The telephone rings and this marks the prelude to an unforeseen series of catastrophes.

ring ^{vi./vt. 响铃}

• The doorbell rang. ^vi.响铃
• ring the doorbell. ^vt.按响

go off ^{突然爆炸或发出巨响、发出特定的声音}

• The alarm clock went off.
• He heard the alarm go off. ^{他听见警报器响了。}

strike ^v.打响

• The clock is striking the hours. ^打点报时
• The clock began to strike twelve.

marks ^{v.标志、标记}

• It marked the end of the great tradition of ships with sails and the beginning of a new era.
• The foundation of the People's Republic of China marked the beginning of a new historical period in China.

mark the prelude to ...^预示着⋯

• The dark clouds marked the prelude to a heavy storm.
• The Lugouqiao Incident marked the prelude to China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

While you are on the phone, the baby pulls the tablecloth off the table, smashing half your best crockery and cutting himself in the process.

be on the phone ^{在打电话（持续进行）}

• answer the phone ^接电话

While you are answering the phone, ...

• answer the door = I'll get it. ^应门
• May I speak to Mr. John Smith? ^{我可以和约翰·史密斯先生讲话吗?}
• This is I'm John Smith speaking. ^{我是约翰·史密斯。}
• This is he me. ^{这就是他。}
• speaking ^请讲
• Who is it? Who are you? ^你是谁？
• Who is there? = Who is calling? ^是谁？
• One moment, please. ^请稍等
• Hold on / Hang on, please.  ^请等一下
• John, there's a phone call for you. ^{约翰，有你的电话。}
• John, you are wanted on the phone.^{约翰，有你的电话。}
• John, Tom's on the line. Pick up the phone on your desk. ^{约翰，汤姆来电话了。拿起你桌上的电话。}
• Sorry, Mr. Smith is in a meeting right now. Would you like to leave a message / May I take a message? ^{对不起，史密斯先生正在开会。你要留言吗/我可以帮你留言吗?}
• Can you connect me with John Smith in the advertising department? ^{你能帮我接广告部的约翰·史密斯吗?}
• I'd like to place / make a collect call to Australia.^{我想打一个对方付费电话到澳大利亚。}
• The connection is very bad. I can barely hear you. ^{信号很差。我几乎听不见你说什么。}
• There's something wrong with the phone. Let's hang up. I'll call you right back. ^{电话有点问题。我们挂电话吧。我马上给你回电话。}

in the process ^{at the same time 与此同时}

• I stood up to say hello and spilt my drink in the process.
• In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals.

You hang up hurriedly and attend to baby, crockery, etc. Meanwhile, the meal gets burnt.

hang up =put the phone down ^挂电话

• slam the phone down ^{砰地挂断电话：生气或失望时用力挂断电话。}
• get cut off ^{（电话）断线了}

hurriedly ^{do sth. in a hurry / rush 匆忙地}

• in haste ^匆忙
• There's no hurry / rush. ^不着急
• What's the hurry / rush? ^{着什么急啊？}
• Take your time. ^{慢慢来，不着急}

A:'Excuse me, ma'am. Ticket, please.' B:  'Would you kindly hold these keys, please? I have a ticket, I know. I was in the smoking section.' A: 'It's OK, lady. Take your time.'

etc. ^{来自拉丁文 et cetera 等等}

• and so on
• and so forth
• and the like
• and what not

As if this were not enough to reduce you to tears, your husband arrives, unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner.

As if ^{好像（引导方式状语从句可以用虚拟语气）}

• 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.
• He acted as if he had never lived in England before.
• Don't act as if you were the only pebble on the beach.

reduce sb. to sth. ^{使某人不快或使某人处于不良状态或情况}

• reduce sb. to tears ^{使某人落泪}
• reduce sb. to despair ^{使某人绝望}
• reduce sb. to silence ^{使某人沉默}

unexpectedly / unforeseen ^{出乎意料地、意外的}

• The plane was unexpectedly delayed.^{飞机意外地延误了。}
• Radiation may damage cells in a way that was previously unforeseen. ^{辐射也许会以以前未预见的方式损坏细胞。}