英语源于英国，学习和研究英语，必须了解英国人的文化素养和表达方法。英国人喜欢用一种婉转的说法来陈述和表达其思想。这与美国人的“frank”(率直)形成鲜明对照。例如，对于“好”和“坏”英国人常常避免直接说“good” or “bad”，而说：“It's not terribly good.”(不太好。)“not too bad” = very good indeed;“not bad” = rather good.

　　“I am afraid”是英国人喜欢的表达方法。这是用礼貌的方式表达可能令人不快的信息。因此，“I am afraid”可以译成“抱歉”、“遗憾”、“对不起”。如：“I'm afraid we can't come.”(很抱歉，我们不能来。)“I can't help you, I am afraid.”(我帮不了你的忙，对不起。)“Have we missed the train? I'm afraid so.”(我们误了火车吗？很遗憾，是误了。)“Have you any milk? I'm afraid not.”(有牛奶吗？对不起，没有。)

　　在表态时，很少直接用“反对”一词，而是说：“I have strong reservation about saying yes.”“I am not very keen about something.”

　　在表达数量或程度时，不直接说“多”或“少”。如：“He expends a not inconsiderable amount of labour on something.”“Malta has played a not inconsiderable part in the Council of Europe.”

　　指责别人“说谎”，英国人避免直接用“lie”，而有几种其他说法，如“You flirt with truth.”(你玩弄真理。)“You are guilty of terminological inexactitude.”(你用语不确切。)等等。

　　用“肯定”的词语表示“否定”的意见，如“This is the last thing he would do.”(这是他绝不会做的事。)

　　还有一种修辞法，叫做Litotes(希腊字，意为反叙法或曲意法，即用否定的词语来表示肯定的修辞法。)如：“He is not a bad player.” = He is a very good player. “She was not a little upset.” = She was extremely upset. 又如，“It wasn't easy.”(此事不易。)意为：It was difficult.

　　请看撒切尔夫人的一段话：

　　In a message to the Chinese leader, Mrs. Thatcher said, “The British Government assume that the Chinese Government agree that a confrontation would not serve the common aim of maintaining the stability and prosperity in Hongkong and would be in the interests of neither side.”

　　这段话确是一种“understatement”，表达了英国政府在香港问题上的强硬立场。

　　(文/待凤艳； 英语辅导报高中教师版 04~05学年度第21期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)