Jennifer在与Standard家用电器的会谈中，因对方想进一步了解Action电器的营运状况。身为公司代言人的Jennifer就必须向他们说明公司经营的历史、主要产品与营业项目等。 In answer to your questions, Action Appliances has been manufacturing top quality appliances for 15 years now. We began selling rice cookers from one small shop in Taipei. At that time, we were strictly a mom-and-pop operation. To keep up with overwhelming customer response, the company expanded rapidly. We improved our R&.D department and enlarged our product lines to include washers and dryers, refrigerators, and microwave ovens. Our appliances are geared toward households with high needs but minimal space. Taiwan is still our main market. As a matter of fact, you’ll find at least one Action appliance in one out of three households in Taipei alone. With a strong home base, we feel we’re ready to move overseas. Recent consumer research efforts prove that over 40% of the appliance market in Canada and the United States consists of highly efficient, compact products. You’ll find that our appliances meet these needs. 让我回答您的问题：Action电器生产一流的家电产品已有十五年的历史了。公司最早在台北以贩卖电饭锅起家，我们当时只是小成本的家庭电器行。 由于客户反应热烈，公司即很快地扩展。我们加强研发部门，扩大生产线，增加产品项目，像洗衣机及烘干机、电冰箱、微波炉等产品。我们的电器是专门针对要求高效率，但空间有限的家庭用户设计的。 台湾仍是我们的主要市场。而事实上，你会发现台北地区至少每三户人家中就有一户用Action的产品。 由于在国内的基础稳固，我们觉得向海外市场扩展的时机成熟了。最近的消费研究报导指出，美加地区的电器市场中有百分之四十以上是高效率的组合型商品。所以，您会发现我们的商品完全迎合这些需求。 短语解说 mom-and-pop 家庭式的，小型的 这个词组原指由家庭经营的小店，引申来泛指"小型的营运"。"Mom"和 "pop"是英文中对妈妈、爸爸的昵称。 When I was a kid, my neighborhood streets were lined with mom-and-pop stores. 我小的时候，邻近的街道都是家庭经营的小店。 keep up with 配合，保持 这个词组是指与别人的速度或层次能相配合、能赶得上。 We must keep up with demand if we’re going to remain a profitable company. 如果我们公司仍想赚钱，就得配合市场需求。 R&.D 研究发展（部门） 这是"research（研究）and development（发展）"的简写，是公司企业中专门负责开发新产品的部门，有时亦可指此类计划。 We need to increase funding to our R&.D department if we are going to compete with other innovative companies. 假如我们要和其它有创意的公司竞争，就要增加对研发部门的投资。 gear toward 专门朝向某事发展 "gear"本是"加装上马达，开始运作"的意思。这个词组是说专门为某事或某特定对象而设计发展；跟在"toward"之后的名词词组，即为发展的方向或所针对的对象。 Our textbooks are geared toward the business students. 我们的教科书是专为商科学生设计的。 home base 主要市场、总部 在商业术语中，这个词组可指某企业的"总公司"，或指一项商品大量销售的"主要市场"。 I’ll report back to home base after I complete the meeting with the European buyers. 等我跟欧洲买主商谈之后，我会向总公司报告结果。