电子邮件极大的方便了人们的沟通。对于电子邮件，最好是按照轻重缓急及时回复，因为过了某个时间点你可能就再也不会去看了。

Jeff: What did we do before email was invented?

杰夫：在电子邮件发明以前我们做什么？

Joan: I don't really know. I am too young to remember times before email.

琼：我真的不知道。我太小了，记不起电子邮件以前的事情。

Jeff: I suppose we made more phone calls and sent more faxes.

杰夫：我猜想我们多打电话、多发传真。

Joan: And we wrote letters and traveled to see people in person.

琼：而且我们写信，亲自去会见别人。

Jeff: Right! Email is such an effective way to communicate. I can't imagine life without it.

杰夫：没错！电子邮件是一种很有效的通信方式。我无法想象没有它的生活。

Joan: It can be a powerful¹ tool, but many people just don't have the skills to use it well.

琼：它可以是一种强大的工具，不过很多人就是缺乏技巧，不会好好使用它。

Jeff: I always try to reply to email within 24 hours, but sometimes I forget.

杰夫：我总是尝试在24小时内回复电子邮件，不过有时候我忘了。

Joan: That's OK. As long as you reply eventually, it is OK!

琼：没事。只要你最后回复就行！