Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing, did you mention something about...
对不起,我无意中听到你们的谈话,你们是不是提到...
Last year a journalist had been instructed by a well-known magazine to write an article on the president's palace in a new African republic.
去年,一位记者受一家有名的杂志的委托写一篇关于非洲某个新成立共和国总统府的文章。