Office English: Formal or informal?

我们在工作中应该多正式呢？

How formal should we be at work?

我觉得这更多取决于场合，而不是语言本身要多正式。

I think it's more about the context than how formal the language should be.

我觉得对于经常相处的同事，你可以更随意一些，因为对天天见面的人保持正式太费劲了。

I think with colleagues that you spend a lot of time with, you have a bit more freedom to be informal because it takes a lot of effort to be formal with people you see all the time.

如果你和同事关系不错，只是聊聊周末的事，那当然可以用一些在老板面前开会时不会用的话。

If you get on quite well with your colleagues and you're just having a chat about the weekend, then of course you can speak using language you wouldn't use in a meeting with your boss.

今天我们要聊的是职场中的正式和非正式语言。

Today, we're talking about formal and informal workplace language.

菲尔，我们刚刚听了一些BBC英语学习同事关于工作中使用正式语言的看法。

So Phil, we've just been hearing from some of our BBC Learning English colleagues about using formal language at work.

菲尔，我们说的正式语言是什么意思呢？

What do we mean by formal language, Phil?

正式语言和非正式语言有什么区别？

What's the difference between formal and informal language?

有时候这会有点复杂，但主要的一点是，这种语言你大概不会跟朋友和家人说。

Sometimes this can be a bit tricky, but the main thing to think is that it's the kind of language that you probably don't use with your friends and family.

它通常更像你在写信时用的那种表达方式。

It's often more like the kind of language you'd write in a letter, maybe.

对，所以它可能包含很多不同的方面。

Yeah, so it can include lots of different things.

它可以指你使用的语言风格。

It can be about the style of language that you use.

正式用语可能体现在句子更完整、用词更丰富，也可能涉及你使用的词汇类型。

It can be about speaking in more full sentences or more words, or it can be about the kind of vocabulary you use as well.

所以它包含很多不同的方面。

So it's lots of different things.

非正式用语通常是你对朋友和家人说的话，比如使用缩写、口语化表达或简称，这就是我们所说的非正式语言。

Informal language is usually things you would say to your friends and family, and using language like contractions or colloquialisms, shortenings, that's what we mean by informal language.

对。

Yes.

而且有时候你很难拿捏在工作场合该多正式，因为不同的职场文化不一样。

And it can sometimes be tricky to know how formal to be at work because different workplaces have different have a different culture.

有些地方就是比其他地方更正式。

Some places are just more formal than others.

最重要的是要能察觉到这一点，然后尽量和其他人保持一致。

The And most important thing to do is to be able to recognise it and try and fit in with everyone else.

所以今天我们会讨论问候、请求和指令，并看看它们各自的一些正式和非正式说法。

So today we'll discuss greetings, requests and instructions, and we'll look at some formal and informal phrases for each.

好，我们先从问候和介绍开始。

Okay, let's start with greetings and introductions.

假设你因为工作要见一个初次见面的人。

Let's imagine you're meeting somebody new as part of your job.

比如说开会的时候，你该用多正式的说法呢？

Maybe for a meeting, how formal should you be?

那得看情况，Phil。

Well, it depends on the context, Phil.

你可能需要考虑一下你要见的那个人。

You might want to think about the person you're meeting.

他们有多重要？

How important are they?

你们之前通过邮件联系过吗？

Have you emailed before?

还是这是你们第一次见面？

Or is this the first time you're meeting them?

也许他们对这次会面有什么期待？

Maybe do they have any expectations from the meeting?

所以，也许对方是你公司内部的人，而你们公司内部有特定的交流方式。

So maybe there's someone from within your organisation and there's certain ways that people talk to each other at your organisation.

也许他们来自另一家公司，而你知道那家公司比较正式。

Maybe they're from a different business that you know is quite formal.

这会改变你问候他们的方式。

That will change how you greet them.

正式的问候可能会说，早上好，很高兴认识你。

A formal greeting would be to say something like, good morning, nice to meet you.

而对于每天一起工作的人，你可以更随意一点，就说，嘿，你好吗？

Whereas yes, with people that you work with every day, you might be more informal and just say something like, hey, how are you doing?

对。

Yeah.

或者说，见到你很高兴。

Or great to meet you.

其实有很多种不同的说法，从最正式到最不正式都有。

There are kind of lots of different versions that go from the most formal to the least formal.

所以有时候即使是面对重要的人，你也可以用很随意的语言。

And so you can use quite informal language, even with important people sometimes.

关键是要看你所处的场合。

It's just trying to understand the situation you're in.

那么，在英国职场中，我们通常会称呼头衔吗？

Now, do we tend to use titles in British workplaces?

比如称呼对方为先生或女士，或者叫某人比尔德先生而不是直接叫菲尔。

So that's saying sir or madam, or calling someone mister Bird rather than just Phil.

我觉得在大多数英国职场里并不常见。

I don't think it's that common in most British workplaces.

不过也有一些例外情况。

There are some exceptions.

皮帕，你觉得哪些场合会有所不同呢？

Where might it be different, Pippa?

在比较正式的职场环境里，比如医院，大家通常会称呼医生为‘某医生’，也就是用姓氏加上医生这个头衔。

Well, in more sort of professional contexts, such as in a hospital, doctors are often referred to as doctor and then their surname.

而在警察队伍里，人们往往会直接用职位或军衔来互相称呼。

In maybe the police force, people would refer to people almost by their rank within the organisation.

不过在普通办公室里，这种情况其实不太常见。

It's not so common in offices, really.

我们一般习惯直接叫对方的名字。

We would tend to just use people's first names.

而且除了不同的行业或公司，这在不同的国家之间也可能有所不同。

And as well as different industries or different companies, this can vary between different countries as well.

所以你可能会发现，在其他国家，人们说英语时更倾向于使用头衔。

So you might find that in in other countries, they're more likely to use titles when they're speaking English.

好的。

Okay.

让我们想想另一个场景。

Let's think about another scenario.

你需要在工作中提出请求，也许是为了你正在进行的项目寻求帮助。

You need to make a request at work, perhaps for some help on a project you're working on.

菲尔，我们谈谈一些正式和非正式的选择好吗？

Shall we talk about some formal and informal options, Phil?

是的。

Yeah.

所以有一些表达我们往往在正式场合用得更多。

So there there are just some expressions that we tend to use more in formal context.

比如，我能请求一下吗？

Things like, could I request?

有没有可能？

Would it be possible?

你有空余的精力吗？

Do you have spare capacity?

仔细想想，这些表达我们不会对朋友和家人用。

And when you think about it, these are just not expressions we'd use with our friends and family.

你不会看着餐桌说，哦，我今晚的晚宴有空余的容量，你想来参加吗？

You wouldn't look at your dining table and go, oh, I have some spare capacity for my dinner party tonight, would you like to attend?

我们不会那样说的。

It's just not how we'd say it.

对，没错。

Yeah, exactly.

所以一些非正式的说法可以是，哦，我能借用你一下吗？

So some informal alternatives would be saying something like, oh, could I borrow you?

或者你有空吗？

Or do you have a minute?

有没有可能帮我一下？

Is there a chance that you could help me?

这些话都更随意一些。

These are all a little bit more informal.

你可以想象一下，跟朋友说，哦，我借用你一分钟好吗？

You can imagine saying to your friend, oh, could I borrow you for a minute?

或者你有空聊两句吗？

Or are you free to chat?

它们只是更放松一些。

They're just a little bit more relaxed.

像这类关于正式和礼貌的事情，总是得看你的具体环境：你所在的是什么公司，你和别人多熟，别人又期望你做什么。

As always with things about formality and politeness, it depends on the context of your company, how well do you know people, what do people expect you to do.

这就是你需要照着做的那个方向。

That's the kind of thing you need to follow.

再说一次，看看别人怎么做，然后试着做类似的事情。

Again, look to see how other people do it and try to do something similar.

所以那是请求，那指示呢？

So that's requests, but what about instructions?

菲尔，这些应该是正式的还是非正式的呢？

Should these be formal or informal, Phil?

正式的指示可以有所不同，因为有时我们有非常礼貌、非常正式的结构，这些结构可能不太清晰。

Formal instructions can vary because sometimes we have very polite, very formal structures, which can perhaps not be that clear.

但有时我们也有非常直接的指示，几乎像路标一样，用了很多祈使句，这你大概不会对朋友说，因为不想惹他们烦。

But then also sometimes we have really direct instructions, almost like a road sign with lots of imperatives, which again, you probably wouldn't say to your friends because you wouldn't want to annoy them.

所以，一种正式但礼貌的指示方式可以是说，比如，我们要求你周二来办公室，但一种正式直接的说法是

So a formal but polite way of giving an instruction would be to say something like, we would ask that you come into the office on Tuesdays, but a formal direct way of saying that would be

周二必须到办公室。

Attendance of the office on Tuesdays is mandatory.

这两种都是正式的表达方式，但感觉略有不同。

Now, these are both formal ways of putting it, but they have a slightly different feel.

正式指示里还有一个很常见的说法，就是“请”，比如“请注意”。

Another really kind of common thing to see in formal instructions is things like please, saying something like, please be mindful that.

我们回想一下刚才朋友和家人那个例子。

Let's think back to our sort of friends and family example.

你不会对朋友说“请注意”这种话。

You wouldn't really say, please be mindful to your friends.

那非正式指示呢？

What about informal instructions?

菲尔，你什么时候会用非正式指示？

When would you use informal instructions, Phil?

对，我们会在跟朋友和家人说话时用非正式指示，也会跟比较熟的同事用。

So yes, we'd use informal instructions of what you'd use with your friends and family, but also with people you work with who you know quite well.

我们可以用一些表达，比如“你要做的是”、“我通常”、“我发现最好”之类的，就是非正式地给指示。

We can have expressions like, what you want to do is, I tend to, I found it's best to, things like that, just an informal way of giving instructions.

是的。

Yeah.

这些在给同事做口头指导或培训时，或者随便聊天的时候，都会很有用。

And these could be useful if you're giving spoken instructions or training to a colleague, if you're chatting about something.

而我们之前提到的那些正式表达，可能更适合用在邮件或者书面指南里，那种面向很多人的正式场合。

Whereas those formal examples we gave earlier, they might be more suited to an email or a guide that you're writing down and you're giving to lots of people in a more formal context.

本期《办公室英语》就到这里。

That's it for this episode of Office English.

想提升你的口语能力吗？

Want to improve your speaking skills?

试试我们的《克服说英语焦虑》系列，里面有帮你战胜说英语恐惧的小技巧。

Try Beating Speaking Anxiety, our series with tips to help you fight your fears of speaking English.

本期节目下方的备注里有链接。

There's a link in the notes below this programme.

感谢大家的收听，再见。

Thanks for joining us and goodbye.

拜拜。

Bye.

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