Politeness is generally very important, especially if you want people to help you with something.

一般來說，禮儀是非常重要的，尤其在你希望人們幫你做事時。

If you want someone to do something for you, there are different ways of expressing it in English, depending on how polite you want to be.

如果你想某人為你做什麼事，英文當中有不同的表達方法，這取決於你想多有禮貌。

If I say, "Open the window," it's quite direct, isn't it?

如果我說：「把窗戶打開」，這蠻直接的，對吧？

It's the imperative form, which is more or less an order.

這是祈使句，或多或少算是命令。

"Open the window, please!"

「請打開窗戶！」

Adding the word "please" does make it more polite, but it's still quite direct.

加上「請」字的確讓它更有禮貌，但還是蠻直接的。

"Can you open the window, please?"

「請你打開窗戶，好嗎？」

Now we are getting more polite, but why is this more polite?

我們現在越來越有禮貌了，但這為什麼是更有禮貌的？

Well, one reason is because this is now a question.

嗯，一個原因是，這現在變成了問句。

So, it's more of a request than an order.

所以它更像請求，而不是命令。

And because it's a question, it's easier to say no.

而且因為它是個問題，要拒絕也比較容易。

Let's now use "could" instead of "can".

我們顯在用 could 來取代 can。

"Could you open the window, please?"

「請你打開窗戶，好嗎？」

"Could" is more polite than "can", and this is where it begins to get interesting.

Could 比 can 更有禮貌，而這正是開始變得有趣的地方。

Why is "Could you open the window, please?" more polite than "Can you open the window, please?"

為什麼 Could you open the window, please? 比 Can you open the window, please? 更有禮貌呢？

Well, it's all to do with the relationship between "can" and "could", and the idea of distance, of remoteness.

嗯，這一切都和 can 與 could 之間的關係以及距離遠近的想法有關。

"Could" can be described as the remote form of "can".

Could 可以被描述為 can 的疏遠形式。

Sometimes, that distance is "time".

有時，那個距離是「時間」。

"I can swim."

「我會游泳。」

That's an ability I have now.

這是我現在擁有的一種能力。

"I could swim when I was four."

「我四歲的時候會游泳。」

That's an ability I had at a time in the past.

這是我在過去某個時間點擁有的能力。

Sometimes, that distance is between what is real and what is imagined.

有時候，這種距離是在真實和想象之間。

"I can't do that in my head."

「我不能在我腦中進行運算。」

This is something that is not possible for me to do now.

這是我現在不可能做到的事情。

"I couldn't do that even if I had a calculator."

「即使我有一台計算器，我也無法算出來。」

This is something that's not possible for me to do, even in an imagined situation where I have a calculator.

這是我不可能做到的事情，即使是在我擁有計算機的想象情況中。

And sometimes distance is in "relationship".

而這個距離有時是在「關係」中。

"Can you open the window, please?"

「Can you open the window, please?（請你打開窗戶，好嗎？）」

"Could you open the window, please?"

「Could you open the window, please?（請你打開窗戶，好嗎？）」

"Could" puts more social distance between speaker and listener.

Could 在說話者和聽話者之間加入更多的社會距離。

That makes it more polite as it's less uncomfortable for someone to say no.

那使得它變得更有禮貌，因為某人要拒絕也變得舒適多了。

Now, we're not talking about actual distance here.

我們現在不是在討論實際距離。

We're not saying you have to be physically further away to be polite, but it is a good way to visualize it.

我們並不是說你的人必須在更遠的地方才會有禮貌，但這是可視化的好方法。

The further the speaker is away, the easier it is to say no, and "could" puts you further away.

發言人離得越遠，就越容易拒絕，而用 could 會讓你的距離更遠。

Open the window!

把窗戶打開！

Open the window, please!

請把窗戶打開！

Can you open the window, please?

請你打開窗戶，好嗎？

Could you open the window, please?

請你打開窗戶，好嗎？

And in English, we can make that distance even further, too, using past forms and modal structures.

而在英文當中，我們可以透過使用過去式和情態詞把這個距離拉得更遠。

I was wondering, if you wouldn't mind, opening the window, if it's not too much trouble.

我想知道你是否介意打開窗戶，如果不會太麻煩的話。

For a simple request like opening a window, that one is probably a bit over the top.

對於一個打開窗戶這樣簡單的請求，這句話可能有點過頭了。

One very important thing to remember, perhaps more important than the words themselves, is the way they are spoken.

要記住一件非常重要的事情，也許比起文字本身都還重要，就是說話的方式。

It's only polite if the tone of voice is polite.

只有在語氣有禮貌的情況下，才是有禮貌的。

You can make a polite form of words less polite if you stress it in a different way.

你可以透過不同強調語氣的方式，讓禮貌形式的用語變得不那麼有禮貌。

For example, "Can you open the window?" "Could you please open the window?"

例如：「你可以打開窗戶嗎？」、 「可以請你打開窗戶嗎？」

So, sounding polite is a combination of words and the way you say them.

所以說，聽起來有禮貌是文字和講話方式的組。

And when it comes to words, "could you" is more polite than "can you", and longer phrases with past forms and modals are more polite still.

而涉及文字時，could you 較 can you 有禮貌，而擁有過去式和情態詞的長片語更加有禮貌。