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The Quest for Quality　追求品質(part 1 of 6)

Harvey Walker has arranged a morning meeting with Monica Smith and Mark White.

Conversation 1

(in the conference room)
Harvey: Thanks for coming, you two. I'm glad you could make it.
Monica: Did we have any choice? (laughs)
Harvey: I guess not. Anyhow, I think you'll both be glad to hear what I have to say.
Monica: Uh-oh. Whenever Harvey says I'll be glad about something, I start to worry.
Mark: What's up, Harvey?
Harvey: Have either of you read this book? (holds up book) It's a bestseller called Managing for Quality.

哈維‧沃克安排了和莫妮卡‧史密斯及馬克‧懷特在早上開會。

會話一

（在會議室中）
哈維：謝謝兩位來參加。我很高興你們可以來。
莫妮卡：我們可以不來嗎？（笑）
哈維：我想不行。總之，我想你們會很高興聽到我要說的事。
莫妮卡：每次哈維說我會因某事高興時，我就開始擔心。
馬克：是什麼事呢，哈維？
哈維：你們看過這本書嗎？（把書舉起）這是一本暢銷書，叫做「品質管理」。

⊙　Word Bank
　　quest (n)　　搜尋；探求
　　make it (v phr)　能夠參加
　　bestseller (n)　　暢銷書

 The Quest for Quality　追求品質(part 2 of 6)

Conversation 2

Mark: I haven't.
Monica: Me, either. What's it about, Harvey?
Harvey: It's like the title says, Monica. It's about managing so that quality is always improving.
Mark: Oh, yeah. Then you end up with better products, right?
Harvey: Certainly we'll have better products. But according to this book, the quest for quality is about more than products. It's about making everything better—work processes, communication, customer service, you name it. And if we work for quality in everything we do, then of course our products will be better, too.

會話二

馬克：我沒有看過。
莫妮卡：我也沒有。這本書的內容是什麼，哈維？
哈維：如同這本書的書名，莫妮卡，這是關於如何管理，好讓品質可以不斷提昇的書。
馬克：然後就可以生產更好的產品，對不對？
哈維：當然，我們會有更好的產品，但是這本書也說，品質追求不侷限於產品本身。它是改善每一件事——工作程序、溝通、客戶服務，只要你想得到的都包括在內，而且如果我們在每件事上追求品質，當然我們的產品也會更好。

⊙　Word Bank
　　end up with something (v phr)　最後得到
　　you name it (idiom)　你想到的事都包括在內

The Quest for Quality　追求品質(part 3 of 6)

Conversation 3

Monica: So, what does all this have to do with us, Harvey?
Harvey: Well, I've made a resolution for the new year. I want to go all out for quality at Walker Publications.
Monica: But don't we already do a good job? That's what you're always telling us.
Harvey: Of course. I'm basically quite happy with the whole organization. But the fact is, we can do even better. As this book says, "If it ain't broke, fix it anyway." We are going to put quality first—in all we do. We're going to have a quality revolution!

會話三

莫妮卡：所以，這和我們有什麼關係呢，哈維？
哈維：我有個新年新希望。我想要沃克出版公司全力投入追求品質。
莫妮卡：可是我們不已經做得很好了嗎？您也是一直這樣告訴我們。
哈維：當然。基本上我對整個公司相當滿意。但事實上，我們可以做得更好。就像這本書說的：「如果一樣東西沒有壞，還是將它修好。」我們在每一件事上都要將品質放在第一位。我們要做品質改革！

⊙　Word Bank
　　go all out (v phr)　全力以赴 

The Quest for Quality　追求品質(part 4 of 6)

Conversation 4

Monica: Sounds great, Harvey. But Mark and I are just editors. Apart from what goes into the magazines, we don't have much say around here.
Harvey: Well, that's changed. I'm putting you both on the Walker Publications Quality Task Force.
Mark: Neat!
Monica: ( sighing ) Yeah, neat. As if we didn't have enough to do already.
Harvey: All I want you to do for now is read. Here. (hands them a copy of Managing for Quality)
Mark: Gee, thanks!
Monica: ( turning to the back of book) Four hundred and fifty pages!

會話四

莫妮卡：聽起來很不錯，哈維。可是馬克和我只是編輯。除了雜誌內容外，我們對整個公司並沒有太大的影響與決定權。
哈維：這個情形已經改變了。我要將你們兩位放在沃克出版公司的品質專案小組中。
馬克：帥！
莫妮卡：（嘆氣）是很帥。好像我們的工作還不夠多似的。
哈維：目前我只要求你們讀這本書。
（給他們每人一本「品質管理」）
馬克：哈！謝謝！
莫妮卡：（翻到最後一頁）四百五十頁！

⊙　Word Bank
　　have a say (v phr)　影響；決定  

 The Quest for Quality　追求品質(part 5 of 6)

Over the following two weeks, Monica and Mark read Managing for Quality. As they read, they gleaned many new ideas about quality management. By the time they met with Harvey again, they were as excited as he was.

接下來兩個星期，莫妮卡和馬克閱讀了「品質管理」這本書。在閱讀時，他們搜集了很多品質管理的新觀念。當他們再次和哈維開會時，他們和哈維一樣地興奮。

 The Quest for Quality　追求品質(part 6 of 6)

Conversation 5

(in the company dining room)
Harvey: Well, Monica, how do you feel about quality now? Still too much work?
Monica: Not really, Harvey. In fact, I'm sold on it. We've already started a quality team in our department.
Mark: Yeah! We're planning for quality. We'll measure the results and fine-tune our process.
Monica: Then we'll do it all again. We'll never stop reaching for quality.
Harvey: Wonderful! It sounds as if the quality revolution has begun!

會話五

（在公司餐廳）
哈維：莫妮卡，妳現在對品質的感想如何？仍然覺得太麻煩嗎？
莫妮卡：不會了，哈維。其實，我也被說服了。我們已經在我們的部門中成立了一個品質小組。
馬克：是呀！我們正在規劃品質。我們會評估結果並慢慢修正程序。
莫妮卡：然後我們會再重覆這個過程。我們將不會停止追求品質。
哈維：太好了！聽起來品質改革已經開始了！

⊙　Word Bank
　　be sold on something (v phr)　完全被說服
　　fine-tune (v)　細微修正

Watch your mouth! If you swear today, you will regret it all year long.
說話要小心！如果你今天咒罵，你將會後悔一整年。

You better buy things now before the shops close for the holidays.
你最好現在就買些東西，因為放假時商店會休息。

I want to buy the freshest fish available for my New Year's Eve dinner.
我要買條最新鮮的魚，作為年夜飯的一道菜。

 How much time off do you have this year? I've got three weeks!
你今年有幾天的休假？我有三星期！

We can arrange the candy in this dish for our guests to take.
我們可以把糖果擺在這盤子裡，好讓客人們取用。

I heard that Mary is going to spend her vacation in Bali this year.
我聽說瑪莉今年會去峇里島度假。