(4)委婉或禮貌用語(euphemism or fancy, courteous words)：
老美為了表示談吐斯文雅緻，喜歡說些別人愛聽的話。雖然虛而不實，但會使人感到有莊嚴(feel more dignified)
也有人稱為虛誇或言過其實的字眼(pompous or bloated terms)
例如：
Both Mr. A and Mr. B are heavy-set persons; they are trying to go on a diet.
A先生和B先生身體都過胖，他們在減食。
(用heavy-set代替fat)
(fat老美認為是醜，故避免使用)
也可用plus-size代替fat：(但heavy-set較常用)
Mr. A dated a plus-size woman last year.
去年A先生與一位胖女人約會。
Even though the saleslady is homely, she seems friendly to her customers.
雖然女店員不漂亮，但她對顧客很友善。(用homely代替ugly)
Mary is a slim and slender girl.
Mary 是位很瘦小的女孩。
(也可用thin and petite)
(但不用skinny或bony，因為含有瘦得皮包骨的意思)
Mr. B bought an inexpensive gift yesterday for the party.
昨天B先生參加宴會，買了一件不貴的禮物。
(用inexpensive代替cheap)
(因為cheap有劣質或低劣的意思)
His father passed away five years ago.
他父親五年前去世。
(用passed away代替died)
Ed finally decided to put the sick dog to sleep.
Ed 最後決定把病狗安樂死。
(to put an animal to sleep代替 to kill an animal)
The woman showed the girl where the powder room is located.
那位女士告訴女孩廁所在那裡。
(用powder room代替toilet)
You would find some panhandlers in a big city.
你在大城市可以發現一些乞丐。
(用panhandler代替beggar)
Mr. A has been working as a sanitation engineer.
A先生從事垃圾工人。
(用sanitation engineer代替garbage collector)
Mr. B works as a culinary artist at this restaurant.
B先生在這餐館裡擔任廚師。
(用culinary artist代替cook或chef)
或：
Mr. B has been good at the culinary arts.
B先生對烹飪很高明。
(culinary arts代替cooking and baking)
Mr. C is between jobs at the moment.
C先生目前失業。
(用between jobs代替out of job或unemployed)
The boy was very sick and threw up everything he ate.
這男孩生病了，吃什麼都吐出來。
(用to throw up代替to vomit)
Many young people make whoopee in their cars.
許多年輕人在車子裡作愛。
(用make whoopee代替make love)
Mr. A, our school custodian, always arrives around six o’clock in the morning.
A先生是我們學校工友，他每天早上都是6點左右到達。
(用custodian代替janitor)
Mr. B will see a doctor for his two-week irregularity.
B先生兩星期大便不通，要看醫生。
(用irregularity代替constipation)
He did not know what caused his irregular bowel movement.
他不曉得為什麼大便不正常。
(大便用bowel movement,代替defecation)
Some women are in bad mood during those days.
有些婦女在來經時情緒不好。
(用those days代替menstruation)
The government will have to help more for the underhoused.
政府對無家可歸者，應該有更多的幫助。
(用underhoused代替homeless)
Many African American are good at the performing arts.
許多美國黑人擅長舞台表演藝術。
(用African American或Afro-American代替Negro)
(不可再叫黑人為Negro)
The charity organization has been helping the disadvantaged children.
慈善機構在幫助貧窮的小孩。
(用disadvantaged代替poor)
The bank is working on some nonperforming assets.
這個銀行正在處理一些不良的貸款。
(用nonperforming asset代替bad loan)
The store manager is concerned about some inventory shrinkage.
商店經理關心偷竊的事。
(用inventory shrinkage替代theft)
註：
(1)以上所述的生活禮節，都是中、外一般受過教育，品德良好者應有的條件。雖然世上還有許多不講禮貌的人，但是大家都希望做到文明禮貌的地步。
(2)由於老美重視「個人隱私」和「獨立自主」，不喜歡別人常去「打擾」。老中所謂「禮多人不怪」，也要適可而止。
(3)誇獎老美，也不可過份，以免被認為「不诚恳」。
(4)咱們老中在國外，每位都代表全中國人的形象。只要大家記得「自尊而後人尊，自敬而後人敬」的道理，做個「不卑不亢」的老中，才是上策。
(5)文中有些也許老中認為芝麻小事，微不足道，但老外卻很重視呢！(全文完)
/懷 中
/摘自世界周刊
