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学术综合英语1-5课课文及翻译

Presenting a speech

(做演讲)

Of all human creations, language may be the most remarkable. Through language we share experience, formulate values, exchange ideas, transmit knowledge, and sustain culture. Indeed, language is vital to think itself. Contrary to popular belief], language | does not simply mirror reality but also helps to create our sense of reality [by giving meaning to events].

在人类所有的创造中,语言也许是影响最为深远的。我们用语言来分享经验,传递价值观,交流思想,传播知识,传承文化。事实上,对语言本身的思考也是至关重要的。和通常所认为的不同的是,语言并不只是简单地反映现实,语言在具体描述事件的时候也在帮助我们建立对现实的感知。

——语序的调整。

Good speakers have respect for language and know how it works. Words are the tools of a speaker’s craft. They have special uses, just like the tools of any other profession. As a speaker, you should be aware of the meaning of words and know how to use language accurately,

clearly,vividly,and appropriately.

好的演讲者对语言很重视,也知道如何让它发挥更好的效果。词语是演讲者演讲的重要“武器”,具有特殊的用途,这和任何其他的工作技艺没什么两样。作为演讲者,必须知道词语的具体含义,也要懂得如何做到用词准确、清晰、生动、适当。

Using language accurately is as vital to a speaker as using numbers accurately to a accountant. Never use a word unless you are sure of its meaning. If you are not sure, look up the word in the dictionary. As you

prepare your speeches, ask yourself constantly, “What do I really want to say What do I really mean” Choose words that are precise and accurate.演讲者准确地使用语言和会计准确使用数字是一样重要的。确定词意后再措词。如果不确定,请先查词典。当你在准备演讲的时候,要不断地问自己:“我到底要说什么我到底想表达什么意思”用词一定要精准。

Using language clearly allows listeners to grasp your meaning immediately. You can ensure this [by using familiar words (that are known to the average person and require no specialized background); by choosing concrete words in preference to more abstract ones, and by eliminating verbal clutter].用词清晰可以让听众迅速理解你的意思(抓到你的点)。要做到这一点,就要尽量使用一般人都熟悉的不需要专业知识就能懂的词语;多用具象词汇少用抽象词汇;还有要减少口误。

Using language vividly helps bring your speech to life. One way (to make your speech vivid)|is through imagery,or the creation of word pictures. You can develop imagery by using concrete language, simile, and metaphor. Simile is an explicit comparison between things (that are essentially different yet have something in common); it always contains the words “like”or “as”. Metaphor is an implicit comparison between things that are different yet have something in common; it does not contain the words “like” or “as”.

生动地用词能让演讲鲜活起来!比喻,这种能产生文字图像的修辞,可以使演讲达到生动的效果。比喻要用具象的语言,分为明喻和隐喻。

明喻是指在本质上有区别但仍然有相同点的事物之间做一个明确的比较,一般句中会含有“像”或“似”。隐喻则是一种隐藏的比较,不会出现like 和 as 这

些连接词。

Another way to make your speeches vivid is by exploiting the rhythm of language. Four devices for creating rhythm are parallelism, repetition, alliteration, and antithesis. Parallelism is the similar arrangement of a pair or series of related words, phrases, or sentences. Repetition is the use of the same word or set of words at the beginning or end of successive clauses or sentences. Alliteration comes from repeating the initial constant sounds of close or adjoining words. Antithesis is the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, usually in parallel structure.

我们还可以充分利用语言的节奏感使演讲更加生动活泼。具体有以下四种方式——排比,反复,押头韵和对偶。排比是指把一组或一系列相关的字词句以相似结构排列起来。反复是指在连续几个从句或句子的开头或结尾处使用相同的词和词组。押头韵则是通过重复相邻之间单词首个辅音实现的。对偶通常是用平行的结构将相反的想法并列在一起。

Using language appropriately means adapting to the particular occasion, audience, and topic at hand. It also means developing your own language style instead of trying to copy someone else’s. If your language is appropriate in all respects, your speech is much more likely to succeed.用语恰当意味着遣词造句要与特定的场合,观众以及谈论的话题相适应。这也意味着你得建立自己的语言风格,不能简单抄袭他人。如果使用的语言与各方面都很契合,那么演讲就更有可能取得成功。

Good speeches are not composed of hot air and unfounded assertions. They need strong supporting materials to bolster the speaker’s point of fact, the skillful use of supporting materials often makes the difference between a good speech and a poor three basic types of supporting materials are examples,statistics and testimony.

好的演讲不能是空话连篇,也不能是一些毫无根据的论断;而是需要有力的论据来支持演讲者的观点。事实上,能否有技巧地使用论据会造成演讲效果的天壤之别。论据有以下三种基本形式:例子,统计资料,引用。

In the course of a speech you may use brief examples—specific instances referred to in passing—and sometimes you may want to give several brief examples in a row to create a stronger impression. Extended examples —often called illustrations, narrations, or anecdotes—are longer and more examples describe imagery situations and can be quite effective for relating ideas to the audience. All three kinds of examples help to clarify ideas, to reinforce ideas, or to personalize ideas. To be more effective, though, they should be vivid and richly textured.

在演讲时可以简单举例——即附带地提及几个具体的例子——有时也需要接二连三举例来加深印象。延伸举例——也叫解释、叙述或轶事——更长更详尽。假设举例描述的是想象的情景,能够很好地把想法传达给观众。这三种不同的例子都有助于演讲者清晰地表达观点,强调观点并使之打上演讲者的烙印。当然,要想演讲效果更好,演讲本身必须生动且结构丰富!

Statistics can be extremely helpful in conveying your message, [as long as you use them sparingly and explain them so they are meaningful to your audience.] Above all, you should understand your statistics and use them fairly. Numbers can easily be manipulated and distorted. Make sure {that your figures are representative of {what they claim to measure},that you use statistical measures correctly, and that you take statistics only from reliable sources.}

统计资料非常有助于演讲者传递信息,因为当演讲者适量地运用这些资料并加以解释时,听众就能更好地理解其中的意义。最重要的是,演讲者必须理解这些统

计资料并恰当使用。数字很容易被篡改、误报,因此必须确保自己所使用的数据不是张冠李戴的;必须确保自己使用的统计措施是正确的;必须确保自己的统计资料来源是可靠的。

Testimony is especially helpful for student speakers, because they are seldom recognized as expects on their speech topics. Citing the views of people( who are experts) is a good way to make your ideas more credible. When you include testimony in a speech, you can either quote someone verbatim or paraphrase their words. As with statistics, there are guidelines for using sure to quote or paraphrase accurately and to cite qualified unbiased sources. If the source is not generally known to your audience, be certain to establish his or her credentials.

引用他人观点看法对学生演讲者来说尤其有用,因为学生很少会被视为他们演讲相关主题方面的专家。引用专家的观点可以让你的想法更可信。引用的时候,既可以逐字摘抄也可以自己总结一下。和统计资料一样,引用也有原则可循——引用摘抄准确,来源合格无偏见。如果观众对引用来源不太熟悉,一定要(想办法)取得他们的信任。

The impact of a speech is strongly affected by how the speech is delivered. You cannot make a speech without having something to say. But having something to say is not must also know how to say delivery does not call attention to conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly, interestingly, and [without distracting the audience].

演讲的效果如何很大程度上取决于演讲是怎么做的。无话可说做不好演讲,但要做好演讲,仅仅有话可说也是远远不够的,还要知道如何说话才行。好的演讲不是要唤起观众对演讲本身的注意,而是要向观众清晰有趣地传递演讲者的想法,同时还要有观众聚精会神地聆听。

There are four basic methods of delivering a speech: reading verbatim from a manuscript, reciting a memorized text, speaking with PowerPoint, and speaking extemporaneously, or impromptu. The last of these—speaking extemporaneously—is the method (you probably will use for classroom speeches and for most speeches outside the classroom). When speaking extemporaneously, you will have only a brief set of notes or a speaking outline. Speaking with PowerPoint is widely used now and very effective indeed.

演讲有四种最基本的方法:照本宣科式;背诵式;ppt辅助演讲式和即兴演讲式。最后一项即兴演讲是我们在课堂演讲和大部分课外演讲中都要用到的方法.即兴演讲时,我们手上只有简单的笔记或演讲提纲。现在,用ppt辅助演讲十分普遍,效果显著。

Certainly there are other factors you should consider, such as personal appearance, bodily action, gestures, eye contact, volume, pauses and so on. By paying enough attention to what is mentioned above, you may present an effective speech.

当然还要考虑其他因素——譬如演讲者的个人形象,肢体语言,眼神交流,声音的抑扬顿挫等等。尽量注意上述问题,演讲就会成功!

Do Traffic Tickets Save Lives

交通罚单能救命吗

Pity the poor traffic cop. He's the last guy you want to see in your rear-view mirror when you're speeding down the highway. Why isn't he out looking for murderers instead of nailing drivers for minor infractions of the law

哎,这可怜的交警。他是你在高速公路上疾驰时最不愿意在后视镜里看见的人。他为什么不去抓那些杀人犯,却在这儿为了一点儿芝麻大的交通违规对司机们穷追不舍

Well, according to a major research project by scientists in Canada and California, that cop just might be saving your life. Or the life of someone else.

然而,根据加拿大和加利福尼亚科学家们的一项重要研究,那位警察也许恰恰是在救你的命,或者救別的什么人的命。

The researchers have found that a traffic ticket reduces a driver's chance of being involved in a fatal accident by a whopping 35 percent, at least for a few weeks. The effect doesn't last long, however. Within three to four months, the lead foot is back on the pedal and the risk of killing yourself or someone else is back up to where it was before that cop stared you in the eye and wrote out that expensive citation.

研究者们发现一张交通罚单能让司机至少在几周内遭遇重大车祸的概率降低35%。似是这个作用不会持续很长。三四个月后,那只脚又会回到油门儿上去,置自己或別人于死地的危险率又和警察瞪着你开出巨额罚单前一样高了。

The bottom line, according to the research, published in the June 28 issue

of The Lancet, is that traffic tickets save lives. Maybe thousands of lives, every year. Yet traffic laws are enforced sporadically, almost as if by whim, partly because people just don't like traffic cops, and there are lots of other things for the government to spend money on than enforcing highway safety laws.

根据6月28日发表在《柳叶刀》上的研究,最根本的一点就是交通罚单能救命,它很可能每年能救成千上万条命。然而交通法规只是零星地被实施,就像心血来潮似的,部分原因是人们不喜欢罚单,而且除了实施髙速公路安全法,政府部门还有很多其他地方要花钱。

The Grim Statistics

That attitude needs to be changed, according to Donald A. Redelmeier of the University of Toronto and Robert J. Tibshirani of Stanford University. Both men are medical researchers, and this isn't the first time they've taken a hard look at highway safety. Their 1998 study caused a stir when they linked cell phone usage to traffic accidents. Now they're back, saying traffic tickets are good for our health.

多伦多大学的热德尔美尔和斯坦福大学的提波施拉尼认为这种态度需要改变。他们俩都是医学研究者,这已不是他们第一次盯着高速公路安全问题了。他们俩1998年的研究引起了轰动,当时他们认为打手机与交通事故有关联。现在他们

又来了,说交通罚单对我们的健康有好处。

They were prodded into this project by some very grim statistics. Each year, more than a million persons die in traffic accidents worldwide. If that many people died of SARS in a year, the public response would probably border on hysteria, but we have come to accept traffic fatalities as a way of life.

他们之所以参与这个项目是受到一些残酷无情的统计数据的驱使。每年,全世界

有100多万人死于交通事故。如果一年内那么多人死于非典的话,大家很可能会恐惧得发疯了,然而我们对交通亊故死亡率却习以为常了。

In addition, another 25 million people around the world are permanently disabled by traffic accidents, and many of them — as well as the fatalities — are children.

另外,还有2 500万人因交通事故永远残废了,而且他们当中(包括死去的)很多是孩子。

Taking It Easy After a Ticket接到罚中处之泰然

When Redelmeier and Tibshirani and fellow researcher Leonard Evans set out to see if traffic tickets really do any good, they found an enormous resource in the Canadian province of Ontario. The full driving record of every licensed driver there was made available to them, warts and all, giving the researchers a huge data base of more than 10 million licensed drivers, 8,975 of whom were involved in a fatal accident during the 11-year period covered by the research, from 1988 through 1998.

当热德尔美尔、提波施拉尼和他们的共同研究人员伦纳德?伊凡斯研究交通罚单是否真能起到好作用时,他们在加拿大的安大略省发现了数量巨大的司机资料。他们在那儿能看到每个有驾照的人的全部记录,这样他们就有了一个良莠俱存的超过一千万个持照司机的巨大数据库。其中8 975个司机在此项研究覆盖的1988-1998共11年中曾出过重大交通事故

"We looked at the month prior to a fatal accident, and the number of traffic convictions, and then the same month in the year before," says Tibshirani, a statistician. "What we found was that there were fewer tickets in the month before a fatal accident than there were a year before, and that suggests there's a protective effect of having a ticket."

统计学家提波施拉尼说:“我们看了一下出重大事故前一个月的交通罚单数和前一年同一个月的罚单数,发现出重大事故前一个月的罚单要比前一年同一个月的罚单少,这说明罚单有保护作用。”

In other words, when the number of citations went down, the number of fatal accidents went up the following month, and when the number of tickets went up, the number of fatal accidents dropped the following month. The analysis shows that fatal accidents declined by 35 percent because of citations.

换言之,当罚单数下降时,重大事故率在接下来这个月就会上升;而当罚单数上升时,重大事故率在接下来这个月就会下降。分析表明罚单能使重大事故率下降35%。

Apparently, people just drove more cautiously following a traffic citation, but that only lasted a maximum of four months, the researchers say. After that brief respite, it was back to business as usual for most motorists.

显然,人们在拿到交通罚单后开车会更谨慎,但这种谨慎最长只会持续4个月。对多数司机来说,经过这短暂的歇息,一切又都恢复到从前了。

Citations’ Effects Consistent罚单的持续作用

The scientists also turned up some surprising results.

"Most of the crashes did not involve alcohol and were not at an intersection," they report in their research paper. Most occurred during the summer months when the streets were dry (65 percent) rather than wet (18 percent) or covered with snow (17 percent).

科学家们还出示了一些令人吃惊的研究结果。“多数撞车不是因为酒后驾车,也

不是发生在十字路口,”他们在研究报告中这样报道。多数事故发生在夏季,当时的道路干燥(65%)而不湿滑(18%),也没有雪覆盖(17%)。

They also found that the "relative risk reduction associated with traffic convictions was remarkably consistent among subgroups of licensed drivers," so the same results apply to women as well as men, regardless of age, prior driving record, and other personal data.

他们还发现“在有驾照的那组司机中拿到罚单后的事故减少率的持续性是显著的",因此同样的结论适用于妇女和男人,而与年龄因素、以前的驾驶记录和其他个人资料无关。

Men, however, were involved in far more fatal accidents than women (73 percent to 27 percent) and the most accident-prone age was between 30 and 50. Alcohol was detected in only 7 percent of the accidents.

但是,男人要比女人更容易出严重交通亊故(73%比27%),而且最容易出事故的年龄是在30-50岁之间。酒后驾车只占事故的7%。

The researchers also addressed the commonly held belief that traffic citations cause more accidents than they prevent because so many people are killed during police chases. They found that only 24 deaths could be linked to writing citations during the 11-year period. That included 17 suspects, five bystanders and two police officers.

"The typical suspect who died was a 26-year-old man pursued by police after fleeing a spot check for alcohol or a speeding violation," they report. The two police officers were killed in separate events when they were hit by a car while writing a ticket for another motorist.

研究者们还澄清了一种普遍的想法:交通罚单引起的交通事故比防止的多,因为很多人是在警察追他们时丧生的。他们发现在过去的11年中只有24起死亡事故

和罚单有关,这包括17个被追的司机、5个路人和2位警察。“最典型的一例是一个26岁的男子,因想逃避酒精和超速违规的现场检查而被警察穷追不舍,”他们报告说。有2位警察死于与这互不相关的事件中,当时他们正在给另一个摩托车驾驶员开罚单。

Who Really Pays

到底谁付出代价

The researchers admit there are a few gaps in their findings. The statistics do not include Ontario drivers who may have been involved in a fatal accident somewhere outside that province. Nor can they say that every traffic ticket leads to a reduction in accidents. But the statistics suggest a correlation between the number of citations and the number of fatalities.

研究者们承认在他们的研究中有一些漏洞。统计数字不包括有可能在省外某地出严重交通事故的安大略省司机。他们也不能说每张交通罚单都能降低事故率。但是数据显示交通罚单的数量和死亡率之间呈相关性。

They also point out that the innocent are often made to pay the price for careless drivers.

他们还指出为粗心大意的司机付出代价的经常是那些无辜受害者。

"Unlike other common diseases, the victims are often young and need significant subsequent care for decades. Most crashes are unintended, unexpected, and could have been prevented by a small difference in driver behavior."

“和其他常见病不一样,受害人通常很年轻,需要以后几十年连续不断的照顾。大多数事故是无意的,意料之外的,只要司机在驾驶上稍有不同就能避免。”

So the next time you see that cop in your rear-view mirror, give him, or her, a broad smile.

因此下次你要是在后视镜里看见那位警察,一定要对他/她热情微笑。

Yeah, right.

His Politeness Is Her Powerlessness

Deborah Tannen There are many different kinds of evidence that women and men are judged differently even if they talk the same way. This tendency makes mischief in discussions of women, men and power. If a linguistic strategy is used by a woman, it is seen as powerless; if it is used by a man, it is seen as powerful. Often, the labeling of “women’s language” as “powerless language” reflects the view of women’s behavior through the lens of men’s.

各种各样的证据表明:即使女性和男性说话方式相同,人们对他们的看法还是不同。这种倾向导致有关女性、男性和无能耐的讨论纷争不断。女性说话讲究方式方法被认为是低微无能,而换成男性则被认为是有能力的表现。视女性的语言为低微无能者的语言常常反映出男性看女性行为的视觉角度。

Because they are not struggling to be one-up, women often find themselves framed as one-down. Any situation is ripe for misinterpretation. This ambiguity accounts for much misinterpretation by experts as well as nonexperts, by which women’s ways of thinking, uttered in a spirit of rapport, are branded powerless. Nowhere is this inherent ambiguity clearer than in a brief comment in a newspaper article in which a couple, both psychologists, were jointly interviewed. The journalist asked them the meaning of “being very polite.” The two experts responded simultaneously, giving different answers. The man said, “Subservience.”The woman said, “Sensitivity.”Both experts were right, but each was describing the view of a different gender.

女性不为高人一等而拼搏,往往就被认为是低人一等。在任何情况下都极容易发生误会。这也说明了为什么专家和非专家常常把女性以友善语言表述出来的

思维方式曲解成低微无能的表现。没有什么能比一家报社刊登的采访片段更能清楚地说明这种根深蒂固的歧义。采访对象是一对心理学家夫妇,当记者问他们“表现得非常有礼貌”的含义时,这两位专家同时给出不同的答案。男性回答说:“服从”。女性回答说:“敏感”。两位专家都是正确的,只不过每个人描述的是不同性别的观点。

Experts and nonexperts alike tend to see anything women do as evidence of powerlessness. The same newspaper article quotes another psychologist as saying, “A man might ask a woman, ‘Will you please go to the store’where a woman might say, ‘Gee, I really need a few things from the store, but I’m so tired.’” The woman’s style is called “covert,” a term suggesting negative qualities like being “sneaky” and “underhanded.”The reason offered for this is power. The woman doesn’t feel she has the right to ask directly.

专家和非专家都习惯把女性的任何行为看为低微无能的表现。以上同一篇报刊文章援引另一位心理学家的话说:“一个男人会这样问一个女人:‘请你去一趟商店好吗’同样的情况下女人会说:‘哎,我真的需要从商店买点东西,但是我实在太累了。’”女性的这种表达方式被称为“隐蔽的”,该词含有“鬼祟”和“秘密”等贬义,而这样表达的原因归咎于一个“权”字,女人觉得她没有权利直接提出要求。

Granted, women have lower status than men in our American society. But this is not necessarily why they prefer not to make outright demands. The explanation for a woman’s indirectness could just as well be her seeking connection. If you get your way as a result of having demanded it, the payoff is satisfying in terms of status: You’re one-up because others are doing as you told them. But if you get your way because others happened

to want the same thing, or because they offered freely, the payoff is rapport. You’re neither one-up nor one-down by being happily connected to others whose wants are the same as yours. Furthermore, if indirectness is understood by both parties, then there is nothing covert about it: That a request is being made is clear. Calling an indirect communication covert reflects the view of someone for whom the direct style seems “natural”and “logical”- a view more common among men.

的确,在我们(美国)社会里,女性的地位比男性低,但这不等于说她们不愿意提出直截了当的要求。女性的这种间接方式很可能是因为她们在努力寻找某种关系。如果愿意在自己的要求下得到满足,结果就是社会地位的胜利:你高人一等,因为别人按你的意志行事。而如果你的愿望得到满足是因为他人的愿望恰好和你的一致,或者是因为对方心甘情愿,结果就是融洽和谐。当你和对方的需求一致而一拍即合时,你既不高人一等,也不低人一等。而且如果双方都了解这种间接方式,那就不存在什么隐蔽:提出的要求很明确。称间接的沟通方式为隐蔽反映出那些青睐直接沟通方式的人的观点,即直接的方式才是“自然的”、“合乎逻辑的”,这种观点在男性中更普遍。

Indirectness itself does not reflect powerlessness. It’s easy to think of situations where indirectness is the prerogative of others in power. For example, a wealthy couple who knows that their servants will do their bidding need not give direct orders, but simply state wishes: The woman of the house says, “It’s chilly in here,” and the servant sets about raising the temperature. The man of the house says, “It’s dinner time,”and the servant sees about having dinner served. Perhaps the ultimate indirectness is getting someone to do something without saying anything at all: The hostess rings a bell and a maid brings the next course;or a parent enters the room where children are misbehaving and stands with

hands on hips, and the children immediately stop what they’re doing.

间接方式本身并不反映低微无能。我们不难想象出权势者中有特权的人是怎样使用间接方式的。例如,一位有钱的夫妇用不着直接向听命于他们的用人发号施令,而只须简单地说明其愿望,房子的女主人说:“这儿冷,”用人就会去调高室温;房子的男主人说:“是晚饭的时间,”用人就会摆桌上菜。或许终极的间接是什么都不用说就能使某人做某事:女主人按一下铃,女仆端上下一道菜;家长走进有孩子正在嬉闹的房间,双手叉腰一站,他们就会戛然而止。

Entire cultures operate on elaborate systems of indirectness. For example, I discovered in a small research project that most Greeks assumed a wife who asked, “Would you like to go to the party” was hinting that she wanted to go. They felt that she wouldn’t bring it up if she didn’t want to go. Furthermore, they felt, she would not state here preference outright because that would sound like a demand. Indirectness was the appropriate means for communicating her preference.

所有文化都靠以“间接”二字所形成的复杂而精巧的体制去运作。例如,我在做一个小规模的研究项目时发现:当妻子问“你想去参加那个聚会吗”,大多数希腊人认为他们的妻子是在暗示她想去。他们认为如果妻子不想去,她就不会提出这个问题。而且他们觉得之所以不直截了当提出,是因为她不想使她的愿望听上去像是要求。间接是传达她的意愿的最好方式。

Japanese culture has developed indirectness to a fine art. For example, a Japanese anthropologist, Harumi Befu, explains the delicate exchange of tended the invitation, Befu first had to determine whether it was meant literally or just pro forma, much as an American might say, “We’ll have to have you over for dinner some time” but would not expect you to turn up at the door. Having decided the invitation was meant literally and

having accepted, Befu was then asked what he would like to eat. Following custom, he said anything would do, but his friend, also following custom, pressed him to specify. Host and guest repeated this exchange an appropriate number of times, until Befu deemed it polite to answer the question - politely - by saying tea over rice - as the last course of a sumptuous meal. Befu was not surprised by the feast because he knew that protocol required it. Had he been given what he asked for, he would have been insulted. But protocol also required that he make a great show of being surprised.

日本文化把间接沟通方式发展成为精美的艺术。例如,一位名叫别府春海的日本人类学家这样描述一次简单的午餐邀请所涉及的微妙的间接交流。当他的朋友发出邀请后,别府首先要弄清楚这个邀请是真正的邀请,还是仅仅出于客套,就像美国人说“哪天有空请你到我们家吃饭”而他并不期望你会出现在他的家门口一样。别府在确定邀请是真实的并且接受以后,对方就得问他想吃什么;按照习俗,他于是说吃什么都可以,而他的朋友也照例一定要他说的具体些,这样的交流在主人和客人之间适当重复了几次,直到别府觉得有礼貌地作出回答才是谦谦之举,于是说米饭和茶。当他就餐时,招待他的的确有米饭和茶—只不过这是一顿丰盛午餐的最后一个程序。别府对饭菜之丰盛并不感到惊讶,因为他知道按礼节就是这样。如果对方按照他的提议款待他,他就等于受到了侮辱,当然礼节也要求他做出受宠若惊的样子。

This account of mutual indirectness in a lunch invitation may strike Americans as excessive. But far more cultures in the world use elaborate systems of indirectness than value directness. Only modern Western societies place a priority on direct communication, and even for us it is more a value than a practice.

以上描述的有关午餐邀请时双方所进行的间接交流在美国人看来是过分了,

然而相比直接的沟通方式,世界上更多的文化崇尚细腻的间接沟通方式。唯有现代西方社会推崇直接沟通方式,而且即使对我们(美国人)来讲,这种方式更是一种价值观,而不是实践。

Evidence from other cultures also makes it clear that indirectness does not itself reflect low status. Rather, our assumptions about the status of women compel us to interpret anything they do as reflecting low status. Anthropologist Elinor Keenan, for example, found that in a

Malagasy-speaking village on the island of Madagascar, it is women who are direct and men who are indirect. And the villagers see the men’s indirect way of speaking, using metaphors and proverbs, as the better way. For them, indirectness, like the men who use it, has high status. They regard women’s direct style as clumsy and crude, debasing the beautiful subtlety of men’s language. Whether women or men are direct or indirect differs; what remains constant is that women’s style is negatively valuated - seen as lower in status than the men’s.

其他文化现象也清楚地表明间接本身并不能反映地位低下。在一定程度上,是我们对对女性地位的设定使我们把女性的所有行为解释成为地位低下的表现。例如,人类学家埃莉诺·基南发现在马达加斯加岛的一个说马达加斯加语的村落里,说话直截了当的是女性,拐弯抹角的是男性。而村民视男性使用隐喻和谚语的间接说话方式为更佳方式。在他们眼里,非直接方式和使用这种方式的男人一样享有崇高地位,而女性的直接风格被视为笨拙、粗鲁、有损男性语言的精深微妙之魅力。关于男性或女性谁直接谁间接在不同地域有不同情况,不变的是女性风格总遭人贬低,其地位被视为低于男性。

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