“低声下气”常见的英文表达有 “humble oneself”、“be submissive” 或 “kowtow to someone”(“kowtow”原指叩头,引申为过分顺从、低声下气)。具体使用可根据语境选择:
Humble oneself:强调主动降低姿态,例如:
He had to humble himself and apologize to his boss.(他不得不低声下气地向老板道歉。)
Be submissive:侧重于顺从、缺乏主见,例如:
She never wanted to be submissive in her relationships.(她从不想在感情中低声下气。)
Kowtow to someone:口语化表达,带有贬义,指过分讨好,例如:
Stop kowtowing to him—you deserve better!(别对他低声下气了,你值得更好的!)
根据语境选择最贴切的翻译即可。