请人帮忙该如何开口?
爱思英语编者按:开口请人帮个忙,你会觉的不好意思吗?每个人都有需要帮助的时候,一句诚恳礼貌的请求,相信他人也不会拒绝。来学几句请求帮助的口语吧!
请人帮忙该如何开口?
按照汉语的语用习惯,问对方忙不忙是有求于对方的一种“先行词”,英语问别人“Are you busy?”更多是表示关心的一种方式。不过也有老外在请你帮忙前会先问你忙不忙的。
有求于人时用什么话开始好呢?其实可以开门见山地说“Mr. Lee, could you do me a favor?”或者“I wonder if you could do me a favor?”注意,用过去时要比用现在时客气得多;再客气一点,还可以说“I had been wondering if you could help me.”或“I beg a favor of you.”颇有点官腔。
很正式的请求用语以前还有“May I venture to ask you for a favor?”或“Please excuse me to make bold to ask you to do me a favor.”这些用法显得有点迂腐,现在已没有人这样说了。如果只是想问个问题,耽误对方几分钟,也可以说“Could you spare me a few minutes, Mr. Lee?”
上面这些都是比较正式的请求,更正式的书面语可以说“We / I would be very much obliged if you could/would…(很有点“万分感激”的意思)”如果是很熟的朋友之间,可以用比较随便的口气,如:Be a sport and lend me a hand(这里sport意为“气量大度的人”),请别人帮忙还可以说“Would you give me a hand?”(问异性Would you give me your hand? 则是求婚。)
至于向陌生人问时间,可以说“Excuse me, but could you tell me what time it is now? ”现在英语也趋向于简单明了,很少说“Would you be kind enough to tell me the time?”一类的话了。