Knowing how to ask for information and help politely is important. In English, “Where are the restrooms?” and “Could you please tell me where the restrooms are?” are similar requests (請求) — both are correct English, but the first could sound rude. It’s important to use correct language, but sometimes this alone is not enough — we need to learn how to be polite when we make requests.
In English, just like in Chinese, we change the way we speak when talking with different people. The expressions you use might depend on whom you are speaking to or how well you know them. If you say to your teacher, “Where is my book?” this will sound rude. But if you say, “Excuse me, Mr West. Do you know where my book is?” your question will sound much more polite. On the other hand, it might be alright to say “Where is my book?” to the people you know well.
And you would not usually say, “Peter, lend me your pen.” A very direct order like this can sound rude in English. Usually in English polite questions are longer and include extra (附加的) language, such as “Could you please...?” or “Can I ask...?” It sounds more polite to say, “Peter, could you please lend me your pen?” If you stop a stranger in the street, we might first say, “Excuse me. I wonder if you can help me.” or “I’m sorry to trouble you but…” before asking him for help.
It might seem that speaking politely is more difficult than being direct, and in a way this may be true.
小題1:When we make requests, we need to speak in a ____ way.
| A．polite | B．careful | C．different | D．direct |
小題2:You should say “____” when you ask a stranger for a way.
| A．Which is the way to the zoo? |
| B．How can I get to the zoo? |
| C．Do you know the way to the zoo? |
| D．Excuse me. Can you tell me the way to the zoo? |
小題3:Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．We should use long sentences when we ask for information and help. |
| B．When we ask for help from others, polite language must be used. |
| C．The way of speaking is important when we ask different people for help. |
| D．In English, polite questions are as neccessary as rude and direct ones. |
