The 15:00 Deadline and the Missing Signature
Lin, an exchange student at a Nanjing university, has until today to submit a scholarship form. At 11:40 she reaches the office and hears a clerk say rapidly: “三点之前交到教务处，不然就下周了。哦，你顺便问一下王老师签字的事。” The office is closed 11:30–13:30. Lin’s class ends at 12:50, and her phone has 8% battery. A classmate says the deadline is actually tomorrow, but the classmate often mixes up notices. Teacher Wang normally answers email only before 10:00 and is in meetings all afternoon. The main office and Wang’s office are in different buildings, 15 minutes apart. Lin needs to submit the form, obtain Wang’s signature if required, and keep enough phone battery to show an electronic receipt.
1. What should Lin do first, and what exact clarification should she request from the clerk? Explain why.
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Lin should first ask the clerk two closed questions before leaving the window: (1) “请问奖学金表必须今天15:00前交到教务处，还是可以先交到您这里？” (2) “王老师的签字是提交前必须有的吗？如果他下午开会，有没有替代办法？”
Reasoning: the overheard sentence contains two separate issues-the 15:00 deadline and Wang’s signature-and Lin cannot assume they are linked. Her class ends at 12:50, the office reopens at 13:30, and the buildings are 15 minutes apart, so she has a workable but tight window only if she knows the sequence. The classmate’s “tomorrow” claim conflicts with the clerk’s statement; a written confirmation or receipt is stronger evidence. With 8% battery, she should screenshot the receipt and avoid using the phone for unrelated tasks. If the signature is required and Wang is unavailable, she should ask the clerk to note the attempted compliance or identify an authorized alternate.
2. Draft a two-sentence clarification message to the clerk in Chinese or English that resolves the ambiguity without accusing anyone.
Read the worked answer
Chinese: “老师您好，我是林同学：刚才听您说奖学金表要在今天15:00前交到教务处，我想确认王老师的签字是否必须在提交前完成。如果必须，而他下午开会，请问是否有替代签字或先交后补的办法？谢谢您。”
Why this works: it names the specific deadline, turns the ambiguity into a yes/no question, and offers a practical alternative rather than blaming the clerk for speaking quickly. It also creates a written record that Lin can show if a dispute arises. English gloss: “Hello, I am Lin. I heard the scholarship form must reach the academic office by 15:00 today. Must Teacher Wang’s signature be completed before submission? If so, and he is in meetings all afternoon, is there an alternative signature or a submit-first, sign-later option?”