Unit2 阅读技能突破
时文领读
主题:人与社会——跨文化沟通
体裁:说明文
词数:313
难度:中
阅读用时:8分钟
背景导入:在英语学习的过程中,一个必不可少的环节就是了解西方文化,这不仅有助于学生更好地理解英语语言习惯和语言特色,而且对跨文化交流和以后在国外的生活而言都是很有必要的。面对中西方文化差异,我们应该怀有求同存异的初衷。我们不仅要发现文化中的不同,还要能发现其中的交叉点。
阅读技巧:训练利用同义转换提取文章细节信息的能力;训练快速归纳文章主旨的能力。
原文
Living in a culture that is different from your own can be both an exciting and challenging experience. You have to learn different cultural practices and try to adapt to them. Following are the top five cultural differences between China and the US.
1. Privacy. Chinese people do not have the same concept of privacy as Americans do. They talk about topics such as ages, income or marital(婚姻的)status, which Americans think are annoying and intrusive①.
2. Family. In China, elders are traditionally treated with enormous respect and dignity②while the young are cherished and nurtured(养育). In America, the goal of the family is to encourage independence, particularly that of the children. Unlike the Chinese, older Americans seldom live with their children.
3. Friends. Chinese people have different meanings to define③friends. Just hanging out together time to time is not friendship. Friendship means lifelong friends who feel deeply obligated④to give each other whatever help might seem required. Americans always call people they meet friends, so the definition of friends is general and different. There are work friends, playing friends, school friends and drinking friends.
4. Money. As is well known, the Chinese like to save. They are always conservative⑤when they are planning to spend money. It is different in the US, where far fewer families are saving money for emergencies and education than their Chinese counterparts(对应的人或事物).
5. Collectivism(集体主义)vs Individualism. Basically China values the community and the US values the individual. If you achieve something in the US, it’s because you are great. While in China, if you achieve something, it’s because the team, or family, or company is great. Everything you do gets attributed to the greater whole, while in America individual merits⑦are celebrated.
① intrusive adj.侵扰的;干涉的
② dignity n.尊严;自尊
③ define vt.给……下定义;阐明
④ obligated adj.有义务的;必须的
⑤ conservative adj.保守的
⑥ attribute v.把……归因于;认为……是由于
⑦ merit n.功绩;优点;长处;价值
知识点击
that引导定语从句,先行词为culture
adapt to意为“适应”
Following are the top five cultural differences...是完全倒装句
as引导方式状语从句
which引导非限制性定语从句,先行词为 topics
while为并列连词,表示对比关系,意为“而”
that指代上文的independence
hang out意为“闲逛;和……混在一起”
hanging out...动名词短语作主语
who引导定语从句,先行词为 lifelong friends
whatever引导宾语从句
they meet为定语从句,省略了关系代词,先行词为people
As引导非限制性定语从句
when引导时间状语从句
where引导非限制性定语从句,先行词为the US
because引导表语从句
you do为定语从句,省略了关系词that,先行词为 Everything
【译文】
生活在一种和自己文化不同的文化环境里可能是一种既令人兴奋又充满挑战的体验。你不得不了解不同文化的习俗,并且努力适应它们。以下是中美两国最大的五点文化差异。
1. 隐私。中国人的隐私概念和美国人的不同。中国人谈论诸如年龄、收入或者婚姻状况等话题,而美国人则认为这些话题很令人气恼且唐突。
2. 家庭。在中国,老人们通常很受尊重和尊崇,而年轻一辈则被悉心呵护和养育。在美国,家庭目标是鼓励独立,特别是孩子们要独立。与中国人不同,美国老人很少和自己的孩子们住在一起。
3. 朋友。中国人对朋友有不同的定义。只是经常一起出门玩不能算作友谊。友谊意味着终生的朋友,他们深切,地觉得有义务互相提供任何可能需要的帮助。美国人经常称呼他们遇到的人为朋友,因此他们对朋友的定义很笼统,并且各有不同:有工作的朋友,有一起玩的朋友,有学校的朋友,有喝酒的朋友。
4. 金钱。众所周知,中国人喜欢存钱。中国人在计划花钱时总是很保守。但在美国不是这样的,和中国相应的家庭相比,美国为紧急情况和教育而存钱的家庭要少得多。
5. 集体主义和个人主义。总的来讲,中国注重集体,而美国则看重个人。在美国,如果你取得了一些成就,那是因为你自己很棒。但是在中国,如果你取得了一些成就,那会被归功于你的团队、家庭或者公司。(在中国)你所做的一切都归功于更大的集体,但是在美国则会赞扬个人的功绩。