只要一收假，你是不是也有這種感覺：
電腦一打開，信箱直接炸裂，待辦事項排到下週？
在職場上，事情多、回覆慢，其實很正常。真正關鍵的是——
👉 你怎麼用英文說明延遲
👉 你怎麼表達「這件事我會優先處理」
👉 語氣要專業、禮貌，但絕對不要卑微
今天帶你學會 explaining delays in English 的核心句型，讓你在跟同事或客戶溝通時，聽起來冷靜、有掌控感，而不是一直道歉。
🎧Apple Podcast｜Spotify
💬 Dialogue 情境對話
🧭 場景設定
假期結束後的第一個工作天，信箱滿滿未讀郵件。
Alex 需要向同事說明進度，同時回覆客戶，清楚交代延遲原因與目前的優先順序。
🔹 English Dialogue
Alex: Hey Jamie, thanks for your message. I’m still catching up on emails from the holidays.
Jamie: No worries. I figured things would be busy after the break.
Alex: Yeah, quite a bit came in while we were off. I wanted to let you know I’ve seen your request.
Jamie: That’s good to hear. Do you think you’ll be able to work on it today?
Alex: I’ll start reviewing it today, but I also have a few urgent tasks ahead of it.
Jamie: Got it. When do you think you can get back to me?
Alex: This will be my top priority today once I finish those urgent items.
Jamie: That sounds reasonable.
Alex: I’ll send you an update by the end of the day, even if it’s just a quick status check.
Jamie: Perfect. Thanks for letting me know.
🔹 中文翻譯
Alex： 嗨 Jamie，謝謝你的訊息。我還在處理假期期間累積的信件。
Jamie： 沒問題，我也猜到收假後會很忙。
Alex： 對，假期中真的進來不少事情，不過我已經看到你的需求了。
Jamie： 那太好了。你今天有辦法處理嗎？
Alex： 我今天會先看，但前面還有幾個比較緊急的項目。
Jamie： 了解，那你大概什麼時候能回覆？
Alex： 這件事會是我今天的優先事項，處理完急件就會進行。
Jamie： 聽起來很合理。
Alex： 今天下班前我會給你一個進度更新，就算只是簡短說明也會。
Jamie： 好的，謝謝你先告知我。
📚 Vocabulary Boost 重點單字
| 單字 / 片語 | 詞性 | 中文意思 | 英文例句 | 中文翻譯 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| catch up on | phr. v. | 補進度 | I’m catching up on emails this morning. | 我早上在補信件進度。 |
| inbox | n. | 收件匣 | My inbox is full after the holidays. | 收假後信箱滿滿。 |
| request | n. | 請求 | I’ve seen your request. | 我已看到你的請求。 |
| urgent | adj. | 緊急的 | I have a few urgent tasks today. | 今天有幾個緊急事項。 |
| priority | n. | 優先順序 | This task is a priority. | 這件事是優先事項。 |
| update | n./v. | 更新 | I’ll send you an update later. | 我晚點會更新你。 |
| status | n. | 狀態 | Just a quick status check. | 簡單的進度說明。 |
| ahead of | prep. | 在…之前 | There are tasks ahead of this one. | 前面還有其他事情。 |
| review | v. | 檢視 | I’ll review it today. | 我今天會檢視。 |
| by the end of the day | phr. | 今天結束前 | I’ll reply by the end of the day. | 今天下班前回覆。 |
🔍 Sentence Patterns 重點句型
| 句型結構 | 中文意思 | 英文例句 | 中文翻譯 |
|---|---|---|---|
| I’m catching up on + 名詞 | 正在補進度 | I’m catching up on emails. | 我在補信件。 |
| This will be my top priority | 這會是優先事項 | This will be my top priority today. | 這是我今天的優先事項。 |
| I wanted to let you know that… | 提前說明 | I wanted to let you know I’ve seen it. | 先跟你說我已看到。 |
| I’ll get back to you by… | 承諾回覆時間 | I’ll get back to you by tonight. | 我今晚前回覆。 |
| Even if it’s just… | 降低期待 | Even if it’s just a quick update. | 即使只是簡單更新。 |
📖 Transcript 逐字稿
J: You know that feeling, right? The holiday is over, you finally open your laptop, and your inbox has just…
J：你一定懂那種感覺吧？假期結束，你終於打開筆電，結果信箱就……
M: Exploded. It’s an absolute digital avalanche.
M：直接爆炸，根本是一場數位雪崩。
J: It’s universal. And I think the most important thing for you to realize is that having a ton of work and being a bit slow to reply… that’s normal.
J：完全是全人類共通經驗。而我覺得最重要的是，你要知道：事情很多、回信慢一點……這其實很正常。
M: It feels like you’re failing, though.
M：但那種感覺真的很像自己在失職。
J: I know, but the real skill isn’t about, you know, apologizing for it. It’s about having the right words to handle that communication professionally. So you sound calm and in control.
J：我懂，但真正的關鍵不在於一直道歉，而是要用對的說法，把溝通處理得很專業，讓你聽起來冷靜、而且掌控全局。
M: Right. Welcome to MJ English. Today we’re going to give you the core English phrases you need to explain work delays and, more importantly, set your priorities.
M：沒錯，歡迎來到 MJ English。今天我們要教你一些核心英文句型，幫你解釋工作延誤，更重要的是——設定優先順序。
J: And do it without sounding, submissive. This is about taking back control.
J：而且是在不讓你聽起來很卑微的情況下做到，這一切都是為了把主導權拿回來。
M: Okay, so let’s just jump into a scenario. It’s the first day back from a break, the inbox is chaos, and Alex needs to talk to Jamie about a request. Let’s listen.
M：好，那我們直接進入情境。假期後第一天，信箱一片混亂，Alex 需要跟 Jamie 談一個請求。我們來聽聽看。
假期結束後的第一個工作天，信箱滿滿未讀郵件。
Alex 需要向同事說明進度，同時回覆客戶，清楚交代延遲原因與目前的優先順序。
🔹 English Dialogue
Alex: Hey Jamie, thanks for your message. I’m still catching up on emails from the holidays.
Jamie: No worries. I figured things would be busy after the break.
Alex: Yeah, quite a bit came in while we were off. I wanted to let you know I’ve seen your request.
Jamie: That’s good to hear. Do you think you’ll be able to work on it today?
Alex: I’ll start reviewing it today, but I also have a few urgent tasks ahead of it.
Jamie: Got it. When do you think you can get back to me?
Alex: This will be my top priority today once I finish those urgent items.
Jamie: That sounds reasonable.
Alex: I’ll send you an update by the end of the day, even if it’s just a quick status check.
Jamie: Perfect. Thanks for letting me know.
🔹 中文翻譯
Alex： 嗨 Jamie，謝謝你的訊息。我還在處理假期期間累積的信件。
Jamie： 沒問題，我也猜到收假後會很忙。
Alex： 對，假期中真的進來不少事情，不過我已經看到你的需求了。
Jamie： 那太好了。你今天有辦法處理嗎？
Alex： 我今天會先看，但前面還有幾個比較緊急的項目。
Jamie： 了解，那你大概什麼時候能回覆？
Alex： 這件事會是我今天的優先事項，處理完急件就會進行。
Jamie： 聽起來很合理。
Alex： 今天下班前我會給你一個進度更新，就算只是簡短說明也會。
Jamie： 好的，謝謝你先告知我。
J: See? That is just a masterclass in professional confidence. Let’s break down some of the vocabulary here.
J：看到沒？這根本是一堂專業自信的示範課。我們來拆解一下裡面的單字。
M: Okay.
M：好。
J: First up, that phrasal verb: “catch up on.” It’s the cornerstone. It immediately frames the delay as a workload thing, not a personal thing.
J：首先是這個片語動詞「catch up on」。這是關鍵中的關鍵，它立刻把延遲的原因定位成「工作量」，而不是「個人問題」。
M: Right. So when you say “I’m catching up on emails,” it’s basically the professional way of saying “I’m dealing with my backlog.”
M：對，所以當你說「I’m catching up on emails」，其實就是很專業地在說「我正在處理積壓的事情」。
J: Exactly. But I have a question for you. Why not just say “I’m busy”? So many people do that.
J：沒錯。但我有個問題，為什麼不要直接說「I’m busy」？很多人都這樣講。
M: Good question. I feel like “I’m busy” can sometimes sound a little defensive. Or like you’re brushing them off.
M：好問題。我覺得「I’m busy」有時候聽起來會有點防衛心，或像是在敷衍對方。
J: That is the critical distinction. “I’m busy” is defensive. “I’m catching up,” though, implies you were away, but now you’re actively getting back on track. It maintains your status.
J：這就是關鍵差別。「I’m busy」是防衛性的；但「I’m catching up」則是在說你之前不在，但現在正積極回到正軌，這能維持你的專業形象。
M: That makes sense. And I also heard those power words like “urgent” and “priority.”
M：聽起來很有道理。而且我也聽到一些很有力的詞，像是「urgent」和「priority」。
J: Yes. Using a phrase like “top priority” just immediately clarifies what matters most to you in that moment. It sets the agenda.
J：沒錯，像「top priority」這種說法，立刻就能讓人知道你現在最重視的是什麼，直接把議程訂出來。
M: And I really like the phrase “status check.” It feels like it lowers the pressure. You’re promising communication, not necessarily the finished product.
M：而且我很喜歡「status check」這個說法，感覺壓力小很多，因為你承諾的是回報進度，而不是完成品。
J: It manages their anxiety. Just knowing they haven’t been forgotten is half the battle. Plus, you get that clear professional timing: “by the end of the day.”
J：這能安撫對方的焦慮。光是知道事情沒有被忘記，就已經解決一半了，而且你還給了一個很清楚的時間點：「by the end of the day」。
M: So firm. Okay, let’s talk about the sentence patterns that made Alex sound so in control.
M：很果斷。好，那我們來聊聊那些讓 Alex 聽起來超有掌控感的句型。
J: So to explain the situation, it was just so simple: “I’m catching up on” plus a noun. “I’m catching up on emails.” It’s a fact, not an excuse.
J：解釋狀況其實很簡單，就是「I’m catching up on＋名詞」，像是「I’m catching up on emails」，這是在陳述事實，不是在找藉口。
M: And then for setting the priority, I heard, “This will be my top priority today.” No apology, just a clear statement about the timeline.
M：然後在設定優先順序時，我聽到的是「This will be my top priority today」，完全沒有道歉，只是清楚交代時程。
J: Exactly. And maybe the most useful one for managing expectations is this: “I wanted to let you know that…”
J：沒錯，而在管理期待值方面，可能最實用的就是這句：「I wanted to let you know that…」。
M: “I wanted to let you know I’ve seen your request.”
M：例如：「I wanted to let you know I’ve seen your request」。
J: Yes. That little bit of proactive communication stops the other person from having to chase you down later. It saves everyone stress.
J：對，這一點點主動溝通，就能避免對方之後一直追你，對大家都省下很多壓力。
M: And then finally, you get that combination for setting a boundary. Alex says, “I’ll get back to you by [time]” to give a firm timeframe.
M：最後還有一個設定界線的組合用法，Alex 說「I’ll get back to you by［時間］」，給出明確期限。
J: And then softens it with “even if it’s just…” like “even if it’s just a quick update.” It maintains the connection without promising the world.
J：然後再用「even if it’s just…」，像是「even if it’s just a quick update」，在不亂承諾的情況下維持溝通連結。
M: It’s all about professional control.
M：這一切都是專業上的掌控感。
J: That’s it. So if you want the full transcript of that dialogue, all the key vocabulary, and these super useful sentence patterns, just click the link below.
J：就是這樣。如果你想要完整逐字稿、所有重點單字，還有這些超實用的句型，請點擊下方連結。
M: It really comes down to that mindset shift. Stop apologizing for being human, and start managing expectations.
M：說到底就是心態轉換。不要再為了「你也是人」而道歉，開始學會管理別人的期待。
J: Exactly. Good luck with the catch-up, everyone. You’ve got this.
J：沒錯。祝大家整理信箱順利，你們一定可以的。
M: See you in the next episode.
M：我們下集再見。
