音樂會期間，見到一位女士拿出手機想要拍照，在場工作人員隨即上前用手勢阻止，女士無奈把手機收起，坐在旁邊的友人笑了笑，聳聳肩，彷彿在說：幫不了你，規矩如此，沒辦法。
不說話的時候，意思可以用身體語言表達。聳肩是一種常見自然的身體語言，把肩膀抬起再放下，簡單的動作可以表達不同的情感，可以是在說不知道，亦可以是表示對事情不感興趣或覺得無奈時的反應。
聳肩，英文可用單字shrug，動詞，即是升起隨即放低肩膀，很多時冗贅一點，再加上shoulders肩膀，用shrug one's shoulders。而shrug亦可用作名詞，指聳肩的動作。由於聳肩是大眾認同的身體語言，shrug/shrug one's shoulders除了描繪聳肩的動作，還可以比喻不同的情緒或想法。
聳肩表示不肯定
一般認為，聳肩代表不曉得/不肯定，所以shrugging shoulders表示不知道答案、沒有資料、不明所以或者不知如何處理。
He asked several of his colleagues about the case files, but all shrugged their shoulders. The files simply couldn't be found anywhere.
他問了幾個同事有關一些個案文檔的下落，他們全都聳聳肩。這些文檔真的不知所終。
"I don't know anything about this. You have to ask the person in charge." she replied with a shrug.
「我對此事一無所知。你要問負責的人。」她聳聳肩回答說。
聳肩亦可以表示不感興趣，或者滿不在乎，shrugging shoulders，帶有指責某些人漠不關心，漠視重要事情的意思。
You can't shrug your shoulders and ignore the problem. You have to take the complaint seriously and think of a solution.
你不可以只聳肩，漠視問題，置之不理。你必須鄭重處理投訴，想出解決方案。
Many people in the war zone are suffering. Sadly, the world shrugs its shoulders and does nothing to help.
戰區內許多人都在受苦。遺憾的是，這世界只是聳肩，毫不關心，沒有施以援手。
聳肩也可以是在表示無可奈何，是環境不許可，情況不能控制，做不了什麼，shrugging shoulders強調一些沒辦法、無奈的感覺。
“I can do nothing at this moment,” he said resignedly, shrugging his shoulders.
他聳聳肩，無奈地說：「這一刻，我什麼也不能做。」
When she was told that taking photos was not allowed, she shrugged her shoulders and put away her phone.
當她被告知不可以拍照的時候，她只好聳聳肩，收起手機。
肩膀動作是肢體語言，除了聳肩，還可以挺肩。聳肩表達略為退避的態度，挺肩則比較正面，是展示堅決、勇氣的一種姿態。挺肩英文是square one's shoulders，square是動詞，挺直的意思，square one's shoulders是立正，把兩邊肩膀拉後成直線，即是挺直肩膀，挺起胸膛，是準備好了、不怕困難、勇敢面對的表現。
說某些人square their shoulders是形容他們心理上準備好了，決定面對困境或不快、不如意的情況，同時亦比喻他們面對挑戰時，展示了勇氣、決心和韌力。
Getting good results in public exams is not easy. Square your shoulders, work hard and you will be able to get through.
要在公開試取得好成績不是易事。挺起肩，下決心，勤力學習，你便可以做到。
It was a tough game competing against such a strong opponent, but he squared his shoulders and played confidently.
面對如此強橫的對手，是一場硬仗，但是他挺起胸膛，信心堅決地作賽。
Ultimately, the management squared their shoulders, faced the media and admitted the mistake.
最後，管理層挺起胸膛面對傳媒，承認錯誤。
There is always a way out if we square our shoulders. Don't give up or do something stupid.
只要我們挺起肩，勇敢面對，總可找到出路。不要放棄，也不要做傻事。
面對面溝通其實比較有趣，不說話的時候可以用面部表情、身體語言來表達意思。文字方面，就利用了一些描寫身體語言、肢體動作的字詞，生動地傳遞不同的意思。
●Lina CHU [ linachu88@gmail.com ]
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