如何讚美別人而不顯得像變態 —— 英語迷你小教室：英語精讀講義

Oh, wow.

喔，哇。

Your socks always match your shoes so perfectly. 片語搭配

你的襪子總是和你的鞋子搭配得如此完美。

Oh, thank you very much.

喔，非常感謝。

Thank you for noticing. 語氣意圖

謝謝你的留意。

Thank you.

謝謝。

No, really.

不，說真的。

They just match them perfectly.

它們簡直是絕配。

Do you do it on purpose? 片語搭配

你是故意這麼搭的嗎？

Is it by accident?

還是純屬巧合？

Uh

呃

Complimenting people is always nice.

讚美別人總歸是件好事。

They're meant to make someone feel good, right? 文法

它的本意是讓人心情愉悅，對吧？

But if delivered in the wrong way, 文法

但如果表達方式不對，

they can make someone feel really awkward. 文法

就可能會讓人感到非常尷尬。

In today's mini English lesson,

在今天的迷你英語課上，

I'm going to share with you two things to avoid 表達脈絡

我將與大家分享需要避免的兩件事

and two things to do when you want to give someone a compliment

以及想要讚美別人時應該做的兩件事，

without making them feel awkward.

從而避免讓他們感到尷尬。

Number one:

第一：

Avoid giving overly specific compliments. 片語搭配

避免給出過於具體的讚美。

When you notice someone's socks every day and comment on them, 片語搭配

當你每天都注意到別人的襪子並加以評論時，

that could feel a bit creepy. 用詞

可能會讓人覺得有點變態。

I really like how your left eyebrow arch is slightly higher than your right one. 文法

我非常喜歡你左邊眉毛的弧度比右邊稍微高一點點。

Beautiful.

太美了。

You don't want to get too detailed. 片語搭配

讚美不必過於細緻。

While it's really nice to have someone notice something special about you,

雖然有人注意到你的特別之處確實很棒，

when you're being very specific and detailed,

但當你變得非常具體和細緻時，

it might feel a bit stalkerish. 用詞

可能會讓人覺得你像個跟蹤狂。

Number two:

第二：

Do be genuine. 文法

務必真誠。

Genuine compliments come from the heart. 慣用語

真誠的讚美發自內心。

They express something you truly appreciate about someone. 片語搭配

它們表達了你對別人由衷的欣賞。

But to know what a genuine compliment is, 文法

但要了解什麼是真誠的讚美，

you need to know what disingenuous compliments could be.

你需要知道什麼樣的讚美會顯得虛偽。

We all know the feeling of giving a compliment

我們都知道那種感覺：

just for the sake of giving a compliment. 片語搭配

為了讚美而讚美。

You've done it,

你這樣做過，

I've done it,

我這樣做過，

we've all done it.

我們都這樣做過。

This is when you're complimenting someone 表達脈絡

也就是當你在讚美別人時，

just because it feels like it's the right thing to do.

僅僅是因為覺得這是應該做的事。

Maybe you're at a networking event and you just want to make some contacts 片語搭配

也許你正在參加一個社交活動，只是想結交一些人脈，

or you just want to ask a favor. 片語搭配

或者只是想請人幫忙。

It can look like over the top flattery, 慣用語

這看起來就像是誇張的奉承，

just saying something nice for the sake of it. 片語搭配

僅僅為了說好聽話而說。

So, to be genuine,

所以，想要變得真誠，

stop and think about what you truly appreciate about someone

停下來想一想你真正欣賞對方什麼，

and just share it with them without expecting anything in return. 片語搭配

然後直接告訴他們，不求任何回報。

Number three:

第三：

Avoid backhanded compliments. 慣用語

避免明褒暗貶的讚美。

You're pretty smart for someone your age. 語氣意圖

在你這個年紀，你算挺聰明的了。

You show great leadership for a woman.

作為一名女性，你展現了出色的領導力。

These are backhanded compliments because they come with another clause. 用詞

這些都屬於明褒暗貶的讚美，因為它們帶有附加條件。

It's not open and absolute. 用詞

它們並不坦誠，也不是純粹的。

In the first example,

在第一個例子中，

what you're really saying is that 表達脈絡

你真正在說的是，

you don't believe that everyone in their age group is smart.

你不相信同年齡層裡每個人都很聰明。

So, you're really saying they're smart

所以，你其實是在說，

compared to other people in their age 語氣意圖

他們只是和同年齡的其他人相比起來聰明，

and not smart, period.

而不是真正意義上的聰明。

It's a sentence that mixes praise and criticism. 片語搭配

這是一個毀譽參半的句子。

Why is it called backhanded?

為什麼它叫「backhanded」（反手）呢？

Well, that is coming from tennis. 文化背景

其實，這源於網球。

When you're using a backhand stroke,

當你使用反手擊球時，

it's considered a lot less direct than

大家認為它遠不如

when you're using a forehand stroke.

正手擊球那樣直接。

Metaphorically, when you're saying backhanded compliments,

打個比方，當你說出明褒暗貶的讚美時，

you're saying that this compliment is indirect or sly. 用詞

你的讚美是間接的、帶有心機的。

The truth is, they often leave people feeling insulted, 片語搭配

事實上，它們常常讓人感到被侮辱、

uncomfortable, even angry.

不舒服，甚至生氣。

Number four:

第四：

Highlight someone's qualities that are within their control. 片語搭配

強調別人能夠掌控的特質。

You can do that by giving compliments about somebody's choices, 表達脈絡

你可以透過讚美某人的選擇、

efforts, and actions because that's within their control.

努力和行動來做到這一點，因為這些是他們可以控制的。

Use action verbs to highlight their efforts

使用動作動詞來強調他們的努力，

rather than just commenting on their physical appearance. 文法

而不只是對他們的外表進行評論。

Instead of saying your hair is so long and curly,

不要只說你的頭髮又長又捲，

which focuses only on aesthetics, 用詞

因為這只關注了美學，

you can say,

你可以說，

"I love what you've done with your hair. 文法

"我好喜歡你做的這個髮型。

It looks so chic and it matches your outfit perfectly." 用詞

看起來真別緻，而且和你的衣服搭配得天衣無縫。"

Did you see the nuance? 表達脈絡

你看出其中的微妙差別了嗎？

In the second sentence,

在第二句話中，

you focus on the effort that they made

你關注的是對方所付出的努力，

and the result is they look so chic. 表達脈絡

而結果是他們看起來非常時尚別緻。

So, let's review.

那麼，讓我們複習一下。

First, avoid being too detailed,

首先，避免過於關注細節，

especially when you're commenting on physical appearance

尤其是當你評論別人的外表時，

because that might make someone feel really awkward.

因為這可能會讓人感到非常尷尬。

Two: Be genuine and honest.

第二：真誠誠實。

It's always appreciated.

這一點永遠讓人受用。

Three: Avoid giving backhanded compliments.

第三：避免明褒暗貶的讚美。

They can really insult someone.

它們真的會侮辱人。

And four:

以及第四：

Focus on highlighting someone's effort,

側重於強調對方的努力，

not just their physical appearance.

而不只是外表。

So, dear viewer,

那麼，親愛的觀眾朋友，

every new word you learn, 表達脈絡

你學的每一個新單字，

every sentence you build is a victory.

構造的每一個句子，都是一次勝利。

We see all the hard work that you put

我們看到了你所有的努力，

and all the time that you spend watching mini English lessons

看到了你花在觀看迷你英語課上的所有時間，

and we really appreciate it. 語氣意圖

我們真的非常感激。

You're doing amazing. 語氣意圖

你做得非常棒。