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Welcome to the Webinar 视频会议受青睐

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本  

Traditional in-the-flesh meeting usually involve considerable man-hours, organization, travel, and hospitality cost, the end result of which is often large outflows of company time and money. But “webinars,” Web-based Internet seminars do away with many of these logistical headaches and expenditures.

传统由本尊亲自参与的会议，通常要考虑工时、组织、路途奔波、应酬开销等费用，结果是公司需要花费大笔的时间与金钱。但是「网络会议」，透过因特网来开研讨会，可以省去许多令人头痛的筹备问题与花费。

An increasingly popular method of communication among corporations and government departments, a webinar is basically a meeting utilizing webcams and microphones. In many respects, the procedure differs little from traditional face-to-face meetings, with the exception that the power of the chair is perhaps more absolute.

网络会议，基本上是利用网络摄影机和麦克风来开会，在公司行号与政府机构间已成为越来越受欢迎的沟通方式。在许多方面，除了主席或许有更绝对的权力外，它的程序与传统面对面的会议差别不大。

The host of the webinar usually holds the chair. Controlling the meeting via his or her computer, the chair decides who talk and when, which graphics or images are displayed, and the pace of the meeting. Webinar technology also allows participants to vote on various issues requiring a ballot.

通常网络会议的主持人就是主席。透过计算机控制会议的进行，主席决定谁该在何时发言、要播放哪一张图表或影像、以及会议进行的速度等。碰到需要投票的议题时，网络会议技术亦可让与会者投票。

With technology such as high-speed internet connections, high-resolution digital webcams, and inexpensive graphics software readily available, webinars are coming to be held in a similar regard as their conventional counterparts. And given many people’s reluctance to travel due to fears of terrorist attacks or the possibility of global epidemics such as SARS, webinars are beginning to strike many in government and business as the preferable option as well as the practical one.

藉由高速网络链接、高分辨率的数字网络摄影机、以及容易取得的廉价图像处理软件等科技，使得网络会议与传统的会议同样被采用。因为许多人害怕遭到恐怖份子攻击或类似SARS的疫情可能在世界各地蔓延，而不愿出差旅行，网络会议开始在政商界成为受欢迎又实际的一项选择。

Vocabulary

单词发音

in-the-flesh 亲自; 本人

man-hour [ˋmænˋaʊr] n. 人时﹐工时〔一人一小时完成的工作量〕

hospitality [͵hɑspɪˋtælətɪ] n. 殷勤好客；招待

outflow [ˋaʊt͵flo] n.〔钱﹑货物等从银行﹑国家等的〕外流

do away with 废除, 停止

logistical [lɑˋdʒɪstɪk!] adj. 后勤方面的

expenditure [ɪkˋspɛndɪtʃɚ] n. 支出，花费

respect [rɪˋspɛkt] n. 方面，着眼点

chair [tʃɛr] n.（会议的）主席

ballot [ˋbælət] n. 无记名投票〔选举或表决〕

resolution [͵rɛzəˋluʃən] n.【计算机】分辨率

regard [rɪˋgɑrd] n. 器重; 注重

epidemic [͵ɛpɪˋdɛmɪk] n. 流行病﹐传染病

strike [straɪk] v. 打动，感动，给……以印象[（+as）]

Sentence of the Day

The smart money is on it.

大家预期它很可能发生。

smart money 因掌握内情而下的赌注

课文讲解

Bill and Alexandra are discussing their latest webinar meeting:  比尔和亚丽山卓正在讨论他们刚开过的网络会议：

B: The chairman was much more animated during this week’s webinar, wasn’t he?

主席在这个礼拜的网络会议表现活泼多了，对不对？

A: Yes, unfortunately. I think he should stop trying to entertain us and just get on with the agenda. These webinar Wednesdays are supposed to foster communication, not highlight our chairman’s bad comedic skills.

是啊，很不幸。只是我觉得他应该不要耍宝，而是回归到议程上。每周三网络会议的目的应该是促进沟通，而不是标榜主席的烂搞笑技巧。

B: A webinar has to be entertaining in some way, though. Otherwise people tend to lose interest in the meeting.

不过网络会议也该有些娱乐性，不然参加会议的人都失去兴趣了。

A: But I don’t find the chairman’s jokes entertaining. Why doesn’t he hire a professional webinar host to chair the weekly meeting? That way you wouldn’t get people like myself tuning out.

但是我不觉得他的笑话有趣。他何不请一个专业的网络会议主持人来主持每周的会议呢？那样就不会使得一些像我这样的人右耳进左耳出，昏昏欲睡了。

B: The sensitivity of some of the material discussed at the meetings means that only people privy to information from our department are allowed access to it. So, unfortunately, we’re stuck with the bad jokes.

会议中我们讨论的一些敏感材料，是只有我们部门里有资格知道这些秘密的人才能参与的，所以很不幸地，我们只得忍受那些烂笑话了。

A: Actually, a webinar is preferable to a meeting with the chairman in the flesh. Have you smelled his breath? Talk about halitosis.

事实上，我宁愿参加网络会议也不愿跟主席本人一起参加会议。你闻过他的口气吗？口臭可真厉害。

B: Well, I was thinking more along the lines that the meeting save the department money, which makes our management-expenses budget look good.

噢，我考虑的角度是网络会议可以替我们部门省钱，让我们管理费用的预算好看一点。

A: But that will eventually lead to budget cuts. That’s never good.

但那样最后会导致预算被删减，一点都不好。

B: Just remember: those are taxpayers’ dollars we’ll be saving.

不过要记得，我们省的是纳税人的银子。

－by Eddie Cameron

Vocabulary

单词发音

animated [ˋænə͵metɪd] adj. 活跃的；欢快的；热烈的

get on with 继续做某事(尤指中断后)

foster [ˋfɔstɚ] v. 培养，促进

comedic [kəˋmidɪk] adj. 喜剧的

tune out【非正式﹐尤美】不理睬﹐ 置之不理

privy [ˋprɪvɪ] adj. 私下的，不公开的

stick [stɪk] v.【口】（通常用于疑问句和否定句）容忍，忍受

halitosis [͵hæləˋtosɪs] n. 口臭

along the lines (of something) 类似于，与…近似… similar to (something); in a general direction or manner

budget [ˋbʌdʒɪt] n. 预算；预算费；经费

Sentence of the Day

Let's get down to brass tacks.

让我们言归正传。

get down to 开始做某事; 重视某事物; 认真处理某事

brass tacks【口】基本事实；事实真相