别人说：Thank you! 你答：You're welcome. 这组“天造地设”的英文对答恐怕要被拆散了，还要牵连无数说英语的小伙伴自行面壁去……

美国新闻聚合类网站Buzzfeed说，对于母语是英文的老外来说，回答you're welcome其实是个误会。此处，小思已能听到无数童鞋的内心OS：纳尼？这是在逗我？课本上可都是这么教的！你说到底答什么才对？！欲知答案，快来往下看↓↓↓

其实，听到You're welcome，歪果仁的真正感受你不懂！

“Many people, particularly in the US, reply to “thank you” with “you’re welcome.”As a Tumblr post points out, this has begun to change, as young people use and hear “you’re welcome” sarcastically.”

很多人，尤其是老美，听到对方说"thank you"，经常会回答一句“you’re welcome.” 但现在对于很多小年轻来说，这句话经常会带有讽刺意味...

“And it’s not just young people: To people from other parts of the world, “you’re welcome” can sound rude. Brits, for example, can’t help but hear a hint of condescension in there.”

不光是年轻人，在其他一些国家，“you’re welcome”听上去并不礼貌，比如，英国人就觉得“you’re welcome.”带着屈尊俯就的态度，让人听着不太舒服。

But the problem with “you’re welcome” isn’t sarcasm. Well, not the whole problem. It’s about meaning. Not that this is the intention, but “you’re welcome” can sound like you’re taking the polite gesture from the thanker, and bringing attention to your kindness. To the unaccustomed ear, it can sound like “yes, I did you a favour, you should be thankful.”

然而问题关键不在讽刺和嫌弃，而是这个短语本身的意思。它会让人误以为你不顾及人家的谢意，给自己凹“你本该谢谢我”的造型。

It’s not intentional, I’m sure.

说者无心，听者有意，说你不是故意的也没用！

还有哪些“别客气”受了株连？

Similarly “no problem”, or the reply favoured by our Australian friends, “no worries”, are both flawed. Often said with a dismissive shrug, “no problem” can be interpreted as simply denying that being kind is an inconvenience. But to those used to hearing “you’re welcome,” “no problem” can be sound like being kind is sometimes an inconvenience…and that you might not have helped if it had been.

实在没招的小伙伴们干脆将无辜的小眼神儿投向了澳洲小伙伴。要知道，他们回答Thank you的口头禅才不是You’re welcome，而是no problem和no worries，但这照样能被人挑出不是。耸肩动作+no problem回复，像是无所谓地表示帮忙并非麻烦事儿，而对于听惯了you're welcome的人来说，no problem森森在暗示着实麻烦了自己，早知道这样可不一定会出手相助。

Young people tend to respond to being thanked with “no problem”, which older people find rude. So it’s a generational problem, yes, but also a linguistic one.

而那些上了岁数的人还会觉得你说No problem不礼貌。

既然如此，老外砖家怎么说？

Both “you’re welcome” and “no problem” are phatic expressions, an expression whose sole function is to perform a social role. We use phatic expressions all the time.

不论是you're welcome还是no problem都是交际用语。这就好比平时问好的那些客套话。

For example when we respond to “how are you?” by saying “good, you?”Often we use a phatic response when we don’t know what else to say. Saying “I’m OK,” for example, even when we’re not. Or to simply acknowledge someone, or something, when there is no need to convey actual information. We know people aren’t (usually) actively asking how we are, so we respond phatically.

别人问：How are you? 你嘴上说I'm Ok.其实你心里最清楚自己Ok不Ok。因为你知道有时候别人不过是跟你打个招呼，没必要太较真。

But because “thank you” is a sincere expression, many common phatic responses sound empty in comparison. The emptiness of the response is why some people tend to find “no problem” or “you’re welcome” dismissive.

可是，面对人家真诚的感谢，你再拿那些客套话敷衍是不是有点儿说不过去了！？

难道真的无解了吗？

回答 “thank you”的几种不同说法

原来是这样的，果然在不同文化背景下，绝对不能太任性。

看到此处，你是否已经陷入深深的不知所措之中。

其实，机智的腐国人民早就有解了

1.人家说thank you，你也回thank you，说cheers，你也跟着说cheers。

（在英国，说“谢谢”经常用“Cheers.”）

2.You are welcome.

表示在一个比较正式的场合，帮了别人一个很大的忙时，用到这个

3.It's my pleasure./My pleasure.

这句话重在强调我帮了你，是我的荣幸。比上面的回答更绅士更淑女。

4.Anytime/It's no bother.

适合在一个很随意很轻松的场合用，偏口语化。表示随时欢迎你来寻求帮助

这类的回应不论是语气还是含义都不容易让人误会。而且向对你致谢的人表示感谢，大家都是双赢哦~

是不是涨姿势！喜欢我们的内容，可以关注我们的公众号【思语国际】，每天都带给你满满干货！！！