如果你是個(gè)遲到大王，這句話你一定要學(xué)：Sorry to keep you waiting.(對(duì)不起，讓你久候)。這句話不論在日活生活或在電話在線要?jiǎng)e人久等都可用得著，此外也可說：Sorry I couldn't be on time.(對(duì)不起，我不能準(zhǔn)時(shí)到達(dá))。

對(duì)話

A: Hey Marcus, where were you? We've been expecting you all night.

B: Sorry to keep you waiting. I had an important meeting and it ran over.

A: How's business been recently?

B: Well, not too bad.

甲：唏，馬吉斯，你去了哪兒?我們整晚等著你。

乙：對(duì)不起，要你們久候。我有個(gè)重要會(huì)議，開到過了時(shí)。

甲：生意最近如何?

乙：蠻不錯(cuò)吧。

有些人遲到，會(huì)說：Sorry to keep you waiting，有些則會(huì)說：Sorry to have kept you waiting.(對(duì)不起，要你們久候了)，究竟哪個(gè)說法才正確?

說為現(xiàn)在的事抱歉，sorry之后用‘to + 原形動(dòng)詞(infinitive)’或‘that + 子句(clause)’都可以，例如：(1) I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a long-distance call for you.(對(duì)不起，打擾了，有長途電話找你)。(2) I'm sorry (that) I'm late(對(duì)不起，我遲到了)。

說為過去的事抱歉，sorry之后用‘for/about + ing形式動(dòng)詞’或‘to have + 完成時(shí)動(dòng)詞(perfect tense)’或‘that + 子句’，例如：(1) I'm sorry for calling you a liar.(我曾說你不誠實(shí)，真對(duì)不起)。(2) I'm sorry to have called you a liar. (3) I'm sorry (that) I called you a liar.

遲到者說‘要你們久候了’，那等候在他到達(dá)時(shí)即成過去，所以有I'm sorry to have kept you waiting這說法。不過，由于等候才剛剛結(jié)束，當(dāng)作現(xiàn)在的事并無不可，所以也有I'm sorry to keep you waiting. 的說法，兩句意思沒有什么分別。

遲到最好可以解釋原因。一個(gè)常見原因是交通阻塞：I got stuck in traffic.(我在車輛之中動(dòng)彈不得)或Traffic was slow.(路上車輛緩慢)。另一原因是：I overslept.(我睡過了頭)或My alarm didn't go off.(鬧鐘沒有響)。當(dāng)然，真正的原因可能是時(shí)間估計(jì)錯(cuò)誤：I misjudged the time.