英语口语话题--谈论文化

文化是个很大的命题，这个词也往往跟地域有关。以前世界并不是联通的，不同的人群，在不同的生活环境里产生的做法也不同。很多偶然，当然也有必然。慢慢地，做法成为习惯，戒律、故事，节日，风俗流传下来，构成了这群人的内在属性。因此，文化也跟历史有关。

---

--In my country, people do things in this way.
--You have to behave like the other people do.
--In the United States, age doesn't matter.
--This is the day we celebrate our nation's independence.
--Christmas is the most important holiday in the United States.
--In the United States, a wedding will take most of the day.
--It's customary to bring presents to an American wedding.
--When drinking, don't pour for yourself.
--It's not polite to ask how much money people make.
--It's not acceptable to spit on the street.

---

双语对照

--In my country, people do things in this way.
在我的国家，人都这么做这件事。
--You have to behave like the other people do.
你应该像别人那样做。
--In the United States, age doesn't matter.
在美国，年纪不是问题。
--This is the day we celebrate our nation's independence.
这是我们庆祝国家独立的节日。
--Christmas is the most important holiday in the United States.
圣诞节时美国最重要的日子。
--In the United States, a wedding will take most of the day.
在美国，婚礼大约会花上将近一天的时间。
--It's customary to bring presents to an American wedding.
参加美国婚礼的时候，带礼物是一种习俗。
--When drinking, don't pour for yourself.
喝酒的时候，不要给自己倒酒。
--It's not polite to ask how much money people make.
问别人赚多少钱是很不礼貌的。
--It's not acceptable to spit on the street.
在大街上吐痰是不被接受的。

---

对话练习

A: Do you celebrate White Day in your country?
B: I think White Day is the same as Valentine's Day, right?
A: What do the boyfriends do?
B: They give their girlfriends hard candy one month later, on White Day.
A: Well, we know every culture has its particular way of greeting.
B: Yeah. Greeting is a way to build up a good relationship between people concerned.
A: How many kinds of names can be divided into in both English and Chinese?
B: Personal names can be divided into surnames and given names.
A: That sounds quite different.
B: Yes, there are a lot of other different customs between different countries.
A: That greeting is not that common nowadays, especially among the young people.
B: Anyhow, cultural communication should be strengthend to promote mutual understanding.
A: When was this painting created?
B: This is painted in1965.
A: Sometimes though, there can be considerable differences in the phrases that can be used and result in cultural misunderstandings.
B: That surely happens quite a lot.
A: Are any of these for sale?
B: No, I'm sorry, these are not for sale.
A: This piece is really great, is it for sale?
B: No, this one isn't for sale actually. It's a very special painting for artist's mother.

---

汉英互译

1. 在我的国家，人都这么做这件事。
2. 你应该像别人那样做。
3. 在美国，年纪不是问题。
4. 这是我们庆祝国家独立的节日。
5. 圣诞节时美国最重要的日子。
6. 在美国，婚礼大约会花上将近一天的时间。
7. 参加美国婚礼的时候，带礼物是一种习俗。
8. 喝酒的时候，不要给自己倒酒。
9. 问别人赚多少钱是很不礼貌的。
10. 在大街上吐痰是不被接受的。

---

越是了解历史和人群背后的故事，越是尊重文化差异。Do as Romans do，所谓入乡随俗，是对自己的基本要求。

记得第一次去跟同学一家出去吃饭，庆祝一个比赛获奖。我也没在意就像在自己家那样拿筷子夹菜了，同学也是直接开动了。当时同学的家长，让他停下来去拿公筷。我呆在那里感觉有些尴尬，颇有些指桑说槐的感觉。后来每次去外头吃饭，有大人在的时候就会不自觉不敢动筷子。

现在大多数人不喜欢酒桌文化，确实是如此。不想喝还要让人喝的态度着实是不好。相互之间不过分强势，应该是共识。不能得寸进尺，也不能一退再退。做人完全可以有些脾气，如果因此被穿小鞋，这个队伍也走不远，离开也罢。