商贸英语|Taking and Passing Messages（I）

OPERATOR： Good morning， this is the National Bank. Can I help you？

MR BALLITO： Good morning， would you put me through to Mr Kola， please？

OPERATOR： Mr Kola？ Who's calling him，please？

MR BALLITO： My name's BallitoI'm Managing Director of Modern Office Limited.

OPERATOR： Hold the line， please Mr Ballito， I'll see if Mr Kola' s free. （CLICKS） I'm putting you through to Mr Kola now.

MR KOLA： Hello， Kola here.

MR BALLITO： Oh， Ballito speaking. Mr Kola， you have a shorthandtypist named Melita Fagurian on your staff.

MR KOLA： Yes？

MR BALLITO： Well， she's applied^{2 for a job here as Junior Secretary and we'd like to give it to her. Could you give her a reference？}

MR KOLA： Yes， it will be a pleasure.What would you like to know about her？

MR BALLITO： How long has she been working at the Bank？

MR KOLA： Oh， I'll have to look that up in her personal file. What else do you want to know？

MR BALLITO： I'd like a report on her attendance^{3 and her punctuality. Tell me about her character and anything else you think I should know.}

MR KOLA： Well， Mr Ballito， as I said， I'll have to look all that up in her personal file. Do you want the references^{4 in writing or can I ring you back in half an hour？}

MR BALLITO： Oh，you can ring me back.If I'm not in the office， my secretary，Opal will take a message.

MR KOLA： Right， Mr Ballito， I'll ring you back in half an hour. When Mr Kola rings， he asks for Mr Ballito， but Mr Ballito is out. Opal answers the phone. She takes the message and is ready to pass it on to Mr Ballito when he returns. Here's Opal answering the phone.

（PHONE RINGS）

OPAL： Good morning. Mr Ballito's office.

MR KOLA： Is Mr Ballito there？

OPAL： May I ask who is calling please？

MR KOLA： This is Mr Kola from the National Bank.

OPAL： Oh， good morning， Mr Kola.I'm afraid Mr Ballito isn't in the office at the moment. Can I help you？

MR KOLA： Is that Opal speaking？

OPAL： Yes it is.

MR KOLA： Oh， Mr Ballito said you would take a message if he wasn't in the office.

OPAL： Yes， certainly， Mr Kola.

MR KOLA： Well， Mr Ballito phoned me about an hour ago and asked for a reference for one of my shorthandtypists， Melita Fagurian.Well. I've looked up her personal file and I have the information you want. Shall I dictate^{5 it to you now？}

OPAL： Oh， yes please. Then I can typeIt out ready for Mr Ballito when he comes back.

MR KOLA： That'll be fine. Are you ready now？

OPAL： Yes， I'm ready.

MR KOLA： Good. Well （DICTATES）Miss Melita Fagurian， age 19 has worked here for the past two years