In English complaining can be problematic, particularly in British English where we are very concerned with being polite and not offending anybody. I know it sounds silly, but it’s true, even when complaining we want to be as polite as possible and not make people angry!
在英语中抱怨是有问题的，特别是在英国英语中，我们非常注重礼貌，不冒犯任何人。我知道这听起来很傻，但这是真的，即使在抱怨的时候，我们也希望尽可能有礼貌，不要惹人生气！
Complaining is an art!
投诉是一门艺术！
So, here we are going to examine a few different situations when complaints would be necessary and also the vocabulary that would be needed to complain correctly.
因此，在这里，我们将研究一些不同的情况，当投诉是必要的，也需要的词汇，投诉正确。
Before we start…
在我们开始之前…
Vocabulary for complaining
投诉的词汇
Getting Attention
引起注意
Excuse me…
对不起…
Pardon me…
抱歉…
I have a complaint…
我有个投诉…
Sorry to bother you but…
很抱歉打扰你，但是…
I’m sorry to say…
我很抱歉地说…
Expressing opinion
表达观点
I’m afraid there’s a problem…
恐怕有个问题…
I’m angry about…
我很生气…
I’m really not happy…
我真的不高兴…
There’s a slight problem with…
有个小问题…
Making the complaint
做投诉
I would like/I want…
我想要…
to lodge a complaint
提出申诉
to make a complaint
做投诉
to report an issue
报告问题
to give you some feedback
给你一些反馈
to inform you
通知你
Let’s start!!
让我们开始吧！！！
Complaining in a Restaurant
餐厅投诉
In a restaurant there can be a lot of things to complain about.
在餐馆里有很多事情可以抱怨。
Possible reasons to complain in a restaurant
在餐馆抱怨的可能原因
Dirty cutlery: when your knife and fork or eating utensils are not clean or healthy to use.
脏餐具：当你的刀叉或餐具不干净或不健康时使用。
Cold food: When your food has not been cooked for the correct amount of time and is cold.
冷食：当你的食物在正确的时间内没有煮熟并且是冷的。
Uncooked and dangerous food: When your food could damage your health and maybe even kill you!
生的和危险的食物：当你的食物可能损害你的健康，甚至可能杀死你！
A long waiting time: When you have to wait hours for your food.
漫长的等待时间：当你必须等上几个小时才能得到食物的时候。
Bad service: If the people that work in the restaurant are rude or unfriendly to you.
糟糕的服务：如果在餐馆工作的人对你粗鲁或不友好。
So how do you complain about these issues without drawing too much attention from other customers in the restaurant?
那么，如何在不引起餐厅其他顾客太多注意的情况下投诉这些问题呢？
Let’s look at a practice dialogue:
让我们来看看练习对话：
CUSTOMER: EXCUSE ME!
顾客：对不起！
It’s important to be polite and say excuse me rather than saying Come here! or clicking your fingers. The last two are extremely impolite.
很重要的是要有礼貌地说对不起，而不是说过来！或者用手指敲击。最后两个是非常不礼貌的。
Even saying Excuse me, waiter Is seen as impolite because you are implying that because he/she is a waiter/waitress, they are not as important as you. It’s better to just say excuse me when the waiter/waitress is near the table.
即使说对不起，服务员也会被认为是不礼貌的，因为你是在暗示，因为他/她是服务员，所以他们没有你重要。服务员/女服务员在桌子旁边时，最好说声对不起。
WAITER: YES SIR, HOW CAN I HELP YOU?
服务员：是的，先生，有什么需要帮忙的吗？
CUSTOMER: I DON’T WANT TO MAKE A SCENE BUT THERE’S A FLY IN MY SOUP.
顾客：我不想吵架，但我汤里有只苍蝇。
When you say I don’t want to make a scene it means that you don’t want to attract the attention of people around you and make them look at the table. We do this because the fly in the soup is probably not the fault of the waiter, but if you start shouting at him then he will be embarrassed in front of all the other customers.
当你说我不想制造一个场面，这意味着你不想吸引周围人的注意力，让他们看桌子。我们这样做是因为汤里的苍蝇可能不是服务员的错，但如果你开始对他大喊大叫，那么他就会在所有其他顾客面前尴尬。
You can also say I hate to make a fuss as it means the same thing.
你也可以说我讨厌大惊小怪，因为这意味着同样的事情。
WAITER: I AM TERRIBLY SORRY! I WILL TAKE THE SOUP BACK TO THE KITCHEN AND GET YOU ANOTHER ONE.
服务员：非常抱歉！我会把汤带回厨房再给你拿一份。
CUSTOMER: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
顾客：非常感谢。
Now usually it is as simple as this, but if the waiter/waitress is rude and doesn’t respond to your polite complaint, don’t worry! Stay calm!
现在通常都是这样简单，但是如果服务生/女服务员粗鲁无礼，没有回应你的礼貌投诉，别担心！保持冷静！
Here are some phrases for more extreme situations:
以下是一些更极端情况的短语：
I’d like to speak to a manager, please.
我想和经理谈谈。
This means that the waiter/waitress will have to go and get their manager to speak to you and deal with your complaint more professionally. It is the manager’s job to make sure that everything goes smoothly, so he/she may well be more receptive to your complaint.
这意味着服务生/女服务员必须去让他们的经理和你谈话，更专业地处理你的投诉。经理的工作是确保一切顺利进行，因此他/她很可能更容易接受你的投诉。
I’m sorry, but this is unacceptable!
对不起，这是不能接受的！
A bit more extreme, this is something you can say if nobody is listening to your complaint or if they don’t believe your complaint! This is extremely rare but possible!
更极端的是，如果没有人听你的抱怨，或者他们不相信你的抱怨，你可以这样说！这是非常罕见的，但有可能！
This food is not fit for a dog!
这种食物不适合狗吃！
CAUTION: This is very extreme, but if you are angry with the food that you have been offered but the manager disagrees with you, you can say this to show just how disappointed you are.
注意：这是非常极端的，但是如果你对提供给你的食物感到愤怒，但是经理不同意你的意见，你可以这样说来表明你有多失望。
The phrase means that it would be bad to give the food to dogs, let alone humans!
这句话的意思是，把食物给狗吃是不好的，更不用说给人类了！
Another variation is: I wouldn’t feed this to my dog.
另一个变化是：我不会把这个喂给我的狗。
Complaining on the Phone
电话投诉
Everyone’s favourite job, complaining over the phone.
每个人最喜欢的工作，在电话里抱怨。
Possible reasons to complain over the phone
在电话里抱怨的可能原因
A faulty product
劣质产品
Poor customer service
很差的客户服务
You need an extended explanation about an issue.
你需要对一个问题作详细的解释。
It can be a good idea to complain over the phone as you get to speak to a real human (normally) and they can talk to you about an issue with more details than a leaflet or a computer programme, for example.
当你和一个真正的人（通常）交谈时，在电话里抱怨是个好主意，他们可以和你谈论一个比传单或电脑程序更详细的问题。
However, this can also be very difficult as you are usually talking to staff that are trained to deal with complaints. Sometimes they don’t want to help you!
然而，这也可能是非常困难的，因为你通常是与受过处理投诉培训的员工交谈。有时候他们不想帮你！
The good thing about complaining over the phone is that the staff member usually has a vague script that they follow, so you can predict what they are going to say and prepare your responses appropriately.
在电话里抱怨的好处是，工作人员通常会有一个模棱两可的脚本，这样你就可以预测他们要说什么，并适当地准备你的回答。
When you complain in English over the phone, it might be a good idea to take some notes before you call. That way you will be ready for anything and you will be able to achieve the best outcome!
当你在电话里用英语抱怨的时候，最好在打电话之前做些笔记。这样你就可以为任何事情做好准备，你就能取得最好的结果！
It’s important to speak clearly and with purpose on the phone, take a look at this practice dialogue:
重要的是要在电话中清楚地、有目的地说出来，看看这个练习对话：
STAFF: HELLO! AND HOW MAY I HELP YOU TODAY?
工作人员：您好！今天我能为您做些什么？
CUSTOMER: HELLO, I WOULD LIKE TO PLACE A COMPLAINT PLEASE.
顾客：你好，我想投诉。
Stay calm! Remember that the staff could cut you off (put the phone down to stop the phone call) at any moment if you are impolite.
Saying I would like to place a complaint means that you say what you need to say without being aggressive or angry with the member of staff
保持冷静！记住，如果你不礼貌的话，工作人员随时可能切断你的电话（放下电话以停止打电话）。如果说我想投诉，意味着你说了你需要说的话，而没有对工作人员咄咄逼人或生气。
STAFF: OKAY, AND CAN I ASK WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE COMPLAINT (WHAT IS THE COMPLAINT ABOUT)?
工作人员：好的，请问投诉的性质是什么（投诉的内容是什么）？
CUSTOMER: I WANT TO REPORT A FAULTY PRODUCT, MY COMPUTER WON’T TURN ON AND I HAVE NO IDEA AS TO WHY.
顾客：我想报告一个有问题的产品，我的电脑不开，我也不知道为什么。
STAFF: OKAY, I’M SORRY TO HEAR THAT! I WILL DO MY BEST TO HELP YOU WITH THAT.
工作人员：好的，听到这个我很难过！我会尽力帮你的。
CUSTOMER: THANK YOU.
顾客：谢谢。
Again, normally you will be able to achieve what you need by being polite and following the instructions from the staff member but for all those frustrating times that you need to be more forceful.
同样，通常情况下，你可以通过礼貌和遵循工作人员的指示来达到你的要求，但在那些令人沮丧的时刻，你需要更加有力。
Here are some helpful phrases:
以下是一些有用的短语：
I am not happy at all with this service.
我对这种服务一点也不满意。
This is pretty self-explanatory but it is a strong way of saying that you’re unhappy without being rude and causing the member of staff to cut you off (end the phone call) or put the phone down (end the phone call) on you.
这是一个很好的解释，但这是一种很强的方式来表达你的不满，而不是粗鲁无礼，并导致员工切断你的电话（结束电话）或放下电话（结束电话）对你。
Please don’t put me on hold!
请不要耽搁我！
This is the most annoying part of the phone complaints process!
这是电话投诉过程中最烦人的部分！
To be put on hold is when the member of staff says something like one moment please and then you have to wait for them to come back whilst listening to music that is probably not very good!
等待是当员工说了类似的话，然后你必须等待他们回来，同时听音乐，这可能不是很好！
This is one of the worst things ever! It’s even worse if you don’t have much time or if the phone call is costing a lot of money!
这是有史以来最糟糕的事情之一！如果你没有太多时间，或者打电话花了很多钱，情况就更糟了！
Please, you’re not listening to me at all!
拜托，你根本不听我的！
If the staff member doesn’t understand either you or your complaint, it can be very frustrating. This is quite direct, so be careful not to use it too much!
如果工作人员不理解你或你的抱怨，这可能是非常令人沮丧的。这很直接，所以小心不要用太多！
You sound like a broken record!
你听起来像张破唱片！
This is the most aggressive one and it’s something you can say to people in everyday speech as well. Now, picture a broken record or more specifically think about the sound that it makes.
这是最具攻击性的一个，你也可以在日常演讲中对人们说。现在，想象一张破唱片，或者更具体地想想它发出的声音。
When a record is broken, the needle will get stuck and the sound will keep playing over and over and over again. This is where the saying comes from! In this case, it means that someone keeps saying the same thing.
当一张唱片坏了，针头会卡住，声音会一遍又一遍地播放。这就是谚语的由来！在这种情况下，这意味着有人一直在说同样的话。
Over the phone, maybe the dialogue would sound something like this:
在电话里，也许对话听起来像这样：
STAFF: I’M SORRY SIR, BUT MY RECORDS SHOW YOU ARE NOT THE OWNER OF THIS COMPUTER. I CAN’T HELP YOU.
职员：对不起，先生，我的记录显示你不是这台电脑的主人。我帮不了你。
CUSTOMER: I AM THE OWNER! I BOUGHT IT YESTERDAY AND IT’S BRAND NEW!
顾客：我是店主！我昨天买的，它是全新的！
STAFF: WELL I’M SORRY SIR, BUT MY COMPUTER SAYS YOU ARE NOT THE OWNER OF THIS COMPUTER. THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO!
职员：对不起，先生，我的电脑说你不是这台电脑的主人。我无能为力！
CUSTOMER: YOU SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD! YOU’RE NOT HELPING ME AT ALL!
顾客：你听起来像张破唱片！你一点也帮不了我！
Again, be careful with this one!
再说一次，这个用着要小心！
Complaining in shops
商店投诉
Here we will use the example of a clothes shop, because it is a place that lots of people visit! This is similar to complaining in restaurants.
这里我们将以一家服装店为例，因为它是很多人参观的地方！这类似于餐馆里的抱怨。
Because it is a public place you don’t want to make too much noise and cause a scene (the same as make a fuss) so it is important to be polite and hopefully you will get what you want at the end of it all.
因为这是一个公共场所，你不想制造太多的噪音和引起一个场面（同样是大惊小怪），所以礼貌是很重要的，希望你会得到你想要的一切。
Also, remember that a lot of staff members want to help you so there is no point in shouting at them and making them feel angry towards you!
另外，记住很多员工都想帮你，所以对他们大喊大叫，让他们对你生气是没有意义的！
Possible reasons to complain in a shop
在商店投诉的可能原因
Faulty product
假货
Poor service
恶劣的服务态度
A pricing error (something costs more than it should do)
定价错误（有些东西比它应该做的要贵）
Here is an example dialogue:
下面是一个对话示例：
CUSTOMER: EXCUSE ME, I WOULD LIKE TO LODGE A COMPLAINT.
顾客：对不起，我想投诉。
SHOP ASSISTANT: OKAY, WHAT IS IT REGARDING? (WHAT IS IT ABOUT?)
店员：好的，这是关于什么的？（这是关于什么的？）
CUSTOMER: I HAVE BEEN WAITING AT THE FITTING ROOMS FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND I HAVEN’T BEEN SERVED (NOBODY HAS HELPED ME).
顾客：我在试衣间等了大约15分钟，还没人招待我（没人帮我）。
SHOP ASSISTANT: WELL I AM REALLY SORRY TO HEAR THAT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO GIVING BETTER SERVICE THAN THAT. I WILL REPORT YOUR INCIDENT.
店员：我真的很抱歉听到这个消息。我们致力于提供更好的服务。我会报告你的事件。
CUSTOMER: THANK YOU.
顾客：谢谢。
Hopefully that will be it! If you need more phrases then we’ve got you covered:
希望就是这样！如果你需要更多的短语，我们会为你提供：
I’d like to speak to a manager, please.
我想和经理谈谈。
The same as above in the restaurant, if you need to speak to someone in a more senior position, just ask!
同样在餐厅，如果你需要找一个更高职位的人谈话，尽管问！
I don’t feel like a valued customer here.
我觉得在这里我不是一个有价值的顾客。
This is a good thing to say as businesses should want to make all of their customers feel like valued customers and treat them well.
这是一个很好的说法，因为企业应该让所有的客户都觉得自己是有价值的客户，并善待他们。
I want a refund/I would like a refund
我想要退款
You say this if you want the business to give you your money back for what you have purchased or paid for.
如果你想让公司把你买的或付的钱还给你，你就这么说。
Normally, after complaining you will be offered a refund by the business, but if they don’t offer it to you then you can use this phrase. This one can also be used in restaurants amongst others.
通常，在抱怨之后，公司会给你退款，但如果他们不给你退款，你可以用这个短语。这个也可以用在餐馆里。
Complaining in a letter
在信中抱怨
This is an important method. It’s also something that can be highly effective if you write it correctly.
这是一个重要的方法。如果你写得正确的话，这也是非常有效的。
With a letter, we have the chance to prepare (a bit like complaining over the phone) but in this case we can check the grammar and read the text a few times just to be sure.
有了一封信，我们就有机会准备（有点像在电话里抱怨），但在这种情况下，我们可以检查语法，并读几遍课文，以防万一。
There are a few key phrases to be remembered here:
这里有几个关键短语需要记住：
I am writing to inform you
我写信通知你
This is a good way to be polite but direct about an issue or problem. More simply it would be, I’m writing to tell you about… But in this case it is better to use more developed language.
这是一个很好的礼貌的方式，但直接对一个问题或问题。更简单的说，我写这封信是想告诉你……但在这种情况下，最好使用更成熟的语言。
I am/was extremely upset/disappointed/offended because…
我非常难过/失望/生气，因为…
This expresses how you feel about the problem. Using strong words like offended or extremely as opposed to I am not happy will get a better response and make more of an impact.
这表达了你对这个问题的看法。用冒犯或极端的措辞来表达我的不满，会得到更好的回应，产生更大的影响。
There seems to be an issue/problem with
好像有个问题
Using seems to be is a good idea because you might be wrong about the problem, or you may not understand the situation as well as you think. If you say seems to be it means that you are open to the possibility of being wrong. You just want an honest explanation.
使用似乎是一个好主意，因为你可能在这个问题上错了，或者你可能没有想象中那么了解情况。如果你说似乎是，那就意味着你有可能犯错。你只需要一个诚实的解释。
Here is a really good template for an English complaint letter:
这里有一个非常好的英文投诉信模板：
DEAR SIR/MADAM
尊敬的先生/女士
MY NAME IS _______ AND I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM/ISSUE WITH ________ . I AM/WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED/VERY UPSET/OFFENDED BECAUSE _____________ . I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THIS ISSUE OCCURRED AND WHAT YOU MIGHT DO TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION. I HATE TO MAKE A FUSS, BUT I FEEL IT’S NECESSARY TO DRAW THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. I AWAIT YOUR CONSIDERED RESPONSE.
我的名字是，我写信告诉你，好像有问题。我非常失望/非常沮丧/生气，因为。如果你能向我解释为什么会发生这个问题，以及你可以做些什么来纠正这种情况，我将非常感激。我不想大惊小怪，但我觉得有必要引起你的注意。我等待你深思熟虑的答复。
YOURS SINCERELY,
谨上，
Make your letter as detailed as possible!
把你的信写得尽可能详细！
You want to make sure that the other person fully understands the problem and the way it has changed your life.
你要确保对方完全理解这个问题以及它改变你生活的方式。
Complaining in a relationship
恋爱中的抱怨
Probably the most difficult complaint of all! This is how to complain to your partner about a problem!
可能是最难的抱怨了！这就是如何向你的伴侣抱怨一个问题！
Now, of course things will be very delicate here, one wrong word can be catastrophic.
现在，这里的事情当然会很微妙，一个错误的词可能是灾难性的。
Be careful…
小心使用…
Perhaps you are having an argument, perhaps something is unfair but whatever it is it probably isn’t worth losing your partner for it!
也许你在争吵，也许有些事情不公平，但不管是什么，都不值得为此失去你的伴侣！
Useful Phrases for this include:
有用的短语包括：
I feel like you’re not listening to me. Please, just hear me out (listen to me). Let’s compromise (find a solution we both like). Let’s just take a minute and think. Let’s work this out (find a solution). We need to talk about something
我觉得你不听我的。请听我说完（听我说）。让我们妥协（找到我们都喜欢的解决方案）。让我们花点时间想想。我们来解决这个问题。我们得谈谈
Check out the dialogue:
查看对话：
A: LOVE, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING.
A：亲爱的，我们需要谈谈。
B: WHAT IS IT?
B：什么事？
A: I’M REALLY UNHAPPY THAT YOU DIDN’T COME TO MY GRANDMA’S BIRTHDAY PARTY.
我真的很不高兴你没来参加我奶奶的生日聚会。
B: REALLY? BUT YOU TOLD ME IT WAS FINE!
B：真的吗？但你告诉我没事！
A: PLEASE, JUST HEAR ME OUT.
请听我说完。
B: OKAY.
好的。
A: I WOULD HAVE LOVED IT IF YOU HAD COME WITH ME AND IN FUTURE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO COME TO ALL MY FAMILY OCCASIONS.
A：如果你和我一起去，我会很喜欢的，将来我希望你能来参加我所有的家庭活动。
B: LET’S JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO THINK, WHAT IS THE POINT IN ME DOING THAT?
B：让我们花点时间想想，我这样做有什么意义？
A: I FEEL LIKE YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME! I ALWAYS WANT YOU TO BE WITH ME! COME ON, LET’S WORK THIS OUT. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A BIG PROBLEM.
A：我觉得你没在听我说！我一直希望你和我在一起！来吧，我们来解决这个问题。这不一定是个大问题。
B: OKAY, LET’S COMPROMISE, I WILL TRY HARDER TO MAKE TIME FOR YOUR FAMILY EVENTS.
B：好吧，让我们妥协吧，我会努力为你的家庭活动腾出时间。
Using the words we’ve mentioned, you can keep your relationship healthy and that will make you happy! Stay calm and use the vocabulary to make sure that you both get what you want.
用我们提到的话，你可以保持你的关系健康，这将使你快乐！保持冷静，用词汇来确保你们都得到了想要的。
Complaining in the workplace
在工作场所抱怨
This is another situation where you have to be calm. This is your job we’re talking about!
这是另一种你必须冷静的情况。我们说的是你的工作！
Let’s try to communicate better. Take a deep breath. We are a team. We have to be professional
让我们试着更好地交流。深呼吸。我们是一个团队。我们必须专业
Here’s a dialogue to explain!
这里有一段对话来阐明！
A: I WANT TO LODGE A COMPLAINT AGAINST MY MANAGER.
A：我想投诉我的经理。
B: OKAY, WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
B：好吧，怎么了？
A: I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY HE TALKS TO ME, HE IS SUCH AN IDIOT!
A：我对他跟我说话的方式不满意，他真是个白痴！
B: OKAY, TAKE A DEEP BREATH, WE HAVE TO BE PROFESSIONAL.
B：好吧，深呼吸，我们得专业一点。
A: I’M SORRY BUT I FEEL BADLY TREATED.
A：我是索尔，但是我觉得受到了虐待。
B: IT’S ALRIGHT, BUT LET’S TRY TO COMMUNICATE BETTER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
B：没关系，不过我们还是尽量多沟通解决问题吧。
A: YES, I KNOW WE ARE A TEAM AND WE HAVE TO BE PROFESSIONAL.
A：是的，我知道我们是一个团队，我们必须专业。
It’s important to put the focus onto solving problems rather than creating new ones. Especially in a place where you are being measured on performance! Be open to other people’s ideas and make sure you’re being reasonable.
把重点放在解决问题上而不是创造新问题上是很重要的。尤其是在一个你被衡量表现的地方！对别人的想法敞开心扉，确保自己是合理的。
So in summary…
总之
With complaints in English it’s important to:
对于英语投诉，重要的是：
Keep your cool and stay calm
保持冷静
Use a lot of vocabulary, particularly adjectives to fully describe your situation.
使用大量的词汇，特别是形容词来全面描述你的处境。
Be polite! People will be more willing to help you if you use manners and treat them with respect. Remember it’s probably not their fault！So what do you think? Any complaints? Any issues?
礼貌点！如果你用礼貌和尊重的态度对待他们，人们会更愿意帮助你。记住这可能不是他们的错！那你觉得呢？有什么抱怨吗？有什么问题吗？
