to be fair
to be fair — 慣用語
1. used when you want to show you are looking at both sides of a situation, often b
說句公道話
在批評或負面看法後，提出平衡觀點的用語
used when you want to show you are looking at both sides of a situation, often by adding a positive point after something negative has been said
The film was slow, but to be fair, the acting was excellent.
電影很沉悶，但說句公道話，演員的表現很出色。
used mid-sentence to balance criticism with praise
To be fair to Sivan, she did warn us about the traffic.
說句公道話，Sivan 確實提醒過我們交通的問題。
pattern: to be fair to + person
Brian's presentation was messy; to be fair, he only had one day to prepare.
Brian 的簡報很亂；說句公道話，他只有一天準備時間。
Xiu said the hotel was disappointing, but to be fair, the location was perfect.
Xiu 說飯店令人失望，但說句公道話，地點真的很棒。
To be fair, the restaurant was busy, so the slow service was understandable.
說句公道話，餐廳當時很忙，所以上菜慢是可以理解的。
- to be honest
signals truthfulness or frankness rather than balance; 'to be fair' introduces a counterpoint after criticism
- in all fairness
slightly more formal; used in the same balancing contexts
- to give credit where it's due
more specific — acknowledges a person's contribution rather than broadly balancing a view
用法筆記
Often used after a critical or negative statement to introduce a counterbalancing positive point. Can be followed by 'to + person' when directing the fairness toward someone.