商务礼节美语第111期:不言而喻的消息

　　Unspoken Messages
不言而喻的消息
陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他跟美国同事Amy一起走出会议室。
(Office ambience)
C:Amy, 今天我第一次主持会议。你觉得怎么样？
A:I thought you did well considering that you have not been in that position before.
C:可我自己觉得挺糟糕的。虽然来开会的人并没说什么，但是我能感觉到，有好几个人并不欣赏我的报告，或者是根本不感兴趣。
A:What made you think that? Anyone in particular?
C:比如说吧，会开到一半的时候，Ken¹把笔记本一合，双手抱臂，往椅子上一仰。
A:How did you feel when he did that?
C:我立刻很紧张，觉得他认为我的发言很糟糕。
A:I noticed that, too. In fact it was pretty obvious to everyone.
C:你觉得他是故意这样做的吗？
A:Knowing Ken, I would say yes and I would add that he wanted to make sure you got the message.
C:如果他对我有什么意见，我宁可他告诉我。
A:What he did was use his body to send his message. It's a discourteous² tactic³ that many people use in business to express their feelings without putting them in words.
C:你是说在商业界很多人都会用这种方式表达自己的看法，而不是直接把意见说出来，那又是为什么呢？
A:Sometimes people feel safer using body language to intimidate⁴ or humiliate⁵ others.
C:他们为什么会觉得用肢体语言去羞辱别人更安全呢？
A:I am sorry, Chen Hao. Can we continue this later? I need to meet my boss in five minutes.
C:那你先忙。我们一会儿见。
当天下午陈豪和Amy一起喝咖啡。
C:Amy, 你上午说有人更愿意用肢体语言表达自己的看法。这是为什么呢？
A:People can always refute or deny the meaning of their body language.
C:噢，如果有人事后指责他们表现消极，他们可以矢口否认，说这是误会。那所有人都是有意这样做的吗？
A:A lot of people aren't even aware of their body language. I think that it is often unintentional.
C:很多人都是无意的？你能举个例子吗？
A:Like Sue. Did you notice that she came to our meeting for the first time today?
C:我注意到了，Sue是第一次来参加会议，但是她坐在后面的角落里，从头到尾一言不发。
A:I think she felt left out.
C:你为什么说Sue觉得自己被忽视了呢？
A:Because the two people closest to her kept moving their chairs with their backs turned more and more to her. I don't think it was intentional—they were just trying to see and hear better.
C:Sue 一定是误会了，觉得别人不欢迎她。
A:That's right. So she withdrew as well.

1 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

2 discourteous   

adj.不恭的，不敬的

参考例句：

• I was offended by his discourteous reply.他无礼的回答使我很生气。
• It was discourteous of you to arrive late.你迟到了，真没礼貌。

3 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

4 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

5 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。