Mon Jan 20 2025 07:34:26 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Complaints and Compromise

Complain 埋怨的同義詞有 grumble 咕噥、發牢騷,表達抱怨者心情不好的感受;moan 埋怨、whine 絮絮叨叨地抱怨,抱怨使人心煩,强調聽者的心情。Compromise 妥協,和解的精髓是互諒互讓,雙方同時放棄原本想要的東西,達到皆大歡喜的收場,而不是兩敗俱傷,所謂 give and take,有得就有失。

Complaints

 
To complain 抱怨、埋怨、發牢騷 is to say that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied about something or somebody:you complain bitterly when you are unfairly treated 你受到不公平待遇會憤懣而投訴。
 
Complaint 投訴 is a statement that somebody complains saying that they are not satisfied:We receive a number of complaints from customers 我們收到了不少來自顧客的投訴。I would like to make a complaint (also file/lodge/submit a complaint) about the noise 我要就噪音的問題提出投訴。You have a bone to pick with somebody indicates that you have a complaint against him.
 
Complain 埋怨的同義詞有:
 
grumble = complain about somebody or something in a bad-mood 咕噥、發牢騷,表達抱怨者心情不好的感受。
moan = 埋怨、whine = 絮絮叨叨地抱怨;both have the meaning of to complain about somebody or something in an annoying way 抱怨使人心煩,强調聽者的心情。
 
不平則鳴,人之常情。心理學家認為對不平的事,把抱怨和委屈藏在心中,不如舒發出來:it is preferable to air a grievance rather than to keep it bottled up inside。宣洩不滿 to let off steam:to release the explosive air inside acts as a safety-valve of the passions 如釋重負,疏導情緒,尤如安全閥排解壓力。 A grievance 牢騷 goes sour if bottled up, and it is much better to get it off your chest 壓抑情感不如一吐為快。習用語 “to have a chip on your shoulder” is to have a permanent sense of grievance and an embittered attitude 表示你過去受到不公平對待的委屈,滋生憤怒和反感。
 
小題大做,誇大其詞:to exaggerate a complaint or grievance 把投訴和牢騷誇大,令小事和不重要的問題看似很大是 to make a mountain out of a mole hill。小題大做的抱怨和無謂的吵閙,為某事大驚小怪:to make a song and dance about something (to make a lot of fuss about something):”I wouldn’t make too much of a song and dance about it, if I were you,” he said. You complain or talk about it too much when this is not necessary.
 

Compromise

 
Negotiations and decisions 雙方談判,想達至結果或決議,往往需要妥協的技巧。A decision is made after negotiation: We often have to come to the table (to meet to discuss how to solve a problem or reach an agreement) to try to hammer out an agreement (to create an agreeable solution). Sometimes we have to take the plunge (to make a decision that is risky or difficult). Very often, with some give and take on both sides and reach an agreement.
 
Compromise 妥協 is an agreement made between two groups in which each side gives up some of the things they want so that both sides are happy at the end.
 
和解的精髓是互諒互讓,雙方同時放棄原本想要的東西,達到皆大歡喜的收場,而不是兩敗俱傷,所謂 give and take,有得就有失。We know that we best serve our own interests by a policy of give and take 互相讓步,雙方遷就。We accept part of what we want and to be willing to accept what somebody else wants,即是 meet someone half way 或 split the difference 折中、各讓一步。
 
為達成協議,成功妥協的模式往往需要中間落墨,雙方願意各讓一步,但不能放棄原則:To reach a compromise, each side accepts less than what they wanted at first without compromising their principles. In bargaining we compromise by being willing to meet the other fellow half way. 中庸之道 the middle road 的慣用語有:steering a middle course; to strike a balance between one extreme and another; to strike a happy medium 折中辦法。
 
失之東隅,收之桑隅 what you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts:你在一方損失的,可由另一方補足 losses on some things will be compensated for by gains on other things。
 
有些人企圖避開妥協 to try to evade a compromise,其實是想兩全其美,左右逢源 try to have it both ways;兩頭受益 want to make the best of both worlds,雙收其利,兩者兼得 want to have your cake and eat it,即 to have the advantages of something without its disadvantages。
 
本專欄逢周二、五刊登
 

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