职场生存，能屈能伸。该当仁不让的时候毫不含糊，但求人办事时，语气上务必要讲究，用委婉的语气与人沟通，沁人心脾，实乃双赢之举。
1.何谓“委婉”？
试比较下面这两个句子——
例一：We have to cut costs. Meet me in your office at 2:00 so we can talk about how to do this.
例二：I think that cutting our costs might be a good idea. How about sitting down to talk about this? Would 2:00 in your office work?
毋庸置疑，例二显得 less forceful and more diplomatic，能够促进同事之间（包括上下级之间）的关系更加融洽。本文的最终目标不是 meaning 的表达，而是 tone 和 effect 层面的意识提升。职场英语的“话术”在于如何用委婉的语气表达强烈的情感与诉求。好，下面我们就来逐步学习如何让语气变得委婉——
2.“委婉”第一步：体会情态动词
情态动词（Modal verbs），例如“might”， “would” 和 “must”等等在表达语气方面起着至关重要的作用。
试想，如果您的上司说：“You must come in tomorrow to finish the report.”您心里会怎么想？如果同样一句话，上司这么说：“We really should get that report done before Monday. Would you be able to come in tomorrow and help get that finished?” 您心里是不是好受多了？这个例子就是使用“should”和“would”来提出请求，比起“must”更能令人接受。
3.“委婉”第二步：情态动词的分类
按照语气由强到弱，以及使用的场合，情态动词可以分成如下三组——
1、表达命令、规则：“must,” “have to,” and “need to.”
2、表达建议、推荐：“might,” “may,” “can,” “should,” “could,” and “ought to.”
3、表达请求：“can,” “will,” “could,” and “would.”
4.“委婉”第三步：情态动词替换举例
场景一：同事就您刚刚做过的Presentation与您交流
原句： “You should have used fewer slides.”
改后句：“You could have used fewer slides.”
使用“could”替代“should”，让改后句变得委婉，不那么opinionated.上文提到，本文的最终目标不是 meaning 的表达，而是 tone 和 effect 层面的意识提升。职场英语的“话术”在于如何用委婉的语气表达强烈的情感与诉求。基于此，我们再看看场景二——
场景二：公司高级经理想要让新来的美工做事。
原句：“You have to finish those drawings today.”
改后句一：“We really should have those drawings finished today.”
改后句二：“Those drawings are import ant, so could you have them done by the end of the day please?”
这里使用表达请求的情态动词“could”替代了表达命令的“have to”。这种表达看似留有余地，但实际上不容有失，体现了当上司的“话术”。
5.“霸道”的祈使句
祈使句（Imperative sentence），例如“close the window”，其实在英语中属于“霸道”语气的象征。试比较——
原句：“Give me the salt.”
改后句：“Could you please pass the salt.”常用的肯定是后者。
英语中最“霸气侧漏”、最令人不快的祈使句当属 “Give me.” 英语国家甚至有句儿歌来说明“Give me”到底有多么令人生厌——“Gimme gimme never gets, don’t you know your manners yet?”
6.小结
在家千日好出门时时难。在家里，即便语气不那么讲究，但父母亲朋能够包容。在职场，同事之间如果使用不委婉的语气，将直接导致如下三种情绪——
put off: if you are “put off” it means you don’t like something or someone because it bothers you; “Customers like the layout of the store, but they’re put off by the background music.”
disgruntled: to be disappointed, annoyed, or upset by something; “Several disgruntled employees came to the staff meeting with a list of complaints.”
downright offended: completely or very upset or angry by something someone has said or done; “David was downright offended when I suggested his skills were better suited to delivery than sales.”所以啊，赶紧操练起来，恰当使用情态动词，让自己的语气变得委婉吧。
7.随堂练习
1、例一中那种强硬语气的作用是？
A It is never useful.
B It is sometimes necessary.
C It is common in everyday communication.
D It is polite in some languages.
2、为什么要做到语气委婉？
A It helps generate sales.
B It demonstrates good language skills.
C It can help us deal with difficult managers.
D It promotes good relationships.
3、下列哪些情态动词的语气属于“强硬”？
A have to
B might
C may
D must
E could
F ought to
G need to
H can
4、请别人倒垃圾，下列哪句话最为委婉？
A Take out the trash please.
B The trash is getting pretty smell. Would you mind taking it out?
C That trash really needs to be taken out. I think you should do it.
D Do you think you could take out the trash sometime?
5、“Clean your desk.”这样的祈使句符合下列哪种说法？
A They are generally too forceful in English.
B They are impolite in all languages.
C They are useful for rhyming.
D They are effective when leading a group.
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