英剧 Yes Minister《是，大臣》里的Humphrey爵士，堪称“废话文学”天花板！想听懂高级废话，甚至必要时“优雅糊弄”？

今天，我们就来拆解这位顶级官僚的语言迷魂阵，学两招职场必备神技：​​“注水大法”​​帮你优雅拖延思考时间，​​“免责大法”​​让你说话不被甩锅！🎯

Sir Humphrey Appleby的两段“废话”

1.  Straight Answer

Well, Minister, if you ask me for a straight answer, then I shall say that, as far as we can see, looking at it by and large, taking one time with another in terms of the average of departments, then in the final analysis it is probably true to say, that at the end of the day, in general terms, you would probably find that, not to put too fine a point on it, there probably wasn't very much in it one way or the other. As far as one can see, at this stage.

2. Happy Christmas

I wonder if I might crave your momentary indulgence in order to discharge a by no means disagreeable obligation which has, over the years, become more or less established practice in government service as we approach the terminal period of the year — calendar, of course, not financial — in fact, not to put too fine a point on it, Week Fifty-One — and submit to you, with all appropriate deference, for your consideration at a convenient juncture, a sincere and sanguine expectation — indeed confidence — indeed one might go so far as to say hope — that the aforementioned period may be, at the end of the day, when all relevant factors have been taken into consideration, susceptible to being deemed to be such as to merit a final verdict of having been by no means unsatisfactory in its overall outcome and, in the final analysis, to give grounds for being judged, on mature reflection, to have been conducive to generating a degree of gratification which will be seen in retrospect to have been significantly higher than the general average.

第一段话 (“直截了当的回答”)

注水表达 (Filler Expressions)

这些短语的作用是拉长时间，堆砌篇幅，营造出深思熟虑的假象，但信息量几乎为零 。

• as far as we can see (就我们所见)


• by and large (总的来说)


• in the final analysis (归根结底)


• at the end of the day (说到底)


• in general terms (泛泛地说)

免责表达 (Hedging Expressions)

这些短语和词汇为表达增添了不确定性，是为日后改变说法预留后路的“安全阀” 。

• it is probably true to say (大概可以这么说)  - 文稿中提到，既然已经“true”(真实)了，还要加上“probably”(可能)，这就是留后路的艺术 。


• you would probably find (你或许会发现)


• not to put too fine a point on it (说得不那么绝对的话)


• as far as we can see (就目前来看)


• at this stage (就现阶段来看)  - 文稿称其为“终极的免责声明”，暗示未来情况可能会变化 。

第二段话 (“圣诞快乐”的祝福)

注水表达 (Filler Expressions)

这段话被誉为“注水大法的完美教学”，通过极其迂回、过度礼貌和不必要的精确来拉长句子 。

• I wonder if I might crave your momentary indulgence (不知我是否能奢求您片刻的纵容) - 这被解释为一种极致的、过度礼貌的说法，其实就是“能打扰您一下吗” 。


• in order to discharge a by no means disagreeable obligation (为的是去履行一项愉快的义务) - 这被认为是一种非常正式的说法 。


• as we approach the terminal period of the year (当我们临近一年的终期) - 这是对“年底”的书面化、浮夸说法 。


• calendar, of course, not financial (当然是日历年，不是财年) - 文稿指出这是一个“100%的废话”，但成功地让发言听起来更专业 。


• a sincere and sanguine expectation — indeed confidence — indeed one might go so far as to say hope (一个真诚乐观的期望——不，是信心——甚至可以说是希望) - 文稿分析这实际上是在拖长句子，显得自己特别真诚 。


• susceptible to being deemed to be such as to merit a final verdict of (能够被认为是足以被最终裁定为……的) - 这被描述为公文中常见的、极其绕口的写法，目的是让句子显得客观正式 。


• conducive to generating a degree of gratification (有助于产生满足感) - 实际上就是“make you happy”(让你开心) 的意思 。


• significantly higher than the general average (显著高于通常的平均水平) - 实际上就是“very”(非常) 的意思 。

免责表达 (Hedging Expressions)

这段话中同样穿插着用于规避责任和柔化语气的表达。

• not to put too fine a point on it (恕我直言) - 文稿再次提到这是一个免责声明的表达 。


• by no means unsatisfactory (绝不令人不满意) - 这是一个典型的双重否定，通过否定一个负面词来表达肯定，但语气比直接说“satisfactory”(令人满意) 要弱，留有余地 。

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