Upper-Intermediate - A Formal Apology (D2474)

A: 昨天踢球把学校员工宿舍一楼的一块玻璃给踢碎了。老师说要我写封致歉信,正式赔礼道歉。我从来没写过,这怎么写呀?
zuótiān tī qiú bǎ xuéxiào yuángōng sùshè yī lóu de yī kuài bōli gěi tī suì le. lǎoshī shuō yào wǒ xiě fēng zhīqiànxìn, zhèngshì péilǐ dàoqiàn. wǒ cónglái méi xiě guo, zhè zěnme xiě ya?
When I was playing soccer yesterday, I broke a section of glass in the first floor of the school's staff dormitory. The teacher said I have to write an apology letter to formally apologize. I have never written one before. How do I write it?
B: 这个容易。首先,要坦率地承认自己的错误,使对方的怒气平息下来。然后分析自己犯错的原因,述说自己的难处。再恳请对方理解,原谅你的过失。
zhè ge róngyì. shǒuxiān, yào tǎnshuài de chéngrèn zìjǐ de cuòwù, shǐ duìfāng de nùqì píngxī xiàlai. ránhòu fēnxī zìjǐ fàncuò de yuányīn, shùshuō zìjǐ de nánchu. zài kěnqǐng duìfāng lǐjiě, yuánliàng nǐ de guòshī.
That's easy. First, you need to frankly admit your mistake to make the other person cool down from his anger. Afterwards analyze the reasons you made the mistake, and give an account of your difficulties. Then earnestly request the other person to understand and forgive your error.
A: 我能想到的道歉的话就是三个字——“对不起”。
wǒ néng xiǎngdào de dàoqiàn de huà jiùshì sān gè zì——" duìbuqǐ”.
The three words of apology that I can think of are this --"Sorry".
B: 当然还有技巧呢。你要夸大自己的过错。
dāngrán háiyǒu jìqiǎo ne. nǐ yào kuādà zìjǐ de guòcuò.
There's more skill to it than that of course. You need to exaggerate your mistake.
A: 哦,那我得说得严重点儿。
ò, nà wǒ děi shuō de yánzhòng diǎnr.
Oh, then I have to express it more seriously.
B: 另外,你还得赞美对方。大多数人受到赞美后,都会不自觉地按照赞美的话去做。
lìngwài, nǐ hái děi zànměi duìfāng. dàduōshù rén shòudào zànměi hòu, dōu huì bù zìjué de ànzhào zànměi de huà qù zuò.
Additionally, you also have to praise the other person. After they receive praise, most people will unconsciously act according to the words of praise.
A: 你能不能帮忙帮到底,帮我写一下吧。
nǐ néng bùnéng bāngmáng bāng dàodǐ, bāng wǒ xiě yīxià ba.
Can you help me with the rest, that is to write it?
B: 嗯,你就这样写:经过深刻的反省,以及学校领导的教育帮助,我感到自己错误的严重性。对此,我对学校对老师表示最诚恳的歉意,也向在这起事件中批评、提醒及关心爱护我的老师们同学们表达最诚挚的谢意!作为一个在校学生,我非常热爱我的校园,而通过这次无心之失,我意识到要随时加强安全意识和提高自身球技。同时,也感受到应该更加注意自我言行对学校的影响。我会以这次教训作为起点,争取成为一个德智体全面发展的好学生。最后,再次表达我的歉意!
ng4, nǐ jiù zhèyàng xiě: jīngguò shēnkè de fǎnxǐng, yǐjí xuéxiào lǐngdǎo de jiàoyù bāngzhù, wǒ gǎndào zìjǐ cuòwù de yánzhòngxìng. duìcǐ, wǒ duì xuéxiào duì lǎoshī biǎoshì zuì chéngkěn de qiànyì, yě xiàng zài zhè qǐ shìjiàn zhōng pīpíng、 tíxǐng jí guānxīn àihù wǒ de lǎoshīmen tóngxuémen biǎodá zuì chéngzhì de xièyì! zuòwéi yī gè zàixiào xuésheng, wǒ fēicháng rè'ài wǒde xiàoyuán, ér tōngguò zhècì wúxīnzhīshī, wǒ yìshi dào yào suíshí jiāqiáng ānquán yìshi hé tígāo zìshēn qiújì. tóngshí, yě gǎnshòu dào yīnggāi gèngjiā zhùyì zìwǒ yánxíng duì xuéxiào de yǐngxiǎng. wǒ huì yǐ zhècì jiàoxun zuòwéi qǐdiǎn, zhēngqǔ chéngwéi yī gè dé zhì tǐ quánmiàn fāzhǎn de hǎo xuésheng. zuìhòu, zàicì biǎodá wǒ de qiànyì!
Uh-huh. You can write it like this: Through profound self-examination as well as educational help from the school's leaders, I have sensed the seriousness of my mistake. Regarding this I express my most sincere apology to the school and to the teachers. Also I want to convey my heartfelt thanks to the teachers and fellow students that criticized me, reminded me and cared for me in this incident. As a full time student, I deeply love my school grounds, and through this unintentional mistake I have realized that I need to increase my awareness of safety at all times and improve my technique when playing ball. At the same time, I have felt that I should pay more attention to the effect of my words and actions on the school. I will use this lesson as a starting point to strive to become a good student who is developing in an all-round way: morally, intellectually and physically. Lastly, I again express my apologies.
A: 太佩服你了。不愧是学习委员。我就照着你说的写!
tài pèifú nǐ le. bùkuì shì xuéxí wěiyuán. wǒ jiù zhàozhe nǐ shuō de xiě!
I admire you a lot. You have proved to be a leader of studies. I will then write what you said!

Key Vocabulary

致歉信 zhìqiànxìn apology letter
赔礼 péilǐ to offer an apology
坦率 tǎnshuài frankly
平息 píngxī to cool down (anger) to quiet down
述说 shùshuō to relate
恳请 kěnqǐng earnestly request
自觉 zìjué consciously
反省 fǎnxǐng self-examine
到底 dàodǐ to the end
诚恳 chéngkěn sincerely
to start
诚挚 chéngzhì heartfelt
谢意 xièyì thanks
歉意 qiànyì apology, regret
无心之失 wúxīnzhīshī unintentional mistake
意识 yìshi awareness
言行 yánxíng words and deeds
不愧 bùkuì to deserve to be called
委员 wěiyuán committee member, leader

Supplementary Vocabulary

无缘无故 wúyuánwúgù for no cause or reason
隐藏 yǐncáng hidden, to conceal
冲突 chōngtū conflict
思考 sīkǎo to think deeply, to ponder over
品德 pǐndé moral character
智力 zhìlì intelligence

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