2011年商务英语中级口语辅导：削价竞争

    F： I Don't know how they do it！ Our competitors have undercut us by 10% percent on the price of our latest model. There is no way will be able to compete against that. We're barely breaking even with the present prices. F： These price wars are disastrous for our bottom line. If they're charging 10% less than we are， we've got to find a way to lower our price while keeping our profit. M： Profits are alomst nonexistent now， we can't beat their price. How do they keep their price so low？

    F： We can try to lower our cost of production then. We need a price that we can compete with， something comparable with the competition. M： You really think we can make it？ I don't have much faith in our ability to lower the price again. We're no match for them， the competition will beat us hands down.我真不知道他们是怎么搞的！我们的竞争对手的价格比我们最新一款的产品价格低10%.那样我们根本不可能与他们竞争。就目前的价位我们刚刚能维持不赢不亏。

    这些价格战对我们底线的影响是灾难性的。如果他们比我们的要价低10%，那我们只能在维持利润的同事找到一种降低价格的办法。

    现在利润几乎是谈不上了……我们不能杀他们的价。他们怎么能把价格定的那么低？

    那我们可以试着降低生产成本。我们需要一个有竞争力的价格，能够和对手相比的价格。

    你真的认为我们能成功吗？ 我对我们再次降价的能力没有多少信心。我们绝不是他们的对手，他们不费吹灰之力就能打败我们。

    undercut：to sell goods or services at a lower price than your competitors 削价竞争；以低于（竞争对手）的价格做生意to undercut somebody's prices 以低于对手的价格求售We were able to undercut our European rivals by 5%. 我们能以低于我们的欧洲对手 5% 的价格出售。break even：to complete a piece of business， etc. without either losing money or making a profit 收支平衡；不赔不赚The company just about broke even last year. 这家公司去年接近收支平衡。

    hands down：轻而易举地，不费吹灰之力的；My brother always beats me at basketball， hands down. 打篮球，我哥哥总是轻而易举就打败我。

    They won the game hands down. 他们在比赛中轻而易举地获胜。