- 同事被一个爱发无关邮件的客户搞得心烦,一个人建议"直接叫她别发了",另一个人却建议"什么都别做,让邮件自己停"——两种完全相反的建议方式,最后证明"以柔克刚"反而有效。
- 示范了怎么用"如果我是你……"（If I were you, I'd...)和"你可以试试……"（Perhaps you could try...)这类礘貌又不强迫的方式给建议,而不是直接命令对方该怎么做。
- 学完能掌握请教建议（What do you think I should do?)、接受/委婉拒绝建议（I'm not sure that's a good idea)的完整对话流程。
- 对话里 Bob 用"蛇"来比喻处理问题的方式,顺便示范英语里怎么用比喻讲道理,让建议更有说服力。
重点内容
情景对话
Noelia：Argh, this is just ridiculous!
Paul：Susan again?
Noelia：Yeah, Susan. She just keeps emailing me about things that have nothing to do with work and nothing to do with me. What do you think I should do?
Paul：Well, if I were you, I'd email and ask her to stop sending them.
Noelia：I'm not sure that's a good idea. I have to be careful what I say as she's quite an important client.
Paul：Erm, I'm not sure then. Perhaps you could try talking to Yuna about it?
Bob：Er .. why don't you try doing nothing?
Noelia：Sorry?
Bob：Perhaps you could just … do nothing?
Noelia：Really? I'm not too sure about that.
Bob：Well, I remember this guy I used to work with, Mark, and he kept emailing again and again and again, about all sorts, mostly unrelated to work. Well, I kept responding politely and he kept sending them. In the end, I stopped replying to his emails unless they were only about work.
Paul：And what happened?
Bob：He stopped sending them. It's a bit like being faced with a dangerous snake. If you move quickly, it'll bite you, but if you keep very still and do nothing, eventually it'll move away and leave you alone. I had to learn the hard way.
Noelia：Hey, Bob. Have you got a minute?
Bob：Yeah.
Noelia：So, I tried what you suggested and I only responded to Susan's emails about work for a few days. Then guess what?
Bob：The irrelevant emails stopped.
Noelia：Yes! Now she only sends me work-related ones.
Bob：Well, that's very good news.
Noelia：All thanks to you, Bob.
Bob：Any time, Noelia, any time! All in a day's work. Ahh!
Noelia：啊，这真的太荒谬了！
Paul：又是 Susan？
Noelia：对啊，Susan。她一直发邮件给我，内容跟工作没关系，跟我也没关系。你觉得我该怎么办？
Paul：嗯，如果我是你，我会发邮件请她不要再发这些了。
Noelia：我不确定这是不是个好主意。我得小心说话，因为她是个挺重要的客户。
Paul：呃，那我也不太确定了。也许你可以试试跟 Yuna 谈谈？
Bob：呃……你何不试试什么都不做？
Noelia：什么？
Bob：也许你可以就……什么都不做？
Noelia：真的吗？我对这个不太确定。
Bob：我记得以前有个同事叫 Mark，他一直发邮件，一封接一封，内容大多跟工作无关。我一直有礘貌地回复，他还是继续发。后来我就不回了，除非是跟工作有关的邮件才回。
Paul：然后呢？
Bob：他就不再发了。这有点像面对一条危险的蛇。你要是动作太快，它会咬你；但如果你保持不动、什么都不做，它最后会自己游走，不理你。我是吃了苦头才学到这点的。
Noelia：嘿，Bob。你有空吗？
Bob：有啊。
Noelia：我试了你说的方法，这几天只回 Susan 跟工作有关的邮件。然后你猜怎样？
Bob：那些无关的邮件就停了。
Noelia：对！现在她只发跟工作有关的东西给我了。
Bob：那真是个好消息。
Noelia：都要谢谢你，Bob。
Bob：随时欢迎，Noelia，随时欢迎！这都是我该做的。啊！
常用句型
| 句型 | 用法 | 例子 |
|---|---|---|
| What do you think I should do? | 主动请教对方的建议 | Noelia：What do you think I should do? |
| If I were you, I'd… | 用假设的方式给出具体建议,比直接命令更礘貌 | Paul：If I were you, I'd email and ask her to stop. |
| I'm not sure that's a good idea. | 委婉拒绝/质疑对方的建议 | Noelia：I'm not sure that's a good idea. |
| Perhaps you could try… | 温和地提出另一个建议 | Paul：Perhaps you could try talking to Yuna about it? |
| Why don't you try…? | 提出建议的另一种常见句型 | Bob：Why don't you try doing nothing? |
| I'm not too sure about that. | 表示对建议半信半疑 | Noelia：Really? I'm not too sure about that. |
| I tried what you suggested. | 事后回报"我照你说的做了" | Noelia：I tried what you suggested. |
发音 / 语调提示
- If I were you, I'd… 里的 I'd 是 I would 的弱读缩写,口语里要读得又快又轻,不能一个字一个字清楚念成 "I would",否则听起来会过度正式、不自然。
- Why don't you try…? 结尾要用温和的上扬语调,听起来才像"建议",语调压平或下沉容易被听成命令句,让对方觉得被指使。
- 比喻句"It's a bit like being faced with a dangerous snake"要放慢速度、在 snake 前稍作停顿再重读,才能让听者跟上比喻的画面,一口气读完容易听不出这是个比喻。
Sources
Blog / Website：