规则与制度：一集拿走 64 个地道职场表达

「这条规则必须守，还是走走形式？」——职场规则的麻烦不在多，而在没人告诉你哪条是真底线。这一集把规则分成三副面孔：non-negotiables（没有商量余地）、on-paper rules（纸面规则）和 flexible guidelines（弹性指引），再给两套场景话术——混合办公的软硬三档（requirement / supposed to / normally expect），报销报销的被动语态（has to be followed / signed off by）；最后是一张「强规则信号词」清单：essential、no exceptions、comply with、duty。64 个关键表达全部来自对话原文，按「从分类到信号词」分好组；听懂规则的弦外之音，才知道哪些能商量、哪些必须照办。

精选深讲

1. non-negotiables · 没有商量余地的事 —— 本集题眼。Phil 的定义层层递进：“this is the rule. You can’t argue with it. You can’t negotiate around it. You just have to do this.”（这就是规则。不能争、不能绕、只能做。）non-negotiable 本是谈判术语「不可谈判的条款」，职场引申为「绝对底线」——与它相对的是 on-paper rules：纸上有、实际松。本集的核心考点就是分清一句话属于哪一类，而判断方法靠观察：语调、语境、文化、看大家实际怎么做。

2. on-paper rules · 纸面规则 —— Pippa 的定义：“on paper you’re supposed to do something. But in reality maybe not everyone does it”（纸面上你应该做，但现实中也许不是每个人都这么做），她还说 “it’s just not practical. It’s not something that actually happens”（它不现实、实际没发生）——规则与执行之间的温差。与 non-negotiables 相对：一个真管，一个只挂墙上。识别靠本集给的口诀：look at the context、look at who is saying these things、look at what everyone does。

3. we’re supposed to · 我们应该（规则味的软要求） —— 本集混合办公场景的强度档位之一（requirement ＞ supposed to ＞ normally expect）：“We’re supposed to leave our cameras on when we have a meeting.”（开会时我们应该开着摄像头。）be supposed to 的妙处：规则是规则，但说出口不带命令腔——它陈述「按照设定应该如此」，把要求的来源推给「设定」。陈述公司规则时用 we 而非 I，暗示这是公司政策而非个人要求。否定式 you’re not supposed to 更常用也更明确。

4. signed off by · 由……签字批准 —— Pippa 讲报销流程的标配句：“it needs to be signed off by…”——Phil 解释：“naming the person who has to sign the form to say that the money can be spent”（点出那个必须签字、批准花钱的人）。sign off 是「签字放行」，报销、发布、验收通用。本集考点是被动语态：涉及钱时人们常说 “there’s a process that has to be followed”、“there’s a system that needs to be used”——把规则的来源藏在被动里，是英文制度的典型文风。语法：be signed off by someone，别丢 be。

5. no exceptions · 无例外 —— Phil 的「最严格档」：“if you see the phrase no exceptions, that’s often something that you’d put in an email, maybe in bold with lots of exclamation marks afterwards”（写进邮件、加粗、后面跟一串感叹号），作用是 “make a rule much stricter”。它与 it is essential that、must comply with、duty 同属「强规则语域」——Pippa 说这些词出现的本身，就是 indication（信号）：这是 non-negotiable，不是 on-paper rule。感叹号+加粗是管理层的最后通牒语域，日常同事沟通慎用。

一、开场：规则的存在都有道理

词条	中文释义	原文例句
follow the rules	遵守规则	“How important is it to follow the rules at work?”
systems in place	已有的制度	“there are systems in place for a reason”
get in trouble with	跟……惹上麻烦	“you also don’t want to get in trouble with your bosses”
rules and guidelines	规则与指引	“we’re talking about rules and guidelines”

二、规则的三副面孔：non-negotiable

词条	中文释义	原文例句
lots and lots of rules	成千上万条规则	“Some places have lots and lots of rules”
a little bit more flexible	灵活一点	“a little bit more flexible”
non-negotiables	没有商量余地的事（本集题眼）	“most places will have at least some non-negotiables”
argue with it	跟它争	“You can’t argue with it.”
negotiate around it	绕着它讨价还价	“You can’t negotiate around it.”

三、on-paper rules 与指引

词条	中文释义	原文例句
by contrast	相对地	“And then by contrast”
on-paper rules	纸面规则（本集题眼）	“we would call on-paper rules”
on paper	纸面上	“on paper you’re supposed to do something”
a bit more flexible	灵活一些	“It’s a bit more flexible.”
written down	写在纸上	“something written down that people are supposed to do”
guidelines or recommendations	指引或建议	“guidelines or recommendations”
the degree of firmness	严厉程度	“the degree of firmness, how serious the rule is”
as serious as they are	实际那么严肃	“in a way that makes them seem as serious as they are”

四、规则有多严肃，听不出来

词条	中文释义	原文例句
a hybrid job	混合办公的工作	“it’s a hybrid job”
there’s a requirement to	有要求（正式）	“there’s a requirement to be in the office”
they ask us to	他们要求我们（委婉）	“to say they ask us to”
they ask us to come in every Wednesday	他们要求我们每周三到岗	“they ask us to come in every Wednesday”
we’re supposed to	我们应该（软性）	“A similar expression is we’re supposed to”
leave our cameras on	开着摄像头	“leave our cameras on when we have a meeting”
we would normally expect	我们通常期望（本集题眼）	“to say we would normally expect”
a company policy	公司政策	“this is a company policy”
a company guideline	公司指引	“This is a company guideline”

五、场景一：混合办公的规则

词条	中文释义	原文例句
there may be occasions when	也许某些场合	“there may be occasions when we need everyone”
change the rule	改规则	“they might have to change the rule”
intonation	语调	“hear from someone’s intonation how firm they are”

六、强弱档：requirement 到 normally expect

词条	中文释义	原文例句
another scenario	另一个场景	“let’s think about another scenario”
money is involved	涉及钱	“whenever money is involved”
expenses policies	报销制度	“different expenses policies”
claim the money back	报销、把钱要回来	“claim the money back from the business”
use the passive	用被动语态	“they’ll often use the passive”
a process that has to be followed	必须遵守的流程	“a process that has to be followed”
a system that needs to be used	需要使用的系统	“a system that needs to be used”
who’s responsible for	谁负责	“who’s responsible for saying that money can be spent”
signed off by	由……签字批准（本集题眼）	“it needs to be signed off by”
it is essential that	……是必须的（本集题眼）	“it is essential that”
not an option	不是可选项	“It’s not an option.”
no exceptions	无例外（本集题眼）	“you see the phrase no exceptions”
in bold	加粗	“maybe in bold with lots of exclamation marks”

七、场景二：花钱与报销流程

词条	中文释义	原文例句
no alternative	没有替代方案	“There’s no alternative to doing this”
how serious a rule is	规则有多严肃	“how serious a rule is or whether there’s a rule at all”
confidentiality	保密（本集题眼）	“is around confidentiality”
keep it secret	保密	“keep it secret, keep it within the company”
a corporate policy	公司政策	“a corporate policy, a written down list of rules”
expressed as negatives	用否定式表达	“expressed as negatives, Phil, right?”
forbidden or is prohibited	被禁止/被严禁	“is forbidden or is prohibited”
not allowed to do it	不许这么做	“it means you’re not allowed to do it”
you should or you shouldn’t	应该/不应该	“they might say something like you should”
you need to follow	你必须遵守	“It’s something that you need to follow.”
never disclose	绝不透露	“never disclose private company information”
you must never do it	你绝对不能做	“you must never do it”

八、强规则语域与信号词

词条	中文释义	原文例句
there are no exceptions	没有任何例外	“there are no exceptions in that example”
avoid sharing passwords	避免共享密码	“avoid sharing passwords”
you must comply with	你必须遵守（本集题眼）	“you must comply with”
within the rules	在规则之内	“what you’re doing is within the rules”
duty	义务（本集题眼）	“to use the word duty”
something that you have to do	你必须做的事	“a duty is just something that you have to do”
at all times	始终	“follow all policies at all times”
flexible guidelines	弹性指引	“those on-paper rules or flexible guidelines”
forceful	有力的、强硬的	“sounds a lot more forceful”
an indication	一个信号	“that’s an indication that these are rules”

扩展表达（未入选核心清单，但同样值得收）

词条	中文释义
for a reason	有它的道理
lots and lots of rules	成千上万条规则
a certain way of doing something	某种既定做法
good advice to use	值得采纳的建议
how often you need to be in the office	频率多高
at least two days a week	每周至少两天
claim the money back	报销、把钱要回来
in front of more senior people	在更资深的人面前
a written down list of rules	写下来的规则清单
apologies at work	职场中的道歉

串词成段

64 个词放回入职第一周，是这样的：

Day one at a new company, hybrid role. The manager explains: “there’s a requirement to be in the office two days a week — they ask us to come in every Wednesday. We’re supposed to keep cameras on. We would normally expect replies within a day. There may be occasions when we need everyone here.” Which of those are non-negotiables and which are on-paper rules? You check the intonation, the context, what everyone actually does. Then you need new equipment, and money is involved — so out comes the expenses policy: “there’s a process that has to be followed, a system that needs to be used, and it needs to be signed off by your manager.” Two weeks later you break one: “Taking documents home is forbidden — you shouldn’t do it, never disclose client data, avoid sharing passwords, and you must comply with all policies — staff have a duty to follow them at all times. No exceptions!!!” The language got forceful — and that’s an indication: these are the non-negotiables. Everything else? On paper.

参考译文：入职新公司第一天，混合办公岗位。经理解释：「有要求：每周两天到办公室——他们要求我们每周三到岗。我们应该开着摄像头。我们通常期望一天内回复。也许某些场合我们需要所有人到场。」哪些是没有商量余地的，哪些是纸面规则？你看语调、看语境、看大家实际怎么做。然后你需要新设备，涉及钱——于是报销制度出场：「有一个必须遵守的流程，有一个需要使用的系统，还需要你的经理签字批准。」两周后你踩了一条线：「把文件带回家是被禁止的——你不应该这么做，绝不透露客户数据，避免共享密码，你必须遵守所有政策——员工有义务始终遵守。无例外！」语言突然强硬——而这就是信号：这些是没有商量余地的。其他的？纸面规则而已。

完整台词（中英对照）

Pippa: How important is it to follow the rules at work?

在职场上遵守规则有多重要？

Georgie: Um, usually there are systems in place for a reason.

嗯，通常规则的存在都有它的道理。

Georgie: And, uh, you also don't want to get in trouble with your bosses.

而且，你也不想跟老板们惹上麻烦。

Neil: But probably because I've been at work for a long time, and I think I'm probably aware of which rules are more important than others.

不过可能是因为我工作了很多年，我大概知道哪些规则比别的更重要。

Phil: In this episode of Office English, we're talking about rules and guidelines.

本期《职场英语》，我们聊规则和指引。

Pippa: Hello and welcome to a new series of Office English.

你好，欢迎来到《职场英语》新一季。

Pippa: Your podcast guide to the world of work.

你的职场世界播客指南。

Pippa: I'm Pippa.

我是皮帕。

Phil: And I'm Phil.

我是菲尔。

Phil: Find a transcript for this episode on our website,

本期文稿可在我们的网站找到：bbclearningenglish.com。

Pippa: So, we've just heard from some of the BBC Learning English team about rules at work.

刚才我们听了 BBC Learning English 团队几位同事聊职场规则。

Pippa: So Phil, can you explain some of the different kinds of rules that there are at work?

菲尔，你能讲讲职场上有哪几种不同的规则吗？

Phil: Yes, and again, this may depend on the kind of place that you work.

可以。同样，这可能取决于你工作的地方。

Phil: Some places have lots and lots of rules.

有些地方有成千上万条规则。

Phil: Other places may be a little bit more flexible, but most places will have at least some non-negotiables.

别的地方可能灵活一点，但大多数地方至少会有一些 non-negotiables（没有商量余地的事）。

Phil: And when we call something a non-negotiable, it means this is the rule.

当我们把某样东西称为 non-negotiable（不可协商），意思是：这就是规则。

Phil: You can't argue with it.

你不能跟它争。

Phil: You can't negotiate around it.

你也没法绕着它讨价还价。

Phil: You just have to do this.

你只能照做。

Phil: It's non-negotiable.

它没有商量余地。

Pippa: Mhm.

嗯哼。

Pippa: Yeah.

是啊。

Pippa: And then by contrast you might have some rules that we would call on-paper rules.

相对地，你可能还会遇到一些我们称之为 on-paper rules（纸面规则）的规则。

Pippa: And this means that on paper you're supposed to do something.

意思是：纸面上你应该做某件事。

Pippa: But in reality maybe not everyone does it.

但现实中也许不是每个人都这么做。

Pippa: It's a bit more flexible.

它灵活一些。

Pippa: So there might be something written down that people are supposed to do, a certain way of doing something, but it's just not practical.

所以可能有些写在纸上的要求——人们「应该」按某种方式做事——但它就是不现实。

Pippa: It's not something that actually happens.

实际上并没有人那么做。

Phil: Um, another thing you might have are guidelines or recommendations, which are things they might not be a rule that you absolutely have to stick to, but it might be good advice to use.

嗯，另一种你可能遇到的是 guidelines（指引）或 recommendations（建议）——它们可能不是你必须绝对遵守的规则，但照着做也许是好建议。

Pippa: Mhm.

嗯哼。

Pippa: Yeah.

对。

Pippa: And what's difficult with rules at work is sometimes the degree of firmness, how serious the rule is, is not always clear from the way that people talk about rules.

职场规则的难点在于：规则的严厉程度——它有多严肃——并不总能从人们的说话方式里听出来。

Pippa: And that's certainly the case in the UK.

在英国尤其如此。

Pippa: Um, a lot of businesses will have lots of rules, but people don't talk about them, um, in a way that makes them seem as serious as they are.

很多公司有很多规则，但人们谈起它们的方式，让它们听起来没有实际那么严肃。

Pippa: So today we'll talk about some different rules at work, and we'll talk about how serious they might be based on the way people are talking about them.

所以今天我们聊职场里几种不同的规则，以及怎么从人们的说法里判断它们有多严肃。

Pippa: OK, let's imagine a scenario.

好，想象一个场景。

Pippa: Someone is starting a new job and it's a hybrid job, which means they work sometimes in the office and sometimes at home.

某人刚入职一份 hybrid job（混合办公的工作）：有时在办公室，有时在家。

Pippa: Their manager is explaining what that means.

经理正在向他解释这意味着什么。

Pippa: So what kind of language might they use to talk about the rules of hybrid working?

谈混合办公的规则时，他们会用什么样的语言？

Phil: OK, well, of course, when we're looking at hybrid working, there are lots of rules usually about when you need to be in the office, how often you need to be in the office, who needs to be in the office.

好。当然，说到混合办公，通常有很多规则：什么时候必须在办公室、频率多高、谁必须在场。

Phil: Um, and in some places that's very strict and in some places people don't necessarily follow those rules.

有些地方非常严格，有些地方人们未必真守那些规则。

Phil: So one way that you might explain to someone what the situation is, you might say 'there's a requirement to be in the office at least two days a week'.

你可以这么解释现状：there's a requirement to be in the office at least two days a week（有要求：每周至少两天在办公室）。

Phil: Or 'there's a requirement for everyone to be in the office on Wednesdays'.

或者 there's a requirement for everyone to be in the office on Wednesdays（有要求：每周三所有人都要到办公室）。

Pippa: Another way that you might phrase it is to say they ask us to.

另一种措辞是：they ask us to（他们要求我们……）。

Pippa: So 'they ask us to come in every Wednesday', for example.

比如：they ask us to come in every Wednesday（他们要求我们每周三到岗）。

Phil: A similar expression is we're supposed to.

一个类似的表达是 we're supposed to（我们应该……）。

Phil: 'We're supposed to leave our cameras on when we have a meeting'.

We're supposed to leave our cameras on when we have a meeting.（开会时我们应该开着摄像头。）

Pippa: Another phrase that people use when talking about this kind of situation is to say we would normally expect, and this again, is is talking about different guidelines.

人们谈论这类情况时用的另一个短语是 we would normally expect（我们通常期望）——这又是在说不同的指引。

Pippa: We're using 'we' here again.

这里又是用「我们」。

Pippa: So if you need to explain rules to someone, saying 'we' instead of 'I' is kind of suggesting that this is a company policy.

所以如果你需要向某人解释规则，说「我们」而不是「我」，是在暗示：这是公司政策。

Pippa: This is a company guideline rather than something that you're specifically asking for.

这是公司层面的指引，而不是我个人的要求。

Phil: Yes.

对。

Phil: And then we've got one, one other one here which we could use, um, I think, in this situation.

这种场景下还有一句可以用。

Phil: So 'there may be occasions when we need everyone in the office'.

There may be occasions when we need everyone in the office.（也许某些场合我们需要所有人到办公室。）

Phil: It doesn't mean there's a choice.

它不是说有的选。

Phil: It means that at certain times they might have to change the rule and that you have to be there.

它是说：某些时候他们可能不得不改规则，而你必须到场。

Pippa: Yeah, and with a lot of the phrases that we just used, it might not be that clear whether these are non-negotiable rules or on-paper rules, Phil.

对，而且刚才用的大部分句子，可能听不出到底是 non-negotiable（没有商量余地）还是 on-paper（纸面规则），菲尔。

Pippa: So how can people try and understand whether this is something they absolutely have to do?

那人们怎么判断这件事是不是必须做？

Phil: Sometimes you might be able to hear from someone's intonation how firm they are.

有时你能从一个人的语调里听出他有多认真。

Phil: Again, look at the context.

再看语境。

Phil: Look at the culture in the company that you're working for.

看你所在公司的文化。

Phil: Look at who is saying these things.

看说这些话的人是谁。

Phil: And yeah, look at what everyone does.

还有，看大家实际怎么做。

Phil: OK, let's think about another scenario.

好，再看另一个场景。

Phil: Um, if you're explaining to someone what they need to do when they have to buy things for the business.

假设你要向某人解释：为公司采购东西时该怎么做。

Phil: So a company might need to buy some new software or some new equipment.

公司可能需要买些新软件或新设备。

Phil: And whenever money is involved, there's usually a lot of rules around that.

而只要涉及钱，通常就会有一大堆规则。

Pippa: Yes, so when people are talking about money and different expenses policies, um, which is what we call when you spend money and then you need to kind of claim the money back from the business, they'll often use the passive.

对。人们谈到钱和各种 expenses policies（报销制度）时——就是那种你先垫付、再向公司报销的规矩——他们常用被动语态。

Pippa: So they might say 'there's a process that has to be followed', 'there's a system that needs to be used'.

他们可能会说：there's a process that has to be followed（有一个必须遵守的流程）、there's a system that needs to be used（有一个需要使用的系统）。

Pippa: Um, and that's a very common way to talk about these kinds of guidelines and rules.

这是谈论这类指引和规则时非常常见的说法。

Phil: Yes, and part of that process is often who's responsible for saying that money can be spent on something.

对，这个流程里很重要的一环通常是：谁有权批准这笔钱可以花。

Phil: So you might say something like, 'it needs to be signed off by' and you're naming the person who has to sign the form to say that the money can be spent.

你可以说：it needs to be signed off by...（这需要由……签字批准），点出那个必须在表上签字、批准花钱的人。

Pippa: Yes.

对。

Pippa: Another phrase we'll often hear in this context is it is essential that and using 'essential', that's quite a clear marker that this is a very serious rule that you have to follow.

这个场景里另一个常见短语是 it is essential that（……是必须的）——用 essential 是个清晰的信号：这是一条必须遵守的严肃规则。

Pippa: It's not an option.

它不是可选项。

Phil: And if you see the phrase no exceptions, that's often something that you'd put in an email, maybe in bold with lots of exclamation marks afterwards.

如果你看到 no exceptions（无例外）这个短语，那通常出现在邮件里，可能加粗、后面跟着一串感叹号。

Phil: Um, to make a rule much stricter.

为了让规则更严格。

Phil: 'No exceptions!!!' There's no alternative to doing this through the rule.

No exceptions!!!（无例外！！！）这件事没有走规则之外的替代方案。

Pippa: Yeah, and actually finding rules that are written down is often quite helpful if you're not sure about how serious a rule is or whether there's a rule at all.

对，其实如果你不确定一条规则有多严肃、或者到底有没有这条规则，找到写下来的规则通常很有帮助。

Pippa: Another area where there are often rules at work is around confidentiality, and this just means whether you can share the information that you're told at work, or whether you need to kind of keep it secret, keep it within the company.

职场里另一个常有规则的领域是 confidentiality（保密）——意思是：你在工作中被告知的信息，能不能对外分享，还是需要保密、只留在公司内部。

Pippa: And this is somewhere where we would often see a corporate policy, a written down list of rules around confidentiality.

这也是我们常见 corporate policy（公司政策）的地方——一份写下来的保密规则清单。

Pippa: And a lot of the rules around this are expressed as negatives, Phil, right?

而且这些规则很多是用否定式表达的，对吧，菲尔？

Phil: Yes, so you might see when you're looking at a policy, a list of things saying something is forbidden or is prohibited.

对，看政策文件时，你可能看到一列条目写着某事 is forbidden（被禁止）或 is prohibited（被严禁）。

Phil: So it could be 'taking documents home from the office is forbidden' or is prohibited, and it means you're not allowed to do it.

比如 taking documents home from the office is forbidden（把文件带回家是被禁止的）——意思就是你不许这么做。

Pippa: Yeah, they might be written a bit more simply these rules, in which case they might say something like you should or you shouldn't in the negative.

这些规则也可能写得更简单，那样的话他们会说 you should 或否定式的 you shouldn't（你应该/不应该）。

Phil: Yeah.

对。

Phil: And while we often say that should and shouldn't are used for, um, advice, it's definitely not advice here.

虽然我们常说 should 和 shouldn't 是用来给建议的，但在这里绝对不是建议。

Phil: It's something that you need to follow.

它是你必须遵守的事。

Pippa: Yeah.

对。

Pippa: Another way to talk about rules is to say never.

谈规则的另一种说法是用 never（永不）。

Pippa: So, for example, 'never disclose private company information to family'.

比如：never disclose private company information to family（绝不向家人透露公司机密信息）。

Pippa: And that's very clear that you must never do it.

这非常清楚：你绝对不能做。

Pippa: It's, it's there are no exceptions in that example.

这个例子里没有任何例外。

Phil: Yeah.

对。

Phil: Another expression avoid, 'avoid sharing passwords' or 'staff must avoid sharing their password with anyone else'.

还有一个表达 avoid（避免）：avoid sharing passwords（避免共享密码），或者 staff must avoid sharing their password with anyone else（员工必须避免与任何人共享密码）。

Pippa: And something that you might see written often in rules is 'you must comply with'.

规则里常见的另一个写法是 you must comply with（你必须遵守）。

Pippa: And that means you must do what the rules say.

意思是你必须按规则行事。

Pippa: You must make sure that what you're doing is within the rules.

你必须确保自己所做的在规则之内。

Phil: Another way that we can say this is to use the word duty.

我们还可以用另一个词：duty（义务）。

Phil: And a duty is just something that you have to do.

Duty 就是你必须做的事。

Phil: So you might see in a policy, 'staff have a duty to follow all policies at all times', for example.

你可能在政策里看到：staff have a duty to follow all policies at all times（员工有义务始终遵守所有政策）。

Pippa: Yeah.

对。

Pippa: And you might notice that all of this language sounds a lot more forceful, a lot more serious than some of the examples we talked about earlier.

你可能注意到，这些语言听起来比我们前面聊的例子有力得多、严肃得多。

Pippa: And that's an indication that these are rules that are likely to be more non-negotiable rules than those on-paper rules or flexible guidelines that we talked about at the start of the programme.

这就是一个信号：这些规则更可能是 non-negotiable（没有商量余地的），而不是节目开头说的 on-paper rules（纸面规则）或 flexible guidelines（弹性指引）。

Pippa: That's it for this episode of Office English.

本期《职场英语》就到这里。

Pippa: We'll be back next week to talk about apologies at work.

下周我们聊职场中的道歉。

Phil: If you're ever worried about speaking at work, why not listen to another podcast we have called Beating Speaking Anxiety, and you'll find that in the Learning English Conversations feed.

如果你曾担心在职场上开口，不妨听听我们的另一档播客 Beating Speaking Anxiety（战胜开口焦虑），你可以在 Learning English Conversations 频道找到它。

Pippa: Or you can find it on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

或者在我们的网站 bbclearningenglish.com 找到它。

Pippa: See you next week.

下周见。

Phil: No exceptions.

No exceptions.（无例外。）