Accepting an Invitation 接受邀請

You must have had the experience of giving and receiving invitations. Do you remember the last invitation from a friend? How did you settle the visit with your friend?

一般說來，你確定接受某個邀請之后，需要跟邀請人確認date，time和place三項，并且表達你的pleasure or gratitude。

在上面的flash對話中，Liu接受了去Chris家里做客的邀請。下面展示了Liu和Chris之間兩個版本的對話。比較一下這兩個對話有何不同。

版本一：

CHRIS: Hi, Liu! How's it going?

LIU: Fine, thanks. You?

CHRIS: Can't complain. Listen Liu, I wonder if you would like to come round and have a meal sometime?

LIU: Yeah, thanks a lot, that would be great!

CHRIS: What about Saturday evening?

LIU: Sure, Saturday evening would be fine. What time?

CHRIS: Let's make it around six. That okay?

LIU: Great!

CHRIS: You know where I live, don't you?

LIU: Yeah. No problem. Thanks very much. I really look forward to that.

版本二：

Chris: Hi, Liu! How are you?

Liu: Fine, thanks. You?

Chris: Not bad. Listen Liu, I wonder if you would like to come to my home and have a meal sometime?

Liu: Yeah, thanks a lot, that would be great!

Chris: Would Saturday evening be fine for you?

Liu: Sure, Saturday evening would be fine. What time shall we meet then?

Chris: Let's meet at about six o'clock. Is that okay?

Liu: Great!

Chris: You know where I live, don't you?

Liu: Yeah. No problem. Thanks very much. I really look forward to that.

看出不同了嗎?版本一適用于相熟的朋友之間，而版本二則適用于正式場合。

除此之外，我們還應該了解西方做客的一個小禮儀：如果你和主人約好一個時間見面，那么你最好準時或者推遲5-7分鐘到達。It is polite in the West to arrive at the time specified or within five or seven minutes after that time. 不要提前到達哦。主人們正在抓緊最后的時間準備一切，所以給他們多一些準備時間吧。

由此可見，上面對話中when Chris says "Let's make it around six", he actually means "not before six"。

邀請典型例句：

I wonder if you would like to come around and have a meal sometime? 不知可否請您來家里吃頓便飯?

What about Saturday evening? 星期六怎么樣?

Let's make it around six. 咱們約在六點左右吧。