# to offer to do something



## Vivemafille

Context: He saw that the old lady had three bags of groceries, so he offered to help her carry them up the stairs.
Is either of these *OK for to offer to do something*?
a) 自告奋勇做某事
b) 愿意做一些事


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## SimonTsai

a) fits better, methinks.

自告奮勇: volunteer to
願意: be willing to


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## AlvinWu

From my perspective, a) seems to be more proactive while b) simply refers to ‘be willing to do something’.


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## Ghabi

自告奋勇 would be too strong for the context. 他主动说要替她拎上楼去 would be good enough.


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## SimonTsai

I cannot agree with @Ghabi more.


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## Skatinginbc

Although "主動" (initiation) is indeed normally implied, it is not a necessary element in its semantics.  For example,
"Can you help me?" asked an old lady.  Randy turned around and saw that the old lady had three bags of groceries, so he offered to help her carry them up the stairs. ==>  In this case, Randy did not initiate help, but you still could describe it as "offering to help".  Accordingly, the definitions for "to offer to do" in English dictionaries do NOT mention the sense of "initiation".

Definitions in English Dictionaries:
to let someone know that you are willing to do something for them (表達好意)
to exhibit readiness or desire to do something (示意)
to show or express willingness or the intention to do something
to say that you are willing to do something

看到老太太提著三袋雜貨，所以示意幫她提上樓。


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## philchinamusical

@Ghabi 's solution is better. Or you can simply say “他提出说要帮她拎上楼去”, which is more plain. I don't think “示意” is usually used in this way.


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## SimonTsai

@Skatinginbc
「示意」就我目前所想到的語境，多半有主動的意味。

*示意*
*老太太*【拖著三袋雜貨，步履蹣跚】
*年輕人*【恰好路過，看見老太太】
：「那，讓我來吧！」
*老太太*【看著年輕人提起雜貨，露出了笑容】
：「謝謝、謝謝！」

*答應*
*大嬸*【拖著三大袋，停在階前】
：「欸，那位帥哥！」
*少年*【轉頭，楞了一楞】
*大嬸*【笑著】
：「不好意思啦！我和朋友去逛街，買太多，想說能不能請你幫我把這些提上去？」
*少年*【看了看袋子，將袋子提起】
：「喔，好。」


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## Skatinginbc

philchinamusical said:


> I don't think “示意” is usually used in this way.


“示意” 在下列語境不妥嗎?
旁边一位穷游妹子赶上来直接就向藏族阿妈示意帮她拿行李，着实让人感动。
下班路上一位大姐拉着一箱蔬菜坐手扶梯，下梯子时差点堵住后面的路人，情况十分危险，我急忙帮她拉开箱子，示意帮她抬走。
一組拍攝畢，有工作人員上前示意幫她調整頭上的黑色鏤空髮飾.
当我示意帮她将尼龙袋拖去收购站时，她却怕沾脏我的衣服坚决不让我搬.


SimonTsai said:


> 「示意」就我目前所想到的語境，多半有主動的意味。


對！ 我要的正是"implied", 而非直說.  "To offer to do something" implies "主動", 但未明言.


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## philchinamusical

@Skatinginbc 在我日常习惯的语境里，“示意”可能更像gesturing，而不是口头表达。但是offer如果没有特别说明的话，更多是口头表达，所以我觉得“示意”不太合适。您给出的几个例子，从我的理解来说，主要是指从动作行为上表达某个意思。


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## Skatinginbc

philchinamusical said:


> 在我日常习惯的语境里，“示意”可能更像gesturing，而不是口头表达。


國語辭典.示意: 以表情、動作或話語等傳達意思。==> "示意"不排除口頭表達 (e.g., "就算人家沒帶行李，那個背上的包包，你也要禮貌的示意幫她拿."; 两个侍女见状，上前示意帮她，她回绝："不用了")。
漢典.示意: 用動作、表情、含蓄的話或圖形表示某種意思。==> 照漢典的定義, "示意"還真的不太合適.


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## SimonTsai

@Skatinginbc 就你在貼文 9 所舉情境，我以為「示意」可被接受；對我而言，「示意」就字面等同於「表示意思」。

我同意 offer to help 在貼文 6 可能適切 (我的母語不是英語，不敢斷言)，但以為「示意」不當：前者常隱含主動，後者幾必然隱含主動。


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## Fico and Snoopy Show

Hi there. I think in this sentence you want to mean that the man himself wants to help the old lady, right? Then I would recommend “主动”
so he offered to help her carry them up the stairs ————— 所以他主动帮她把东西拿上楼
“自告奋勇” is a great word, as it is an idiomatic expression   just that I usually use it as an intransitive word
“愿意做某事” means that he is willing to do it, but it sounds as if the old lady asked him to help her and then he agreed to help. Perhaps this expression cannot tell us clearly that the action is done by the man actively.
Hope it helps


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## Ghabi

Fico and Snoopy Show said:


> 所以他主动帮她把东西拿上楼


You cannot omit the word 说. He offered to help, but she may have refused. The point is his offering to help, not his helping, which may or may not have occurred.


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## nosaijin

If I'm describing the event to my friend, I'd say: "他看到那個老太太..., 所以他說要幫她把那些東西提到樓上去."

In writing context I think Ghabi's comment would be properer.


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## Fico and Snoopy Show

Ghabi said:


> You cannot omit the word 说. He offered to help, but she may have refused. The point is his offering to help, not his helping, which may or may not have occurred.


Oh yes, this is much more accurate. Thank you for correcting me!


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## Skatinginbc

表示樂意 or 顯示樂意 seems to work well in some contexts.  For example,

Please be nice to them and offer to help (表示樂意幫忙) when asked.

She was staring at me without smiling, asking me what I want when I myself was pretty confused by the wide variety of tea they have, placed in big metal drums. She didn’t offer to help (沒顯示樂意幫忙) when I asked and just pointed me to a wall-pasted card that listed the types of tea and their pricing in a grid table.

好奇, 下句的 "offer to help" 你們會怎麼翻?
West Midlands Police said a man offered to help her when she asked for directions. The woman, from Wolverhampton, was led across Birmingham before being raped. (Note: 受害者先問路, 然後歹徒主動帶路).


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## philchinamusical

Skatinginbc said:


> 好奇, 下句的 "offer to help" 你們會怎麼翻?
> West Midlands Police said a man offered to help her when she asked for directions. The woman, from Wolverhampton, was led across Birmingham before being raped. (Note: 受害者先問路, 然後歹徒主動帶路).



I'd say "West Midlands警方称，当她问路时，一名男子表示愿意提供帮助..."


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