Customs and Manners
# \' B4 V" @8 b1 q! O" P8 E- l4 [* P% C# v Do as the Romans do.
2 X" Z) w( U; g& L+ m8 a Try to follow the custom and you’ll get used to it.4 d8 i* N& ]5 m9 |9 f: t
Making yourself clear is a polite thing to do.8 O$ O& O3 F ^' X* Y
It’s always a bit difficult to get things started.
, m: ^, y: o2 y8 a. m& C+ g7 x8 p Once you get started you’ll find it much easier to do.6 s/ R8 P' @# i0 Y
The safe way to do things is to watch what people do and do the same.# i& i( D+ {4 a2 x/ A; P
You just have be westernized, but you’ve got to learn to enjoy our things while you’re here.
7 e0 T# _7 Q0 s You’ll appreciate our views more when you get to know us better.
$ Q- [0 N9 A# f- T. t* m' \ You’ve got to make friends if you want to get better acquainted with things here.! R' Y0 w! v6 @0 R
Living in a strange land is always hard at the beginning, but you’ll get over it.. S, j) ?& [; u! L- U0 q0 Z8 t
You don’t have to go with it, but what you need to do is to understand it.
8 Y* c3 V8 L, M That’s what makes us Americans
. ` E6 Q' \7 e) | By our custom it’s not acceptable.1 I7 G: G& h5 |" ^9 @; c
I think you’ll have to change your habit a little bit.
: D5 H- |% F2 }7 v2 o Stick to it ,no matter what people say.. ?0 @1 F" T+ Y( T' `
You’ll overcome the culture shock in no time.
6 ? x/ W% r2 X! g6 P2 u It’ll help you broaden your viewpoints that you live with people from different backgrounds.
& E( T1 v; a# h$ F This is what a lot people thought of us Americans when they first come here.1 Y" g. z/ o5 v* ?$ Q/ G
I found people here seem always on the run.
, x W1 _3 r. B! n$ |5 a9 }4 l! E People have always mistakenly thought we Chinese people lack a sense of time and are slow in response to the outside world. But it’s just not true any more.
! v! V/ `) C0 S Although they’ve tried in every way to make friends with me, it still doesn’t work. I think part of the problem is the language, and part of it the cultural differences.$ l. n2 x$ C; O2 f: Y
It’ll help us to understand the problem better.
, r" T0 e* z1 W: H) X We seldom eat our vegetables raw back home.5 v( p4 N4 `" o; T5 j; d( B+ {
Is that a Chinese custom?4 Z9 d' S# p! P; F4 k2 x2 ^
I found your eating habits a bit strange. For example, it amazed me when I first saw you drink milk cold.
) o- {1 W! L5 Y2 L1 G& ]8 L# ? We still try to keep Chinese customs.
3 ]7 @# t; Q& M& d F' K) ` We Chinese are friendly, generally speaking.
% u: @3 k6 r6 \ It’s too much Americanized, I’m afraid.& l/ u! @6 K. k H6 {& M u& n
We eat a lot of fast food nowadays.5 c4 L3 w( l2 A- t- X' i
You don’t have to be very formal when you come to me place.
( F4 V! G9 ~) K/ n! r+ T, V) J* c, e You really don’t have to bring gifts every time you got to a friend’s house.) z" `& @; A! m7 ^/ h" q
The western people do not ask about the ages and salaries of others.
/ p) k4 Q1 r$ h( S5 @; j- g3 | Ages, salaries and so on are privacy.
`3 \) i5 _8 I" S f If you ask an American about his religion or marriage, usually won’t get an answer.) T6 c( h7 [' T$ @' o! o1 _
Keep in mind you should be in time when you’re invited to dinner.
3 W8 N& J: n* _5 f" e3 m ` You may go with a gift or not.: E* h. G5 S8 W& d) U' F3 W
Remember to make an appointment any time you want to call on somebody.
5 G* S5 ~& x/ C. R$ M% C& \" \ Don’t try to shake hand with a woman unless she puts out her hand first.8 F `2 i/ V8 A; a6 J# d7 X
You can talk about weather to anybody at any time.
7 d6 C2 {2 ]% k) o Weather is a good topic to begin a conversation.
1 A; p9 N, ]6 v8 v5 x' G* Z* I Americans consider it more friendly to invite a person to one’s home than to take him to a restaurant.( z' B4 f2 R/ B
You should arrive at the time you were invited for, or within five or ten minutes after that time.: e7 ^( K, G y; S
If you are unable to thank the hostess before you leave, it’s a good idea to write her a note of thanks or telephone her the next day.; Q/ R+ y; Z W& h h# W, Q
If you’re going to be an overnight or weekend guest, it is customary to bring the hostess a small present.
& W( Z# u, G; o# K0 m Men usually open doors for women, and women generally walk ahead of men into a room or restaurant.
5 a: v" p# I( g" D: p8 u, Z. O; J Usually, if a man asks a woman out to dinner, he will pay for the dinner.
! `' }9 P7 E8 l9 w# [% c- C( `0 `+ B Although there is much informality in the United States, it is important not to create a false impression regarding your feelings for another person. 风俗习惯与礼节
+ H' y2 k+ i. F& |/ K: _ 入乡随俗。
/ T& h8 n# S- {5 K' B 入乡随俗慢慢会习惯的。
6 Q, c5 R* E- r 有话直说是礼貌的举动。9 e3 r8 k" m7 F5 v; c/ Y3 ?
万事开头难。
" i4 r; H. y7 q1 G 什么事一旦开了头,就会比较容易多了。% ^3 E, z a( f) b* s* l
最好的方法是,别人怎么做。您也怎么做。
2 D3 O+ q5 R, i5 U, Y8 v 您不必西化,但是在这儿就得学会这儿的生活方式。7 ~% O) |3 ?3 [7 t1 u
等了解我们以后,您就会更加欣赏我们的观点了。
0 |. u2 \% ]- p* T) V 想要更好的了解这儿的事物,您必须多交朋友。# N) e4 T$ U$ `" |( p
在一个陌生的环境里,开始时免不了会不习惯,慢慢就会适应的。
& E- I# [6 r+ v9 a 有些事情您不必都学,只须理解就可以了。 Y: p% P* }0 v& O2 r; u
这正是我们美国人的特色。
7 H: ~! @ l; I+ Q9 Q8 l 按照我们的习惯,这是不能接受的。
7 b' t0 C5 c/ A9 T2 M) Y 我觉得您得改一改您的习惯才行。
2 n' Z& ?: j3 V- X- M/ O! f7 a 您干您的,甭管别人怎么说您。! H% J4 V# P7 O
您会很快克服文化冲击的。 |