文化大碰撞

身在異國(guó)他鄉(xiāng)，最大的不適應(yīng)可能就是來(lái)自不同文化的沖擊。就像是現(xiàn)實(shí)、自我的美國(guó)人，傳統(tǒng)、保守的英國(guó)人有時(shí)也讓我們困惑一樣，熱情、謙虛的中國(guó)人也會(huì)讓老外頗感費(fèi)解。不過(guò)，就像Mark說(shuō)的那樣，每個(gè)民族都有自己獨(dú)特的美麗，我們要做的就是學(xué)會(huì)欣賞。

Pam: You’ve been here for three months now. I’m curious to know ①how you are finding Chinese culture and the way of life in general.

Mark: To be honest， my first week here was really hard to adjust. ②I felt like such a fish out of water. And everything happens so fast here. I mean， time seems to pass so quickly. It’s hard to keep up with everything. But it helps that ③the local people generally have a laid-back attitude towards life. Well， except for when they are driving.

Pam: Ha! Yes， the traffic situation and the way Chinese drive is definitely one of the biggest parts of culture shock. But you are right about their calm nature. In fact， Chinese people are rather modest too.

Mark: ④I couldn’t agree more. Each time I compliment someone， like， “Your English is very good.” I always get the same response…

Pam: “Oh， no. My English is poor，” or “Just so-so.”

Mark: Exactly!

Pam: It’s rare to see a cocky Chinese. They are very humble.

Mark: ⑤I’ve come across many people who are really warm-hearted and genuinely want to help out， which is a contrast to some stereotypes of Asian people.

Pam: Yeah， sometimes Chinese people are misconstrued as being rude， when actually it is more a combination of shyness and modesty， plus the language barrier. Once you actually live here you start to see that.

Mark: The differences in cultural values are really striking. Not only comparing Chinese customs with foreign customs， but values within their own society vary a lot. There seems to be a clash between old values and more modern “city” values. One thing I really can’t get over is the spitting. People spit everywhere. ⑥That is so foreign to me. It’s difficult for me to understand because hygiene is something our parents teach us from a young age and also having respect for your environment. I can’t imagine anyone back home spitting on the street.

Pam: Yeah， that is also up there on the “Culture Shock List.” ⑦I think education plays a big part in it. It’s not easy for everyone to have access to education. One thing I find that stands out is that great distance between social classes. The rich are really rich and the poor seem to be really poor.

Mark: That’s such a shock.

Pam: But that’s not to say we don’t appreciate this unique beauty of China.

Mark: Oh， of course. We wouldn’t come here if we didn’t love it. In fact， I think there are many advantages China has over the rest of the world. Heaps of my Chinese friends ask why I would come to China and they have this belief that other countries are so beautiful and perfect.

Pam: But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Every country has its strengths and weaknesses. And I know for me， and many foreigners， I love the way China feels completely like another world where there really are many opportunities if you take the time to seek them out.

帕姆：你來(lái)這里已經(jīng)有三個(gè)月了。我很想知道你對(duì)中國(guó)的文化和這兒的生活方式的大致看法。

馬克：老實(shí)說(shuō)，我在這里的第一個(gè)星期的確很難適應(yīng)。我覺(jué)得自己好像離開(kāi)了水的魚一樣（很不習(xí)慣）。這里的節(jié)奏很快。我的意思是，時(shí)間似乎過(guò)得飛快。要跟上每件事情是很困難的。但本地人通常都對(duì)生活有種悠然自得的態(tài)度，這樣會(huì)好點(diǎn)。呃，可是當(dāng)他們開(kāi)車的時(shí)候就不是這么一回事了。

帕姆：哈！是的，這里的交通狀況和中國(guó)人開(kāi)車的方式一定是文化沖突里其中最讓人吃驚的。但關(guān)于他們平靜的性格你說(shuō)得很對(duì)。事實(shí)上，中國(guó)人還挺謙虛的。

馬克：我完全同意。每當(dāng)我稱贊某人的時(shí)候，比如說(shuō)，“你的英語(yǔ)很不錯(cuò)哦。”我總是得到同樣的答復(fù)……

帕姆：“噢，不。我的英語(yǔ)很差勁。”或者“一般般吧?！?/p>

馬克：沒(méi)錯(cuò)！

帕姆：很難看見(jiàn)一個(gè)傲慢的中國(guó)人。他們都很謙卑。

馬克：我碰見(jiàn)過(guò)很多非常熱心而且真誠(chéng)地想給予別人幫助的人，跟傳統(tǒng)中某些典型的亞洲人形象相去甚遠(yuǎn)。

帕姆：是的，有時(shí)候中國(guó)人被誤解成是粗魯?shù)娜?，但?shí)際上更多是因?yàn)樗麄內(nèi)诤狭遂t腆和謙虛的特點(diǎn)，再加上語(yǔ)言障礙，就造成了誤解。一旦你真正地在這里住下來(lái)，你就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)這點(diǎn)了。

馬克：文化價(jià)值觀的差異真的很突出。中國(guó)習(xí)俗不但跟外國(guó)習(xí)俗不一樣，就連其本身內(nèi)部的社會(huì)價(jià)值觀也有很大的差別。舊的價(jià)值觀與比較現(xiàn)代的“城市”價(jià)值觀之間似乎存在著沖突。有一件事我真的無(wú)法忍受的就是隨地吐痰的行為。到處都可以看到人們隨地吐痰。對(duì)于我來(lái)說(shuō)，那是很陌生的東西。我很難理解這種行為，因?yàn)槲覀兊母改笍男【徒逃覀円v衛(wèi)生，而且要注意到自己周邊的環(huán)境。我無(wú)法想象老家那邊的人會(huì)在街上吐痰。

帕姆：是的，這點(diǎn)也出現(xiàn)在“文化沖突列表”中。我想教育在這方面起了很大的作用。在中國(guó)不是每個(gè)人都能輕而易舉地接受教育的。我發(fā)現(xiàn)很突出的一點(diǎn)便是社會(huì)階層之間的差距很大。有錢的人真的很有錢，貧窮的人好像真的很窮苦。

馬克：那真的是很大的沖擊。

帕姆：但這不等于說(shuō)我們就不欣賞中國(guó)獨(dú)特的美麗。

馬克：喔，當(dāng)然。如果我們不喜愛(ài)它就不會(huì)來(lái)這里了。事實(shí)上，我想中國(guó)比世界上其它的國(guó)家有著很多的優(yōu)勢(shì)。我有很多中國(guó)朋友都問(wèn)我為什么會(huì)來(lái)中國(guó)，而他們都覺(jué)得其它國(guó)家都是那么地漂亮和完美。

帕姆：可事實(shí)遠(yuǎn)非如此啊。每個(gè)國(guó)家都有自己的長(zhǎng)處與短處。而我知道對(duì)于我來(lái)說(shuō)還有很多外國(guó)人也這樣認(rèn)為，中國(guó)是個(gè)完全不同的世界，如果你花點(diǎn)時(shí)間去尋找，便會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)在這里真的有很多機(jī)遇，我很喜歡這樣。

Smart Sentences

① How you are finding Chinese culture and the way of life in general. 你對(duì)中國(guó)的文化和這兒的生活方式的大致看法。

find sth./sb.: discover sth./sb.（發(fā)覺(jué)，覺(jué)得）。例如：

I found the book very boring.

我覺(jué)得這本書很無(wú)聊。

② I felt like such a fish out of water. 我覺(jué)得自己好像離開(kāi)了水的魚一樣（很不習(xí)慣）。

a fish out of water: uncomfortable because of an unusual or unfamiliar situation（不得其所，感到不便、陌生）。例如：

Though having been in the place for two years， I still feel like a fish out of water.

盡管我已經(jīng)來(lái)這里兩年了，但還是覺(jué)得不習(xí)慣。

③ The local people generally have a laid-back attitude towards life. 當(dāng)?shù)厝送ǔ６紝?duì)生活有種悠然自得的態(tài)度。

laid-back: behave in a relaxed way without any worry（放松，閑散）。例如：

He is always on the move and can never be laid-back.

他總是忙個(gè)不停，永遠(yuǎn)輕松不下來(lái)。

④ I couldn’t agree more. 我完全同意。

I couldn’t agree more.: used to indicate total agreement with others（用以表達(dá)完全同意他人的意見(jiàn)）。例如：

—John is overambitious， but not willing to do small jobs.

約翰眼高手低。

—I couldn’t agree more.

我太同意了。

⑤ I’ve come across many people… 我碰見(jiàn)過(guò)很多……人。

come across: meet sb. or find sth. by chance（偶然碰上）。例如：

When we moved last month， I came across my high school diary.

上個(gè)月搬家時(shí)，我偶然發(fā)現(xiàn)了高中時(shí)的日記。

⑥ That is so foreign to me. 對(duì)于我來(lái)說(shuō)，那是很陌生的東西。

foreign to sb.: sth. is not typical of them or unknown to sb.（陌生，不熟悉）。例如：

The cell phone is foreign to my grandparents.

手機(jī)對(duì)我爺爺奶奶來(lái)說(shuō)是完全陌生的。

⑦ I think education plays a big part in it. 我想教育在這方面起了很大的作用。

play a part/play a role in sth.: involved in a situation and have an effect in it（起作用）。例如：

My brother played a part in the project.

我弟弟在這個(gè)項(xiàng)目中發(fā)揮了他的作用。