建筑现代化的高楼大厦，许多古老的，具有民族特色的建筑物都被拆毁了。 7. In the earthquake the main structures of most of the
1) Most Americans remember Mark Twain as the father of Huck Finn's idyllic cruise through eternal boyhood and Tom Sawyer's endless summer of freedom and adventure 2) The cast of characters set before him in his new profession was rich and varied-- a cosmos. 3) All would resurface in his books, together with the colorful language that he soaked up with a memory that seemed phonographic 4) Steamboat decks teemed not only with the main current of pioneering humanity, but its flotsam of hustlers, gamblers, and thugs as well. 5) He went west by stagecoach and succumbed to the epidemic of gold and silver fever in Nevada's Washoe region. 6) Mark Twain began digging his way to regional fame as a newspaper reporter and humorist. 7) "It was a splendid population – for all the slow, sleepy, sluggish-brained sloths stayed at home... 8) 'Well, that is California all over’'" 9) "What a robust people, what a nation of thinkers we might be, if we would only lay ourselves on the shelf occasionally and renew our edges." 10) The last of his own illusions seemed to have crumbled near the end. 参考答案 1) Mark Twain is known to most Americans as the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel Huckleberry Finn, which are generally acknowledged to be his greatest works. Huck Finn is noted for his simple and pleasant journey through his boyhood which seems eternal and Tom Sawyer is famous for his free roam of the country and his adventure in one summer which seems never to end. The youth and summer are eternal because this is the only age and time we knew them. They are frozen in that age or season for all readers. 2) In his new profession he could meet people of all kinds. His work on the boat made it possible for him to meet a large variety of people. It is a world of all types of characters. 3) All would reappear in his books, written in the colorful language that he seemed to be able to remember and record as accurately as a phonograph. 4) Steamboat decks were filled with people of pioneering spirit (people who explored and prepared the way for others) and also lawless people or social outcasts such as hustlers, gamblers and thugs. 5) He took a horse-drawn public vehicle and went west to Nevada, following the flow of people in the Gold Rush. 6) Mark Twain began working hard to became well known locally as a newspaper reporter and humorist. 7) Those who came pioneering out west were energetic, courageous and reckless people, because those who stayed at home were slow, dull and lazy people. 8) That's typical of California. 9) If we relaxed, rested or stayed away from all this crazy struggle for success occasionally and kept the daring and enterprising spirit, we would be able to remain strong and healthy and continue to produce great thinkers. 10) At the end of his life, he lost the last bit of his positive view of man and the world.
Words and expressions(P16) 1.Main: a principal pipe or line in a distributing system for water, electricity, gas, etc. 2.Sit out: to stay until the end of… 3.Report: a loud, resounding noise, especially one made by an explosion or shot 4.Douse: to put out (a fire, light, generator, etc.) quickly by pouring water on it 5.Kill: (AmE) to cause (an engine, a car, etc.) to stop 6.Litter: the young animals borne at one time by a dog, cat, or other animals 7.Swath: a broad strip, originally the area covered with one cut of a scythe or other mowing device 8.Bar: a measure in music; a group of notes between two vertical lines on a music sheet 9.Lean-to: a shed or other small building which is attached to one wall of a larger building, and which usually has a slopping roof. 10.Break up: be brought to an end; to disperse 11.Pitch in: to join in and help with an activity 12.The blues: depressed and sad feelings Paraphrase(P15) 1.We’re 23 feet above sea level. 2.The house has been here since 1915, and no hurricane has ever caused any damage to it. 3.We can make the necessary preparations and survive the hurricane without much damage. 4.Water got into the generator and put it out. It stopped producing electricity, so the lights also went out. 5.Everybody goes out through the back door and runs to the cars. 6.The electrical systems in the car had been put out by water. 7.As John watched the water inch its way up the steps, he felt a strong sense of guilt because he blamed himself for endangering the whole family by deciding not to flee inland. 8.Oh God, please help us to get through this storm safely. 9.Grandmother Koshak sang a few words alone and then her voice gradually grew dimmer and finally stopped. 10.Janis displayed the fear caused by the hurricane rather late. Translation(P17) A. 1. Each and every airplane must be checked out thoroughly before taking off. 2. The residents were firmly against the construction of a waste incineration plant in their neighborhood because they were deeply concerned about the air pollution emitted by the plant. 3. In this area, investment in ecological projects mounted up billions of yuan. 4. The dry riverbed was strewn with rocks of all sizes. 5. Although war caused great losses to this country, its local cultural traditions did not perish. 6. To make space for modern high rises, a lot of ancient buildings with ethnic cultural features
Unit 1 Pub Talk and the King’s English 人类的一切活动中，只有闲谈最宜于增进友谊，而且是人类特有的一种活动。动物之间的信息交流，不论其方式何等复杂，也是称不上交谈的。 闲谈的引人人胜之处就在于它没有一个事先定好的话题。它时而迂回流淌，时而奔腾起伏，时而火花四射，时而热情洋溢，话题最终会扯到什么地方去谁也拿不准。要是有人觉得“有些话要说”，那定会大煞风景，使闲聊无趣。闲聊不是为了进行争论。闲聊中常常会有争论，不过其目的并不是为了说服对方。闲聊之中是不存在什么输赢胜负的。事实上，真正善于闲聊的人往往是随时准备让步的。也许他们偶然间会觉得该把自己最得意的奇闻轶事选出一件插进来讲一讲，但一转眼大家已谈到别处去了，插话的机会随之而失，他们也就听之任之。 或许是由于我从小混迹于英国小酒馆的缘故吧，我觉得酒瞎里的闲聊别有韵味。酒馆里的朋友对别人的生活毫无了解，他们只是临时凑到一起来的，彼此并无深交。他们之中也许有人面临婚因破裂，或恋爱失败，或碰到别的什么不顺心的事儿，但别人根本不管这些。他们就像大仲马笔下的三个火枪手一样，虽然日夕相处，却从不过问彼此的私事，也不去揣摸别人内心的秘密。 有一天晚上的情形正是这样。人们正漫无边际地东扯西拉，从最普通的凡人俗事谈到有关木星的科学趣闻。谈了半天也没有一个中心话题，事实上也不需要有一个中心话题。可突然间大伙儿的话题都集中到了一处，中心话题奇迹般地出现了。我记不起她那句话是在什么情况下说出来的——她显然不是预先想好把那句话带到酒馆里来说的，那也不是什么非说不可的要紧话——我只知道她那句话是随着大伙儿的话题十分自然地脱口而出的。 “几天前，我听到一个人说‘标准英语’这个词语是带贬义的批评用语，指的是人们应该尽量避免使用的英语。” 此语一出，谈话立即热烈起来。有人赞成，也有人怒斥，还有人则不以为然。最后，当然少不了要像处理所有这种场合下的意见分歧一样，由大家说定次日一早去查证一下。于是，问题便解决了。不过，酒馆闲聊并不需要解决什么问题，大伙儿仍旧可以糊里糊涂地继续闲扯下去。 告诉她“标准英语”应作那种解释的原来是个澳大利亚人。得悉此情，有些人便说起刻薄话来了，说什么囚犯的子孙这样说倒也不足为怪。这样，在五分钟内，大家便像到澳大利亚游览了一趟。在那样的社会里，“标准英语”自然是不受欢迎的。每当上流社会想给“规范英语”制订一些条条框框时，总会遭到下层人民的抵制。 看看撒克逊农民与征服他们的诺曼底统治者之间的语言隔阂吧。于是话题又从19世纪的澳大利亚囚犯转到12世纪的英国农民。谁对谁错，并没有关系。闲聊依旧热火朝天。 有人举出了一个人所共知，但仍值得提出来发人深思的例子。我们谈到饭桌上的肉食时用法语词，而谈到提供这些肉食的牲畜时则用盎格鲁一撒克逊词。猪圈里的活猪叫pig，饭桌上吃的猪肉便成了pork(来自法语pore)；地里放牧着的牛叫cattle，席上吃的牛肉则叫beef(来自法语boeuf)；Chicken用作肉食时变成poultry(来自法语poulet)；calf加工成肉则变成veal(来自法语vcau)。即便我们的菜单没有为了装洋耍派头而写成法语，我们所用的英语仍然是诺曼底式的英语。这一切向我们昭示了诺曼底人征服之后英国文化上所存在的深刻的阶级裂痕。 撒克逊农民种地养畜，自己出产的肉自己却吃不起，全都送上了诺曼底人的餐桌。农民们只能吃到在地里乱窜的兔子。兔子肉因为便宜，诺曼底贵族自然不屑去吃它。因此，活兔子和吃的兔子肉共用rabbit 这个词表示，而没有换成由法语lapin转化而来的某个词。 当我们今天听着有关双语教育问题的争论时，我们应该设身处地替当时的撒克逊农民想一想，新的统治阶级把法语用来对抗撒克逊农民自己的语言，从而在农民周围筑起一道文化障碍。当英国人在像觉醒者赫里沃德这样的撒克逊领袖领导下起来造反时，他们一定深深地感受到了文化上的屈辱。“标准英语”——如果那时候有这个名词的话——已经变成法语。而九百年后我们在美国这儿仍然继承了这种影响。 那晚闲聊过后，第二天一早便有人去查阅了资料。这个名词在16世纪已有人使用过。纳什作于1593年的《截获信函奇闻》中就有过“标准英语”(Queen’s English)的提法。1602年德克写到某人时有句话说：