上班的時候，影印機壞掉是不是最讓人頭痛的事？
報告要交、會議文件要印，偏偏這時候影印機出狀況，常常讓大家急得跳腳。
今天就來學幾句超實用的 職場英文表達，幫你在遇到突發狀況時能自然求助，不會手足無措。
🎧Apple Podcast | Spotify
💬 Dialogue | 對話練習
場景：辦公室裡，影印機突然壞掉，一位員工急著印文件，向同事求助。
English Dialogue
Mark: Hey Lisa, the printer just stopped working again.
Lisa: Oh no, is it showing an error message?
Mark: Yes, it says “paper jam.” I already tried to restart the machine, but it didn’t help.
Lisa: Hmm, we might need to contact the IT department.
Mark: That’s a problem. I need these reports before the 2 p.m. meeting.
Lisa: Maybe we can submit a maintenance request online.
Mark: That could take too long. Do you know if there’s another printer on this floor?
Lisa: I think there’s one near the conference room, but it’s often out of order too.
Mark: Great… This is really affecting productivity.
Lisa: I’ll call IT right now. They usually respond quickly.
Mark: Thanks, Lisa. You really saved the day.
Lisa: No problem. By the way, we should suggest buying a new printer at the next staff meeting.
Mark: Definitely. These breakdowns are becoming too frequent.
Lisa: Okay, let’s get through today’s meeting first, then we’ll talk to the manager.
中文
Mark：嘿，Lisa，影印機又停了。
Lisa：啊，不會吧？螢幕有顯示錯誤訊息嗎？
Mark：有，它顯示「卡紙」。我已經試過重新開機，但沒用。
Lisa：嗯，那我們可能得聯絡 IT 部門。
Mark：麻煩了，我需要在下午兩點的會議前印出這些報告。
Lisa：或許我們可以提交維修請求。
Mark：那可能太慢了。你知道這層樓有沒有其他影印機？
Lisa：我記得會議室附近有一台，但它也常常故障。
Mark：天啊…這真的影響工作效率。
Lisa：我現在就打電話給 IT，他們通常很快會回應。
Mark：謝啦，Lisa，你真是救了我。
Lisa：沒問題。對了，我們應該在下次員工會議提議換一台新的。
Mark：完全同意，這台壞得太頻繁了。
Lisa：好，先撐過今天的會議，之後我們再去和主管討論。
📚 Vocabulary Boost | 重點單字
| 單字或片語 | 詞性 | 中文意思 | 英文例句 | 中文翻譯 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| error message | n. | 錯誤訊息 | The screen displayed an error message. | 螢幕顯示錯誤訊息。 |
| paper jam | n. | 卡紙 | The meeting was delayed due to a paper jam. | 因為卡紙會議延誤了。 |
| restart the machine | phrase | 重新開機 | Please restart the machine before calling IT. | 請在找 IT 前先重新開機。 |
| contact the IT department | phrase | 聯絡 IT 部門 | You should contact the IT department immediately. | 你應該馬上聯絡 IT 部門。 |
| submit a maintenance request | phrase | 提交維修請求 | Employees must submit a maintenance request online. | 員工必須線上提交維修請求。 |
| out of order | phrase | 故障 | The elevator is currently out of order. | 電梯目前故障中。 |
| affecting productivity | phrase | 影響效率 | Frequent delays are affecting productivity. | 頻繁延誤正在影響效率。 |
| saved the day | idiom | 解救危機 | Lisa really saved the day by fixing the issue. | Lisa 解決了問題救了大家。 |
| breakdowns | n. | 故障、崩潰 | Too many printer breakdowns affect workflow. | 太多影印機故障影響工作流程。 |
🔍 Grammar Focus | 職場常用句型
| 句型結構 | 中文意思 | 英文例句 | 中文翻譯 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Did you try + V-ing | 你有試過…嗎？ | Did you try restarting the machine? | 你有試過重新開機嗎？ |
| Maybe we should + V | 也許我們應該… | Maybe we should submit a request. | 也許我們應該送出請求。 |
| It’s + adj + to V | 做…是…的 | It’s urgent to fix the printer quickly. | 趕快修影印機很重要。 |
| By the way, maybe we should + V | 順便提一下，我們應該… | By the way, maybe we should buy a new printer. | 順便提一下，我們應該買台新影印機。 |
| …is affecting + N | …正在影響… | The delay is affecting productivity. | 延誤正在影響效率。 |
📖 Transcript 逐字稿
J: Welcome to MJ English.
歡迎收聽 MJ English。
J: Today, we’re looking at something I think pretty much everyone has dealt with, especially if you work in an office. That horrible moment when the printer breaks down.
今天我們要來聊一個幾乎所有上班族都會遇過的慘事——影印機壞掉的那一刻。
J: It’s such a common thing, right? And guess what? It pops up a lot in English tests too, like TOEIC.
這種事超常見吧？而且你知道嗎？像 TOEIC 這種英文考試也很愛考這種情境喔。
M: They really do. Lots of practical office vocabulary there.
真的，很多實用的辦公室英文都藏在這些情境裡。
J: So, we’ve got this great little dialogue with Mark and Lisa. They’re dealing with, you guessed it, a printer emergency. Let’s listen in first, pay attention to the phrases they use, and then,we’ll break it all down. Ready?
所以我們準備了一段對話，主角是 Mark 和 Lisa，沒錯，他們遇上了影印機大危機。先來聽一遍對話，注意裡面的用詞，接著我們會幫你一一解析。準備好了嗎？
辦公室內，影印機突然壞掉，一位員工急著要印文件，向同事求助。
English Dialogue
Mark: Hey Lisa, the printer just stopped working again.
Lisa: Oh no, is it showing an error message?
Mark: Yes, it says “paper jam.” I already tried to restart the machine, but it didn’t help.
Lisa: Hmm, we might need to contact the IT department.
Mark: That’s a problem. I need these reports before the 2 p.m. meeting.
Lisa: Maybe we can submit a maintenance request online.
Mark: That could take too long. Do you know if there’s another printer on this floor?
Lisa: I think there’s one near the conference room, but it’s often out of order too.
Mark: Great… This is really affecting productivity.
Lisa: I’ll call IT right now. They usually respond quickly.
Mark: Thanks, Lisa. You really saved the day.
Lisa: No problem. By the way, we should suggest buying a new printer at the next staff meeting.
Mark: Definitely. These breakdowns are becoming too frequent.
Lisa: Okay, let’s get through today’s meeting first, then we’ll talk to the manager.
中文
Mark：嘿，Lisa，影印機又停了。
Lisa：啊，不會吧？螢幕有顯示錯誤訊息嗎？
Mark：有，它顯示「卡紙」。我已經試過重新開機，但沒用。
Lisa：嗯，那我們可能得聯絡 IT 部門。
Mark：麻煩了，我需要在下午兩點的會議前印出這些報告。
Lisa：或許我們可以提交維修請求。
Mark：那可能太慢了。你知道這層樓有沒有其他影印機？
Lisa：我記得會議室附近有一台，但它也常常故障。
Mark：天啊…這真的影響工作效率。
Lisa：我現在就打電話給 IT，他們通常很快會回應。
Mark：謝啦，Lisa，你真是救了我。
Lisa：沒問題。對了，我們應該在下次員工會議提議換一台新的。
Mark：完全同意，這台壞得太頻繁了。
Lisa：好，先撐過今天的會議，之後我們再去和主管討論。
J: Wow. See? So much useful stuff packed into just, what, like a minute of conversation?
哇，有沒有發現？這短短一分鐘的對話裡面，其實塞了超多實用英文耶！
M: Absolutely. Really practical language for, you know, everyday office life.
真的，很實用，尤其是在辦公室的日常英文。
J: Well, let’s kick things off with our vocabulary boost. We’ll pull out some keywords.
那我們就先從單字開始分析吧，把重要的詞抓出來。
M: First up, Mark sees an “error message”.
第一個是 Mark 看到了 “error message”。
J: Right. That little warning on the screen.
對，就是螢幕上跳出來的警告訊息。
M: Like, “The screen displayed an error message.” It tells you something’s wrong, even if you don’t know what yet.
例如「螢幕顯示了一個錯誤訊息」，就算你不知道問題在哪，至少它會提示你。
J: And the error message was?
那錯誤訊息是什麼？
M: The classic paper jam.
老問題，卡紙！
J: Right.
對，常見到不行。
M: Paper jam. That’s when the paper gets stuck inside. You hear it all the time. “The meeting was delayed due to a paper jam.”
Paper jam 就是紙卡在機器裡。很常聽到吧，例如「會議因卡紙而延誤」。
J: Been there. Definitely been there. So, what’s the first thing Mark tried? The universal fix.
有過、真的有過。Mark 第一個做的事情是什麼？就是大家都會試的招。
M: Yeah, pretty much. He tried to restart the machine, you know. Turn it off and on again.
對啊，他重開機——關掉再打開。
J: Always worth a shot.
這招永遠值得一試。
M: It is. Like, “Please restart the machine before calling IT.” Standard advice.
真的，例如「請先重啟機器再聯絡 IT」。這是標準建議。
J: But it didn’t work for Mark this time. So, Lisa suggests…
但這次對 Mark 沒用。所以 Lisa 建議……
M: They might need to contact the IT department, the tech support folks.
他們可能需要聯絡 IT 部門，也就是技術支援人員。
J: Yeah, make that call or send that email.
對啊，打個電話或寄封信給他們。
M: “You should contact the IT department immediately,” especially if it’s urgent.
「你應該立刻聯絡 IT 部門」，特別是事情很緊急的話。
J: And sometimes, there’s a more formal way.
有時候，也會有比較…嗯…正式一點的做法。
M: Right, like a ticketing system.
對，比如說用申請單系統。
J: That’s it, where you “submit a maintenance request online.” It logs the problem properly.
沒錯，就是「在線上提交維修申請」。這樣能正式記錄問題。
M: “Employees must submit a maintenance request online.”
「員工必須在線上提交維修申請。」
J: Okay, got it. Now, Mark asks about another printer, but Lisa says it’s often…
OK，了解。接著 Mark 問還有沒有其他印表機，但 Lisa 說那台常常……
M: Out of order.
故障中。
J: Meaning?
意思是？
M: Broken.
壞掉了。
M: Just not working, faulty. You see signs like, “The elevator is currently out of order,” same idea.
就是不能用、故障了。你也常看到像「電梯目前故障中」這樣的告示，意思一樣。
J: And all this trouble, Mark points out, it’s affecting productivity.
Mark 指出這一連串的問題正在影響工作效率。
M: Yeah, that’s a big one for offices. Means things are slowing down, work isn’t getting done efficiently. “Frequent delays are affecting productivity.”
對，這在辦公室裡很嚴重。意思是事情進度變慢了，工作效率變差。「經常性的延誤正在影響生產力。」
J: But Lisa steps up, calls IT.
但 Lisa 挺身而出，打電話給 IT。
M: And Mark says she “saved the day.”
Mark 說她「拯救了全場」。
J: Great phrase.
這句真的很棒。
M: It really is. It means she rescued the situation, solved a critical problem. “Lisa really saved the day by fixing the issue.”
真的很實用，意思是她解決了困境，處理了大問題。「Lisa 靠修好設備真的救了全場。」
J: Love that one. And finally, because this keeps happening, they talk about “breakdowns,” plural.
我超愛這句。最後，因為這種狀況一直發生，他們提到「breakdowns」，是複數形式。
M: So like repeated failures.
就是指一再發生的故障。
J: Not just one incident, but a pattern. “Too many printer breakdowns affect workflow.” It signals a bigger problem.
不是只有一次，而是已經變成一種常態。「太多次印表機故障會影響整個工作流程」，這代表背後可能有更大的問題。
M: That vocabulary is super helpful. Now, what about the grammar? I noticed a few useful structures in there.
單字部分真的很有幫助。那文法方面呢？我剛剛有注意到幾個很實用的句型。
J: There were some good ones. First, when Mark says he already tried restarting, Lisa could have asked, “Did you try plus verb-ing?”
裡面有一些不錯的用法。像是 Mark 說他已經試過重啟了，Lisa 就可以問：「Did you try + 動詞ing」這個句型。
M: Like, “Did you try restarting the machine?”
例如「Did you try restarting the machine?（你有試著重開機器嗎？）」
J: It’s asking about attempting an action as a possible solution, very common for troubleshooting.
這是問對方「有沒有試過某個解法」，在排除故障時非常常用。
M: And for suggesting things, Lisa used…
那建議事情的時候，Lisa 用的是…
J: “Maybe we should plus verb.” Like, “Maybe we should submit a request.” It’s a polite, kind of collaborative way to suggest something.
「Maybe we should + 動詞」，像是「Maybe we should submit a request（也許我們應該送出申請）」，這是一種比較禮貌、合作感強的建議方式。
M: Less direct than “we must submit.”
比起直接說「we must submit」，語氣沒那麼強硬。
J: It feels more like teamwork.
聽起來比較像是一起想辦法的感覺。
J: Then there’s that structure for talking about the situation, like how urgent it is.
接著是描述情況緊急性的句型。
M: “It’s plus adjective plus to verb?”
你是說「It’s + 形容詞 + to + 動詞」的句型嗎？
J: Yeah, that’s the one.
對，就是那個。
M: So, because Mark had the meeting, you could say, “It’s urgent to fix the printer quickly.” It links the situation’s quality being urgent to the necessary action of fixing it.
因為 Mark 要開會，所以可以說「It’s urgent to fix the printer quickly（現在趕快修影印機很緊急）」。這個句型就是把情況的形容詞（緊急）和要做的行動（修理）連起來。
J: And then, Lisa smoothly adds another idea.
接著，Lisa 很順地補充另一個想法。
M: Using “by the way.”
她用了「by the way（順帶一提）」這個片語。
J: “By the way, maybe we should plus verb.” It’s perfect for adding a related thought without, um, totally changing the subject right away.
「By the way, maybe we should + 動詞」，這種用法很適合在不突然跳話題的情況下，輕鬆補充相關的想法。
J: “By the way, maybe we should buy a new printer.”
「By the way, maybe we should buy a new printer（順帶一提，也許我們該買台新印表機）」
J: And the last one we touched on with vocabulary, describing that ongoing impact.
最後一個句型也有在單字那段提到，是用來描述「正在造成影響」的句型。
M: Yes, “is affecting plus noun.”
對，就是「is affecting + 名詞」。
J: Mark says, “This is really affecting productivity.”
Mark 說的是「This is really affecting productivity（這真的會影響工作效率）」。
M: So, the problem is currently causing an issue.
也就是說，這個問題正在造成影響。
M: That’s it. Shows a direct, ongoing consequence. Very useful in a work context.
沒錯，這個句型可以清楚表達「當下直接導致什麼結果」，在職場英文裡超實用。
M: That was actually packed. We got a lot out of that short printer drama.
這段內容其實超充實，從這個小影印機事件學到好多。
J: It just shows how much useful, practical English is embedded in these, you know, everyday situations.
這就證明了很多實用英文其實都藏在這些日常情境裡。
J: It makes a real difference when you can handle these little crises smoothly in English.
能用英文處理這些小危機，真的會讓你差很多。
J: So, the next time you hear that awful grinding sound from the printer…
所以下次你又聽到影印機發出詭異聲音時…
J: You’ll be ready. You’ll know what to say.
你就能立刻應對、知道該說什麼。
M: Or at least know how to call for help effectively.
至少你會知道怎麼有效求救。
J: Keep practicing these phrases.
記得持續練習這些實用句子。
M: Thanks for tuning into MJ English today.
感謝你今天收聽 MJ English。
