跨文化交际英文案例.docx

跨文化交际英文案例.docx

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跨文化交际英文案例

Case1Girl-ness

AsavisitingprofessorinanAmericanuniversity,ZhangHuawasinvitedtogivealecturetoagroupofAmericanstudents.HetalkedaboutuniversitystudentsinChina.Duringthequestion-and-answerperiodafterthelecture,onefemalestudentaskedaquestionthatsurprisedZhangHua."Whenyoutalkedaboutfemalestudents,youreferredtothemasgirls.Why?

〞

"Becausetheyaregirls.That’swhattheyarecalled,〞ZhangHuatriedtoanswer,butheknewhedidnotreallyunderstandtheintentofthequestion."Idon’tquiteunderstandyourquestion,I’mafraid.〞

"IntheStates,wecallourselves‘women’ifwe’reoldenoughtogototheuniversity.Callingus‘girls’isinsulting.〞

DoChinesefemalecollegestudentsprefertobecalledwomen?

Case2

Manyyearsago,aChinesemanshowedaphotoofhiswifetosomeAmericanvisitors.Outofcourtesy,theyallsaid,〞Sheisverybeautiful.〞Alsooutofcourtesy,themanrepliedwithwhathewouldhavedoneinChineseunderthecircumstance,〞Where!

Where!

〞Quitetakenaback,nobodysaidanythingforamoment,untilthemostingeniousoneamongthevisitors,takinganotherlookatthephoto,said,"Oh,everywhere!

〞

WhatdidtheChineseintendtomeanbyreplyingwith"Where!

Where!

〞?

Case1Girl-ness

AsavisitingprofessorinanAmericanuniversity,ZhangHuawasinvitedtogivealecturetoagroupofAmericanstudents.HetalkedaboutuniversitystudentsinChina.Duringthequestion-and-answerperiodafterthelecture,onefemalestudentaskedaquestionthatsurprisedZhangHua."Whenyoutalkedaboutfemalestudents,youreferredtothemasgirls.Why?

〞

"Becausetheyaregirls.That’swhattheyarecalled,〞ZhangHuatriedtoanswer,butheknewhedidnotreallyunderstandtheintentofthequestion."Idon’tquiteunderstandyourquestion,I’mafraid.〞

"IntheStates,wecallourselves‘women’ifwe’reoldenoughtogototheuniversity.Callingus‘girls’isinsulting.〞

DoChinesefemalecollegestudentsprefertobecalledwomen?

Case2

Manyyearsago,aChinesemanshowedaphotoofhiswifetosomeAmericanvisitors.Outofcourtesy,theyallsaid,〞Sheisverybeautiful.〞Alsooutofcourtesy,themanrepliedwithwhathewouldhavedoneinChineseunderthecircumstance,〞Where!

Where!

〞Quitetakenaback,nobodysaidanythingforamoment,untilthemostingeniousoneamongthevisitors,takinganotherlookatthephoto,said,"Oh,everywhere!

〞

WhatdidtheChineseintendtomeanbyreplyingwith"Where!

Where!

〞?

Case3"IJustWantedtoTalk〞.

WutongwasagraduatestudentinaChineseuniversity.Likemanystudentsthesedays,hewasverykeenonlearningEnglish.HewouldtalkwithEnglishspeakersasoftenashecould.

Oneday,hesawanewforeigneroncampus,LeonardRamsay,andoverheardhimspeakingEnglish.WhenMr.Ramsayfinishedspeakingwiththeotherperson,heturnedtogo,butWuTongstoppedhim.Hewentupandsaid,"YouspeakEnglish,isthatright?

〞

"Yes,why?

〞

"I’dliketopractisemyEnglishwithyou,ifyoudon’tmind.〞

Mr.Ramsaylookedalittleannoyed."Iprefernotto,ifyoudon’tmind.〞

Case4AnUnwantedFoodService

DuringalunchbuffetataconferenceinChina,WuFa,theinterpreteroftheconference,satwithfourforeignparticipants.Theywerehavingagoodtimetalking.WhenWuFastoodupformorefood,sheaskedwhethershecouldbringanythingbackforthem.

Everyonethankedherandsaid"no〞.Awhilelater,WuFacamebackwithaplatefulloffood,andaskedwhethertheotherswouldliketohavesomethingfromherplate.

Again,thefourotherssaid,"No〞.

"Oh,pleasetakesomething,Ican’teatthismuchfoodmyself.〞

Theforeignersshruggedandoneortwoofthemevenfrownedalittle.

Case5SimpleCanBeSpecial

WenHonghadanAmericanprofessorinhereconomicsclassinChina.Shehadgiventheprofessoralotofhelpduringthecourse.Attheendofthesemester,theprofessorandhiswifeinvitedhertotheirhomefordinner.TheysaidtheyweregoingtocookheranAmericanmeal.

WenHongfeltveryflatteredandexcited,sinceMcDonald,KFCandPizzaHuthadbeenheronlyexposuretoWesterncooking.

Theyhadsaladtostartwith,thensteakwithpotatoes,followedbyicecream.WenHonghadexpectedmorecoursesbutthemealcametoanend.Sheknewtheprofessorandhiswifewerebeingkindtoher,butsomehowshewasalittledisappointed.ShewonderedwhetherAmericansdoeatlikethatathome.

Case6ChineseCoffeeCustoms

WhilestudyingintheUnitedStates,LinJunmadeafewAmericanfriends.Onedayheinvitedtwoofthemtohisapartmentandcookedthemameal.Whenhisfriendssaidtheywouldlikesomecoffee,hestartedboilingsomewater.Withoutaskingthemanyquestions,hemadethreecupsof3-in-1coffee,thewayheusuallytookit.

Bothfriendstastedthecoffeeandfrowned.Onesaidshealwaystookcoffeeblack,theothersaidhepreferredtohavelesssugarinhiscoffee.Theyalsotoldhimthatthespoonisforstirringthecoffee,nottodrinkfromlikehedid.LinJunwasembarrassed.Hehadthoughtthateveryonedrankcoffeethesamewayashedid.

Case7NoisefromNoodles

JaneandPeterwereChenDong’slandlordandlandladywhenhewasintheStates.Theyhadbecomegoodfriendsbytheendofhisone-yearstay.TheykeptintouchwitheachotherafterChenDongreturnedtoChina.JaneandPeterdecidedtovisitChinasoonafterChenDonglefttheStates.

TheymadeaspecialstopinGuangzhouwhereChenDonglives.ChenDonghadpromisedtoshowthemaroundthecityandletthemtrysomeauthenticCantonesefood.Onething,inparticular,hewantedthemtotrywasnoodles.Heknewseveralrestaurantsthatservedgoodnoodlesandtookthecoupletooneofthemforlunchoneday.

NoodlestypicallycomeinsoupinCantonesecooking.ChenDongstartedeatingthenoodleswithchopsticks,whileJaneandPeterexchangedalookatthenoisethatcamewithhiseating.Afteralittlehesitation,theyaskedforforks.Awaitresstoldthemthattheydidnothaveforks,andChenDongexplainedthatnoodlerestaurantsdonotusuallykeepforksbecausenoonewouldthinkofusingforksfornoodles.

Inthenexthalfanhour,JaneandPeterhadahardtimetryingtorollthelongnoodlesontotheirchopsticks.ChenDongsaid,"that’snotthewayweeatnoodles.Youputthenoodlesdirectlytoyourmouthwithyourchopsticks.〞

"Butthat’snotthewayweeatnoodles,〞JaneandPetersaid,frowning.

Case8DinnerinaChineseHome

BesidestakingPeterandJanetorestaurants,DongChenalsoinvitedthemtohishomefordinneronce.DongChen‘smotherisanicewife,andmadeeightcoursesforfourofthem.

"I'msorrythereisn’tmuchfordinner,shesaid.〞

"Godthisismuchmorethanenoughfood,〞Janesaid.PeterwastoooverwhelmedtoevenrespondtoDongChen‘mother

DongChenwasalittleembarrassed."Thisiswhatweusuallysaytoguests,eventhoughthere’splentyoffood〞heexplained．

WhatbewilderedJaneandPetermostwasthatthoughDongChen’smotherkeptsayingthatthefoodwasnotgood,sheconstantlyservedhelpingstoJaneandPeter．Peterdidnotliketwoofthecoursesverymuch,andfeltbadthathisplatewasfullwithwhateverhewouldnotbeabletoeat.AtseeingDongChen'smother’snextmovetoservehimfood,hesaidinabeggingvoice,"Pleasedon’tgivemeanymorefood．Letmedoitmyself．

Case9ANot-sociableDrink

MartinwassentbyanAmericancompanytoworkinaspecialeconomicdevelopmentzoneinChinaforayear.HebecameveryfriendlywithafewChinesecolleagues.Soon,hestartedtogooutwiththem.HenoticedthatChineseliketohavesomething,suchaspeanuts,whentheyhavebeer,insteadofjustdrinkingbeerwithoutanythingtoeatasmanyNorthAmericansdo.

Onedayhewasinvitedtoadinnerpartytocelebrateacolleague’sbirthday.Theyorderedalcoholicbeveragesandtoastedtheguestofhonorfrequently.SoonMartinrealizedthattheplanwastogettheirfrienddrunk.Eachcolleaguewouldofferatoast,concludingwithacheery"ganbei!

〞andtriedtogetMartintojoinin,eventhoughhewasunwillingtodoit.Martindidn’tthinkitagoodidea,andtriedtotalkthemoutofthegame.However,hewasaccusedofnotbeingagoodfriendfornotco-operating.

Martinremainedanoutsiderduringtherestofthedinner.Hewasgettingincreasinglyworriedashewatchedthepoorguestbecomeincreasinglyinebriated.

Case10AMisunderstandingataDinnerTable

RogerwasastudentmajoringinEastAsiaStudiesinanAmericanuniversity.Hestartedane-mailcorrespondencewithZhangLi,asociologymajorinChina,whowasintroducedtohimthroughamutualfriend.

Upongraduation,Rogergotabiggiftfromhisgrandfather.Grandpawouldpayforaround-triptickettoChina.HetoldZhangLithegoodnews,andthetwodecidedtomeet.

ZhangLidecidedtogiveRogeraveryspecialwelcome:

sheandthethreewomenstudentsinherdormitorywouldcookhimanauthenticChinesemeal,asRogerhadtoldherthathelovedChinesefood.

However,whenRogerwaspresentedthedinner,hewasalmostterrifiedbysomeofthefood:

porkstomachsoup,pigliverwithgingerandspringonion,chickenwithmushroomsinwhichthechickenhadbeencuttopieceswithbonesattachedtothemeal.

Fortunately,therewerecoursesliketofu,stirredfriedbeef,steamedfishandvegetablesthatRogerloved.HetriedtosticktothembutZhangLikeptputtingfoodhedidnotlikeonhisplate.Whensheaskedhowhelikedtheliver,Rogersaid,"It’sveryunusual…andinteresting."ThisseemedtomakeZhangLihappy.Andshegavehimmoreliver.Rogertriedtostopher,butshewouldnotbestopped.Rogerwassofrustratedthathetoldherthathedidnotreallylikeitthatmuch."Bu