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发表于 2016-7-10 10:20:03
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on-looking
adj. watching something happening 旁观的
potential *
n. possibility of being developed or used 潜在性,可能性
e.g. She recognized the potential for error in the method being used.
privacy *
n. freedom from interference or public attention 私人权利,个人自由,隐私权
e.g. Newspapers often don't respect the individual's right to privacy.
prolong *
v. make longer especially in time 延长(某事物)(尤指时间)
e.g. They prolonged their visit by a few days.
racial *
adj. characteristic of race 人种的,种族的
rarely *
adv. not often, seldom 不常
e.g. Only rarely do I eat in restaurants.
ridicule
n. (process of) making somebody or something foolish 嘲笑
signify *
v. represent, mean, or be a sign of something 意味
e.g. What do these marks signify?
spoil *
v. (spoilt, spoilt or spoiled, spoiled) 破坏,糟蹋
e.g. The bad news has spoiled my day.
sympathy *
n. sharing the feelings of others; feeling of pity and sorrow 同情,同情心
e.g. She never expressed any sympathy when I was injured.
trappings
n. outward signs of someone's rank, success, or position 外部标志
unaware *
adj. ignorant or not conscious of 未觉察,不知道
e.g. He was unaware of my presence/that I was present.
violate *
v. break or be contrary to (a rule, principle, etc.) 违反,违背
e.g. The construction of the building violated fire regulations (规定).
Chinese and American Culture
Body Language
Even body language has a cultural accent. Chinese stamp their feet to show anger; Americans interpret this as impatience. Chinese clap for themselves after a speech. Americans may see this as immodest. When giving or receiving a gift, Chinese use two hands to denote respect. Americans never even notice.
Americans may pat other adults on the head to show sympathy, affection or encouragement. This behavior could insult Chinese.
Americans point to their chest to signify "me", but think it is funny when Chinese point to their nose.
Even laughter has the potential either to communicate or miscommunicate[1]. An American who fell off his bike was very angry when on-looking Chinese laughed at him. I myself was angered when my son fell down and bystanders laughed. But I learned later that their laughter conveyed sympathy or understanding, not ridicule. When East meets West, how often is offense taken when none is given[2]?
Body Space
American individualists value privacy and men always maintain a distance of 45~80 centimeters between them when they talk. To stand farther apart is inconvenient, to stand closer violates body space. And males rarely touch each other, except for a brief but firm handshake. They certainly never hold hands or sit with arms around one another.
In American culture, frequent, prolonged bodily contact between males suggests homosexuality. Chinese males not only touch each other but also hold hands—a practice that frightens Western males. Chinese often shake my hand and don't let go. They talk away contentedly, unaware of my discomfort as I struggle to free my hand!
Cultural Bridges
Chinese and Americans may be different in many ways, but a comparison of some basic idioms shows that in some ways we think alike.
"Where there's smoke there's fire." (无风不起浪)
"Look before you leap." (三思而后行)
"Where there's a will there's a way." (有志者事竟成)
"At sixes and sevens." (乱七八糟)
"Birds of a feather flock together." (一丘之貉)
"Oil and water don't mix." (水火不容)
"Henpecked." (妻管严)
"Strike while the iron is hot." (趁热打铁)
"More haste, less speed." (欲速则不达)
"Out of sight, out of mind." (眼不见,心不烦)
"All good things must come to an end." (没有不散的宴席)
"Great minds think alike." (英雄所见略同)
"Too many cooks spoil the broth." (厨师多坏一锅汤)
Both Chinese and Americans face life and death, love and hate, hope and fear, work and play. All people's basic needs and philosophies are similar, even when their expression is clouded and confused by racial, cultural or political trappings[3]. And it is these cultural common characteristics upon which we can build understanding, respect and communication. (442 words)
Phrases and Expressions
build...upon
base...on 建立在......之上
e.g. The company's success is built on its very popular computers.
except for
not including 除了
e.g. The meal was excellent except for the first course.
let go
stop holding something 放松,放开
e.g. Let go! You are hurting me.
see... as
consider...to be 把......看作
e.g. Social development is seen as a changing process and not as something static.
take offense
feel offended by something 被......惹恼
e.g. Do you think he took offense at what I said about his hair?
unaware of
ignorant or not conscious of 未觉察,不知道
e.g. He was unaware that the police were watching him.
PASSAGE III Specific Taboos
Proper Names
Brazil
(地名)巴西(南美洲国家)
Catholic
adj. 天主教的
Easter
(基督教)复活节(纪念耶酥复活的节日)
Korean
韩国人,朝鲜人
Latin American
拉丁美洲人
Mexico
(地名)墨西哥(拉丁美洲国家)
Middle East
(地名)中东(一般泛指欧、亚、非三洲连接的地区)
Newcastle
(地名)纽卡斯尔(英格兰东北部港市,其附近产煤)
New Words
accordance *
n. 一致,符合
in accordance with
according to a rule, system, etc. 与......一致,融洽
e.g. I ) I'm in accordance with him in this matter.
II) In accordance with your wishes, I have written to him.
blunt *
v. make a feeling less strong 减弱
e.g. Grief has blunted her senses.
booth
n. 小(房)间,公共电话亭
bouquet
n. a bunch of flowers for carrying in the hand 花束
carving
n. 雕刻品
chrysanthemum
n. 菊花
confessional
n. 告解室,忏悔
e.g. a confessional booth (教堂中神甫听取忏悔的)忏悔室
connotation
n. an idea which a word makes one think of in addition to the main meaning 内涵意义,隐含的意义
conscious *
adj. 感觉到的,意识到的
e.g. Are you conscious (of) how people will regard such behavior?
corporate *
adj. 公司的
e.g. Corporate executives usually have high salaries.
female *
n. 女性,雌性动物
funeral *
n. 葬礼
hierarchy *
n. a system with grades of authority or status from the lowest to the highest 等级制度
inappropriate *
adj. not suitable 不合适的
e.g. It would be inappropriate for me to discuss her case at this meeting.
insert *
v. put, fit, place something into something else or between two things 插入
e.g. He inserted a piece of paper in the printer (打印机).
joint *
adj. shared, held or done by two or more people together 共同的
e.g. a joint effort
lily
n. 百合花
lowly *
adj. low in rank or condition 地位低的
e.g. Don't ask me, I'm just a lowly cleaner.
mold *
v. shape (a soft substance) into a particular form or object 使......成形
e.g. Mold the sausage (香肠) meat into little balls.
notion *
n. an idea or belief 观念,想法
e.g. Have you any notion how much it costs to keep a dog?
odd
adj. 奇数的
e.g. 3, 5, and 7 are all odd numbers.
partially *
adv. not completely; partly 部分地
e.g. He was only partially to blame for the accident.
perfume *
n. 香水
porcelain
n. 瓷器
position *
n. 地位,等级
e.g. You need to ask someone in a position of authority (权威).
prestige *
n. respect based on good reputation, past achievements, etc. 威望
e.g. The teaching position has lost the prestige it used to have.
proverbial
adj. 谚语的,如同谚语的
purple *
adj. 紫色的
romantic *
adj. involving a love affair 浪漫的
secrecy
n. the process of keeping something secret 保密
sexy
adj. 性感的
specific *
adj. detailed, precise and exact 具体的
statue *
n. a figure of a person, an animal, etc. in wood, stone, bronze, etc. usually life-size or larger 雕塑,塑像
subtle *
adj. not obvious or noticeable in any way 难以觉察的,微妙的
e.g. The pictures are similar, but there are subtle differences between them.
symbolism
n. 象征
taboo
n. 禁忌
tone *
v. 定调子
tray *
n. 托盘,盘子
unclothed *
adj. not wearing clothes
undergarment
n. 内衣
well-intentioned *
adj. trying to be helpful 善意的
e.g. well-intentioned grandparents who interfere between parents and children
wrap *
v. wind or fold cloth, paper etc. around something 包,裹
e.g. Wrap the chicken in tin foil (锡箔纸) and cook it for two hours.
Specific Taboos
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 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.
So it is with other cultures[1]. We can't possibly mention all of the taboos here—indeed, they probably are not all listed anywhere. However, the following list covers some key taboos:
The Japanese customarily wrap their gifts in paper, but they don't use white paper (color of death); they don't use bright colored paper; and they don't use bows.
Don't give four of anything to a Japanese or Korean; it is the "bad luck" number, like the number 13 in many cultures including the United States and England.
Don't give a clock to a Chinese; the word for clock in Chinese has a funeral connotation to it.
For someone from Hong Kong, giving two of something, or a pair, carries better luck than a single item.
Among Latin Americans, 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.
In the Middle East, a handkerchief suggests tears or parting, and therefore is inappropriate as a gift.
Flowers carry all kinds of symbolism: purple flowers 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[2] (except 13, of course).
When you present flowers to a person from Germany, always unwrap the bouquet first.
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.
Giving a French person a gift of perfume is carrying the proverbial coals to Newcastle[3].
In the Middle East, any pictures of partially unclothed females (even of famous statues) or of pet animals, like dogs who are considered dirty and lowly, are inappropriate gifts.
In rank-conscious[4] societies like Japan, be careful to present gifts in accordance with position and prestige. If several persons are involved and you are uncertain about the hierarchy, give the group a joint gift (e.g., a silver tray, a carving, porcelain statue, fine molded glass).
Tone down corporate symbols on your gifts. Either make them very subtle or simply insert your business card with the gift. (502 words)
Phrases and Expressions
other than
apart from, except 除了
e.g. You'll have to use this chair; there's no other than this.
regard... as
think of...as 把......看作
e.g. I regard that movie as one of the worst I've ever seen.
tone down
cause something to become less intense 缓和,减轻
在文中意为“使......变得不太显眼”。
e.g. You'd better tone down the more offensive remarks in your article.
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