Sunday, December 24, 2006

英文要怎麼說,才能溫和有禮而堅定呢?

如何客氣而堅定的請人做或不做某件事?如何避免不自覺中因為莽撞的言語使人感覺不舒服? 來看看下面的例子吧:

I'm afraid I can't. / No.
如何表示拒絕呢? 簡單的「No.」容易令人感覺不舒服;「恐怕不行」(I'm afraid I can't.)比較好喔!

How about / You should…
You should (你應該…) 有比較強硬的命令語氣;How about / Did you try/ why don’t you則是提供客觀意見或建議喔!

Can you pass me...? / Give me...
請人遞東西給你的時候,應避免命令式的語氣(Give me the newspaper.),而使用請求的句子(Can you pass me the newspaper?)

Could you give me five minutes? / Go away.
在忙的時候有人一直來煩你,或者現在沒有心情講話嗎? 試著用Could you give me five minutes? 或 I need a moment, please. 來表達需要獨處一下;Go away是粗魯的叫別人「走開」喔!

I don't know… / I don’t agree.
想要表達不同立場? 除了直接告訴別人你不同意之外,你還可以說 I am not sure about it. / I don't know. 然後說出你的意見。如,有人在批評一位你覺得還不錯的老師時,你可以說:I don't know. I think he's a pretty good teacher.

I would like... / I want... 你可以說:「I want a cup of coffee」,但你也可以改口告訴服務生說:「(I'd like) A cup of coffee, please」; 他才不會在咖啡裡面吐口水喔!

Would you mind...? / Stop it!
「Would you mind not using your phone in the cinema, please?」是客氣的說; 「Stop talking on your phone in the cinema!」則是生氣了的語氣, 比較強硬喔!

Hold on, please. / Wait.
電話中或是在接待處, 哪一個比較有禮貌? 還可以怎麼說? 試試:
I'll be with you in a minute. / I'll be right back. / Just a minute, please. / One moment, please.

Excuse me. / Move.叫別人走開「Move (get) out of the way」是很粗魯的; 試試「借過」(Excuse me) 吧!

原文參考改寫自 「Mike Davis教授實用英語專欄 - 用英語讓你有氣質」
網址: http://englishtown.msn.com.tw/sp/teacher.aspx?articleName=152-polite&etag=None-art152-polite

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