以反建議辯駁原議 Counter arguing

眼見公司在中南美洲四年來的努力就要付諸流水，Sandoz的主管個個心急如焚。是否要收回產品成為迫在眉睫的問題。大家是否決定壯士斷腕呢？或者有更好的方案？

英文正文

Vincent: You know, we don't have to pick either of the two options. We could just continue selling our product. After all, it's not really our fault. We did all the research anyone could do.

Grace: Not a bad idea, but maybe we should look at the larger picture. Maybe no judge would say it's our fault. But people would feel we were wrong, and would stop buying our products. I know the options will cost a lot, but doing nothing could break the bank.

Sam: I'd like to add something to what you just said. We've only been talking about money here; we should be talking about people. Is it OK to save the money if we know some people are going to get hurt?

Vincent: I guess not. But we just can't take the powder off the market. You know what will happen. Profits will go down, quickly. The shareholders will get angry. Management will have to blame someone. You know who that will be us!

Grace: We have to make the best of a bad situation. But I can't agree with leaving the product on the market just to save our profits. Not even if we try to make better powders for each area.

Sam: Then what do we do?

Grace:We bite the bullet, and take the powder off the market. But there is a way to have the best of both alternatives. We take one month to do tests, and see if we can easily make the new powders. If it will be too expensive, we never sell them there again; we pack it in. It will be my decision.

句型總結

●　 委婉駁斥
1. Not a bad idea, but maybe we should look at the larger picture.
2. Not a bad idea, but there's more to this than one might think at first.
3. Not a bad idea, but I think we need to take a second look.
4. Not a bad idea, but I think it would be good if we looked at this again.

"the larger picture"即指‘遠景；大局’。這句話是說對方所言不差－－"Not a bad idea"，但未能掌握全局。此句型暗示自己不能茍同，但又很技巧地為對方找臺階下。這句話還有將討論轉向另一個不同方向的功用。

●　 逆境中找機會
1. We have to make the best of a bad situation.
2. We have to make the best of what we've got.
3. We have to do our best with what we've got to work with.
4. We have to look for a way to make the best of a bad situation.

"make the best of..."是形容事情陷入不利情況時，能盡量利用現有的改善情況，甚至找出最佳的出路。這個句型可用在當一切方案都很不樂觀，而你似乎有方法，能為頹勢帶來一線希望。因此這句話有鼓勵士氣的作用，能讓與會者提起興趣，期待你將要提出的建議。

●　 提出兼顧方案
1. There is a way to have the best of both alternatives.
2. There is a way we can use the best of both options.
3. There is a way we can combine the best of each alternative.
4. There is a way we can take the best parts from each plan.

"alternative"當名詞是指‘二個選擇中的一個’，句中的"both alternatives"即指‘二者兼顧’。這句話是說另外還有個兼顧兩種方案、兩全其美的方式。此句型是在推翻前述的方案，但實際上，自己的看法乃是將那些方案推陳出新，擷取其優點所成。

●　More 駁斥
會議桌上本是各路英雄錘煉最佳方案之地，所以針對一個原始提案，給予多重角度的質詢與反議是值得肯定的做法。

強烈的駁斥
That's just not feasible.
I really can't accept that.
I'm absolutely/completely against that.
That's out of the question.

較禮貌的駁斥
I'm afraid I can't accept that.
I'm sorry, but that's not really practical.
I'm afraid I'm not very happy about that.
I'm sorry, but I have reservations about that.

較迂回地反對
I don't want to be discouraging, but...
I accept the need for (something), but...
I appreciate your point of view, but...
I can see why you want to do this, but...
That's very interesting, but...