Unit 54 — Taking a Message

Taking a Message

Pam answered the phone...

...and the caller asked for Dan.

She said he wasn't available and offered to take a message.

The caller left a message for Dan.

Pam wrote the message on some notepaper...

...and put it next to the phone.

Later, Dan got the message...

...and returned Lester's call.

For Special Attention

"He can't come to the phone." = Pam says this; it is a way of not giving too much information about Dan. — 这是不透露太多 Dan 个人信息的说法。

left a message = the caller left a message for Dan with Pam. — 打电话的人让 Pam 转告 Dan 口信。

notepaper = usually small, especially for taking short messages. Many sheets of notepaper joined together make up a notepad. — 通常很小，用来写短留言；许多张连在一起就是记事本。

return a call = you call back someone who left a message for you. — 给给你留言的人回电话。

offered to take a message = Pam offered by saying, "Can I take a message?" Other ways to say this are: "Would you like to leave a message?" and "Is there any message?" — Pam 说 "Can I take a message?" 来表示愿意记录留言。其他说法还有 "Would you like to leave a message?" 和 "Is there any message?"

Key Vocabulary

Verbs

单词	音标	中文
answer	/ˈænsɚ/	接听
ask for	/æsk fɚ/	要求找……
leave [left]	/liv [lɛft]/	留下
offer	/ˈɔfɚ/	主动提出
return a call	/rɪˈtɜrn ə kɔl/	回电话
take [took]	/teɪk [tʊk]/	记录
write [wrote]	/raɪt [roʊt]/	写下

Nouns

单词	音标	中文
caller	/ˈkɔlɚ/	打电话的人
message	/ˈmɛsɪʤ/	口信
notepad	/ˈnoʊtpæd/	记事本
notepaper	/ˈnoʊtˌpeɪpɚ/	便条纸
phone	/foʊn/	电话

Others