The meeting has run two hours and one item is left. Each defends their own timetable; the manager decides.
Manager Zhang
时间到了，我们是不是可以结束了？
Shíjiān dào le, wǒmen shì bùshì kěyǐ jiéshù le ?
We are past time, can we wrap up?
Chen Hao
还有最后一个议题没讲。
Háiyǒu zuìhòu yī gè yì tí méi jiǎng.
There is one last item we have not covered.
Manager Zhang
这个议题十分钟讲得完吗？
Zhè gè yì tí shí fēnzhōng jiǎng de wán ma ?
Can that item be covered in ten minutes?
Chen Hao
讲不完。至少要半个小时。
Jiǎng bù wán. Zhìshǎo yào bàn gè xiǎoshí.
It cannot. It needs half an hour at least.
Xiaoyu
我三点还有一个客户的电话。
Wǒ sān diǎn háiyǒu yī gè kèhù de diànhuà.
I have a call with a client at three.
Manager Zhang
那今天先到这儿。
Nà jīntiān xiān dào zhèr.
Then we stop there for today.
Chen Hao
可是这个事下个星期就要交了。
Kěshì zhè gè shì xià gè xīngqī jiù yào jiāo le.
But this one is due next week.
Manager Zhang
那就把它放到明天早上九点，只叫三个人。
Nà jiù bǎ tā fàng dào míngtiān zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn, zhǐ jiào sān gè rén.
Then move it to nine tomorrow morning, with only three people.
Xiaoyu
这样好。今天前两个议题，一个人就讲了四十分钟。
Zhèyàng hǎo. Jīntiān qián liǎng gè yì tí, yī gè rén jiù jiǎng le sìshí fēnzhōng.
That is better. On the first two items today, one person alone spoke for forty minutes.
Manager Zhang
我知道。以后每个人最多十分钟。
Wǒ zhīdào. Yǐhòu měi gè rén zuìduō shí fēnzhōng.
I know. From now on, ten minutes maximum each.
Chen Hao
那得有人看着时间。
Nà de yǒu rén kàn zhe shíjiān.
Someone will have to watch the clock.
Xiaoyu
我来看。到时间我就提醒。
Wǒ lái kàn. Dào shíjiān wǒ jiù tíxǐng.
I will do it. When the time is up I will say so.
Manager Zhang
好。会开得短，事才做得快。
Hǎo. Huì kāi de duǎn, shì cái zuò de kuài.
Good. Short meetings, and the work moves.
Between the verb and its complement of result you slip in 得 or 不: 讲得完 (we can get through it), 讲不完 (we will not). It is not a question of permission, like 能, nor of ability, like 会, but of objective conditions: there is not the time. The question is put exactly so, 讲得完吗, with no extra 吗 elsewhere.
一个人就讲了四十分钟: one person alone spoke for forty minutes. Placed before a number or a duration, 就 underlines that the quantity is already considerable and implies criticism without stating it. It is the small word that carries the whole weight of Xiaoyu's remark.
Line 11 says 得有人看着时间, where 得 is read děi and means "have to". Line 13 says 开得短, where 得 is read de and introduces the manner. Same character, two readings, two functions, often in the same sentence. The audio of this lesson is the best place to tell them apart by ear.
