★★ 常用商用片語大全 [1] BUSINESS ENGLISH ★★
[1] ahead of the curve
[2] get one's foot in the door
[3] inside track
[4] mind/watch one's P's and Q's
[5] scratch the surface of
[6] growing pains
1. ahead of the curve 走在時代尖端、最先進
e.g. Do you think our company is still ahead of the curve in adopting up-to-date technology in designing?
2. get one's foot in the door 邁出成功的第一步、取得地足點
e.g. Our well-known company name will get your foot in the door, but you must then earn recognition through your efforts.
3. inside track 有利的位置 (有某種程度的先天性優勢)
e.g. Jane's intimate relationship with the CEO put her on the inside track at the company.
4. mind/watch one's P's and Qs 謹言慎行、小心行事
e.g. Panasonic is a very important client of ours. We should watch our Ps and Qs at the dinner table tonight.
[源自於小孩子在學習寫字時，常常會分不清楚P跟Q的不同]
5. scratch the surface (of) 只觸及表面的問題、剛開始而已
e.g. Up to now, newspapers articles have just only scratched the surface of this extremely complicated issue.
6. growing pains（發展）初期必然會遭受到的困難 （e.g. 磨合期）
原先的意思是當青少年在發育時，腳部與膝蓋會有的一些疼痛; 在此處延伸為 "the problems that are experienced as something (such as a business or a project) grows larger or more successful"
e.g. Good planning can help companies get through the difficult growing pains that are common with a merger (合併).
[企業的合並有兩種方式，一種為merger, 一種為 acquisition]
