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■正所謂牌如其人，不同的人需要不同的溝通技巧。 資料圖片
筆者最近在看一本溝通技巧的書。書中說到因為文化差異，性格不同，每個人都會有自己一套溝通模式和取向。當中提到加拿大人，說他們比較直接坦率，與人交往不太會「play cards close to their chest」，亦不喜歡別人這樣做。其實，這句英諺除了用play之外，也可以用keep和hold兩個字。
「play cards close to their chest」
深藏不露
何謂「play/keep/hold one's cards close to one's chest」？從字面意思看，把撲克牌（cards）反轉按在胸口（chest），即是怕別人看到，不讓別人知道他拿甚麼牌。這句話寓意一些人深藏不露，他們心裡想些甚麼，有甚麼意圖，準備作甚麼行動，都不露形色，不讓人知道。
I think he is trying to set up his own business, but he is playing his cards very close to his chest. I am not really sure.
我忖測他打算自立門戶，不過他把事情藏的很密，不透露半點風聲，所以我不敢肯定。
You never know what she has in mind. She always keeps her cards close to her chest and you can't tell what she will do next.
你永遠不會知道她心裡想些甚麼。她常常把事情藏在心裡，你不會知道她下一步怎麼做。
They are open and direct people who don't hold cards close to their chest.
他們都是直率坦誠的人，不懂把事情收藏。
「put one's cards on the table」
開成布公
相反，在玩撲克牌遊戲時，不把撲克牌反轉按在胸口，而是把牌揭開放在枱面上，「put one's cards on the table」，就是讓人看到他拿甚麼牌，讓對手知道，所以這句話是表示讓別人知道自己的計劃或意圖，誠實地交代自己的感想和意圖。
If you want others to understand and help, you have to first put your cards on the table.
如果你想別人理解你，幫助你，你自己必須先坦誠地說出自己的心意。
The directors never put their cards on the table. So there are a lot of speculations about their plans.
董事會從來不會開誠布公地公布他們的意圖，所以引來很多對他們計劃的猜測。
If he had put his cards on the table and communicated his feelings honestly, there would not have been so much misunderstanding.
如果他能夠攤開牌，坦誠地說出他的感想，就不致會招致這麼多誤會。
有些人喜歡收起牌「hold cards close to their chest」，有些人會攤開牌「put their cards on the table」。由此可見，與不同的人需要不同的溝通技巧。■Lina CHU
[ linachu88@netvigator.com ]
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