BEC高级口语：期限佣金好商量
Botany Bay已许诺负担四成的行销费用，也同意每年给付维修费用。接下来，Robert 打算提出佣金与和约期限等关键性问题与Mark 进行磋商。请看：
英文正文
Mark: We're interested in an agreement with Pacer, ifwe can agree on the major issues.
Robert: That's great! How about hashing them outnow? We feel the trial periods should be for aminimum of two years.
Mark: If total sales are good after the first year, we can talk about a long term agreement.
Robert: We'd like to agree, but one year would be too early to judge. We'd need two years todevelop the market. Anything less doesn't interest us.
Mark: OK. But any new agreement will depend on yearly sales. We'll use a 45% increase as abase.
Robert: As I said, we project we can increase sales by 30% to 40% the first year. 45% overtwo years is possible, but we'd want a 15% commission rate.
Mark: 15% on this product is a little high. If we agree to a 35% sales increase, could you comedown to 12%?
Robert: I can't give you a thumbs up right now, but I think it will be alright.
Mark: Good. As a final point, we must get a guarantee that you will not sell for our competitorswhile you are our agent.
Robert:I see that would create a conflict of interest. We're not interested in doing businesswith anyone but Botany Bay.
句型总结
● 最短期限
1. We feel the trial period should be for a minimum of two years.
2. We propose that the trial period should not be less than two years.
3. We cannot accept a trial period less than two years.
4. We feel a trial period of less than two years is not feasible.
Robert已在某些地方做了大幅度的让步，所以他特别坚持试卖期限的长度，以保障公司的利益;他说："We feel the trial period should be for a minimum of two years."。
"trial period"为‘试卖期’;而"minimum"意思是‘最低限度;最小额’。此句型以平实的口气告诉对方试卖期应该("should be")是至少两年。
● 预估未来
1. We project we can increase sales by 30% to 40% the first year.
2. We believe we'll be able to increase sales by 30% to 40% the first year.
3. We are confident that we'll be able to increase sales by 30% to 40% the first year.
4. Our projections show we can increase sales by 30% to 40% the first year.
Robert向Mark预估头一年的成长率有三到四成左右时，他用了一个动词"project"，意思是‘预定;设想’。
介词"by"在这里有‘到…’的意思。"We project ("that)..."这个句型虽然只是预计未来，却等于向对方做了口头上的承诺。
● 利益冲突
1. That would create a conflict of interest.
2. That would constitute a conflict of interest.
3. That would put us in a position of conflict of interest.
4. That would establish a conflict of interest.
在做生意上，当一方的行为可能会抵触另一方的利益时，就可如此声明："That would create aconflict of interest."。
"interest"在这里不是‘兴趣’而是另一个解释--‘利害关系;权益’的意思;"conflict of interest"则指‘利益冲突’。这是个口气严肃的句型，暗示将有诉诸法律的可能;但由于使用"would"，语气则被软化了一些，比较不具威胁、指责的意味。
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