Reporting faulty goods
Leon goes to a department store to complain about his newly-bought digital camera.
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Staff:
先生您好，有什么需要帮忙的吗？
Leon:
您好。我上周在你们这儿买的照相机好像有点儿问题。
Staff:
是吗？什么问题？你有收据吗？
Leon:
有，这是收据。我发现拍出来的照片上面总有一个黑色斑点。
Staff:
哦，让我先拍几张照片，然后我帮您查一下。
Leon:
你看，在角上的这个地方总有一个斑点，不是很明显，但是每一张照片都有。
Staff:
可能是镜头脏了。我帮你擦一下，然后再试试。
Leon:
还是有的。
Staff:
嗯，的确。我们把照片传到电脑上看，如果还有黑点，那就是镜头的问题。如果在电脑上看没有黑点，那可能就是相机显示屏的问题。
Leon:
看，这里。还是看得到。
Staff:
嗯，看来是镜头的问题了，也许镜头上有划痕。
Leon:
那怎么办？我的相机应该可以保修，我有保修卡。
Staff:
是的。你拿着你的相机、保修卡和收据去二楼的客户服务部，他们会帮您免费修理，或者给您换一个新的。
Leon:
哦，那太好了。非常感谢。
Staff:
Hello, Sir, how can I help?
Leon:
Hello, the camera I bought here last week seems to have a problem.
Staff:
Really? What sort of problem? Have you got your receipt?
Leon:
Yes, here is the receipt. I found that all the pictures I take come up with a small black mark on them.
Staff:
Oh, let me take some pictures myself and check them.
Leon:
Look in the corner here, there is always a mark at this place. It is not too obvious, but it is there on every single shot.
Staff:
Maybe the lens is dirty. Let me clean it for you and try again.
Leon:
I am sorry but it's still there.
Staff:
Yes, indeed. Let's transfer the photos on to the computer, and if the mark remains, then the problem is due to the lens; if there is no mark on the computer, then maybe it's due to the screen.
Leon:
Look, here. You can still see it.
Staff:
Umm, there seems to be a problem with the lens then, maybe it's a scratch.
Leon:
What can I do? The camera should be under guarantee. I have the guarantee card here.
Staff:
Yes indeed. Take your camera with your guarantee card and your receipt to customer services on the second floor and either they will organise for it to be fixed free of charge or you'll get a replacement.
Leon:
Oh, that's great. Thank you very much.
These are notes about potentially difficult key expressions. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the dialogue.
1. 出来
我发现拍出来的照片上面总有一个黑色斑点。I found that all the pictures I take have a small black mark on them.
The directional complement 出来 'come out' is used after the verb 拍 'to take (pictures) '. It relates to the pictures 'coming out of' the camera.
2. 脏了
可能是镜头脏了。Maybe the lens is dirty.
了 is put after the adjective 脏 'dirty ' to indicate a change of status, i.e. the lens was clean, but now it is dirty. Compare with 镜头有点脏 The lens is a bit dirty. (This is stated as a fact, and has no implication on what the lens was like before or what action might be taken now.)
3. 的
还是有的。的确。It's still there. Indeed.
的 is a multiple-pronunciation character. When it's used in 的确, meaning 'indeed ', it is pronounced as 'dí'. When it is used as a structure particle, it is pronounced as 'de'.
4. 如果……就
如果还有黑点，那就是镜头的问题。If the mark remains, then the problem is due to the lens.
如果在电脑上看没有黑点，那可能就是相机显示屏的问题。If there is no mark on the computer, then maybe it's due to the screen.
如果……就 is a pair of connectors, meaning 'if…then'. 如果 is used to introduce the supposition, and 就 is put before the verb in the second clause.
5. 看, 看到, 看得到
看，这里，还是看得到。Look, here. You can still see it.
看 means 'to look'. 看到 means 'to see' and 到 is a resultative ending. To confirm the result, put 得 in between 看 and 到, hence 我看得到 'I looked and saw '; to negate the result, put 不 in between, i.e. 我看不到 'I looked, but couldn't see'.
6. 着
你拿着你的相机、保修卡和收据去两楼的客户服务部…… Take your camera with your guarantee card and your receipt to go to the customer services on the second floor…
There are two main actions in the example above: 拿 'to take' and 去 'to go to'. The second verb indicates the main action. The grammar particle 着 is put after the first verb 拿 to indicate that it is an accompanying action.
他抱着一大包书走了过来。He walked here, holding a big bag of books.
抱 'to hold ' is the accompanying action and 走 'to walk' is the main action.
Leon's experience
Listen to the dialogue 'Reporting faulty goods' and complete Leon's account of the events. Click on the gaps and select the correct options. You can listen to the audio to check your answers.
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hint 1
我上周新买了一个 ，可是发现拍出来的照片上总有一个 ，所以我把相机 商店，告诉店员我的相机可能 。店员帮我 。她 了几张照片，然后将照片传到了 上看。她发现斑点不是很 ，但 ，每张都有。她觉得可能是 的问题。她让我带着我的 和 去 ，我的相机可以 ，他们会帮我修理，或者 一个新的。
I bought a new camera last week, but found that there was always a black spot on the pictures. I therefore took back the camera to the shop and told the staff that it might have some problems. The employee checked the camera. She tried to take a few pictures, and then transferred them onto the computer. She found the spots were not very obvious, but were indeed visible on each picture. She thought it might be a problem with the lens. She told me to take my guarantee card and receipt to customer services, and as my camera was under guarantee they would repair it for me, or replace it with a new one.
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