台灣人愛道歉?
Nudging pass other passengers in the MRT of Taipei, interrupting others, opening a random conversation—all these are some of the social scenes where you may hear a Taiwanese utters “Buhaoyisi,” an omnipresent, complicated expression mixed the layered meanings of “sorry” and slightly “undeservedness.”
擠過台北捷運的重重旅客、打斷別人、開啟話題，以上都是台灣人會吐出「不好意思」這句話的日常情景。「不好意思」這四個字隨處可見卻意涵複雜，融合道歉及些許「我不配」的感覺。
nudge(v.)輕推interrupt(v.)打斷random(adj.)隨機的scene(n.)情景、景象utter(v.)講、出聲omnipresent(adj.)隨處可見的、無所不在的=being everywherecomplicated(adj.)複雜的、費解的expression(n.)詞語mixing…=which mixeslayered(adj.)多重的undeservedness(n.)不值得、配不上
Although its origin is unclear, the phrase can be shaped collectively by the thousand-year moral teachings by Confucius and half-century of Japanese colonization, according to Khin-huann Li, the sociolinguistics professor emeritus at National Taiwan Normal University.
國立台灣師範大學榮譽退休社會語言學教授李勤岸指出，雖然「不好意思」的來源不可考，卻可能是被千年的儒家道德傳統以及半世紀的日本殖民所形塑。
origin(n.)起源、發源collectively(adv.)集體地、共同地collective memory共同的回憶moral(adj.)道德的colonization(n.)殖民sociolinguistics(n.)社會語言學emeritus(adj.)榮譽退休的
The value of Confucianism centers around the absolute harmony of the society, requiring individuals to place personal interests far behind communal welfare. Japanese culture, at the same time, exhibits a very similar idea of always thinking of other people, with its “Sumimasen” apology culture deeply influencing Taiwanese society.
儒家價值以維護社會絕對的和諧為宗旨，使得個人必須把私人利益遠置於集體利益之後。而日本文化同時也展現出處處為他人著想的思維，其「Sumimasen」的道歉文化深深影響台灣社會。
Confucianism(n.)儒家文化center around…以…為主absolute(adj.)絕對的、完全的harmony(n.)和諧individual(n.)個人、個體interest(n.)利益communal(adj.)集體的welfare(n.)福祉
Still, is the sorry-meaning-carrying “Buhaoyisi” always genuine to its speakers?
然而當人們說出「不好意思」這句帶有道歉意涵的話時，他們內心真的是這麼想的嗎？
still(adv.)儘管如此genuine(adj.)真心的、誠懇的
Some local Taiwanese wouldn’t agree because as the phrase becomes a way-too-common verbal remedy, its meaning gets washed away, leaving only the over-politeness that is somewhat superficial and hollow.
有些台灣人可能不這麼認為，因為隨著這句話成為隨時可以派上用場的語言擋箭牌，其意義也隨之消散，只剩下稍嫌膚淺及空洞的過度禮貌表現。
verbal(adj.)語言上的verbal violence語言暴力remedy(n.)療方、療法superficial(adj.)膚淺的、流於形式的hollow(adj.)中空的、空洞的
This undeservedness, shyness, and subordinate sense exuding from set phrase can sadly mirror the speakers’ mindset a lot of the times.
這種從「不好意思」所流露出的「我不配」、害臊還有屈服於他人的意味或許不幸地反映出了講這句話的人大部份時候的心態。
subordinate(n.)附屬的、下屬的(n.)屬下exude(v.)流露、顯露mirror(v.)反映=reflectmindset(n.)心態
However, Li believes that these four characters are indispensable for Taiwanese culture. “If society keeps these concepts and expresses these words daily, then the society could be more polite. Taiwan’s culture [must] be kept in good shape in terms of morality and harmony.”
不過，李教授認為「不好意思」是台灣文化不可或缺的精神，他說「如果保留這些理念，而且每天都說這些話，人們會更有禮貌、講道德，社會也會更傳統。台灣的文化（必須）在道德與和諧方面保持良好的狀態」。
indispensable(adj.)不可或缺的=necessary=essentialin shape保持某種狀態morality(n.)道德