After decades of distrust, China and America are finally seeking friendship. But after teaching in Xiamen University’s MBA cente

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问题     After decades of distrust, China and America are finally seeking friendship. But after teaching in Xiamen University’s MBA center for over five years, I’ve come to realize that even if political and economic barriers are overcome, a major hurdle remains—culture!
    On occasion I have felt that some Chinese were rude or inconsiderate. Unfortunately, some Chinese have thought even worse of me. But most of the discord arises not from intent but from ignorance of cultural differences.
    America’s individualist culture springs from a 2 000 year tradition of Roman and Greek arts, philosophy and government, as well as the moral and legal traditions of Christianity. By contrast, China’s culture, including its arts, philosophy, and government is rooted in the Confucian ethic, Taoism, Buddhism, and more recently, Chinese Socialism.
    Two weeks after I arrived in China, I told a cashier "Thank you. " She replied, "Don’t use thanks. " Taken aback, I asked "Why shouldn’t I use thanks?" She looked at me as if I were from another planet and I beat a hasty retreat.
    I reasoned that since China is socialist, maybe polite phrases denote feudalist class distinctions and are best avoided! But a leopard can’t change its spots and an American can’t easily stop saying "thank you" for everything. A week later a shop assistant told me "Don’t use thanks. " I asked "Why not?" and she replied, "Don’t be polite. " I thought, "Well, this is too much! We can’t use any polite speech at all?"
    To my dismay, I eventually learned that "Don’t use thanks" had the exact same meaning and usage as the English "Don’t mention it". I had translated words instead of intent.
    My mistake was merely an embarrassment, but similar blunders(错误)by business and political leaders have destroyed potential business negotiations or diplomatic relationships.
Questions:
Why does the author sometimes think some Chinese are impolite and inconsiderate?

选项 A、Because those Chinese are inclined to treat him rudely and drive him back to U. S.
B、Because the author is an unfriendly person and he is very strict with his students.
C、Because their relationship is teacher and student, and they are usually hostile to each other.
D、Because they have different cultural backgrounds and have misunderstood each other.

答案D

解析 第2题问为什么作者有时认为某些中国人不礼貌、考虑不周。此题是一道具体细节题,我们可以利用查阅式阅读法在第二段中找到提示信息。文章第二段指出,有时作者觉得有些中国人很粗鲁,不顾及别人。不幸的是,有些中国人认为我更糟糕。但这些误解大多不是源于本意而多是由于文化差异方面的无知。因此,本题的正确答案应是D:因为他们的文化背景不同,彼此误解了。
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