5DialogueWork2 min
The Year-End Talk
A manager and an employee look back at a year: praise, one habit to change and a new responsibility.
A formal conversation at work. The manager praises first, then criticises carefully and then offers something new — listen for 尤其 (“especially”) and for 宁可……，也……, which sets a preference against what is to be avoided.
小宋，坐吧。今天主要是想跟你聊聊这一年的工作，也听听你的想法。
好的，孟经理。
先说好的方面。你做的两个项目都按时完成了，客户的反馈也很不错。尤其是上半年那个展览，时间那么紧，你还能把细节做得这么好，大家都看到了。
谢谢。那次确实很累，不过也学到了很多。
需要改进的地方也有。我发现你遇到问题的时候，往往习惯一个人扛，等到实在解决不了才告诉我。比如九月那次，送货的公司晚了三天，如果你早两天说，我们本来是有时间处理的。
您说得对。我当时是怕麻烦您。
我理解。不过你想想，问题早说，是小问题；晚说，就变成了大问题。我宁可你多问几次，也不希望最后来不及。
明白了。以后遇到问题，我当天就跟您说。
好。另外，明年我想让你带一个新同事，你愿意吗？
愿意！不过我没带过人，怕带不好。
没关系，公司有培训，我也会帮你。
小宋，坐吧。我们聊聊这一年的工作。
好的，孟经理。
你的两个项目都按时完成了。上半年那个展览，你做得特别好。
谢谢。那次很累，可是我学到了很多。
也有一个问题：你常常一个人扛，最后才告诉我。九月那次，送货的公司晚了三天，你早说的话，我们有时间处理。
您说得对。我怕麻烦您。
问题早说是小问题，晚说就是大问题了。
明白了。以后我当天就跟您说。
好。明年我想让你带一个新同事，你愿意吗？
愿意！
Click a word to look it up in this site’s vocabulary.
More sentences on this in “Language in use”: Chinese for work
- Words
- 222
- Sentences
- 23
- Words per sentence
- 9.7
- in the vocabulary
- 100 %
- measured level
- 4
- Reading time
- 2 min
Grammar in this text
These forms appear in the text in real use. Switch on “Show grammar” above the text to highlight them.
我宁可你多问几次，也不希望最后来不及
宁可A，也不B: “I would rather A than B” — better many questions than a deadline missed. Rather than: yǔqí … bùrú →
解决不了
解决不了: verb + 不了 — cannot be solved. Can or cannot: potential complements →
没带过人
没带过人: he has never looked after a new colleague before. Guo: having done something before →
The word lists for this text
The words in this text appear in 39 lists on this site; the number after each says how many come from that list. Having read the text, you have just needed these very words — and can practise exactly them.
Comprehension questions
5 questions on the text. With each answer the sentence it comes from appears — a question whose answer you cannot find in the text tests nothing.
1. What does the manager praise most?
Look at the manager’s second long line.
Look for 尤其.
尤其是上半年那个展览
2. What habit should Song Jie change?
Read the line that begins with 需要改进.
Look for 一个人扛.
往往习惯一个人扛，等到实在解决不了才告诉我
3. What went wrong in September?
The manager gives an example.
Look for 九月.
送货的公司晚了三天
4. Why did Song Jie not say anything at the time?
Look at Song Jie’s answer to the criticism.
Look for 怕.
我当时是怕麻烦您
5. What new task does the manager offer him?
The manager says 另外 before it.
Look for 新同事.
明年我想让你带一个新同事