[English Skills] 英文小技巧 - 時間怎麼寫？

最近看了一篇網路文章，談論到了關於把基本功做紮實就能與眾不同一事。

這讓我想起許多走在台灣街頭隨處可見的簡單英文，卻也充滿著許多瑕疵。剛好那天早上出門前經過了一家店，就立刻看見這樣的牌子：



基本功 - 時間怎麼寫？


我不禁想著：這樣的表達方式，是想寫給台灣人看？還是寫給外藉人士看？

對我來說，既然要寫外文，目的就是要讓主要使用該語言的人們能看得懂，那麼…這樣的台式英文…到底，是有必要還是…？

有發現該修正的地方了嗎？

我們來找出這張照片可以進步的重點吧：

1、所謂的 a.m. 與 p.m.，這是12小時制的時間表達方式；a.m. 起源於拉丁文的 ante meridiem，意指中午以前 (before noon)；p.m. 則是 post meridiem，意指中午以後 (after noon)。因此，若依照該圖片所想表達的中午12點營業至晚上10點，前半部的a.m.就應該改成：p.m. 12：00，句子才能有意義。(注意哦，a.m.的時間裡，只有a.m. 00：00 ~ a.m. 11：59，沒有a.m. 12：00這個字喲。)

2、前面提到的12小時制，相反的，時間的另一個表示方法為24小時制，也就是中午12點過後的時間，就由12+1=13點成為下午1點的表示方法。所以，再回到舉例的圖片來看，就能看見後半部的晚上10點，要嘛就改成p.m. 10：00；不然就直接將整段改成10：00 ~ 22：00，句子才能表達完全。

所以，回想到我所讀到的網路文章，這些最基本的英文表達方式，我們，是否在學過之後，就都忘了呢？

基本功，我相信我們於求學的過程中都有學到，那麼，就把它們紮紮實實的應用於生活上吧，讓我們都有能力成為與眾不同的那一群。

[Business Tips] Return to the Basic - Connections

Recently, I read some data from Bureau of Labor Statistics talked about fast-growing occupations, they all had one thing in common - connecting with people.

Imagine, when you stepped into a coffee shop, the staff was doing something else and said 'Hi' without even look at you; so you had to find yourself a seat and had to wait until the staffs are free to take your order. The other day, you walked into another coffee shop, the staff were all busy, but once you opened the door, they all stopped whatever they were busy at and turned their head to smile at you with warm greetings like 'Hello, how are you today?'

What is the difference between these two shops?

The empathy and connection between human beings.

We all live in a world that needs team work; no matter how much technology can help us in our daily lives, the one thing that makes us different from robots is the warm connection between us. There were chances that we met well-trained staffs who say whatever greeting words to us like a robot, but we did not feel the passion. Those five-star hotels, chain stores, department stores, or those MNCs with large capital to do staff training, they might have trained their staff well, as in following their SOPs properly; but they might all miss out the basic core idea - all of those actions are for one intention, to make their customers feel the connection.

When technology is taking our places at work, what we shall not do is walking alone with no emotions to those people around us. Return to our basic simple core idea for doing business - connections for long term relationships.

Do not forget, that is what we hoped to sustain our business / personal relationships. Otherwise, competitors can always win over your clients to their side.