Interactive transcript · 235 lines
Hello, everyone.
大家好，所有人。
Welcome back to TalkCast Speaking, your favorite spot for mastering natural, everyday English.
欢迎回到 TalkCast Speaking，这里是你掌握自然日常英语的最佳去处。
I'm your host, Brian, and I am absolutely thrilled to have you here today.
我是主持人布莱恩，今天能邀请到大家我感到极其激动。
Now, let me paint a quick picture for you.
现在，让我为你简单描绘一个场景。
You are sitting in a lovely, cozy restaurant.
你正坐在一家温馨而舒适的餐厅里。
The ambiance is perfect, the music is soft, and your long -awaited soup or pasta finally arrives.
餐厅的氛围完美无瑕，音乐柔和，你期盼已久的汤或意面终于端上来了。
You take a big, excited bite, only to realize, oh my gosh, it is like swallowing a spoonful of seawater.
你兴奋地大咬了一口，却惊讶地发现，天哪，这简直就像咽下了一大勺海水。
It is incredibly salty.
这简直极其咸。
What do you do?
你会怎么做？
Do you suffer in silence, gulp down gallons of water and pay the bill anyway?
你是默默忍受、狂饮几大加仑水然后照样买单？
Or do you say something?
还是你会说点什么？
Well, today, we are going to learn how to speak up politely, confidently, and like a native speaker
那么今天，我们将学习如何礼貌、自信且像母语者一样开口表达
when your food is just too salty.
当你的食物太咸的时候。
And joining me to tackle this tasty topic is the wonderful Sarah.
和我一起探讨这个有趣话题的是优秀的莎拉。
Welcome, Sarah.
欢迎你，莎拉。
Hi, Brian, and hello to all our lovely listeners out there.
嗨，布莱恩，向我们所有的可爱听众们问好。
I'm so excited to be here.
能来到这里我感到非常高兴。
And, oh, wow, that picture you just painted, that is literally my life story.
还有，哇，你刚才描绘的场景，那简直就是我人生的真实写照。
I cannot tell you how many times I have swallowed super salty food just because I didn't know how to
我都记不清有多少次硬生生咽下极其咸的食物，仅仅是因为不知道如何
complain in English without sounding like a total jerk.
进行投诉而又不至于听起来像个十足的混蛋。
It's just so awkward, isn't it?
这真的很尴尬，不是吗？
It really is.
这确实是。
It can feel incredibly uncomfortable.
这确实会让人感觉极其不适。
No one wants to be that customer who ruins the vibe.
没有人想成为那个破坏气氛的顾客。
But you know what, Sarah?
但你知道吗，莎拉？
In Western culture, sending food back or asking for an adjustment is actually very common and
在西方文化中，退菜或者要求调整重做其实非常普遍，并且
totally acceptable, as long as you do it with the right tone and words.
是完全可以接受的，只要你用恰当的语气和词汇表达。
So tell me, what happened the last time you got an oversalted dish?
所以告诉我，你上次吃到过咸菜肴时发生了什么？
Oh, it was last month.
哦，那是上个月的事了。
I was at this beautiful Italian bistro in London, and I ordered their signature seafood pasta.
当时我在伦敦一家漂亮的意式小馆，点了他们的招牌海鲜意面。
It looked gorgeous, but when I tasted it, it was a pure salt bomb.
它看起来诱人极了，但当我品尝时，那简直就是一个纯粹的盐弹。
I wanted to tell the waiter, but my English got all tangled up.
我想告诉服务员，但我的英语全打结了。
I think I literally pointed at the plate and said, excuse me, this pasta is very salty.
我想我当时简直是指着盘子说：不好意思，这意面太咸了。
I want another one.
我想换另外一份。
The waiter looked so shocked and offended.
服务员看起来非常震惊，而且感觉受到了冒犯。
I felt terrible, and my face turned bright red.
我感觉糟糕透了，脸刷地一下红到了耳朵根。
Oh, bless you.
哦，可怜的你。
I can totally see why you felt uncomfortable.
我完全能理解你为什么会感到不适。
And honestly, this is a very common trap for English learners.
坦白说，这对英语学习者来说是一个非常常见的陷阱。
Let's break down why that happened.
让我们剖析一下为什么会发生这种情况。
This is what we in linguistics call a pragmatics mismatch.
这就是我们在语言学中所说的语用不匹配。
When you say, this is very salty, I want another one, it sounds like a direct demand, almost like an accusation.
当你说话时，这很咸，我想换一份，听起来就像是直接的要求，几乎像是一种指控。
It translates literally from some direct Chinese structures, but in English, it sounds quite
它字面上直译自一些直接的中文结构，但在英语中，听起来相当
aggressive, even though you didn't mean it that way at all. Right.
具攻击性，即使你完全没有那个意思。是的。
I felt like I was starting a fight when I just wanted a pasta that didn't taste like ocean water.
我觉得自己好像在挑起一场争端，而我其实只是想要一份尝起来不像海水的意面。
So Brian, how could I have said that better?
那么布莱恩，我怎样才能说得更好呢？
Teach me the magic words.
快教教我那些神奇的用词吧。
Let's start with some scaffolding.
让我们从一些铺垫知识开始。
The first secret to polite English, especially when giving negative feedback, is softening.
礼貌英语的第一大秘诀，尤其是在提供负面反馈时，就是软化语气。
Instead of using the direct word salty, which can sound harsh, we use phrases that cushion the blow.
与其使用偏直接且听起来可能有些刺耳的词表达咸，我们不如使用能够缓冲语气的短语。
One of my absolute favorite expressions for this is on the salty side.
关于这一点，我最喜欢的表达方式之一是“偏咸”。
Let's say that together.
让我们一起说一遍。
On the salty side.
有点偏咸。
On the salty side.
有点偏咸。
Ah, that sounds so much softer already.
啊，听起来已经柔和多了。
It's like saying it's leaning towards salty instead of this is a salt mine. Exactly.
这就像是说它偏向于咸，而不是说“这是个盐矿”。确实如此。
Spot on, Sarah.
说得太准确了，莎拉。
You are shifting it from an absolute fact to a personal perception.
你正在将它从一个绝对的事实转化为个人的感知。
Another great way to soften it is by using modifiers like a bit or a little.
另一个使其语气软化的好方法是使用像 a bit 或 a little 这样的修饰语。
For example, it's a bit too salty for my taste.
例如，“对我口味来说有点太咸了”。
This places the focus on your taste rather than blaming the chef.
这样会将焦点放在你的口味上，而不是责怪厨师。
Another fantastic word is seasoned.
另一个绝妙的词是 seasoned。
If something is too salty, you can say it's a little heavily seasoned.
如果某道菜太咸，你可以说它的调味有点重。
It sounds very sophisticated.
这听起来非常体面。
Ooh, heavily seasoned.
哦，重调味。
I love that.
我很喜欢这个表达。
It sounds like I'm a professional food critic, not just a complaining customer.
这听起来像是我是一位专业的食品评论家，而不仅仅是个抱怨的顾客。
So instead of pointing and demanding, how do I actually structure the whole sentence?
那么，除了指责和提出要求，我该如何实际组织整句话呢？
Great question.
好问题。
Let's build a three -part formula for a polite feedback sandwich.
让我们为礼貌的反馈三明治构建一个由三部分组成的公式。
Part one, the polite opener.
第一部分，礼貌的开场白。
Part two, the softened feedback.
第二部分，委婉的反馈。
Part three, the solution or request.
第三部分，解决方案或请求。
Let's start with part one, the opener.
让我们从第一部分开始，即开场白。
We want to catch the waiter's attention gently.
我们想要温和地引起服务员的注意。
We can say, excuse me, I hate to be a bother, but, or excuse me, I'm sorry to bring this up, but let
我们可以说：“不好意思，我不想打扰您，但是……”或者“不好意思，很抱歉提这个，但是……”
me try that.
让我尝试一下。
Excuse me, I hate to be a bother, but, ah, that feels very polite.
不好意思，我不想打扰您，但是……啊，这感觉非常礼貌。
It shows I respect their time.
这表明我尊重他们的时间。
Perfect tone.
完美的语气。
Now let's add part two, the softened feedback.
现在让我们加上第二部分，即委婉的反馈。
We can say, this pasta is a bit on the salty side.
我们可以说，“这份意大利面有点偏咸。”
Or, this soup is a little too heavily seasoned for me.
或者，“这道汤对我来说调味有点重了。”
Put them together for me, Sarah.
把它们组合起来给我听听，莎拉。
Okay, let's see.
好的，让我们看看。
Excuse me, I hate to be a bother, but this pasta is a bit on the salty side.
不好意思，我不想打扰您，但这道意大利面 有点偏咸。
Wow, that flows so naturally. Beautiful.
哇，这表达得太自然顺畅了。真美。
You nailed it.
你完全掌握了。
Now let's finish the sandwich with part three, the request.
现 在让我们用第三部分“请求”来完成这个三明治。
We don't want to just complain.
我们不只是想抱怨。
We want to solve the problem.
我们想要解决这个问题。
In a casual diner, you might just want some water or some plain broth to dilute it.
在平价餐馆里，你可能只需要一些水或清汤来稀释它。
But in a nice restaurant, you might want them to adjust it.
但在高级餐厅，你可能希望他们做出调整。
We can use a polite modal verb structure like, would it be possible to?
我们可以使用礼貌的情态动词结构，比如“would it be possible to”？
Or, could I possibly?
或者，“我是否能……？”
For example, would it be possible to have the kitchen make another one with less salt?
例如，“是否可以请厨房重新做一份少盐的？”
Or, could I get a glass of water to help with this?
或者，“能给我拿杯水来解解咸吗？”
Ah, would it be possible to is such a great phrase.
啊，“would it be possible to”真的是个很棒的短语。
It's so indirect and polite.
它是如此委婉和礼貌。
Let me try the whole sandwich now.
现在让我试试整个三明治表达法。
Excuse me, I hate to be a bother, but my pasta is a bit on the salty side.
打扰一下，我真的很不想给您添麻烦，但我的意面有点偏咸了。
Would it be possible to have the kitchen adjust the seasoning or perhaps make another one with less salt?
能否让后厨稍微调整一下调味，或者重新做一份少盐的？
How did I do?
我表现得怎么样？
Oh, absolutely brilliant.
噢，简直太棒了。
10 out of 10.
满分十分。
If I were your waiter, I would happily fly to the kitchen to fix that for you.
如果我是你的服务员，我会非常乐意飞奔去厨房帮你处理。
Notice how you said adjust the seasoning instead of fix your mistake.
注意到了吗，你说的是‘调整调味’，而不是‘纠正你们的错误’。
That is incredibly polite and preserves the dignity of the kitchen staff.
这非常有礼貌，而且维护了后厨员工的尊严。
Now, speaking of pronunciation, when you say, would it be, try to link the words together.
现在说到发音，当你说“would it be”时，试着把单词连起来读。
We don't say, would it be separate.
我们不会把“would it be”分开读。
We say, would it be.
我们说：“would it be”。
The D sound in would connects to the I in it.
would 中的 D 音会连接到 it 中的 I 音。
Listen closely.
仔细听。
Would it be.
会是这样吗。
Can you try that?
你能试试吗？
Would it be.
它会是这样吗。
Would it be possible.
有可能吗。
Oh, that sounds so much smoother.
噢，听起来流畅多了。
It feels less like I'm reading from a textbook and more like I'm actually speaking native English.
感觉不太像在念教科书，而更像是在说地道的英语了。
Yes, that linking is a game changer for oral fluency.
是的，这种连读对于口语的流利度来说是个关键的突破。
Now let's do a quick cultural detour.
现在让我们稍微偏离一下主题，聊聊文化差异。
You mentioned that you used to swallow salty food just to avoid conflict.
你提到过，你过去为了避免冲突，宁可把咸食物硬咽下去。
In many cultures, complaining about food is seen as highly confrontational or even shameful.
在许多文化中，抱怨食物被视为具有高度对抗性甚至是不光彩的。
But in Western restaurants, especially in the US and the UK, waitstaff actually rely on your feedback.
但在西方餐厅，尤其是美英两国，服务人员实际上非常依赖你的反馈。
They want you to have a great dining experience because their tips and the restaurant's reputation
他们希望你能有良好的用餐体验，因为他们的小费和餐厅的声誉
depend on it.
都取决于这一点。
If you don't say anything, they might never know the kitchen had a heavy hand with the salt shaker
如果你什么都不说，他们可能永远不会知道那天晚上后厨在盐罐放盐时下手太重了
that night.
在那晚。
That is so true, Brian.
说的太对了，布莱恩。
I never thought about it that way.
我从来没有从这个角度想过。
By speaking up politely, I'm actually helping them maintain their quality.
通过礼貌地提出意见，我实际上是在帮他们维护服务品质。
But wait, what if I'm at a super casual place like a ramen shop or a fast food joint?
不过等等，如果我是在拉面馆或快餐店这种非常随意的平价小店呢？
It feels weird to ask them to remake a bowl of quick noodles.
让他们重做一碗快餐面感觉挺奇怪的。
That is a very practical point.
这是一个非常切合实际的观点。
You don't want to ask for a five -star dining remake at a casual noodle shop.
你总不想在一家平价面馆里提出五星级餐厅级别的重做要求。
In those situations, we adjust our pragmatics.
在那些情况下，我们需要调整我们的沟通策略。
Let's do a quick roleplay to demonstrate this.
我们来进行一段快速的角色扮演来演示一下。
Imagine you were at a casual ramen shop.
想象一下你在一家平价拉面馆。
The broth is extremely salty.
汤底非常咸。
I'll be the server and you try to ask for a simple solution.
我来当服务员，你试着提出一个简单的解决方案。
Go ahead.
开始吧。
Okay, let's try this.
好的，让我试试。
Excuse me, sorry to disturb you, but the ramen broth is quite rich and a bit too salty for me.
不好意思，抱歉打扰一下，这拉面汤头很浓郁，但对我来说有点太咸了。
Could I get a cup of hot water or some plain unseasoned broth to dilute it?
能否给我一杯热水或者一些没加调料的清汤来稀释一下？
Oh, absolutely.
噢，当然可以。
I can bring you some hot water or plain broth right away.
我这就去给您端些热水或原味清汤过来。
Sorry about that.
对此非常抱歉。
Yay, it worked.
太棒了，这招奏效了。
And it didn't feel awkward at all.
而且一点也不觉得尴尬。
Asking for unseasoned broth is such a useful phrase.
索要未调味的清汤真是个非常实用的表达。
Is dilute a common word to use here?
在这里用“稀释”这个词常见吗？
Yes, dilute is perfect when we talk about liquids like soup, broth, or even sauce.
是的，当我们谈论汤、高汤甚至酱汁等液体时，用 dilute 非常合适。
It means to make a liquid thinner or weaker by adding water.
它的意思是加水让液体变得更稀或味道更淡。
Another easy way to say it is to tone it down or to cut the salt.
另一种简单的说法是调低一点或少放盐。
For example, I need some hot water to tone down the saltiness or to cut the salt a little.
例如，我需要一些热水来降低咸度，或者少放一点盐。
Ah, cut the salt and tone it down.
啊，少放盐和调低一点。
Those are so idiomatically native.
那些表达非常地道。
I'm definitely adding those to my vocabulary notebook.
我一定要把这些记到我的词汇本上。
But Brian, what if the food is just totally inedible?
但是布莱恩，如果这食物根本无法入口怎么办？
Like so salty that even after diluting it, you just can't eat it.
比如咸到即使稀释后，你还是吃不下去。
And you'd rather just order something else entirely.
而且你宁愿完全点别的菜。
That is the ultimate test of polite complaining.
那是对礼貌抱怨的终极考验。
If a dish is completely inedible, you can politely ask to switch to a different menu item.
如果一道菜完全无法入口，你可以礼貌地要求换另一道菜单上的菜。
Here is how you can do it.
以下是你可以操作的方法。
You still start with your polite opener, explain the issue gently, and then offer to pay for a
你依然可以先说礼貌的开场白，温和地说明问题，然后主动提出支付
different dish, even though a good restaurant will usually comp the salty dish anyway.
另一道菜的费用，尽管一家好的餐厅通常无论如何都会给这道过咸的菜免单。
Let's try a roleplay for this scenario.
我们针对这种场景做个角色扮演吧。
Imagine you're at a nice steakhouse, and the grilled vegetables are completely charred and
想象一下你在一家不错的牛排馆，烤蔬菜完全被烤焦了，而且
incredibly salty.
难以置信地咸。
I'm your waiter.
我是你的服务员。
Let's see how you handle this.
让我们看看你如何处理这种情况。
Okay, I'm putting on my confident food blogger hat now.
好的，我现在要戴上我自信的美食博主帽子了。
Let's do this.
开始做吧。
Excuse me, Brian.
打扰一下，布莱恩。
I hate to be a bother, but I'm afraid the grilled vegetables are a bit too heavily salty for my taste.
我非常不想添麻烦，但我恐怕烤蔬菜对我的口味来说有点太咸了。
I don't think I can finish them.
我想我吃不完它们。
Would it be possible to exchange them for a side salad instead?
有可能把它们更换成配菜沙拉吗？
Oh, I am so sorry to hear that, ma 'am.
哦，听到这个我很抱歉，女士。
Let me take this plate back to the kitchen immediately.
我立即把这个盘子拿回厨房。
I'll have the chef whip up a fresh side salad for you right away.
我这就让主厨为您快速做一份新鲜的配菜沙拉。
And of course, we will take the vegetables off your bill.
当然，我们会把蔬菜从您的账单中划掉。
Apologies for the inconvenience.
对带来的不便表示歉意。
Oh, wow.
哦，哇。
That was amazing.
那真是太棒了。
You were so nice about it, and I didn't feel guilty at all because I offered a clear, polite alternative. Exactly.
您态度真好，而且我一点也不觉得愧疚，因为我提出了一个明确、礼貌的替代方案。确实如此。
You see how easy and stress -free that can be?
你看这可以有多么简单和无压力？
The magic lies in your attitude and your word choice.
神奇之处在于你的态度和你的措辞选择。
When you say, I'm afraid, and for my taste, you take away the combative tone.
当你说“恐怕”和“对我来说”时，你就消除了好斗的语气。
You're not accusing the chef of being bad.
你并不是在指责主厨做得不好。
You're just stating a personal preference.
你只是在陈述个人的偏好。
It keeps the interaction cooperative and friendly.
这能让互动保持合作与友好。
That's a huge relief.
那真是让人松了一口气。
I realize now that my old approach was bad because it sounded like an attack.
我建立意识到我以前的方法不好，因为听起来像是在攻击。
This pasta is very salty.
这意面太咸了。
Sounds like you did a bad job.
听起来就像你没做好一样。
But this pasta is a bit on the salty side.
但是这意面口味有点偏咸。
Sounds like let's work together to make my meal more enjoyable.
听起来就像是“让我们一起努力，让我的用餐体验更加愉悦”。
You've got the hang of it, Sarah.
你掌握到了其中的诀窍，莎拉。
That is the perfect summary of the pragmatics of polite English.
那是对 礼貌英语语用学的完美总结。
You are ready to tackle any restaurant scenario now.
你现在准备好去应对任何餐厅场景了。
I really feel like I am.
我真觉得我是这样的。
I can't wait to go out for dinner tonight.
我迫不及待想今晚出去吃晚饭。
If my food is salty, I might actually secretly celebrate because I get to use these amazing phrases.
如果我的食物太咸，我实际上可能会偷偷地庆祝，因为我能用到这些绝妙的词句。
I love that positive attitude.
我喜欢那种积极的态度。
Well, before we wrap up today's episode, let's do a quick recap of the core points we learned today
好了，在结束今天的节目之前，让我们快速回顾一下今天学到的核心要点
so our listeners can lock them in their memory.
以便我们的听众能把它们牢记在记忆中。
Today, we learned, first, instead of calling food salty, use softening phrases like a bit on the
今天，我们首先学到，与其说食物很咸，不如使用像软化语气的短语，比如
salty side or heavily seasoned.
偏咸或者调味过重。
Second, use our polite opener sandwich.
第二，使用我们礼貌的开场白三明治句型。
Excuse me, I hate to be a bother, but...
打扰一下，我也不想添麻烦，但是……
Third, use polite request structures like would it be possible to or could I possibly...
第三，使用礼貌的请求结构，比如“是否可能”或“我能否可能”……
And finally, in casual settings, you can ask for hot water or plain broth to dilute or cut the salt
最后，在非正式场合，你可以要点热水或清汤来稀释或减少咸味
of the dish.
这道菜。
Such practical and wonderful tips.
真是太实用又棒的技巧了。
Thank you so much, Brian.
非常感谢你，布莱恩。
I feel so much more confident now.
我现在感到自信多了。
My absolute pleasure, Sarah.
这完全是我的荣幸，莎拉。
And to our amazing listeners, my challenge for you this week is to practice saying these phrases out loud.
对于我们优秀的听众们，我本周给你们的挑战是大声练习说出这些短语。
Imagine you're at a restaurant and try out the feedback sandwich in front of a mirror, focusing on
想象你在一家餐厅，在镜子面前尝试反馈三明治表达法，专注于
linking those words together, especially would it be?
将那些单词连读在一起，特别是“would it be”？
Practice makes perfect.
熟能生巧。
Yes, definitely give it a try.
是的，一定要试一试。
And if you loved today's episode, please consider joining our Talkcast member community, subscribing
如果你喜欢今天的节目，请考虑加入我们的 Talkcast 会员社区，订阅
to our channel, and sharing this episode with your friends who love dining out but hate awkward
我们的频道，并把这集节目分享给喜欢外出就餐但讨厌尴尬
English moments.
英语时刻的朋友们。
Your support means the world to us. Absolutely.
您的支持对我们至关重要。当然。
We would love to hear from you.
我们非常希望能听到您的声音。
Please leave a comment in the review section and tell us, have you ever had a funny or awkward
请在评论区留下评论并告诉我们，你是否有过搞笑或尴尬的
experience complaining about food in English?
用英语抱怨食物的经历？
What other restaurant or dining scenarios would you like us to cover in our next episode?
在下一集节目中，你还希望我们涵盖哪些其他餐厅或用餐场景？
Let us know and we might choose your suggestion for our next discussion.
请告诉我们，我们可能会选择你的建议作为我们下一次讨论的主题。
Until next time, keep practicing, keep eating delicious food, and keep speaking confidently.
下次见，保持练习，享受美食，并继续自信地表达。
Bye -bye.
再见。
Bye everyone.
大家再见。
Happy dining.
祝您用餐愉快。
