Are you at a disadvantage at work simply because of your vocabulary?

你是否仅仅因为措辞不当而在职场身处劣势？

Melody Wilding, who coaches high-achieving, ambitious women to overcome the emotional challenges of success, believes you could be.

梅洛迪•怀尔丁认为你可能真是如此。她指导成就不凡且心怀抱负的女性克服成功带来的精神挑战。

In a recent blog post for Forbes, she recommended that workers be 'on the lookout¹' for seven words and terms cropping up in their vocabulary - and to stop using them with immediate² effect.

在最近为美国商业杂志《福布斯》所写的一篇博文中，她建议职场人士警惕自己语言中出现的7种词汇和表达，并且立刻停止使用它们。

But which words, terms and even symbols are they?

到底是哪些词汇、表达甚至符号呢？

JUST

仅仅，只是

'This word minimizes the power of your statements and can make you seem defensive³ or even apologetic,' writes Melody.

梅洛迪写道：“这个词弱化了你表述的力量，会让你看起来在自我辩护甚至带有歉意。”

'It can often be a defense⁴ mechanism⁵ subconsciously⁶ used to shield ourselves from the rejection⁷ of hearing “no" or a way to avoid the discomfort⁸ of feeling like we’re asking for too much.'

“它往往代表了一种防御机制，我们下意识地用它用来保护自己在听到拒绝时不受伤害。或者把它用作一种消除不适感的方法，免得感觉自己要求太多。”

I'M NO EXPERT, BUT

我不在行，但是

Avoid this phrase, even if you're saying it to try not to sound pushy⁹. Suggesting you may be wrong before even giving your opinion can make your statement seem less credible¹⁰.

不要使用这种表述，即使你这么说是为了听起来不那么强硬。在发表观点前暗示自己可能是错的，这会削弱你观点的可信度。

WHAT IF WE TRIED…?

如果我们试着……？

State your ideas in a straightforward¹¹ manner and you're more likely to be taken seriously, advises Melody.

梅洛迪建议使用直截了当的方式陈述观点，这样你才更有可能被认真对待。

'Masking your opinions as questions invites rebuttal and can lead to you feel criticised.'

“用问句隐藏观点会招来反驳，还让你觉得受到了批评。”

When posing an idea, don't 'poll'. Make it clear that you think your ideas are valid¹² and worth everyone's time to listen to.

提出观点时，别小心翼翼试探别人的看法。应当清楚地表示你认为自己的观点有理有据，值得每一个人认真倾听。

I CAN'T

我不能

'When you say “I can’t,” you’re sacrificing ownership and control over you actions,' writes Melody. Make sure not to use 'I can't' when you really mean 'I won't', an active phrase.

梅洛迪写道：“当你说‘我不能’的时候，牺牲的是自己行动的自主权和控制权。”确保你想表达“我不会（去做）”的时候不要使用“我不能”。前者是一种主动性的表达。

THAT IS LIKE, SO GREAT!

那像是，太棒了！

Don't distract your audience from what you're saying by using words such as 'like' and raising your voice at the end of your sentence.

不要使用“好像”这类的词，也不要在句子结尾提高音量。这会使听者的注意力从你所讲的内容上转移。

According to Melody, this can 'indicate uncertainty¹³, make you appear hesitant, and create a lack of trust among your audience'.

据梅洛迪所说，这类表述会“显示不确定性，让你显得犹豫，听众会对你缺乏信任”。

EXCLAMATION¹⁴ MARKS OR EMJOIS

感叹号或表情符号

Using exclamation marks or emojis can suggest you feel insecure in your message.

使用感叹号或表情符号可能在消息中暗示：你在感到不安。

AM I MAKING SENSE?

我把意思说明白了吗？

Don't open up the possibility to your audience to question whether you are.

别让你的听众有机会质疑你到底说没说明白。

Even if you think you're encouraging interaction, it 'speaks to an underlying¹⁵ belief you may have that you’re an impostor, and unqualified to be speaking on the matter', writes Melody.

梅洛迪写道，即使你认为自己是在鼓励互动，“这句话指向了你可能持有的潜在观点——自己是个冒牌货，不够格在这件事上发表意见。”