The English are well-known for using the word “sorry”, but we don’t just use the word for apologies.
Sometimes the word “sorry” is just used for normal apologies. It can range from everything from “Sorry I drank the last of the milk” to “Sorry that I just ran over your foot with my car.”
It might seem strange, but the word “sorry” is often used as a kind of greeting. It is used to get someone’s attention. Maybe it is a waiter in a restaurant from whom you wish to order or a stranger on the street who you want to get past.
If an English person wants something, they will often point to the item in question and simply say, “Sorry.” The word acts as an unsaid request since it would simply be too rude to actually ask for the item. An example of this is when asking for the last cookie on a plate. “Sorry” is used as a way of forcing the other people into a corner where it would be impolite for them to say no.
If an English person doesn’t hear clearly what you said they will often loudly say the word “sorry”. This means that they want you to repeat yourself but louder.
The English are not always as polite as they would have you think. Not all our apologies are honest. If we want to say something rude to you we will often start a sentence with “I’m sorry but...” What then follows will be some negative (负面的) comments. The use of the word “sorry” in this case is as protection. It means you are not allowed to get angry because we already apologized and we’re only being honest.
The English are not great with emotions (情感). When hearing someone’s sad story about how their cat died, they lost all their money or they got sick, an English person will often reply with “I’m sorry.”
Thank you for your time. If I’ve missed any kind of English uses of the word “sorry”, please add them in the comments below.
【小题1】What does an English person try to do when saying “sorry” to a waiter according to the text?| A．Attract his attention. |
| B．Avoid rudeness. |
| C．Make a request. |
| D．Make bad comments. |
| A．I’ve said I’m sorry. |
| B．I’m sorry that you lost your job. |
| C．I’m sorry but I think you’ve made a mistake. |
| D．I’m sorry - I didn’t see you there. |
| A．The English don’t care about others’ emotions. |
| B．The English aren’t good at expressing their feelings. |
| C．The English are always honest about their emotions. |
| D．The English have few ways to respond to apologies. |
| A．To discuss. | B．To inform. | C．To compare. | D．To ask for advice. |
