Unit 7 Culture新編大學(xué)英語第二版文翻譯

1、Unit7CultureBridging Cultural Gaps Gracefully1 Why is it that when you study a foreign language, you never learn the little phrases that let you slip into a culture without all your foreignness exposed? Every Chinese-language textbook starts out with the standard phrase for greeting people; but as a

2、n American, I constantly found myself tongue-tied when it came to seeing guests off at the door. An abrupt goodbye would not do, yet that was all I had ever learned from these books. So I would smile and nod, bowing like a Japanese and trying to find words that would smooth over the visitors leaving

3、 and make them feel they would be welcome to come again. In my fluster, I often hid behind my Chinese husbands graciousness. 2 Then finally, listening to others, I began to pick up the phrases that eased relations and sent people off with a feeling of mission not only accomplished but surpassed. 3 P

4、artings for the Chinese involve a certain amount of ritual and a great deal of one-upmanship. Although Im not expected to observe or even know all the rules, as a foreigner, Ive had to learn the expressions of politeness and protest that accompany a leave-taking.4 The Chinese feel they must see a gu

5、est off to the farthest feasible pointdown a flight of stairs to the street below or perhaps all the way to the nearest bus stop. Ive sometimes waited half an hour or more for my husband to return from seeing a guest off, since hes gone to the bus stop and waited for the next bus to arrive. 5 For a

6、less important or perhaps a younger guest, he may simply say, “I wont see you off, all right?” And of course the guest assures him that he would never think of putting him to the trouble of seeing him off. “Dont see me off! Dont see me off!” 6 Thats all very well, but when Im the guest being seen of

7、f, my protests are always useless, and my hostess or host, or both, insists on seeing me down the stairs and well on my way, with our going through the “Dont bother to see me off” ritual at every landing. If I try to go fast to discourage them from following, they are simply put to the discomfort of

8、 having to flee after me. Better to accept the inevitable.7 Besides, thats going against Chinese custom, because haste is to be avoided. What do you say when you part from someone? “Go slowly.” Not farewell or Godspeed, but “Go slowly.” To the Chinese it means “Take care” or “Watch your step” or som

9、e other such caution, but translated literally it means “Go slow.” 8 That same “slow” is used in another polite expression used by the host at the end of a particularly large and delicious meal to assure his guests what a poor and inadequate host he has been.9 American and Chinese cultures are at po

10、lar opposites. An American hostess, complimented for her cooking skills, is likely to say, “Oh, Im so glad that you liked it. I cooked it especially for you.” Not so a Chinese host or hostess (often the husband does the fancy cooking), who will instead apologize for giving you “nothing” even slightl

11、y edible and for not showing you enough honor by providing proper dishes.10 The same rules hold true with regard to children. American parents speak proudly of their childrens accomplishments, telling how Johnny made the school team or Jane made the honor roll. Not so Chinese parents, whose children

12、, even if at the top of their class in school, are always so “naughty”, never studying, never listening to their elders, and so forth.11 The Chinese take pride in “modesty”; the Americans in “straightforwardness”. That modesty has left many a Chinese hungry at an American table, for Chinese politene

13、ss calls for three refusals before one accepts an offer, and the American hosts take a “no” to mean “no”, whether its the first, second, or third time.12 Recently, a member of a delegation sent to China by a large American corporation complained to me about how the Chinese had asked them three times

14、 if they would be willing to modify some proposal, and each time the Americans had said “no” clearly and definitely. My friend was angry because the Chinese had not taken their word the first time. I recognized the problem immediately and wondered why the Americans had not studied up on cultural dif

15、ferences before coming to China. It would have saved them a lot of confusion and frustration in their negotiations.13 Once youve learned the signals and how to respond, life becomes much easier. When guests come, I know I should immediately ask if theyd like a cup of tea. They will respond, “Please

16、dont bother,” which is my signal to fetch tea.從容得體德跨越文化溝壑1 在外語學(xué)習(xí)中，學(xué)會一些簡單的詞組就能讓你不知不覺地進(jìn)入另一種文化，而絲毫不暴露你作為一個外國人的身份，但你為什么總是學(xué)不會呢？每本漢語課本都，一律從問候語開始的。但是作為美國人，每當(dāng)我要送客出門時，我總是張口結(jié)舌說不出話。唐突的說聲再見是不行的，然而，這就是我從這些課本里所學(xué)到的一切了。因此我只能微笑，點頭，像個日本人似的鞠躬，并拼命的想找些話來說，以緩和離別的氣氛，使他們覺得我確實歡迎他們再來。因此，我常?？课抑袊煞虻谋虮蛴卸Y來掩飾自己的慌亂。2 后來，通過聽別人說話，我開

17、始學(xué)會一些使客人聽了舒服的言辭，感到送客這項重要的任務(wù)，我不僅順利完成了，而且完成得很出色。3 對中國人來講，送客需要有一定的禮儀和很多勝人一籌的本領(lǐng)。盡管沒有人期望我去遵守甚至了解所有這些規(guī)矩，但作為一個外國人，我還得學(xué)會那些在送客時必不可少的表示客氣及推讓的話。4 中國人覺得送客必須送到盡可能遠(yuǎn)的地方送下樓梯到馬路上，或者也許一直送到最近的汽車站。有時候，我等了半個小時甚至還要長的時間，才等到丈夫送客人回來，因為他一直把客人送到汽車站并等到下一班汽車到站。5 對一般的或比他年輕的客人，我丈夫也許只是說：“我不送你了，行嗎？”當(dāng)然，客人會讓她相信，從沒想過要麻煩主人送他：“不要送！不要送！”

18、6 這樣好倒是好，但當(dāng)我成為別送的客人時，我的推讓總是無效；而且，女主人或男主人甚至兩個人都要送我下樓，并陪我走好一段路，而每下一段樓梯我都照理說一遍“不要麻煩送我了”。如果我是想走得快一點以免讓他們跟上來，那只會使他們更不舒服：他們得在我后面緊追。最好還是接受著不可避免的禮節(jié)。7 而且，那也是違背中國習(xí)俗的，因為“匆忙”最要不得。你跟別人分手時說什么呢？“慢走”。不說“再見”或“一路順風(fēng)”，而是“慢走”。對中國人來講，她的意思是“小心”或“腳下留神”或是諸如此類關(guān)照的話，但其直譯是“慢走”。8 同一個“慢”字還被用于另一句客套話中，那就是在一頓極其豐盛美味的飯后，主人向客人（說“怠慢了”）表

19、示他是一個不稱職，招待不周的主人。9 美國和中國的文化截然不同。美國的女主人，當(dāng)別人贊揚他的烹調(diào)技術(shù)時，很可能會說：“哦，你喜歡，我就高興。我是特地為你做的?！倍袊哪信魅司筒灰粯樱ㄍǔＪ悄兄魅俗鲆恍└唠y度的菜），他們會認(rèn)為“沒什么好吃的”，以及沒有合適的菜不成敬意而道歉。10 同樣的規(guī)則也適用于對待小孩。美國的父母談起自己的孩子的成就時十分自豪，會說約翰尼是如何成為校隊的一員，簡是如何被評為優(yōu)秀生上了光榮榜的。中國父母則不同，即使他們的孩子在班上名列前茅，也總是說他們非常頑皮，不肯讀書以及4從來不聽大人的話等等。11 中國人謙虛為榮；而美國人則崇尚“直率”這種謙虛使許多中國人去了美國人家

20、里吃飯時不能吃飽，因為按照中國的禮節(jié)，任何東西需要再三推讓才能接受，而美國主人則認(rèn)為“不要”就是“不要”，不管是第一次，第二次還是第三次。12 最近，美國某大公司訪華的一位成員向我抱怨說，關(guān)于他們愿不愿意修改某提議，中國人竟問了他們?nèi)?，而且每次美國人都清清楚楚，斬釘截鐵的說“不”。我的朋友很生氣，因為中國人沒把他們第一次說的話當(dāng)回事。我馬上就意識到問題所在，而且奇怪這些美國人為什么沒在去中國之前徹底研究一下文化差異。那樣他們在談判中就可以免去很多困惑和挫折。13 一旦你知道了應(yīng)答的信號和方法，生活就變輕松多了。當(dāng)客人剛到的時候，我知道我應(yīng)該馬上問他們要不要喝茶。他們會說：請不要麻煩了?！边@正

21、是我該去泡茶的信號。Dining Customs in America1 Every country has its own peculiar dining customs. Americans feel that the first rule of being a polite guest is to be on time. If a person is invited to dinner at six-thirty, the hostess expects him to be there at six-thirty or not more than a few minutes after.

22、 Because she usually does the cooking, she times the meal so that the hot rolls and the coffee and meat will be at their best at the time the guests come. If they are late, the food will not be so good, and the hostess will be disappointed. When the guest cannot come on time, he calls his host or ho

23、stess on the telephone, gives the reason, and tells at what time he can come. Depending on the situation, guests sometimes bring a box of candy or some flowers to give to the hostess as a sign of appreciation. 2 As guests continue to arrive, it is usually considered polite for the men in the group t

24、o stand when a woman enters the room and continue to stand until she is seated. However, most young people and some groups of older people that stress equality of the sexes no longer observe the custom. A visitor should be sensitive to each situation and follow the lead of the Americans present.3 Wh

25、en the guests sit down at a dinner table, it is customary for the men to help the ladies by pushing their chairs under them. Some Americans no longer do this, so the visitor must notice what others do and do likewise. Until the meal is under way, if the dinner is in a private home, a guest may avoid

26、 embarrassment by leaving the talking to someone else. Some families have a habit of offering a prayer of thanks before they eat. Other families do not. If a prayer is offered, everyone sits quietly with bowed head until the prayer is over. If the family does not follow the custom, there is no pause

27、 in the conversation.4 There is a difference between American and European customs in using the knife and fork. Europeans keep the knife in the right hand, the fork in the left. They use both hands in eating. Americans, on the contrary, use just one hand whenever possible and keep the other one on t

28、heir lap. They constantly change their fork to the left hand when they have to cut meat. Between bites they put the fork on their plate while drinking coffee or buttering bread. Europeans are more apt to drink coffee after the meal and to keep their knife and fork in hand until they finish eating. 5

29、 Since Americans often lay their silverware down during the meal, certain customs have developed. It is not considered good manners to leave a spoon in a soup bowl or coffee cup or any other dish. It is put where it will lie flat (a coffee spoon on the saucer, a soup spoon on the service plate besid

30、e the soup bowl, etc.) but not on the tablecloth. By doing this, one is less likely to knock the silverware onto the floor or spill the food. Another difference in custom is that Americans and Europeans use the side of the soup spoon, not the tip.6 Americans do not use silverware for eating bread. T

31、hey hold it in their fingers, usually breaking it first. Other things that Americans eat with their fingers are corn on the cob, celery, radishes, and olives. In America a person does not eat lettuce that way, nor pick up a soup bowl to drink what remains at the bottom.7 If for any reason a guest ha

32、s to leave the table during a meal, he or she should ask the hostess, “Would you please excuse me for a minute?” When the meal is finished, the guests put their napkins on the table and rise. Guests do not fold their napkins in the original folds unless they are house guests and intend to stay for m

33、ore than one meal.8 Following dinner, guests usually stay for two or three hours, but the thoughtful person is careful not to overstay his or her welcome. The host and hostess may urge a guest to stay longer in order to be polite, but most dinner parties break up at about 11 oclock.9 As the guests l

34、eave, it is the custom to thank the hostess for a very pleasant evening. One may say anything that expresses appreciation. Common expressions are: “Good-bye. It was so nice of you to have me,” or “Good-bye. Its been a thoroughly enjoyable evening,” or “Thank you. Ive had a very nice time.” For large

35、r favors than a dinner party, such as an overnight or weekend visit, it is customary to send a thank-you note.美國的進(jìn)餐習(xí)俗1 每個國家都有其獨特的進(jìn)餐習(xí)俗。美國人認(rèn)為，作為一名有禮貌的客人，第一條規(guī)矩就是守時。如果一個人被邀請于六點半赴宴，女主人期待他在六點半或稍后幾分鐘到。因為通常是她做飯，她算好時間，以便客人到時熱面包卷，咖啡和肉正好吃。如果客人來遲了，飯菜就不那么好吃了，女主人會感到失望的。如果客人不能按時到，就應(yīng)打電話給男女主人，說明理由，并告訴他們什么時候能到。根據(jù)具體情況

36、，客人有時會帶一盒糖果或一些鮮花送給女主人以表謝意。2 當(dāng)客人們陸續(xù)到來時，如有女士進(jìn)屋，在場的男士們應(yīng)起身等女士入座后再坐下，這通常被視為是一種禮貌的行為。然而，多數(shù)年輕人和一些年紀(jì)再大一些的人，他們重視男女平等，不再遵守這一習(xí)俗。來訪的客人應(yīng)留意各種情況，跟在場的美國人去做。3 客人在餐桌就坐時，按照習(xí)俗男士應(yīng)幫助女士推椅入座。有些美國人現(xiàn)在已不再這樣做了，所以來訪者必須留心別人的做法，并照著他們的做法去做。如果宴會是在個人的家里舉行的，在開始吃飯前，要避免（說話）尷尬，客人可以（自己不說）讓別人聊。有些家庭習(xí)慣于在飯前祈禱感謝上帝，有些家庭則沒有這樣的習(xí)慣。如果要做禱告，每個人都靜靜地低

37、頭坐著，直到禱告結(jié)束。如果主人家沒有這樣的習(xí)慣，聊天則無需中斷。4 美國人與歐洲人使用刀叉的習(xí)慣不同。歐洲人右手拿刀，左手拿叉，吃東西時兩手都用。美國人則相反，盡可能只用一只手，另一只手放在膝蓋上。他們要切肉時通常把叉換到左手。在不往嘴里送食物時，喝咖啡或在面包上涂黃油時，他們把叉放在自己的盤子上。歐洲人更習(xí)慣于飯后喝咖啡，沒吃完飯時刀叉就一直拿在手里。5 由于美國人進(jìn)餐時經(jīng)常會放下刀叉等金屬餐具，一些習(xí)俗也隨之形成。把勺子留在湯碗里，咖啡杯里或其他盤子里都被看作是不禮貌的。勺子應(yīng)該放在可以平放的地方（如咖啡勺放在茶托上，湯勺放在湯碗旁邊的托盤上，等等），但不放在桌布上。這樣做就不大會把金屬餐

38、具碰到地板上或把食物碰撒出來。另一個不同的習(xí)俗是美國人和歐洲人都用湯勺的側(cè)邊和東西而不是前端。6 美國人吃面包是不用刀叉，而是通常先把面包掰開用手拿。美國人用手拿著吃的東西還有玉米棒，芹菜，蘿卜和橄欖。在美國，人們不用手來抓生菜吃，也不端起湯碗喝碗底剩下的湯。7 如果客人在就餐時不得不離開餐桌的話，他（她）應(yīng)該向女主人說：“對不起，我能離開一會兒嗎？”進(jìn)餐結(jié)束后，客人們把餐巾放在桌上，然后起身?？腿瞬挥冒丛瓨影巡徒碚酆?，除非是暫住的客人，要住下來不止吃一頓飯。8 飯后，客人通常會再呆兩三個小時，但客人要考慮周到，注意不要因呆得太久而不受歡迎。出于禮貌男女主人也許會勸客人多呆一會，但多數(shù)宴請11

39、點鐘左右就結(jié)束了。9 按照習(xí)俗，客人臨走時應(yīng)感謝女主人讓他們度過一個愉快的夜晚。你可以說一些感謝的話。通常的說法有：“再見，你讓我來參加宴會真是太好了，”或“再見了，今晚過得開心極了，”或“謝謝，我過得很愉快?！睂τ谀切┍妊鐣蟮目畲?，如在主人家過夜或度周末，習(xí)慣上應(yīng)給主人寄一封感謝信。Specific Taboos1 If someone gave you a lily at any time other than Easter, you might be surprised because in our culture a lily is regarded as a symbol of

40、death. Husbands here might feel hurt if some well-intentioned visitor gave their wives sexy undergarments. Those are just two examples of taboo gifts in America. 2 So it is with other cultures. We cant possibly mention all of the taboos hereindeed, they probably are not all listed anywhere. However,

41、 the following list covers some key taboos:3 The Japanese customarily wrap their gifts in paper, but they dont use white paper (color of death); they dont use bright colored paper; and they dont use bows. 4 Dont give four of anything to a Japanese or Korean; it is the “bad luck” number, like the num

42、ber 13 in many cultures including the United States and Britain.5 Dont give a clock to a Chinese; the word for clock in Chinese has a funeral connotation to it.6 For someone from Chinas Hong Kong SAR, giving two of something, or a pair, carries better luck than a single item.7 Among Latin Americans,

43、 the gift of a knife or knives suggests the “cutting” of a relationship; yet this notion can be blunted by including a coin with the knives.8 In the Middle East, a handkerchief suggests tears or parting, and therefore is inappropriate as a gift.9 Flowers carry all kinds of symbolism: purple flowers

44、are the flowers of death in Mexico and Brazil; the same with white flowers in Japan; and white chrysanthemums are the flower of death in many European countries. Also, it is considered bad luck in many European countries to present an even number of flowers. Therefore, always present an odd number (

45、except for 13, of course).10 When you present flowers to a person from Germany, always unwrap the bouquet first.11 Giving red roses in Germany signals that you have strong romantic interests. In fact, throughout history, the rose has signified “secrecy”. Consider the Latin word sub rosa, meaning secret, and note that many confessional booths in Catholic churches have carvings of roses above the doors.12 Giving a French person a gift of perfume is carrying the proverbial coals t