English Wednesday lesson. I want to start with a question for you: imagine that one

Confident English 週三的課程，首先我想先問你們一個問題：想像

of your English-speaking colleagues at work invites you to a party this weekend

你其中一個母語是英文的同事邀請你週末去派對

and maybe you really don't want to go or maybe you're not sure if you can go but

或許你並不是真的想去，又或者你不確定你能不能去

you don't want to be offensive, you don't want to be rude; you just maybe need to

但你不想冒犯別人，因為你不想要沒禮貌；你也許需要多一點

have some time to think, maybe you need to check your schedule, or you just need

時間去想，你可能需要看你的行程，或是你就

to say no. How can you do that in English politely?

直接拒絕，那你如何禮貌地用英文表達呢？

In today's lesson, we're focused on polite ways to say "yes," "no," "maybe," or "I

在今天的課程中，我們著重在如何禮貌地用英文表達「好」、「不要」、「可能」

can't" in English. And these are perfect for situations at work or even

「我不行」，這些表達方式不論在工作中或其他情況

situations with people who you, know your neighbors or friends. Now you might be

都很適合和你的鄰居或朋友說，你可能會想

thinking: is there really more than one way to say yes or no in English? Yes!

是不是有很多用英文表達「好」的方式？當然！

There is more than one way, and we have some words or expressions that are great

通常有超過一種的表達方法，而我們也有一些字或表達

for casual, easy, everyday conversations with people that you really know well, and

適合用在非正式、輕鬆、日常與朋友的對話

then we have others that are perfect for more professional situations. So let's

我們也有適合專業場合的表達方式

take a look at a few examples in each of those categories. Let's start with the

讓我們來看看各場合下適合的表達方式，從在非正式場合

word "yes" and a couple of casual examples. So, maybe your colleague that you see

表達「好」的例子開始，可能你每天看見的的同事

every day, you have lunch with every day, asks you for some documents. She sends

你每天和他們一起吃飯，向你要一些文件，她寄

you an email and says could you send me the documents before lunch? And you could

email 給你說：「你可以在午餐前把一些文件傳給我嗎？」你可能會

say: "Yeah, sure, no problem." "Yeah, sure, no problem." Or, "Yeah, I'd be happy to."

說：「好啊」、「當然」、「沒問題」或是「我很樂意」

“Yeah, I'd be happy to.” In those examples, I used “yeah” which is just an informal, more

對！「我很樂意」在那些例子中，如果用「好啊」非常不正式，稍微

casual way to say yes. Now, if it is a new client asking you for some documents, you

不正式的話會說「好的」，現在如果是一個新客戶跟你要一些資料，

might not want to be so casual. So instead you could say, "Yes of course. I'll

你可能不會想要不正式的答覆，所以你可以說「好的，當然！」

get those to you this afternoon." Or "Certainly, I'll send those to you before

「我下午會交給你。」或是「沒問題，我會在午餐之前交給你。」

lunch." Now unfortunately there are times when we have to say no. "No, we can't come

然而很不幸地，有些情況下我們必須拒絕，「不，我們不行去週末的派對。」

to the party this weekend." "No, I can't change the date of the meeting." But the

「不，我不能更改會議的日期」

reality is, just saying "no" isn't always polite. So let's look at a few other ways

但現實是，光說「不」是不禮貌的，所以讓我們來看看其他

that you can do that. Simply adding those magic words — "thank you" — can help a lot.

能夠表達「不」的方法，簡單加上「謝謝」會禮貌很多

For example, "No, but thank you. I really appreciate the offer." "No, but thank you so

例如，「不，但謝謝。」「我很感謝你的提議。」

much for inviting me. Unfortunately we already have something planned this

「不，謝謝你的邀約，但我們週末已有計劃。」

weekend." "I wish I could but I just don't have time right now."

「我希望我可以去，但我真的沒有時間。」

"I wish I could but we have other plans this weekend." "Not right now but maybe

「我希望我能夠去，但我週末已有其他計畫。」「這次不行，下次約吧！」

another time. Maybe we could do that this weekend." And

「或許我們這週末可以約。」

finally, if you want to be really casual, you can use "nope" which is a very

最後，如果你不想要那麼正式地回，你可以用「不是」

informal way of saying no. For example, "Do you want another piece of cake?" "Nope! I've

這是說「不」的非正式用法，例如，「你還想吃蛋糕嗎？」「不用！我吃飽了」

had enough." Now, in professional situations let's look at some more

讓我們來看看在正式場合

formal ways of saying no that are also very polite. "I'm sorry but we won't be

應該如何禮貌地拒絕，「很抱歉，但我們不能改會議

able to change the date of the meeting." "I'm sorry but we won't be able to..." and

的日期。」「我很抱歉，但我們不能...」

whatever the request is. "I'm afraid that's not possible." "I'm afraid that we

無論請求是什麼，「恐怕這不可行」「恐怕我們無法

can't change the date." Now, what if you have an invitation, an offer, a request,

更變日期。」假設你有一個邀約、提議、要求

and you're just not sure. Maybe you want to think about it, maybe you really don't

但你就是不確定，也許你需要想一下，或許你真的不確定

know your schedule and you need to verify if you're free or not free to do

你的行程，而你需要確定自己是否有空赴約

something. Here are a few very simple words that you can use to say maybe, to

這裡有一些非常簡單的方式你可以表達「或許」

say that you're not sure, you're not ready to commit. For example, "Perhaps I

「不確定」或是「你還沒想好」。例如，

can make it. Let me check my calendar." Or "Perhaps it'll work. Let me think about it

「或許我可以去。」「讓我看看我的行程。」或是「或許我能去，讓我再想想。」

a little bit." "I'm not sure if I can come on Saturday. I'll double check my

「我不確定我星期六是否能到，我會再確認我的行程。」

calendar." And finally, let's talk about how to say "I can't." For example, imagine

最後，讓我們來談談如何說我「我不行」。例如，想像

that your boss asks you to do something at work, maybe to meet a deadline or to

你的老闆要求你做一些工作，並且在截止日之前

get a project finished earlier and the truth is you can't. But

完成工作，但事實上你不行

when we say that, when we use those words — "I can't" — especially in professional

當我們想表達自己無法完成時，可能會用這些字「我不行」，特別是

situations, it sounds a little bit like a failure. And "I can't" sounds very negative.

正式場合，這聽起來有點失敗，而我不能表現地我很沒能力

But we can change the words just a little bit. And this little change

我們可以改變說詞，而這小小的改變

removes some of the negativity and it makes it sound like you're doing what

消除了一些消極，使你聽起來你正在做

you can to accomplish the goal, to finish the project, meet the deadline, it's still

所有你能做的來完成目標、完成計畫，並在截止日前完成，一切

in progress. And those little words are: "I'm unable to" or "I'm not able to." For

仍在進行中，而那些微小的改變會是：「我沒辦法」或是「我不能夠」

example, "I'm unable to complete this this afternoon but I'll have it for you first

例如，「我沒辦法在今天下午完成這個，但是我明天一早會交給你。」

thing tomorrow morning." Or "I'm unable to complete this until I get more

或是「我會完成這個工作一但

information from the accounting office." "I'm unable to meet with you tomorrow but

我拿到會計室的資料。」「我明天無法和你見面但

I would love to next week." Just that little change takes away some of that

我下週可以。」這些字句的微小改變消除了一些

strong negativity, it softens the language so that it's more polite to use.

消極感，使你更婉轉也更有禮貌

And now you have several new ways to politely say yes, no, maybe, I can't in

現在你學到很多方法用英文去表達「好」、「不」、「或許」、「我不行」

English, and I have more examples for you in the online lesson. So after you've

我在線上課程中有更多例子，所以

watched this video, review the other examples and then as always I have a

你看完影片之後複習這些例子，然後就像以前一樣，我會在最後

challenge question for you at the end. Don't miss this opportunity to practice

給你們挑戰題，不要錯過練習的機會

using the language, join the conversation and get feedback from me. Thank you so

跟我用英文對話，我會給你一些建議，

much for joining me and I'll see you next Wednesday for your Confident

謝謝你們的觀賞，下週三

English Wednesday lesson.

Confident English 見