Conversation A
对话A
Alex: Hmm.
阿莱克斯:嗯。
Rob: What are you reading, Alex?
罗布:阿莱克斯,你在看什么?
Alex: It's a letter from my bank.
阿莱克斯:这是我的银行寄来的一封信。
Rob: That sounds serious.
罗布:听起来很严肃。
Alex: Yes. I need to write them back. I should write a formal letter.
阿莱克斯:是啊,我必须回信,我应该写一封正式信函。
Rob: Yes, banks expect formal writing.
罗布:没错,银行会期待收到正式的写作方式。
Alex: Will you help me?
阿莱克斯:你愿意帮我吗?
Rob: Sure. You should write in complete sentences. Your grammar must be perfect, too.
罗布:没问题。你应该写出完整句子。语法也必须正确无误。
Conversation B
对话B
Alex: What else should I do?
阿莱克斯:我还应该做什么?
Rob: Well, don't use any contractions. They make your language less formal.
罗布:这个嘛,不要使用缩略形式词语。那样会让你的语言显得比较不正式。
Alex: What's a contraction?
阿莱克斯:缩略形式词语是什么呀?
Rob: You just used one. What's is a contraction of what is.
罗布:你刚刚就说了一个。what's是what is的缩略形式。
Alex: Oh, I understand. I should write you are, not you're.
阿莱克斯:哦,我懂了。我应该写you are,而不是you're。
Rob: Yes, and write cannot, not can't.
罗布:没错,而且也要写cannot,不要写can't。
Alex: Thanks, Rob. I'll write my reply now.
阿莱克斯:谢了,罗布。我现在就来写回信。