Level 1 · Reading series
Lesson 34 · Two Ways to Say No
Audio track 34
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
A friend asks, “Send me your password.”
Answer A: “No! Go away.”
Answer B: “I can’t do that. My password is private.”
Both answers refuse the request, but B is clear and polite. You may give a reason, but you do not always need one. Choosing safety is a good choice.
When someone says no, do not add pressure. Accept the answer. A personal boundary protects time, safety, and comfort. For an ordinary invitation, you can say, “No, thanks. Maybe another time.”
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
朋友说：“把你的密码发给我。”
回答 A：“不行！走开！”
回答 B：“我不能那样做。我的密码是私人的。”
两种回答都拒绝了请求，但 B 更明确，也更有礼貌。你可以说明原因，却不一定非要解释。选择保护自己是正确的。
别人说‘不’时，不要继续施压，要接受这个回答。个人界限保护我们的时间、安全和感受。面对普通的邀请，还可以说：“谢谢，也许下次吧。”
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- can’t do that
- ‘我不能那样做。’用于明确拒绝。
- refuse
- 拒绝；谢绝。
- clear
- 清楚的；明确的。
- polite
- 有礼貌的。
- reason
- 理由；原因。
- choice
- 选择；选中的东西。
- pressure
- 压力。
- accept
- 接受。
- boundary
- 界限；在人际关系中指希望别人尊重的范围。
- maybe another time
- ‘也许改天吧。’用来婉拒这一次的邀请。
Background notes (Chinese)
拒绝一件事，不等于讨厌对方。我们可以简短、明确地说‘不’，必要时再说明理由。涉及安全时，应优先离开现场并找可信赖的大人求助，不必为了礼貌而留在危险情境中。