1.多用情态动词
多用may,might,could,would等情态动词,它们可以弱化你的口气荑樊综鲶,让「坏消息」听起来没有那么糟糕。
考虑下面的句子:
I want more help to finish the report.
这让对方感觉你的口气是在命令,如果你是和老板这样讲话,可能以为这年底的奖金要泡汤了。因此,你最好能弱化这种口气。
It would be nice to have more help to finish the report.
I could use more help to finish the report.
再看上面那个「Please give me a cup of coffee.」我们加入情态动词,并且将please放到句尾,对方你的咖啡师(barista)马上会觉得你非常得体。
Could you give me a cup of coffee, please?
Would you give me a cup of coffee, please?
2.多用softeners
「I’m afraid」是常用的一个softener,用来弱化你的消极语气,我们一般用在句子的开头,类似的softener还有:frankly speaking,with all respect,to be honest等等。看这个过于直接的表述:
I haven't finished the presentation.
改正一下:
I'm afraid I haven’t finished the presentation.
另外再看两个例子,你可以自行体会:
With all respect, I don’t think you have the experience for the role.
To be honest with you, I think Simon’s strategy is better than yours.
将softeners放在坏消息前面,就可以给对方一个心理预期,这样就减弱了负面消息本身的影响。
3. 多用modifiers
顾名思义,modifiers用来modify后面词的影响力。常见的modifiers有 a little bit, slight, slightly, probably, a little, a bit, small, one or two等。
原句:We are having problems with the presentation.
改为:We are having one or two problems with the new presentation.
原句:You are too slow.
改为:You are a little bit too slow.
4. 改述否定句
当你要表明一个否定的意思时,相比直接说出来,你可以通过改述(rephrase)的方式让句子意义听起来更加积极一些。
I'm afraid I haven’t finished the presentation.
更近一步,改为:
I’m afraid I haven't been ableto finish the presentation yet.
其中的「be able to」弱化了结果而突出了自己的努力——我一直在做,只是由于客观原因我才无法完成。最后的「yet」表明自己此时此刻依然在努力完成。
由此推知,如果否定句中有「can't」或者「won't」,我们可以考虑用「be able to」代替,看例子:
原句:
I can't supply a full set of results.
改为:
I am not able to supply a full set of results.
I am unable to supply a full set of results.
原句:
I am unhappy with the report.
改为:
I am not entirely happy with the report.
I am not totally happy with the report.
5. 将建议,命令类的话用反问的方式提出
看例句:
We should change our marketing plan!
句子听起来是以命令的口吻,如果你是向平级的同事或者客户提出类似的建议,那么最好不要这么直接,可以尝试改为:
Shouldn't we change our marketing plan?
原句:
We must take this strategy.
改为:
Couldn't we take this strategy?
Wouldn't it be better for us to take this strategy?
6. 用一般过去进行时
看例句:
I hope we can finish the presentation today.
改为:
I was hoping that we could finish the presentation today.
用过去进行时可以让口气听起来多一些可供商量的空间,譬如:
原句:
I think we need to hire more employees.
改为:
I was thinking we need to hire more employees.
原句:
I aim to finish this project by the end of the month.
改为:
I was aiming to finish this project by the end of the month.
