PART TWO: MINI-PRESENTATION

　　What is important when…?

　　Having a business travel abroad 到国外出差需要注意哪些要点?

　　l Advance preparations 事先准备

　　l Arrival time 抵达时间

　　l

　　Advance preparations are very important when having a business travel abroad. The traveler should accomplish as much as possible before the trip begins, by obtaining names of possible contacts, arranging appointments, checking transportation schedules, etc., so as to get maximum value from the time spent abroad. This may also include cultural preparations for the destinations ahead. Marking some cultural groundwork can make all the difference.

　　Arrival time is another important thing to consider when you have a business travel abroad. You should plan to arrive early and leave time to rest. Don’t book a dinner meeting if you will be travelling all afternoon or you may run the risk of being sleepy and not at your best before your business partner.

　　Dressing properly is also important. Your dress should show respect to your host and the culture of the host country and should reflect your status as a decent business person.

　　到国外出差时，事前准备是非常重要的。出差人应该在出差前完成尽可能多的准备工作，通过获得联系人的名字、安排会见、确认行程计划等等，通过这些准备，在国外出差时，以获得最大的价值。这可能也包括提前了解目的地的文化。了解文化背景和文化差异。

　　到达时间是另一个需要考虑的因素。你应该计划早一些到达留出时间休息。如果你将在下午到达不要预定晚餐的会见。否则你将承担在生意伙伴面前犯困或者无法呈现最好状态的风险。

　　适当的着装也很重要。你的着装应当展示你对主人和东道国文化的尊重，并且应该反映出你作为一个体面商务人士的地位。

　　What is important when…?

　　Selecting staff for fact-finding tours abroad 挑选员工到国外考察时需考虑哪些要点?

　　l Position in the company 在公司里的岗位

　　l Previous experience of other countries 之前到别国的经验

　　l

　　When selecting staff for fact-finding tours abroad, we have to consider their positions in the company. People selected should be related to the tasks to accomplish. For instance, if the mission of the trip is to observe the overseas market and the consuming habits of the customers there, we should select those in charge of the market research in the company in order to carry out the work successfully.

　　Previous experience of other countries is a top priority that you should give when you select staff for fact-finding trips abroad, since a good understanding of the culture and the way of doing business in the target country is vital to avoid cultural pitfalls. In this respect, those who have been abroad and have previous experience of other countries will obviously do better than those who haven’t.

　　Foreign language skills are also important. As you know, language is a central element in communication. It may pose a barrier if its use obscures meaning and distorts what you want to say. A competent translator would be necessary if the fact-finding team hasn’t got anyone who speaks the foreign language well.

　　在挑选员工到国外考察时，我们必须考虑他们在公司的岗位。所选择的员工应当去完成相关的任务。比如，如果出差的任务是去调查海外市场以及当地客户的消费习惯，为了确保任务执行的成功，我们应该选择那些在公司负责市场调查的人员。

　　在选择员工到国外考察时，应优先选择之前有到别国的经验的员工，因为良好了解目标国家的文化的以及经商的方式队避免文化误区很重要。在这方面，那些已经出过国而且有在其他国家出差相关经验的员工明显比那些没有这些经验的人做得好。

　　外语技能也很重要。据你所知，语言你交流中的核心因素。它讲造成一个障碍，可能模糊含义以及歪曲你所说的话。考察团没有外语人才的话必须配备一个有能力的翻译。

　　PART THREE: DISCUSSION

　　Foreign Business Trip

　　Your company is attending a trade fair in a foreign country for the first time. You have been asked to help with the preparations for the trip. Discuss the situation together, and decide:

　　l what travel and accommodation arrangements you will need to make before the trip

　　l which kinds of business customs in the foreign country it would be useful to know about, and how to find out about these before the trip.

　　国外差旅

　　你们所在公司即将首次赴国外参加展销会。请你们协助为该旅行做准备。讨论并决定：

　　l 启程之前需要做什么旅行和住宿安排

　　l 需要了解国外那些商务习俗，如何在启程前对此有所了解

　　A: Well, you see, our company is going to attend a trade fair in the US.

　　B: Yeah, sounds exciting. Since we’ve never done that before, we need to have good advance preparations for the trip.

　　A: You’ re right. The first thing to do is of course to make travel and accommodation arrangements, such as choosing an airline offering good services and the flight of the right time so that we can arrange things well and in an effective way.

　　B: This can be done by making several phone calls. And we have to make advance reservation with a local hotel so that the people for the trade fair can have a place to stay immediately after they arrive in the country.

　　A: With early booking, we may even enjoy some discounts. And it’s better to choose a hotel near the trade fair. That can save the time travelling there.

　　B: Or we can arrange beforehand to hire a car from a local car rental company.

　　A: In addition, it would be useful to know about some business customes in the US, including commonly accepted business practices, ways of doing business, and laws and regulations, etc.

　　B: Yeah, especially those different from ours. Say, different ideas about punctuality. I heard that in the United States, people tend to be very time-conscious. Being late would be considered poor etiquette.

　　A: Also in China, business transactions are often concluded by treating business partners to lavish dinners and giving them expensive gifts, I’m afraid they seldom do it this way in the West or in the US.

　　B:I was told that in Western countries, people attach much importance to formal agreement and contracts with detailed terms and conditions. They never feel comfortable with verbal agreements. In China, however, business is often concluded simply by verbal agreement.

　　A: We should also learn about business customs such as the different systems of measurement. For instance, we use the day/month/year system for dating while the US use month/day/year system. And there are many other differences including topics acceptable in convensation.

　　B: Also, Chinese businessmen tend to have business negotiations in a rather indirect manner, while American businessmen have a more direct style. Our people should be made to understand all these differences.

　　A: But how to find out about all this?

　　B: I think there are many ways to find out about these before the trip, say, we can go to the internet, read some reference books or get tips from experienced colleagues and clients.

　　A: They could be effective ways. Let’s do them.

　　A: 你知道，我们公司将去美国参加一个展会。

　　B: 是的，听起来激动人心。因为这是我们之前从未有过的，我们要提前为这次出差做良好的准备。

　　A: 同意。首先要做的当然是安排旅程和住宿。比如选择一个提供良好服务的飞行时间合适的航班，这样我们就可以采取有效途径把事情安排妥当。

　　B: 打几个电话就可以把这件事情办好。我们需要提前预定当地的旅馆，让参加展会的员工抵达美国后立刻有地方停留。

　　A: 因为提早预定，我们甚至可以享受到一些折扣。而且最好选择一个离展会近的旅馆。可以节省通勤的时间。

　　B: 或者我们可以提前安排从当地汽车租赁公司租用一辆车。

　　A: 此外，了解美国的一些商务习俗也很有有益处，包括普遍公认的商业惯例，做生意的方式以及法律法规等等。

　　B:是的，特别是那些不同于我国的习俗。比如，对时间观念不同看法。我听说在美国，人们的时间观念很想，吃到被认为是失礼的表现。

　　A: 而且在中国，生意往往是以一顿丰盛的晚餐和馈赠昂贵的礼物来招待商务伙伴作为结束。我认为在西方国家或者在美国都很少使用这种方式。

　　B: 据我所知在西方国家，人们非常重视正式协议和合同的条款。他们对口头协议感到不适。然而在中国，生意通常是以口同协议来结束。

　　A: 我们也应该学习关于不同计量体系的商务习俗。比如，我们使用 日/月/年来记日期而美国使用 月/日/年体系。而且还有许多包括可接受话题等的其他差异。

　　B: 而且，中国商务人士倾向于用非正式的方式进行商务谈判，而美国商务人士则使用更加直接的形式。我们的员工应当了解所有这些差异。

　　A: 但是怎样能了解这一切呢?

　　B: 我认为在出差前有许多方式能了解这一切，比如，我们可以通过上网，阅读一些参考资料或者从有经验的同事和客户那里得到一些提示。

　　A: 这些都是有效的方法，让我们着手做吧。

　　(1) Have you ever been on a business trip abroad?

　　你到国外出过差吗?

　　No, I’ve never been abroad, let alone on a business trip.

　　(2) What do you think is the best policy in encountering different business customs?

　　面对不同的商务习俗，你认为怎么做是上策?

　　I think the best policy is when in Rome do as the Romans do and try at all times to avoid cultural conflicts.

　　(3) Do you think a trade delegation made of few people better than a large one?(Why?/Why not?)

　　你认为人数少的贸易代表团是否好过人数多的代表团?(为什么?)

　　Yes. It’s easy to manage a trade delegation made of few people. But a qualified interpreter is someone the delegation cannot do without.

　　(4) Do you think people going for a business trip abroad need some training?(Why?/Why not?)

　　你认为要去国外出差的人需要接受一些培训吗?(为什么?)

　　Yes. A profile presentation can be given to let the people have some ideas about the country, the people and the basic do’s and don’ts.

　　(5) Is the ability to speak the language of the country people are going to important?(Why?/Why not?)

　　能说目的国语言很重要吗?(为什么?)

　　Yes. In that way they can better communicate with local people. But more important is that they should be able to coounicate in the way acceptable to the people in the country.

　　中华考试网校课程培训：选择中华考试网让全体学友见证你的进展！新的商务英语网校培训课程紧贴新题型，助你直击四大专项，24H在线答疑，商务英语轻易掌握！开课三日内不满意无条件退费！商务英语初中高级各项套餐学习班，针对考生量身打造！

　　统一服务热线：4000-525-585