相信大家都跟家人朋友爭吵過
你是主動道歉的那方嗎？
想用英文道歉又只會說 I’m sorry？
現在帶你看看如何真心誠意用英文道歉
迷糊的 Mandy 總是惹惱直話直說的 Kevin，昨天開完會後，兩人之間莫名的尷尬…
Cindy: Mandy has been really upset since yesterday’s meeting.
Cindy: Mandy 從昨天開完會後就一直很難過。Kevin: Uh huh… so what?
Kevin: 嗯哼，所以呢？Cindy: Ummm… if I were you, I would apologize to her.
Cindy: 嗯……如果我是你，我會跟她道歉。Kevin: Hello? What planet are you living on? Why should I apologize to her? She was so out of the loop at the meeting. When we were brainstorming, the only ideas she came up with were terrible and impractical!
Kevin: 是在哈囉？你住在哪顆星球啊？為什麼我要跟她道歉？她昨天開會超級狀況外欸。我們在集思廣益的時候，她也只會提那些很爛又不切實際的想法。Cindy: I know, but that is Mandy. She is always slow on the uptake.
Cindy: 我知道啊，但 Mandy 就是這樣，她領悟力比較差嘛。Kevin: Yeah, so that’s why I pointed out her mistakes. I’m just calling a spade a spade.
Kevin: 對，所以我才點出她的問題啊，我講話就是這麼直接。Cindy: But words can hurt Kevin. I know Mandy needs to improve, but you could have used a gentler tone.
Cindy: 但是 Kevin，話語是可以傷透人心的，Mandy 的確需要改進，但是你說話語氣的語氣也可以不要那麼衝。
be out of the loop (phr.) 搞不清楚狀況；在狀況外
loop 是「迴圈；環形」的意思，be out of the loop 就像是指某人在跑道外，意指他人「搞不清楚狀況；在狀況外」。
He is out of the loop because he is not in the group chat.
因為他不在群組裡面，所以他才搞不清楚狀況。Keep me in the loop on any updates to the plan.
請隨時讓我知道這個計畫的任何變動。
be slow on the uptake (phr.) 領悟力較差；慢半拍
名詞 uptake 是「吸收率；攝取率」，因此 be slow on the uptake 就是形容人吸收資訊的速度很慢，中文會說「領悟力較差；慢半拍」。而相反的，「領悟力快」就次 be quick on the uptake。
The student is slow on the uptake, so the teaching assistant had to go through the homework with him several times.
這名學生領悟力比較差，所以助教得和他解釋功課解釋好幾次。
call a spade a spade (phr.) 講話直接；直言不諱
call a spade a spade 用來形容那些「講話直接；直言不諱」的人，儘管那些話聽來刺耳難受，他們也總是直話直說，毫不委婉。
Sometimes it’s good to call a spade a spade, but you also have to consider the feelings of others.
有時候直話直說當然很好，但你也要顧慮到他人的感受。
聽完 Cindy 的一番話後，Kevin 還是決定拉下臉來跟 Mandy 道歉。
Kevin: Mandy, can I talk to you quickly?
Kevin: Mandy，可以和你說一下話嗎？Mandy: Hi Kevin, let me just say first that I should have been more focused in the meeting yesterday.
Mandy: 嗨 Kevin，讓我先說我昨天開會應該要更專心的。Kevin: Okay, thanks for being honest. But I also wasn’t perfect. I shouldn’t have used that tone of voice with you.
Kevin: 好，謝謝老實說，但我也不太對，不該用那種語氣跟你說話。Mandy: I know you’re very outspoken, but it was still my bad.
Mandy: 我知道你只是講話比較直接，是我的問題。Kevin: I’m really sorry if what I said hurt your feelings.
Kevin: 如果我昨天說的話傷到妳，我很抱歉。Mandy: Haha, that’s not like you. You rarely apologize—of your own accord that is.
Mandy: 哈哈，這真不像平常的你，你很少道歉，我的意思是主動道歉。Kevin: That’s because we’re in this together— we’re a team after all. Don’t forget to hand in the business proposal by the end of the day!
Kevin: 那是因為我們是一個團隊啊，但別忘了今天下班前要交上妳的企畫書。Mandy: Roger that!
Mandy: 收到！
I shouldn’t have used that tone of voice with you.
我不應該用那種口氣跟你說話。
當我們在吵架時，口氣一定都會特別差，道歉的時候可以用到 I shouldn’t have + p.p. 這個句型，表示「我不該…」，像是這句：I shouldn’t have used that tone of voice with you. (我不該用那種口譯氣跟你說話)。tone 在此意思是「語氣；口氣」。
I know you are very anxious now, but you shouldn’t use that tone of voice with me.
我知道妳現在很焦慮，但妳也不應該用這種口氣跟我說話。
outspoken (adj.) 直率的；直言不諱的
outspoken 為形容詞，是「直率的；直言不諱的」，也是形容人想到什麼就說什麼，絲毫不怕冒犯、惹惱對方。
The outspoken food critic is very unpopular with restaurant owners.
這位直言不諱的美食評論家非常不受餐廳歡迎。
I’m really sorry if what I said hurt your feelings.
如果我說的話傷到你，我很抱歉。
道歉時如果想表示真誠，可以用 I’m really sorry if + S + V… 的句型表示「如果…的話我真的非常抱歉」。爭吵時我們總會無意間說出傷人的話，這時就可以說：I’m really sorry if what I said hurt your feelings.。注意，feelings 這邊通常恆用複數。
I’m really sorry if what I said hurt your feelings; I didn’t mean to insult you when I called you the world’s worst assistant.
所以如果我說的話傷到你，我很抱歉。我說你是全世界最糟的助理時不是真的要污辱你。
of one’s own accord (phr.) 主動地；出於自願
accord 有「協議；條約」的意思，副詞片語 of one’s own accord 則是指某人「主動地；出於自願」作一件事情。
My sons cleaned their rooms of their own accord. I knew something wasn’t right, and, sure enough, I found out they had been smoking in there.
我一看到孩子們主動整理房間，就知道一定有那裡不對勁，然後果真我就發現他們在裡面抽菸。
道歉真的是一門藝術啊！但人與人之間總是會有摩擦，有時候儘管覺得自己沒有錯，好好道歉才能讓友情、感情長長久久哦！
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