ESL Podcast 236 – An On-Site Estimate
时间：2019-02-13 作者：英语课 分类：地道美语播客
I work for a building contractor 1 and I spend most of my workday giving on-site estimates. I mainly go to people’s homes, discuss the work they want done, inspect the site, and give them a quote.
Robert: You want to expand your kitchen, is that right?
Abigail: Yes, with our growing family, we need more room.
Robert: It looks like it’s about 200 square feet right now. You want to double the size?
Abigail: That’s the idea, but I want to get it done quickly, say within two months. Is that possible?
Robert: Well, we’ve finished jobs like this before in under three months, but that’s without any delays. Sometimes getting the exact materials the client wants or finding structural 2 problems that don’t appear until we start work can set us back.
Abigail: That’s my greatest fear. I’m afraid of delays and cost overruns.
Robert: Well, we try to be upfront with our clients by giving them a breakdown 3 of the costs of the materials and labor 4 involved in the project. We also give them a schedule of when the work will be completed. You’ll get a detailed 5 estimate in writing, at no charge and with no obligation.
Abigail: How long does it take to get the estimate?
Robert: We usually mail or fax the estimate within two days.
Abigail: That’s great. Let me tell you exactly what we have in mind...
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
- The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
- The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。
- The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
- The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。
- She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
- The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。
- We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
- He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。