现在啊 是我们这供电局人手 严重不足
“The Power Supply Bureau is severely understaffed right now.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
想研究就在这儿研究 来 不是 给王局长打电话
“Think about it right here. Come on. No. Call Mr. Wang.”
现在啊 是我 们这 供电局 人手 严重不 足
“The Power Supply Bureau is severely understaffed right now.”
“There are many power poles to be installed.”
“Don't push this task onto us; we are already overwhelmed and cannot help you right now.”
In Chinese bureaucratic interactions, directly refusing a counterpart causes friction. Citing institutional limitations like lack of personnel serves as an objective barrier that saves face for both parties.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
power supply bureau / local electric power office
A common institutional term in China referring to the state-run agency responsible for local electricity infrastructure.
severely understaffed / facing a critical labor shortage
A standard, formal yet spoken justification frequently used in workplace contexts to deflect new tasks or explain delays.
Pauses the utterance to capture the listener's attention and soften the upcoming excuse.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“Solve problems yourselves. Why come to us?”
“Is this the Power Supply Bureau? This is Yuehai Town.”
“You know those Power Supply Bureau leaders well. Please, I beg you. Let me go to the bathroom.”
“To the Power Supply Bureau. And you? Me too.”
“Why didn't you stop them from going to the Power Supply Bureau?”
“in very short supply of electricity. So, a new power outage policy”