●Apologies 真正的道歉
With apologies, you admit to doing something to upset another person. 如果你做出道歉,那就表示你承認自己做了某些打攪到別人的事。
Apologies can be informal:
Sorry一詞比較口語,多用于非正式化的道歉,例如:
I am sorry that I was late. 對不起我遲到了。
I shouldn't have done that. Sorry, I'll never do it again. 我不該做出那種事的。對不起,以后不會了。
Apologies can be formal:
Apology(名詞)以及apologize(動詞)常用于正式化的道歉,例如:
I do apologize for this interruption, Mr Jones. 很抱歉打斷你了,瓊斯先生。
Mr Jones sends his apologies for not attending the meeting. 瓊斯先生為不能出席會議致歉。
Things to say with apologies:
①解釋原因:
We apologize for the delay, which has been caused by a traffic jam. 很抱歉,我們因為堵車而延誤了時間。
I'm sorry about my homework, Ms Li, the dog ate it. 李老師,對不起我沒交作業(yè),它被狗吃掉了。
② 表示并非有意而為之:
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. 對不起,我不是故意吵醒你的。
可以用提問的方式:
Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you ok? 噢對不起,你沒事吧?
Sorry I'm late. Were you waiting long? 對不起我來晚了,等很久了嗎?
也可以用感嘆句:
Oh no! I do apologize. Let me help you pick it up. 噢不!非常抱歉,我?guī)湍銚炱饋戆伞?/p>
③ 插入一些詞加強道歉的語氣:
I'm sorry.
I'm very sorry.
I'm really very sorry.
I'm really so very sorry.
I'm really so very sorry indeed.
I apologize.
I do apologize.
I do most sincerely apologize.
I do most sincerely and abjectly apologize.
Excuse me
We say Sorry because we feel bad that someone is upset. We Excuse me if we think we are about to upset someone. 因為打攪到別人而難過,我們說Sorry;因為將要打攪到別人,我們說Excuse me。例如:
Excuse me, do you have the time? 對不起,能占用你一點時間嗎?
另外可以用please來加強語氣,例如:
Excuse me please, I need to get off. 對不起(讓一下),我要下車。
* 這里要說明下,在Sorry和Excuse me的使用上,英英和美英是有區(qū)別的:
英國人很喜歡用Sorry,所以有時他們會用Sorry代替Excuse me,例如:I'm sorry, but do you think you could move your car?
而美語中則可以用Excuse me表示Sorry的意思,例如:Excuse me, I didn't see you there。
又如,當你沒有聽清或理解別人的話時,英國人用"Pardon?"或者"Sorry?";美國人則用"Pardon?"或者"Excuse me?"。
● Not really apologizing 看似道歉非道歉
① 道歉是為了攻擊:
有時人們在發(fā)起攻擊性言論前會先說句道歉,有時他們跟你說對不起其實是說你應該向他們道歉。例如:
Excuse me, you are sitting in my place. 不好意思,你坐的是我的位子。
如果是真的道歉,那么所使用的語調(diào)應為降調(diào),所以如果你聽到的"sorry"是升調(diào),那就表示對方是在攻擊你;另外,非道歉的道歉常常會加上一個but,例如:
I'm sorry, but you will have to leave. 不好意思,但你必須離開。
②道歉是為了引出壞事:
I'm sorry, your car needs expensive repairs. 抱歉,你的車修理起來要很多錢。
I'm sorry to say he won't pass the exam. 抱歉,我不得不說他考試肯定不及格。
③ 道歉只是表示遺憾:
Sorry一詞不一定表示道歉,有時它只表示遺憾、悲嘆、懊悔。你希望某些已經(jīng)發(fā)生了的事從未發(fā)生,所以你說Sorry。例如:
I'm sorry to hear about your accident. 聽說你出了事故我很難過。
I feel sorry for people with no homes. 我為那些沒地方住的人感到悲哀。
對于Sorry的兩種意思,我們可以通過丘吉爾在國會上致歉時說的一句妙語來感受下,你能讀出其中的雙重含義嗎:You say that I called you an idiot. It is true and I am sorry。
答案:【此句中的"It"和"sorry"都可以有2種理解,于是就可以得到2句意思完全不同的話:a. 你說我把你叫做白癡,確有此事,我對我所說的表示道歉。b. 你說我把你叫做白癡,你確實就是個白癡,我為你感到難過?!?/p>