詢問別人意見時，英語都會這麼說......

It can be a real pain trying to coordinate something with a group of people. Unfortunately, trying to get them all together to pick a time to meet or a method of doing things is tough.

試圖與一羣人協調某件事可能是一種真正的痛苦。不幸的是，要讓他們聚在一起選擇見面的時間或做事的方法是很困難的。

It seems that in a group of more than 3 or 4, there is always someone who is busy at a time when you want to meet. What sometimes works best is to pick a time, and then ask whether everyone can make it.

似乎在三四個以上的羣體中，總有人在你想見面的時候很忙。有時候最有效的方法是選擇一個時間，然後問是否每個人都能跟得上。

Another dilemma you may encounter is trying to decide on a method of working. What should you do to solve the problem? If you are planning an event, who should you invite? How do you pick a venue and the food? These are all decisions that most people in the planning committee should agree on.

你可能遇到的另一個難題是試圖決定一種工作方法。你應該做什麼來解決這個問題？如果你正在計劃一個活動，你應該邀請誰？你如何選擇場地和食物？這些都是規劃委員會大多數人應該同意的決定。

If you run into any of these or other similar problems, how do you solve them? The problems of coordinating time and methods is always a tricky one. You can make a decision and ask whether everyone can agree on it. Instead of asking “Does it work for you?” over and over, try some of these sentences.

如果你遇到這些或其他類似的問題，你如何解決它們？協調時間和方法的問題一直是個棘手的問題。你可以做一個決定，問問大家是否同意。而不是問“這對你有用嗎？”“一遍又一遍，試試這些句子。

Trying to Coordinate a Method

嘗試協調方法

Part of making sure that things are alright is ensuring that the group knows what is going on. Everyone should be working on the same things (at least, part of the same thing) at the same time.

確保事情正常的一部分是確保團隊知道發生了什麼。每個人都應該同時做同樣的事情（至少，是同一件事的一部分）。

That way you avoid people who do the same thing and overlap each other. You can also avoid the opposite, which is when you see people leaving out a crucial step for your process, leaving you with a missing piece of your puzzle. If you want to agree on something, you can ask these questions. Make sure that everyone is on board with the plan so that there are no overlaps or cracks!

這樣你就可以避免那些做同樣事情的人，並且彼此重疊。你也可以避免相反的情況，那就是當你看到人們在你的過程中遺漏了一個關鍵的步驟，給你留下了一個缺失的部分。如果你想在某件事上達成一致，你可以問這些問題。確保所有人的計劃都沒有重疊！

1. Is that alright with you?

這樣你可以嗎？

This might be the most general and gentle method to ask for someone’s approval. By asking whether something is alright, you can make the other person feel that their opinion is valued and respected. This is a neutral tone question, which means that unless you have a specific emphasis in your voice, other people will assume that it is okay to tell you no if the situation really is not good for them. The thing you should also notice about Is that alright with you? Is that you are not asking whether this is a perfect solution. It likely is not, since you are working in a group and need to compromise, but it is enough to be acceptable.

這可能是最普遍、最溫和的請求別人認可的方法。通過詢問某件事是否正常，你可以讓對方覺得他們的意見受到重視和尊重。這是一箇中性語氣的問題，這意味着除非你的聲音有特別的強調，否則其他人會認爲，如果情況真的對他們不利，那麼告訴你“不”是可以的。還有一件事你也應該注意到，你還好嗎？你不是在問這是否是一個完美的解決方案。很可能不是，因爲你是在一個團隊中工作，需要妥協，但這已經足夠讓人接受了。

I thought that we could have a group dinner on Friday night after work. Is that alright with you?/Kelly did not know that being in the dark was a nerve-wracking experience for Christine when she assigned all the roles for the parents at the campout. As Christine’s work partner, I want you to help her out. Is that alright with you?

我想我們可以在星期五晚上下班後吃頓集體晚餐。你同意嗎？/凱利不知道，當克莉絲汀把露營地的所有角色都分配給父母時，她並不知道在黑暗中是一種令人緊張的經歷。作爲克莉絲汀的工作夥伴，我希望你能幫助她。你同意嗎？

2. Is that okay?

這樣可以嗎？

When you ask someone, “Is that okay?”, you are seeing whether or not something is acceptable. Just like the previous question, the solution you have does not need to be perfect. It only needs to be at a level where it is acceptable. As it is impossible to please everyone all the time, this is the most that you can hope for.

當你問別人“可以嗎？“，你在看某件事是否可以接受。就像前面的問題一樣，你的解決方案並不需要完美。它只需要處於可接受的水平。因爲不可能一直取悅所有人，所以這是你最希望的。

I know you love coffee ice cream, but I was only able to get mint chocolate chip flavor. Is that okay?/ Jackie was already having a bad day. When the bank teller told her that she would not be able to receive the bank transfer she was expecting today, asking her, “Is that okay?”, she started to yell and scream!

我知道你喜歡咖啡冰淇淋，但我只能得到薄荷巧克力片的味道。這樣可以嗎？/傑基今天已經很糟糕了。當銀行出納員告訴她，她不能收到她今天期待的銀行轉賬時，問她：“可以嗎？”她開始大喊大叫！

3. What do you think?

你怎麼看？

This line of questioning is even more neutral than the other ones. Asking “What do you think?” is the best choice when you want to know someone’s honest opinion. For the most part, you probably have not made a final decision. You might have heard a couple good options for something, but really are unsure which one to choose. You might be leaning in a certain direction, but it is hard to say for sure. A good argument either way would probably be enough to sway your opinion. In this situation, you can get good, unbiased thoughts by asking this question!

這一系列的問題甚至比其他問題更爲中立。問“你覺得怎麼樣？當你想知道別人的選擇時，最好的選擇就是誠實。在大多數情況下，你可能還沒有做出最終決定。你可能聽說過一些好的選擇，但真的不確定該選哪一個。你可能會朝某個方向傾斜，但很難說清楚。一個好的論據可能足以左右你的觀點。在這種情況下，你可以通過問這個問題來獲得好的，無偏見的想法！

If your boss cares enough about your opinion to ask you, “What do you think?”, it means they value your thoughts enough to hear you tell the truth!/ I was thinking about throwing a surprise birthday party for Monica on Friday instead of Saturday; what do you think?

如果你的老闆很在意你的意見，問你：“你覺得怎麼樣？“，這意味着他們很重視你的想法，聽你說實話！/我想在星期五而不是星期六爲莫妮卡舉辦一個驚喜的生日聚會，你覺得怎麼樣？

4. Can you work with this?

你可以處理這個嗎？

If you have a really tough situation, chances are that you are unable to come up with a good solution. Anything that you might consider has drawbacks, one way or another. Instead of being able to pick a clear winner, you have to make the best of what you have. Chances are, the best solution is the one that is the lesser of two evils. Whichever one is “less bad” than the other is your choice, even though almost no one is happy about it! When you ask, “Can you work with this?”, you acknowledge that the situation is less than ideal, but the option you choose is the best one possible.

如果你的處境非常艱難，很可能你無法想出一個好的解決辦法。任何你可能認爲的東西都有缺點，不管怎樣。你必須充分利用你所擁有的，而不是能夠選出一個明確的贏家。最好的解決辦法是兩害取其輕。哪一個比另一個“不那麼壞”是你的選擇，儘管幾乎沒有人對此感到高興！當你問“你能用這個嗎？”？“，你承認情況不太理想，但你選擇的選項是最好的。

I know about ¼ of you will not get the experience we promised, but can you all work with this in light of the situation? /Because of budget cuts, we will be unable to provide the extra funding we promised. Can you still work with this or do we need to cancel the conference?

我知道你們中約有四分之一的人不會得到我們承諾的體驗，但你們能不能根據目前的情況來處理這個問題？/由於預算削減，我們將無法提供我們承諾的額外資金。你還能繼續工作嗎？還是我們需要取消會議？

5. Can you make this work?

你能做到嗎？

Like the previous question, this one acknowledges that you are between a rock and a hard place. That means that it is a challenge for everyone involved. For one reason or another, you are unable to satisfy everyone, but are trying to do your best. When you come up with a solution, asking someone to make it work allows them to feel understood that they do not have ideal resources or ideal situations. Instead, they are being flexible and understanding, forgiving mistakes that have been made.

就像上一個問題一樣，這個問題承認你處在一個困難和困難之間。這意味着這對所有相關人員都是一個挑戰。因爲這樣或那樣的原因，你不能讓每個人都滿意，但你正在盡力做到最好。當你想出一個解決方案時，讓別人讓你明白他們沒有理想的資源或理想的情況。相反，他們是靈活的和理解的，原諒已經犯下的錯誤。

We would be able to increase the monthly budget by about 3%, but not your proposed 5%. Can you make this work? /The company was only able to recruit 5 volunteers for the event rather than the predicted 7. Can you still make this work?

我們可以把每月的預算增加大約3%，但不是你提議的5%。你能做到嗎？/該公司只能爲這次活動招募5名志願者，而不是預計的7名志願者。你還能做這個嗎？

6. Is this what you need?

這是你所需要的嗎？

If you are deciding on how to allocate resources, you need to make sure that the allocation is enough for each project or person. Asking, “Is this what you need?” makes sure that you do not prevent the other person from doing their job.

如果您正在決定如何分配資源，您需要確保爲每個項目或每個人分配足夠的資源。問：“這就是你需要的嗎？“確保你不會妨礙其他人完成他們的工作。

I think we can change the meetings from Tuesday to Thursday nights so you can have the meeting room on Tuesdays. Is this what you need?/I had to take the materials from the other center, but I doubt they will miss them much. Is this what you need?

我想我們可以把會議從星期二改到星期四晚上，這樣你就可以在星期二有會議室了。這是你需要的嗎？/我不得不從另一箇中心拿材料，但我懷疑他們會很想念他們。這是你需要的嗎？

7. Are you good with this?

你這樣可以嗎?

Sometimes, you are unsure whether something is okay or not. If this is the case, ask the person what they think! Asking if “they are good” is a more casual and informal manner of speech. This is good if you are planning to meet with friends and deciding which restaurant to visit or which movie to watch. It can also be good for making sure that someone feels comfortable in the group. They do not want to cause trouble in a difficult environment, but they will also be willing to bring up an issue as soon as it arises. This will prevent a lot of potential trouble in the future.

有時候，你不確定事情是否正常。如果是這樣的話，問問對方他們是怎麼想的！問“他們是否好”是一種更隨意和非正式的談話方式。這是很好的，如果你計劃會見朋友，並決定去哪家餐廳或看哪部電影。這也有助於確保有人在團隊中感到舒適。他們不想在困難的環境中製造麻煩，但一旦問題出現，他們也願意提出。這將防止將來發生許多潛在的麻煩。

If we want to open on Saturdays, we will probably need Nancy and James to come to work on those days. Are you two good with this? /I just wanted to tell you that we are planning to spend the extra money from the department on better chairs for everyone. Are you all good with this?

如果我們想在星期六開門，那幾天我們可能需要南希和詹姆斯來上班。你們倆對這個很在行嗎？/我只想告訴你，我們正計劃用部門的額外資金爲每個人買更好的椅子。你們都能接受嗎？

8. Is this acceptable to you?

這對你來說是可接受的嗎?

If things are going as well as you have planned, you can ask this. Something that is acceptable is simply tolerated or allowed. It may not be the best choice in any sense of the word, but it will definitely reach the most basic requirements. That much is all that you can ask. If you are angry, you can also use this question sarcastically. Depending on your tone of voice and the context, you could be expressing genuine concern or rolling your eyes at the outrageous demands of your conversation partners.

如果事情像你計劃的那樣順利，你可以問這個問題。可以接受的東西只是被容忍或允許。從任何意義上說，這可能不是最好的選擇，但它肯定會達到最基本的要求。這就是你所能要求的。如果你生氣了，你也可以用這個問題來諷刺。根據你的語調和語境，你可以表達出真正的關心，也可以對你談話夥伴的無恥要求睜大眼睛。

I know our goal for revenue this month was over $100,000 but our final numbers are only about 80% of that. Is this acceptable to you? /Since we still have a lot of basic framework to set up for our startup, you would have to work more than 40 hours a week. Before we send you an offer for this job, we need to know – it this acceptable to you?

我知道我們這個月的收入目標是超過10萬美元，但我們的最終數字只有這個數字的80%左右。你能接受嗎？/因爲我們還有很多基礎框架要爲我們的初創公司建立起來，所以你每週要工作40多個小時。在我們給你發這份工作的報價之前，我們需要知道——你能接受嗎？

Trying to Coordinate a Time

試着協調一個時間

Unless you do not have a job or any other responsibilities, it is tough to plan your schedule. You likely have things you have to do every day, so you need to make sure that you do not plan something when you are busy. Sometimes the best thing to do is pick a time, and then coordinate with everyone to make sure whether that will work for them! If you are picking a time to meet, have a conference, etc., try these questions:

除非你沒有工作或其他責任，否則很難計劃好你的時間表。你可能每天都有一些事情要做，所以你需要確保你在忙的時候沒有計劃。有時候最好的辦法就是挑個時間，然後和每個人協調，以確定這對他們是否有效！如果你想找個時間見面，開個會議等等，試着問以下問題：

9. Will you be able to make it?

你能來嗎？

You can use this question if you are unsure someone can fit something into their schedule. In addition, if they are not necessary to the event, you can ask this. If you ask them whether they can make it, it can imply that they do not need to be there, but it would be nice if they were.

如果你不確定某人是否能在他們的日程安排中安排一些事情，你可以用這個問題。另外，如果他們不是必要的活動，你可以問這個。如果你問他們是否能成功，這可能意味着他們不需要去那裏，但如果他們能去那就更好了。

The new meeting time has been changed to Friday at 3 pm instead of 2 pm. Will you be able to make it? /If we move the meeting from the college campus to our branch in the north part of town, will you be able to make it?

新的會議時間改爲星期五下午3點，而不是下午2點。你能來嗎？/如果我們把會議從大學校園搬到我們鎮北區的分會，你能來嗎？

10. Can you make this time?

這次你可以嗎？

If you want to be more specific, you can ask about a specific time (the “this time” refers to a specific time that you have told them about already). Asking whether someone is free this way typically shows that you want them to be there.

如果你想更具體一點，你可以問一個具體的時間（“這個時間”是指你已經告訴他們的具體時間）。以這種方式詢問某人是否自由，通常表明你希望他們在那裏。

They might be the keynote speaker at your conference or the boss for an office meeting. They are not the person planning the meeting, but they are important to have attending.

他們可能是會議上的主講人，也可能是辦公室會議的老闆。他們不是計劃會議的人，但他們必須參加。

I checked with the staff, and we all agreed that Monday was the best day to have a staff bonding dinner. Can you make this time?/
The conference organizer is trying to pick between Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. Can you make these times? Or should I tell him to pick another?

我和員工商量過了，我們都同意星期一是舉行員工聚餐的最佳日子。你能趕上這次嗎？/會議組織者試圖在星期二或星期四下午之間作出選擇。你能安排這些時間嗎？還是讓他再挑一個？

11. Does this fit into your schedule?

這符合你的日程安排嗎？

If you want to be extra considerate to somebody, you can ask them whether something fits into their schedule. With this question, you acknowledge that they are busy and probably have a full schedule. However, they might be really interested in attending your event, have committed to going, or otherwise need to be there. You can let them know that you know they are making a sacrifice, but that hopefully it will be worth it by asking this question!

如果你想對某人特別體貼，你可以問他們是否有什麼事情適合他們的日程安排。有了這個問題，你承認他們很忙，而且可能有一個完整的時間表。然而，他們可能真的很有興趣參加你的活動，已經承諾要去，或是需要出席。你可以讓他們知道你知道他們正在做出犧牲，但希望通過問這個問題來做這件事是值得的！

Boss, I just received an invitation for you to participate in a forum discussion for the UNICEF conference next week. Does this fit into your schedule, or should I tell them you will not able to attend?/We will probably give you an extra class to teach for this week. Does this fit into your schedule?

老闆，我剛收到邀請，邀請你參加下週聯合國兒童基金會會議的論壇討論。這是否符合你的日程安排，或者我應該告訴他們你不能參加？/本週我們可能會給你多上一節課。這符合你的日程安排嗎？

12. Are you available then?

你那時有時間嗎？

If you ask whether someone is available at a certain time, you can use this question. You want to know whether they will be able to attend or go with you somewhere.

如果你問某人在某個時間是否有空，你可以用這個問題。你想知道他們是否能參加或和你一起去某個地方。

My doctor’s appointment is scheduled for Tuesday. Are you available then? /Steve Martin is going to be at the theater giving a mini class on acting on Sunday afternoon. Are you available then? I would really want to go with you!

我的醫生預約在星期二。那你有空嗎？/星期天下午史蒂夫·馬丁將在劇院上一堂關於表演的小課。那你有空嗎？我真的很想和你一起去！

13. Are you free at this time?

你這個時間段有時間嗎？

You can also ask whether someone is free if you want them to go somewhere or attend something with you.

你也可以問某人是否有空，如果你想讓他們去某個地方或參加一些活動。

My first performance will be on Wednesday. Are you free at this time? I have free tickets if you want to go! /When do you have class? I am off on Mondays and want to go to the gym with a buddy. Are you free at this time to go with me?

我的第一場演出將在星期三。你現在有空嗎？如果你想去，我有免費票！/你什麼時候上課？我星期一下班，想和一個朋友去健身房。你現在有空和我一起去嗎？