第二单元Speaking in a Polite Way
一、经典句型
1. You look great today.
2. You"re welcome.
3. I"m sorry, it was allmy fault.
4. It doesn"t matter.
5. May I help you?
6. Will you do me a favor?
7.You"ve been reallyhelpful.
8. Do you mind my smoking?
9. I"d appreciate it ifyou could turn down the radio a little bit.
10. Call me up sometime,OK?
11. I"m sorry to hearthat.
12. May I bother you fora moment?
13. Will you excuse usfor a while?
14. Wouldn"t you likesome coffee?
15. I"d rather have sometea,if you don"t mind.
16. I was wondering whatyour opinion of this dictionary is.
17. Don"t you want to gosee a movie?
18. Would you like tojoin us?
19. I"d love to. But I"llhave to go to the library tonight.
20. I hate to say this,but I really have to make a complaint.
1.Youlook great today.
这是一句称赞别人的话,在实际应用时,这类句子又有打招呼的效果。赞美和鼓励是西方生
活文化的重要方面,几乎所有的年轻女性都被称为:pretty girl/pretty woman; 即使你不算漂
亮,人们也会夸赞你nice, kind, cute...要是你换了新发型,朋友见到你就会讲You look great today!这类的句型。即使你的变化并不是让你更美,他们也会说: You look different!总之,老美老是能够想出办法赞美你。注意:当别人夸赞自己的时候,千万别忘了感谢人家的好意,说声:Thank you,而不能一味的说No,no, no,更不要问 where, where。
举例:
A: Hi, Melissa. You gotta hair cut? You look so different!
B: Thanks.
A: You look so pretty today!
B: Thanks,you look great,too.
2.You"rewelcome.
外国人在得到别人感谢的时候,一般会说 You are welcome,
表示“不用谢,我很乐意帮你的忙” 。在澳大利亚,人们也常用:
It"s ok. 这一句型来回应。
3.I"msorry,it"sall my fault.
Sorry 一词在英语国家很常用,在北美,道歉不一定非要说 Sorry;同样,Sorry 也不一定表示道歉。例如,有时 Sorry可以用来引起别人的注意。这时, Sorry的用法相当于 Excuse me。特别是在北美,Sorry经常被用来代替 Excuse me。当用疑问语气说 Sorry这个词的时候,一般时表示“我没听清,请再说一遍”的意思。表示歉意的程度一般有很多因素决定。比如,场合有多正式?双方的关系如何?当然,最重要的还是要看你犯的错误到底有多严重。错误越严重,相应的道歉也就应该越郑重。正式的道歉一般包括四个部分:
a) 首先用正式的语言表达歉意。可以直接说“I"m sorry” ,也可以说
I didn"t mean to ...” ;
I"m awfully sorry.
That was entirely myfault.
I do apologize.
b) 解释一下这个错误是如何造成的;
It was really careless ofme.
How clumsy of me!
I"m afraid I overslept.
c) 提出将采用何种方法来弥补这个错误;
d) 保证下次不会再发生类似的错误;
Such things will neverhappen again.
I will be more carefulnext time.
Of course, I will do abetter job.
I"m sorry, it was all myfault.
非常抱歉,我没想到会这样。
太对不起了,我并不是故意想伤害你。
我要郑重向你道歉,你能接受吗?
4.Itdoesn"t matter
一般情况下,别人道歉后,接受道歉的人都应该用礼貌的方式来表示原谅。
例如:Oh well, nevermind.
It"s nothing.等等。
举例:
A: I"m terribly sorry,Carla.
B: What"s happened, Rob?
A: I"m afraid I"ve brokena glass.
B: It doesn"t matter. Ican get another one.
A: I"m awfully sorry, butI seem to have mislaid your scarf.
B: Oh, don"t worry aboutthat.
A: I just don"t know whatto say. I"ll replace it, of course.
B: No, that"s quite outof the question.
That"s all right.
我不介意。
没关系。
5.May Ihelp you?
这样的句型经常出自服务行业的人员:餐厅、饭店、商场等工作人员看到客人的时候,总会在适当的时候问出:May I help you?这类的句型。
举例:
A: Good morning. May I help you?
B: I"d like to buy a pair of leather shoes.
A: Good afternoon. China World Hotel. Can I help you?
B: May I speak to Joanna Johnson?
6.Do youmind my smoking?
Do you mind my smoking?
I"d appreciate it if youcould turn down the radio a little bit.
这两个句子用来向别人提出询问和要求,大家可以看出来,当你想做的事情可能会给别人带来不便时,说话应该比较婉转客气,以表示你对他人的尊重。要注意,对 Do you/will you/would you mind+doing这个句型,如果你不同意对方,你应该回答 I"m afraid yes.如果你同意对方,直接回答:No, not at all. / Not at all, please / go ahead, please 。
7.I"dappreciate it if you could turn down the radio a little bit.
这句通过 “appreciate” 和 if 引导的从句来使得语气更委婉,容易让人接受。
举一个例子,如果前面有人挡住了你的视线,你可以这样表达:
Do you / will you / wouldyou mind move aside a little bit?
你也可以这样表达:I"d appreciate itif you could move aside a little bit.
举例:
A: You mind my opening the window?
B: Not at all.
A: Is it possible that you turn down the radio alittle bit? I"d appreciate it.
B: Sure.
8. I"m sorry tohear that.
在听到不幸的消息时,这是人们常用的一种表达方法,表示对别人不幸遭遇的同情。
例如别人说: When I was 6years old, my father passedaway. 那么听者就会回答: I"m sorry to hear that.
9. Will you excuseus for a while?
这句话看起来是要别人 excuse us,而实际上这是在向别人提出要求,请他回避,直白的意思就是:Leave us alone. Get out of my room/face,但是这样的语言十分直白,甚至有些粗鲁,只能和家人、朋友使用,或者是你在任性、发脾气时。例:
Will you excuse us for awhile? I want to have a personal conversationwithJoanna.
10. I"d love to.But I"ll have to go to the library tonight.
大家注意,这是一个典型的拒绝别人邀请的句型。先注意前半部分,一般都会认为是肯定回答的标志,但是再看后半部分,出现 But 并跟了一个完美的理由。一般在拒绝别人之前,并不直接回答 No,总是先对邀请虚伪地表达一下感激或赞赏,然后提出拒绝他人的合理理由。如果是接受邀请,则通常会用“Sure” , “Of Course” . “Why not”?等直接的肯定方式。
11. I hate to saythis, but I really have to make a complaint?
在英语国家,人们不大愿意向其他人表示抱怨,当然更没有人愿意听到别人的抱怨。因此,当他们提出抱怨的时候,他们常常使用一种表示抱歉的口吻。
(文章为魏斌老师原创,转载表明出处)