Let’s start with some news that your boss or clients probably won’t want to hear:
讓我們從一些你老闆或客戶可能不願聽到的消息開始今天的話題：
There will be a delay in the completion of the project.
該項目的竣工將推遲。
The speaker has made no attempt here to soften the negative content of the message. A more diplomatic and polite version might look something like this:
發言人並沒有試圖緩和消息的負面語氣。一個更適合外交和更禮貌的版本可能如下：
There might be a slight delay in the completion of the project.
項目的完成可能會有一點延遲。
We have added just two words to the sentence, but we have made it considerably more diplomatic. First, we have added the modal verb 『might』, a technique we discussed in our previous post, and second, the qualifier 『slight』.
我們在這句話中只加了兩個字，但我們已使它更加委婉化了。首先，我們添加了情態動詞「might可能」，這是我們在上一篇文章中討論過的一種技巧，第二種是添加限定詞「slight稍微」。
1. Qualifiers
1.限定修飾語
Qualifiers are words used to modify other words and they increase or decrease the quality signified by those words. Here’s a simple example:
限定詞是用來修飾其他詞語的詞，它們增加或減少了這些詞所指的實質內容。下面是一個簡單的例子：
It is very hot.
天氣非常熱。
Here the qualifier 『very』 modifies the word 『hot』 and increases its quality. If we use qualifiers to decrease the quality of a word, they make great 『softeners』, words used to soften the tone of our content or convey politeness when we speak. Other examples of qualifiers that can make great softeners are:
這裡的限定語「非常」修飾單詞「熱」並增強其語氣。當我們在說話交流時，如果我們使用限定語來增加一個詞的語氣，使它聽起來更「溫柔」，這些詞就可以使得說話語氣更加委婉，或者增強禮貌感。其他使得交流更委婉的詞語還有：
a little, a bit, a little bit, slight, slightly, small, one or two.
一點兒，一點，一點點，稍微，輕微地，小，一兩個。
Consider using these alternative structures when giving your boss or your clients some bad news:
當告知老闆或客戶一些壞消息時，記得使用這些替代結構：
We are having problems with the new product.
我們的新產品出了一些問題。
We are having one or two problems with the new product.
我們的新產品稍微有一兩個問題。
We will run over budget.
我們的預算即將超支啦。
We might run slightly over budget.
我們可能略微超出預算。
The marketing campaign is behind schedule.
營銷活動比計劃推遲了。
The marketing campaign is a little bit behind schedule.
營銷活動稍微比計劃推遲了一點點。
2. Negative Question Forms
2.否定疑問句的形式
Another way we can make our English more diplomatic is by using negative questions when we want to make a suggestion. Consider this sentence:
另一種使我們的英語更具交流性的方法是在我們提出建議時，使用否定疑問句。思考一下這句話：
We should redesign the company logo!
我們應該重新設計公司的標誌!
This sounds quite forceful and direct and you』d probably want to avoid this when speaking to a superior or a client. A more indirect version looks like this:
這聽起來相當強勢和直白，當你向上級或客戶交談，可能想避免這種情況時，更間接的版本是這樣的：
Shouldn’t we redesign the company logo?
我們不應該重新設計公司的標誌嗎?
Here we have taken a forceful sounding statement and turned it into an indirect suggestion by adding 『not』 and changing the syntax to make it into a negative question. Typically, we use shouldn’t, wouldn’t and couldn’t to form this type of question.
在這裡，我們把它變成一個間接的建議，加上「no」和改變語法結構，使之成為一個否定疑問句。通常，我們使用shouldn’t、wouldn’t 和 couldn’t來形成這種類型的問題。
We must hire a new advertising agency.
我們必須僱一個新的廣告代理商。
Couldn’t we hire a new advertising agency?
我們不可以僱一個新的廣告代理商嗎?
Wouldn’t it be better to hire a new advertising agency?
僱傭一個新的廣告代理商不是更好嗎?
3. Using the Past Continuous Tense
3.使用過去進行時
Another way to make a sentence less direct and more diplomatic is to use the past continuous tense:
另一種使句子不那麼直接和更圓滑的方法是使用過去進行時態：
I hope we can sign the contract today.
我希望我們今天能籤合同。
I was hoping that we could sign the contract today.
我原本以為我們今天可以籤合同。
Using the past continuous makes the sentence sound more hypothetical and tentative, and therefore less direct and is a great technique for injecting diplomacy and politeness into your English. Here are a few more examples:
用過去進行時使句子聽起來更具假設性和試探性，因此不那麼直白，這是在英語中增添交際性和禮貌性的一種很好的技巧。這裡還有幾個例子：
I think we need to hire more employees.
我認為我們需要僱傭更多的員工。
I was thinking we need to hire more employees.
我原本想我們需要僱傭更多的員工。
I aim to finish this project by the end of the month.
我計劃在這個月底之前完成這個項目。
I was aiming to finish this project by the end of the month.
我原本打算在這個月底前完成這個項目。
4. The Passive Voice
4.被動語態
Finally, the passive voice is a great way to make your sentences sound more diplomatic:
最後，被動語態是使你的句子聽起來更具有交際性的一個好方法：
You have broken my computer!
你把我的電腦弄壞了!
This active voice sentence is brutally direct and if your aim is to avoid confrontation then you might consider using the passive voice to lessen the emotional impact of the sentence:
這個主動語態的句子是草率而直白的，如果你的目標是避免衝突，那麼你可以考慮使用被動語態來削弱句子的強烈語氣：
My computer has been broken!
我的電腦壞了!
Here we are removing the subject (you) from the sentence completely and focusing on the object (the computer) and the action. The effect here is to de-emphasize personal responsibility for the action. Let’s have a look at a few more examples of diplomatic sentences using the passive voice:
在這裡，我們將從句子中完全去掉主語(你)，把注意力放在對象(計算機)和動作上。這裡的效果是不再強調個人對行為的責任。讓我們再看幾個用被動語態作交際用語的例子：
You said you were going to sign the deal today.
你說你今天要籤這筆交易。
It was understood that you were going to sign the deal today.
聽說你今天要籤這筆交易了。
You agreed to lower your fees.
你同意降低你的收費。
It was agreed that you were going to lower your fees.
你贊同降低你的費用。