名人教英文：你终于从日本回来啦
so you're back from japan at last
你终于从日本回来啦
alissa: hi dan! long time no see. so you're back from japan at last.
阿利萨﹕喂，丹，很久没见，你终于从日本回来啦。
dan: yes, my company transferred me last month. i had a great four years but managing a mainly japanese team was quite a challenge.
丹﹕不错，公司上个月把我调回来。我在日本过了精彩的四年，但要管理的职员多是日本人，颇不容易。
alissa: it's a very different culture. any surprises?
阿利萨﹕日本的文化和我们很不同，有什么意外事情吗？
dan: yes. once one of the young ladies in my team asked me to find her a husband.
丹﹕有。有一次，我手下一位年轻女郎请我给她找个丈夫。
alissa: what! i can't believe it. that must have been something really exceptional.
阿利萨﹕什么！真是难以置信。这该是很例外的事吧。
dan: well not in japan. it can be a boss's responsibility to do that.
丹﹕嗯，在日本可不然。老板有时要负责给职员觅配偶。
alissa: so she was expecting you to act as a marriage go-between. what did you do?
阿利萨﹕她要你做媒人，你怎么办？
dan: well i asked one of my japanese colleagues to help me and it all worked out in the end.
丹﹕啊，我请一位日本同事帮忙。最后水到渠成。
"long time no see"是中文「很久没见」的直译，完全不合英文文法，是所谓pidgin english（洋泾滨英语）。从前，中国人跟来华外商做生意，一般都是用这种中文为骨的「商业英语」交谈﹕pidgin就是business（商业）的洋泾滨读法。"long time no see" 一语，由英商带回英国，最初用来说笑，但现在已是约定俗成说法，等于"i haven't seen you for ages"。
"so you're back from japan at last" 的at last，和lastly、finally、in the end用法不同，必须注意。
at last、finally、in the end都有「终于」、「最后」等意思，可用来说过了一段时间才发生的事，但这事假如不值得高兴，不可用at last。例如﹕(1) i waited for more than an hour, and at last / finally / in the end the rain stopped（我等了一个多钟头，雨终于停了）。(2) he neglected his studies, and finally / in the end failed his examinations（他荒疏学业，结果考试不及格）。例句二不能用at last。
要说一连串步骤之中最后做的一件事，应用finally或lastly带出，不用at last和in the end，例如出版书籍，你首先要做打字、校对等工作，最后是送交印刷商﹕lastly / finally, you send it to the printer。
评论、演讲等的最后一点，应用finally、lastly或in conclusion带出，不用at last和in the end，例如﹕finally / lastly / in conclusion, i would like to point out that all the above could not have been achieved without the support of our staff（最后，我要特别指出，不是各员工支持，上述一切不可能成功）。