Unit 7 Culture新编大学英语第二版文翻译

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.从容得体德跨越文化沟壑1 在外语学习中，学会一些简单的词组就能让你不知不觉地进入另一种文化，而丝毫不暴露你作为一个外国人的身份，但你为什么总是学不会呢？每本汉语课本都，一律从问候语开始的。但是作为美国人，每当我要送客出门时，我总是张口结舌说不出话。唐突的说声再见是不行的，然而，这就是我从这些课本里所学到的一切了。因此我只能微笑，点头，像个日本人似的鞠躬，并拼命的想找些话来说，以缓和离别的气氛，使他们觉得我确实欢迎他们再来。因此，我常常靠我中国丈夫的彬彬有礼来掩饰自己的慌乱。2 后来，通过听别人说话，我开

17、始学会一些使客人听了舒服的言辞，感到送客这项重要的任务，我不仅顺利完成了，而且完成得很出色。3 对中国人来讲，送客需要有一定的礼仪和很多胜人一筹的本领。尽管没有人期望我去遵守甚至了解所有这些规矩，但作为一个外国人，我还得学会那些在送客时必不可少的表示客气及推让的话。4 中国人觉得送客必须送到尽可能远的地方送下楼梯到马路上，或者也许一直送到最近的汽车站。有时候，我等了半个小时甚至还要长的时间，才等到丈夫送客人回来，因为他一直把客人送到汽车站并等到下一班汽车到站。5 对一般的或比他年轻的客人，我丈夫也许只是说：“我不送你了，行吗？”当然，客人会让她相信，从没想过要麻烦主人送他：“不要送！不要送！”

18、6 这样好倒是好，但当我成为别送的客人时，我的推让总是无效；而且，女主人或男主人甚至两个人都要送我下楼，并陪我走好一段路，而每下一段楼梯我都照理说一遍“不要麻烦送我了”。如果我是想走得快一点以免让他们跟上来，那只会使他们更不舒服：他们得在我后面紧追。最好还是接受着不可避免的礼节。7 而且，那也是违背中国习俗的，因为“匆忙”最要不得。你跟别人分手时说什么呢？“慢走”。不说“再见”或“一路顺风”，而是“慢走”。对中国人来讲，她的意思是“小心”或“脚下留神”或是诸如此类关照的话，但其直译是“慢走”。8 同一个“慢”字还被用于另一句客套话中，那就是在一顿极其丰盛美味的饭后，主人向客人（说“怠慢了”）表

19、示他是一个不称职，招待不周的主人。9 美国和中国的文化截然不同。美国的女主人，当别人赞扬他的烹调技术时，很可能会说：“哦，你喜欢，我就高兴。我是特地为你做的。”而中国的男女主人就不一样（通常是男主人做一些高难度的菜），他们会认为“没什么好吃的”，以及没有合适的菜不成敬意而道歉。10 同样的规则也适用于对待小孩。美国的父母谈起自己的孩子的成就时十分自豪，会说约翰尼是如何成为校队的一员，简是如何被评为优秀生上了光荣榜的。中国父母则不同，即使他们的孩子在班上名列前茅，也总是说他们非常顽皮，不肯读书以及4从来不听大人的话等等。11 中国人谦虚为荣；而美国人则崇尚“直率”这种谦虚使许多中国人去了美国人家

20、里吃饭时不能吃饱，因为按照中国的礼节，任何东西需要再三推让才能接受，而美国主人则认为“不要”就是“不要”，不管是第一次，第二次还是第三次。12 最近，美国某大公司访华的一位成员向我抱怨说，关于他们愿不愿意修改某提议，中国人竟问了他们三次，而且每次美国人都清清楚楚，斩钉截铁的说“不”。我的朋友很生气，因为中国人没把他们第一次说的话当回事。我马上就意识到问题所在，而且奇怪这些美国人为什么没在去中国之前彻底研究一下文化差异。那样他们在谈判中就可以免去很多困惑和挫折。13 一旦你知道了应答的信号和方法，生活就变轻松多了。当客人刚到的时候，我知道我应该马上问他们要不要喝茶。他们会说：请不要麻烦了。”这正

21、是我该去泡茶的信号。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.美国的进餐习俗1 每个国家都有其独特的进餐习俗。美国人认为，作为一名有礼貌的客人，第一条规矩就是守时。如果一个人被邀请于六点半赴宴，女主人期待他在六点半或稍后几分钟到。因为通常是她做饭，她算好时间，以便客人到时热面包卷，咖啡和肉正好吃。如果客人来迟了，饭菜就不那么好吃了，女主人会感到失望的。如果客人不能按时到，就应打电话给男女主人，说明理由，并告诉他们什么时候能到。根据具体情况

36、，客人有时会带一盒糖果或一些鲜花送给女主人以表谢意。2 当客人们陆续到来时，如有女士进屋，在场的男士们应起身等女士入座后再坐下，这通常被视为是一种礼貌的行为。然而，多数年轻人和一些年纪再大一些的人，他们重视男女平等，不再遵守这一习俗。来访的客人应留意各种情况，跟在场的美国人去做。3 客人在餐桌就坐时，按照习俗男士应帮助女士推椅入座。有些美国人现在已不再这样做了，所以来访者必须留心别人的做法，并照着他们的做法去做。如果宴会是在个人的家里举行的，在开始吃饭前，要避免（说话）尴尬，客人可以（自己不说）让别人聊。有些家庭习惯于在饭前祈祷感谢上帝，有些家庭则没有这样的习惯。如果要做祷告，每个人都静静地低

37、头坐着，直到祷告结束。如果主人家没有这样的习惯，聊天则无需中断。4 美国人与欧洲人使用刀叉的习惯不同。欧洲人右手拿刀，左手拿叉，吃东西时两手都用。美国人则相反，尽可能只用一只手，另一只手放在膝盖上。他们要切肉时通常把叉换到左手。在不往嘴里送食物时，喝咖啡或在面包上涂黄油时，他们把叉放在自己的盘子上。欧洲人更习惯于饭后喝咖啡，没吃完饭时刀叉就一直拿在手里。5 由于美国人进餐时经常会放下刀叉等金属餐具，一些习俗也随之形成。把勺子留在汤碗里，咖啡杯里或其他盘子里都被看作是不礼貌的。勺子应该放在可以平放的地方（如咖啡勺放在茶托上，汤勺放在汤碗旁边的托盘上，等等），但不放在桌布上。这样做就不大会把金属餐

38、具碰到地板上或把食物碰撒出来。另一个不同的习俗是美国人和欧洲人都用汤勺的侧边和东西而不是前端。6 美国人吃面包是不用刀叉，而是通常先把面包掰开用手拿。美国人用手拿着吃的东西还有玉米棒，芹菜，萝卜和橄榄。在美国，人们不用手来抓生菜吃，也不端起汤碗喝碗底剩下的汤。7 如果客人在就餐时不得不离开餐桌的话，他（她）应该向女主人说：“对不起，我能离开一会儿吗？”进餐结束后，客人们把餐巾放在桌上，然后起身。客人不用按原样把餐巾折好，除非是暂住的客人，要住下来不止吃一顿饭。8 饭后，客人通常会再呆两三个小时，但客人要考虑周到，注意不要因呆得太久而不受欢迎。出于礼貌男女主人也许会劝客人多呆一会，但多数宴请11

39、点钟左右就结束了。9 按照习俗，客人临走时应感谢女主人让他们度过一个愉快的夜晚。你可以说一些感谢的话。通常的说法有：“再见，你让我来参加宴会真是太好了，”或“再见了，今晚过得开心极了，”或“谢谢，我过得很愉快。”对于那些比宴会更大的款待，如在主人家过夜或度周末，习惯上应给主人寄一封感谢信。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