英国论坛
因为堵车，当我匆匆忙忙赶到签证处时，已过十点了。门口大婶给了我一个号，问我要不要签证表。(我的签证表是事先发传真到上海英国签证处索取，他们给寄来的。)房间里都是人，一共有三个窗口，象银行，中间隔着一扇大玻璃，交谈是通过Microphone进行的。最外面的一个窗口坐着一个中国小姐，是叫号收材料的。中间 的窗口没人。最里面的窗口用屏风和外面隔开，是面试的。里面还有一间单独的小房间，也是面试的。
等到12点，中国小姐叫到我的号了。赶紧将所有的材料从窗口递进去，小姐给我一张收据，表示签证费已交。然后继续等。
等到下午1:40，就只剩我一个了。连我后面来的三四个人都已走了。我是又饿又渴。总算听到签证官喊我的名字了。赶紧回答，“I am coming.”
现在可以看到屏风后的情景了。签证官是一个胖胖的英国大姐，边上是个瘦瘦的中国小姐，大概是翻译。(A：我，O：签证官)
A: Good afternoon, madam!
O: Good afternoon! Shall we speak in English?
A: English is OK for me.
O: (低头翻看我的材料)647!(指TOEFL成绩)That’s incredible!
A: Thank you!
O: @#$ do you @#$?
A: (刚才一时高兴，没听清她的问话。猜想是问Why do you choose to study in Britain?)As a professional engineer, I feel…
O: (很不耐烦地打断我)What will you do in Britain?
边上的中国小姐也高声说：你去英国干什么?
A：(心中一慌，脱口而出)I will do postgraduate study in Britain.
O:(点点头) In which university?
A:(已镇定下来) University of XXX
O: What major?
A: MSc in Advanced Computing
O: Why do you choose this University and the major?
A: University of XXX is one of the top 10 universities in UK. Besides its general reputation, it has a strong research ability in Computer Science. Well, what interests me most is its unique program offered which fits exactly with my future career plan. (准备过了，说起来就很顺)
O:(很感兴趣地) What’s this program about?
A: This program deals mainly with distributed multimedia system. (看看她没有反应，继续说) It has very wide applications in internet communications and entertainment industry.
O: How many schools have you applied?
A: Five
O: Five? (不知是嫌我申请的多了还是少了?)How many of them admitted you?
A: All of them.
Q: What are they?
A: They are University of XXX, XXX, XXX, XXX (前四所都是top 25 的学校) The last one is not a good university, University of Luton.
O: Luton is not a bad university. It's just new. It has a very strong academic reputation in XXX …(看来我的回答让签证官的爱国心受伤了。她滔滔不绝地讲Luton在XXX方面的成就，我只能一声不吭，面带微笑，洗耳恭听。总算等到她作总结了) Luton maybe not good in Computer Science, but it is good in XXX.
A: (只好点头表示同意，轻轻地说) But my major is Computer Science.
O: How much is the tuition fee for University of XXX?
A: Ninety-three hundred pounds.
O: Ninety-three? (表示不相信) Too expensive!
A: Yes. Ninety-three hundred. It is expensive.
O: (看我的录取通知书，纠正我)That is nine thousand, two hundred and ninety-three pounds.
A: (觉得很奇怪) Nearly ninety-three hundred.(突然明白她是错听成九万三了，赶紧重复一遍) It’s nearly nine thousand and three hundred.
O: (开始找银行存款证明) Er, the bank statement?
A: (把存款本递给她，以显存款证明真实) This is my account book. The bank issued my Certificate of Deposit according to this account book.
O: (看了一眼存款本) Very Good.(和中国小姐一起计算存款证明是否够付学费和生活费，费了不少时间)
O: Have you paid @#$ fee?
A: Do you mean have I paid the tuition fee?
O: No. The registration fee.
A: No, I haven’t paid any money.
O:(喃喃自语)Some schools require to pay, some don’t.
O:(把录取通知书还给我)Be sure to take the admittance letter with you when you arrive UK. Don’t put it in suitcase. In your should bag.
A: Thank you! I know.
O: How long do you plan to stay in Britain?
A: One year. (想到录取通知书上写的是12个月，再画蛇添足了一句) Twelve months.
O: One year or twelve months? I don’t see any difference between one year and twelve months.
A: One year, full time.
O: Do you have relatives in UK?
A: No.
O: What’s your job?
A: I WAS a professional engineer specialized in telecommunications field. (强调WAS)I have XXX years’ work experiences.
O: Which company?
A: XXX(看她低下头，想是在看雇主证明。于是实话实说)I was unemployed this year.
O:(提高声音)Unemployed for a whole year?
A: No, not a full year, about six months. I completed the contract with my company at the end of last year. Because I plan to study abroad this year, I cannot sign five year contract with my company. (事先准备了，不怕她问)
O: Five year contract? Too long.
O: You take it (指我的存款本)and I will take this one.(指存款证明)
A: Will you return my Certificate of Deposit to me when I get visa?
O: Sure will. I will take this one if you don’t mind. (指存款证明)
A:(看她收起了我的TOEFL成绩，我想把它拿回来)The TOEFL score is original.
O: Original? It looks like a photocopy.(去复印了一份，把原件还给我)
O: Come back here four weeks later. (给我一张小纸条，上面写着我的签证编号和取签证的日子)Go to that window to take your passport.(指最外面的窗口)
A: Do I need another visa interview?
O: No.
A: Thank you!
签证完看表，已是2点多了。房间里陆续来了不少人，是下午来面试的。虽然又饿又渴，但我庆幸只来了一次就搞定了。
等电梯时，正好看到签证官也在那儿。英国大姐似乎很疲惫。总不能装作没看见，“A tough job, isn’t it?” 英国大姐: “ It’s you! Today is a bad day for me. … I haven’t eaten lunch yet. Two o’clock now. The interviews in the afternoon…. I need to go out for a cigarette first ….”
出了电梯，英国大姐替我拉开门，让我先出去，和我再见，非常有礼貌。看英国大姐一个人在外面抽烟提神，想想自己的又饿又渴，看来签证官也不比我轻松。