Chapter 12

Alter the Point of Delivery

Dialog:

A fourth bargaining chip is altering the point of delivery. Usually the terms require the seller to deliver the goods to a location specified by the buyer, so the cost of transportation is almost always carried by the seller. The contract price could be reduced if a closer, more convenient location was used. The point of delivery could be the seller's shipping dock. That would completely eliminate transportation costs as the buyer would take possession of the goods as soon as they were on the truck.

第四个可以用来议价的筹码是改变交货地点。通常卖主的交货地点，当然是送到买主指定的地方，所以运输费用多是由卖主消化。若送货地点改在买主和卖主之间的中点，或是交货点直接改在卖主的卸货站，就可以省俭不少的运输费。甚至有时候双方合约的运费，可以完全省掉，这是因为一旦买方把货收到自己的卡车时，就算交货完结了。

Mel:We just finished running the numbers and I think we came up with a pretty good price.

我们已经算过价钱了，现在给你的价码应该算是很好了。

Bill:Great, let's see.

太好了，让我看看。

Mel:Here you go.

这里。

As you can see, this assumes delivery anywhere within the metropolitan area. If we go outside the area, we have to use a different transportation company and the expense may increase dramatically.

你看到的是市内的送货基准，假如是效区，就要换不同的运输公司，所以价码可能会提高很多。

We can keep the price that low because we're using the company truck to deliver your goods.

我们可以给你低价，是因为我们用自己的货车帮你送货。

Bill:We did have something come up at our local plant and we won't be able to use the goods there.

呃，可是我们的场地出了点意外，所以用不到那些货。

The delivery point's been changed to a place about a hundred miles outside of the metropolitan are.

送货地眯已改到离市区一百英里外的地方了。

Mel:That's going to screw up our tranportation figures,we'll need another day to figure out the new delivery point and all the other costs.

这样所有的运输数据就全都没用了，我们还要再花一天才能针对新地点估价。

Bill:I don't think so.

不会吧。

Not if you have the transportation costs computed separately like I asked.

如果你已经像我要求的那样，将运输成本另计，就不用花上那么多的时间了。

Mel:We do. Look, on the bottom of page eight.

我们的确是这样做的，你看看第八页最下面就知道了。

Bill:Right, here it is.

对，这就是了。

And this figure includes all transportation costs. Is that right?

那么这个数字是所有运费总和啰？

Mel:Right.

是的。

Bill:Good, then , here's the deal.

好，干脆这样吧。

We draw a line through page eight and eliminate it and all the transportation costs from the contract.

我们把第8页运输总花费的地方划掉，也将合约中总运费部分扣除掉。

We assume resporsibility for the goods as soon as you load them on to the truck we provide.

我们会汽车去收货，你们只要帮我们装好货，就算交易结束。

Mel:So we load your trucks for free?

你要我们免费帮你装货？

Bill:It's no different than if your truck were delayed a day and you had to store the goods until it was free.

这只不过是占用你们货柜一天时间罢了，再说你们的货柜不清空，也没办法装新货啊。

Mel:Right,we can do that.

说的也对，就这样做吧。

Bill:Then , if you're agreed,we have a deal.

那么如果你同意的话，我们就成交了。

Mel:One last point, Bill.

比尔，还有一件事。

We need you to park a trailer at our dock one week prior to the shipping date so we can load it as the goods come off the production line.

我希望你们在交货前一周就派辆拖车来到我们的货站，这样货一出厂，我们就可以马上移装。

Bill:Okay,but you're reponsible for security until the truck is driven off the lot.

可以，不过卡车在你们货站的那段时间，你们要全权负责。

Mel:No problem. It will stay at the dock locked up indoors.

没问题，我们的货站会紧紧地反锁好。

Bill:Sounds like a bell ringer to me.

看来我们可以成交散会啰。

Vocabulary重要词汇

altering改变

transportation交通运输

eliminate除去

possession拥有

metropolitan都市的

computed估算过的

trailer拖车

prior先前的

bell ringer敲钟(指事情结束)