close

 

 

第7輯 第5課 Is that what you are asking?
有時候我們會聽到一些令人啼笑皆非的對話，我們稱之為「雞同 鴨講」。人家分明問你的是選擇題，但你卻把它當是非題來回答，一會Yes、Yes、Yes，一會No、No、No，其實你在會議期間發白日夢，根本沒有聽 清楚人家的問題。假如你不確定對方的問題，最穩妥的做法是先把自己的理解覆述一次，然後問: "Is that what you are asking?"「這是你要問的問題嗎？」
其實這樣的問法能夠確立這個問題的本質，是非常恰當的表達方式。但是如果你根本連問題都沒有聽清楚的話，那又是另外一回事了。你只要再問他："Would you mind repeating your question?"「介不介意再把問題問一次呢？」
對話
A：Well, I´m a little bit hazy about your question. How much is the national income per capita - is that what you are asking?
甲：嗯，我對你的問題不是很清楚。
「每年的國民收入有多少」你要問的是這個嗎﹖
B：No, it´s not. What I´d like to know is if it has been rising in this country of late?
乙：不是。我想問這個國家的國民收入最近是增加了多少﹖
A：I understand. May I draw your attention to this chart?
Here, obviously it´s increasing rapidly.
甲：我明白了。請你看看這個統計圖好嗎﹖這兒，很明顯，增長得非常快。
你說甚麼？
人家說話，偶然聽不清楚並不奇怪。希望他再講一次，你可以說：I beg your pardon?, Pardon (me)?, Excuse me?, Sorry?, I´m sorry. I missed that, What did you say?, What was that?, Could you please repeat that?, Could you please repeat yourself?, What?等。
以上說法之中，What?的語氣最隨便，甚至可說沒有禮貌。Repeat oneself是「再說一次」的意思，例如：It is boring to hear him talk. He is always repeating himself.（他反反覆覆都是說那些話，使人厭煩。）I missed that的miss則有「未能聽到」或「未能了解」的意思，例如：I was late, and missed a lot of what he said.（我遲來，他的話很多都沒聽到。）
假如你不是聽不到人家的話，而是聽到了卻不明白，那你不妨馬上請他講清楚：I don´t follow (you) / I don´t get it. / I´m not sure I get your point. / I´m not sure I know what you mean. / Get 和 follow都是「明白」的意思。
人家問你Could you please repeat that?你可用I was just asking / saying...這句式回答，例如：
(1) I was just saying we are making good progress.（我剛才說我們進展順利。）
(2) I was just asking how things are getting on.（我剛才是問事情有甚麼進展。）
人家請你把意思講清楚，則可以用What I mean is...句式回答：What I mean is the company has to undergo some downsizing.（我的意思是公司得裁員了。）

 

 

　資料來源：生活美語（點我看真人對話）

arrow
arrow
    全站熱搜

    神隱鮮菇 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

    E-mail轉寄