BBC 英语学习 你怎么说对不起

English from

BBC learning english com. Hello. This is six minute English from BBC Learning English.

I'm Neil, and I'm Beth. In English, there are many ways to

apologize, depending on the situation. Informal situations, you could say,

please forgive me while to a

friend, you might just say, my bad And of course, there's the most common phrase of all, I'm sorry.

Can you remember a time when you had to apologize?

Beth? Um, oh, I had to apologize this morning cause I stepped on someone's toes on the tube.

Okay, well, apologizing depends on what you've done.

So sorry is fine if you accidentally step on someone's toes, like you did this morning, beth.

But what if you do something really serious, like the Ghanaian journalist Afia Perkour, who publicly criticized the king of the a shanty tribe?

Here's BBC World Service program the 5th floor, covering the story.

I guess it's not every day that you end up offending a king, but let's say you did.

Would you know how to apologize to him?

Recently in Ghana, a journalist made some comments on television about the king of the Asantet tribe, and soon she found herself at his palace apologizing.

The presenter says, it's not every day that you offend a king.

The phrase, it's not every day that highlights that what's happened is very unusual.

So how do apologies change from culture to culture?

Well, that's what we'll be finding out in this episode, along with some useful new words and phrases.

And remember, you'll find all the vocabulary from this episode on our website, bbc learning english dot com.

Now, I have a question for you, beth.

We know that people from different countries apologize in different ways, but what might someone do to say sorry if they were from India?

Would they A, offer a gift?

B pull their earlobes, or C Bow down?

Oh, I am going to guess see, bow down.

Okay, well, we'll find out if you're right.

At the end of the program, let's return to Afia Pecua, the journalist who'd criticized the king of the Aschanty tribe.

Her comments divided opinion in Ghana, but eventually a fear decided to say sorry to the following strict traditional rules that she dress in black and apologize, kneeling down on her knees.

A fierce story shows the influence of culture on how people say sorry.

Let's listen now, as three and BBC journalists from different countries explain to World Service Program the 5th floor, how to say sorry in their culture.

I would say that pakistanis generally, they're not really expressive, and we're also a cheeky So what we generally do is we would slide an apology in the middle of a conversation, and then very quickly move on to a new topic, so that we don't have to sort of be very up front about it.

In Russia, we also have a tradition called Forgiveness Sunday, which happens on the last Sunday before East.

The tradition is that you call your family and friends and apologize for any sort of you ve caused.

In Korea, the way of saying sorry varies depending on the relationship between the speaker and listener, due to the complex and terrific system in the language.

In many cases, we say Chesoulami that this is used in informal situations or with people we don't know well, and we often bow when seeing just army that.

Journalist Assam Mahmoud thinks apologizing in Pakistan iss different because people are not expressive.

They don't usually show what they think or feel.

Rather, he says, pakistanis tend to be cheeky, an adjective, meaning slightly rude, but in a funny, playful way.

In Pakistan, people sometimes avoid being up front about what they've done.

If you're upfront about something, you speak openly about it, so everyone knows your feelings and intentions.

Moving now to Russia, the journalist Lisa Fox describes a tradition called forgiveness Sunday, when people apologize to friends and family for sorrows they have caused.

Sorrows are sources of sadness, all regret.

And finally, in career, how you say sorry depends on who you're apologizing to.

Career has a complicated, on arrific system dictating how people above you in the social order should be addressed.

On a terrific means showing respect and honour to someone.

Well, there's a saying that sorry is the hardest word, but who knew there were so many ways to say it?

Yes, and it's not just words.

If you're really sorry, you do something to make things rights, like giving a small gift.

So Neil, what do people in India do?

What's the answer to your question?

Yes. Well, I asked what people in India do to apologize, and what answer did you give me?

Beth? I said, bow down. Is that right?

I'm afraid that was the wrong answer.

You should apologize to me for that.

It is. In fact, b In India, it's common to tug your earlobes when apologizing.

Okay, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with the idiom it's

not every day that

which is used to say that something is very unusual.

An expressive person shows what they think or feel.

The adjective cheeky means slightly rude, in a funny, playful way.

When you are up front about something, you speak openly and clearly so people know your true intentions, sorrows, are sources of sadness or regret.

And finally, the adjective honorific means showing respect and honor to someone.

Well, I'm sorry to say that once again, are 6 min a rap, but if you are ready for more, just head over to our websites, BBC learning english dot com for a quiz and a worksheet for this episode.

Bye for now. Good Bye. 6 min English from BBC, learning English dot com.

扫码查看听力音频