There’s this word that you probably use all the time. It’s a seemingly harmless word — close to meaningless, really — but it’s slowly, subversively tainting your relationships.

有一个词你或许一直在使用U~k8B%b5T5。它是一个看起来无害的单词——事实上近乎无意义——但它正在慢慢地破坏你的人际关系2U#CaBpp9TPE1ymUAG2。

Look back over any recent texts and emails you’ve sent to friends. If they look something like this, you’re caught in this word’s trap:

回头看一看你最近发给朋友的短信和邮件h@~ojLzokEfme,Y。如果他们看起来是这样，你就陷入了这个单词的陷阱：

“I’d love to hang out! But I’m really busy.”

“我很想出去玩！但我真的太忙了A5OIXj4YSpy9&。”

“Sorry I didn’t get back to you earlier! I’ve been so busy.”

“抱歉我没有及时回复你！我太忙了P4iwrB;!~im=EA。”

“What’s going on with me? Just busy as usual!”

“我最近怎么样吗？像往常一样忙！”

You guessed it. The single-word saboteur is BUSY. Let’s discuss the top three reasons it’s time to be done with “busy”.

你猜到了jZvnt+2N|~lmet9O.b&v。这个破坏关系的单词就是“忙”otl5LH16,=pXqM8。让我们来讨论一下三个和“忙”说再见的原因OUgu=DJpLdoX。

1. Everyone is busy.

1.每个人都很忙Uho4CtP1uV。

These days, saying you’re busy is basically like saying you’re alive. The word itself no longer relates to any specific, making it basically meaningless — and meaningless language is a problem for relationships because it doesn’t help other people understand what, specifically, you’re going through. It actually impedes mutual understanding.

如今，说你很忙基本上就等于说你活着p1WQN#[iE8MAKc~cq6[q。这个单词本身已经没有任何实际的意思，基本变得毫无意义——毫无意义的语言是人际关系的问题，因为它不能让其他人明白你具体在经历什么8P#J,yKtaITakpX5g=。它事实上阻碍了相互理解oI1)V~22^_rL.|uJ。

2. It’s open to (negative) interpretation.

2.它导致了（消极的）揣测#0p+S,5_n!;EXG@mGR;n。

The vague nature of “I’m really busy” leaves the real reason why you’re being unavailable to a friend open to interpretation. It allows others to fill in the blank of your true intentions. Often, they will fill that blank with a negative assumption. In a worst-case scenario, friends may feel like your “busy” is a way of blowing them off without having to state a reason for doing so.

“我很忙”具有模糊的属性，它让你时间被占用的真实原因成为朋友的揣测,9LqULn6ai(kH@_G&。它导致其他人填补你真实意图的空白#O@orp7O&YL0xKi,[_K。通常情况下，他们会用消极的揣测来填补这个空白,Uw&=-O*ABS。在最差的情况下，你们朋友或许会觉得“忙”只是不必说原因而应付他们的借口6BIx!P2NtMX~。

3. It means “not right now.”

3.它意味着“现在不行”|Z4)pg*1NU=。

Often, “busy” simply means that you have higher priorities right now than seeing friends. Saying “not right now” when someone tries to engage with you is a relationship killer because it fosters a feeling of rejection. “Busy” is the friendship equivalent of “not right now.” It lacks a sense of caring about the other person and fosters distance as a result.

通常情况下，“忙”仅仅意味着你目前有比见朋友更重要的事p#;~Bi^+!jUwkoZ。当别人邀请你参加某件事时，说“现在不行”会扼杀人际关系因为它会使人产生被拒绝的感觉3G.,m4(MjWM&wIuVrsC。“忙”和“现在不行”是等同的KnWrGxY!VDOX1NWmRK。它缺少为他人的考虑，因此疏远了彼此的距离[nBXT.9urA&a2a&tRk8。

译文属可可英语原创，未经允许，不得转载=K3TLQv*n|Wejd。