催收逾期尾款Following Up on an Overdue Invoice
Today's task: Follow up on an invoice that is six weeks late — say it plainly, agree on one firm date, and keep the relationship for next year.
The Setup
Where
A short video call you asked for, on a weekday evening your time. Next to the call window, your invoicing page is open. The invoice for the June training was sent in early August, the payment terms say thirty days, and the status still says unpaid.
Who
You build an AI tool and make videos about it on your own. Nora Bennett runs a small education company overseas. In June she bought a company license and you ran a three-hour training for her team. Nora runs the day-to-day work and signs off on spending; another team does the actual payment.
At stake
The last payment is four thousand two hundred dollars, and it is six weeks late. Your editor and your server bills come out of that same money, and your quarter closes in ten days. You also want their renewal next year, so this call has to move the money without burning the relationship.
Mood
Nora is warm and relaxed. There is quiet music in the background on her side. She apologizes easily and never argues, but every answer ends up as "next week" — she has no date in front of her.
Scene Hint
你戴着耳机坐在书桌前，通话计时器刚跳到三分钟，Nora 那边有很轻的背景音乐，说一句话就笑一下。屏幕上那张发票还亮着：八月开出，状态未付款，付款条件「三十天」。她一直在说会去处理、会去问财务，语气很轻快，但你自己数了数，这已经是第三次听见"下周"这个词。你要在这通电话里把它推到一个能写进日历的日子，同时让明年的续约还有的谈。
Dialogue
播放发闷或有电流感时：先在下拉里换一个带 ★ 的音色；如果用蓝牙耳机，让耳机回到音乐／立体声模式——通话模式会明显降低音质。
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Nora
Hi, good to see you. Sorry I am two minutes late — our team meeting ran long.
嗨，见到你真好。抱歉我晚了两分钟——我们团队会议拖长了。
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You
No problem. Thanks for making time today. I want to talk about the invoice for the June training. It is six weeks past due now.
没关系。谢谢你今天抽时间。我想谈谈六月那场培训的发票。现在已经逾期六周了。
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Nora
I know, and I am really sorry. Our finance person left in July, and things got messy after that.
我知道，真的很抱歉。我们做财务的同事七月离职了，之后就乱了。
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You
I appreciate that. I am not calling to blame anyone — I just want to sort out one clear date, so we are not doing this again next month.
我明白。我打这个电话不是要怪谁——我只想理出一个明确的日期，免得下个月又来一次。
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Nora
That is fair. I can send it to finance today. But honestly, they usually take about two weeks.
这话说得对。我今天就能把它发给财务。但说实话，他们一般要两周左右。
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You
Two weeks works. Let us say the tenth of October. And just a heads-up — if it goes past that, I will have to pause the next batch of videos for you.
两周可以。那就定十月十日。另外先跟你打个招呼——如果过了那天，我就得暂停给你们做的那批视频。
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Nora
Thanks for the heads-up. But pausing the videos? That sounds serious.
谢谢你提前说。但暂停视频？听起来挺严肃的。
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You
It is not a punishment. It is cash flow. If your payment is late, then I pay my editor and my server late too. And I do not want to chase this every month.
这不是惩罚，是现金流。你们付款晚，我付剪辑师和服务器的钱也就晚。而且我不想每个月都来催这件事。
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Nora
Okay. That is fair. And I want to be honest with you — the delay is not on my end. I have been chasing our finance team since July. Nobody approved it.
好，这话说得对。我也想跟你说实话——拖的原因不在我这边。从七月起我一直在催我们财务。但没人批。
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You
I believe you. I am not asking you to explain it again. I am asking for the tenth of October, and one line from finance if that date is not possible.
我信你。我不是要你再解释一遍。我要的是十月十日；如果那个日期不行，让财务给我一句话说明。
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Nora
The tenth is possible. I will walk it through myself. I am sorry it went past due at all.
十月十日可以。我自己去走这个流程。很抱歉一开始就让它逾期了。
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You
Thank you. A short note from you today would help a lot. Everything is ready on my end, so once finance moves, it is done. And I am glad we could sort this out.
谢谢。你今天能给我写封短邮件说明一下就好。我这边全都准备好了，只要财务一动就结束了。也很高兴我们把这件事理清了。
5 个重点表达
past due /ˌpæst ˈduː/
核心含义：已经过了该付款的日期，逾期的。
本课作用：把"晚了"从一句情绪（抱歉、不好意思）变成一个可以核对的事实。催款最怕绕，一开口就用它，对方就没有含糊的空间：不是"你方便的时候"，而是"这笔已经过期了"。
记忆提示：（联想）due 是到期日，past 是走过——走过那条线，就是逾期。账务和账单里固定用 past due，语序不能倒过来写成 due past。日常也可以说 a past due bill。
换情境例句："Half the class is past due on the reading, so the teacher moved the quiz back a week."（半个班都没按时读完材料，老师把测验往后挪了一周。——换到教学场景，被越过的是阅读截止日，不是付款日。）
sort out /ˈsɔːrt aʊt/
核心含义：把一团乱的事理清楚、处理掉，弄出一个结果。
本课作用：它比"聊聊这件事"更硬，又不像"要求你付款"那么对立。用"我想理出一个明确日期"，你既说出了目的，又给了对方一个台阶——重点是要结果，不是要吵架。
记忆提示：（联想）sort 是先分类，out 是把结果弄出来——像把一抽屉乱线一根根理开。常搭：sort out a date / sort this out today / we need to sort out who does what。别用它指"付款"本身，它说的是把流程理清。
换情境例句："There are two addresses saved in the app. Can you sort out which one the courier should use before tomorrow morning?"（应用里存了两个地址。你能在明早之前理清楚快递该用哪一个吗？——换到快递地址场景，要理清的是一份数据，不是账单。）
chase /tʃeɪs/
核心含义：（反复地）去追问、去催，这里指追着要钱。
本课作用：它说的不是你想要的，而是你不愿意做的那个动作。"我不想每个月都催这件事"比"请你快点付"更有效——因为对方真正不想承担的是被你反复提醒的麻烦。它把压力从"我的需要"换成"我们都想避免的事"。
记忆提示：（联想）chase 是追着人跑——催款就是追着人跑。语气偏口语，朋友之间也用：chase up my order。注意它是"多次去追"，一次性问一句不算 chase。
换情境例句："I have been chasing the landlord for three weeks about the broken heater, and he keeps saying he will call someone."（暖气坏了这事我催了房东三周，他每次都说会找人来看。——换到租房场景，被追的是一件事的进度。）
heads-up /ˈhedz ʌp/
核心含义：提前给人提个醒、先说一声。
本课作用：你要说"过了那天我就暂停做视频"，这句话听起来像威胁，加一句 "just a heads-up" 就变成预报：我不是在压你，只是提前把规则告诉你。同一句后果，有它和没它，对方的反应会完全不同。（本课为复习表达：此前在直播核对与改片反馈场景出现过，这里换了场景与例句。）
记忆提示：（联想）像有人抬手示意你"上面有东西"——先给你一个提前量。常搭：just a heads-up / thanks for the heads-up / give you a heads-up。它只是"提前通知"，不含要求，所以后面还要补一句你的实际动作。
换情境例句："Just a heads-up: the school trip form is due on Friday, and we cannot take students who have not handed it in."（先提醒一下：秋游表格周五截止，没交的学生我们没法带上。——换到学校通知场景，提前说的是要交的东西，不是后果。）
on my end /ɑːn maɪ ˈend/
核心含义：在我这一方、我这边（的情况或责任范围）。
本课作用：用来划责任线。对方说"拖的原因不在我这边"，你回"我这边都已经准备好了"，两边各说一句话，事情就更接近"那卡在谁那里"。它让话题从互相道歉转到找出真正的卡点。（本课为复习表达：此前在用户支持与改片反馈场景出现过，这里换了场景与例句。）
记忆提示：（联想）一件事像一根绳子，两头各叫一个 end——你这头就是 on my end。常搭：everything is ready on my end / the delay is not on my end / from my end it looks fine。换成别人的时候说 on your end，不用说 your side 再加 of the line。
换情境例句："The order left our warehouse on Monday — the hold-up is not on my end, so please check with the courier."（那批货周一就出我们仓库了——卡住的原因不在我这边，麻烦你们跟快递确认。——换到发货跟单场景，要划清的是物流环节的责任。）
实用句型（来自本课对话）
My Turn
Situation: Same call, same company — but the answer is different this time. Nora says finance has a spending freeze until the end of the month, so she cannot send the full amount now. She offers half, and the rest "sometime after November" — with no date attached.
They say: "I can get you two thousand one hundred now. The rest has to wait until November. That is the most I can do."
Your turn: Answer her. Three things: say yes or no to the half payment, ask for something firm about the rest of the money, and say what you will do about the videos in the meantime. Say it out loud first. (You can start with: "Half now helps, and —")