零距離美語(yǔ)會(huì)話[文化風(fēng)俗差異]Lesson 6

所屬教程:零距離美語(yǔ)會(huì)話

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Six A shouting match?
一場(chǎng)爭(zhēng)吵比賽？

1 Introduction
A American humor often confuses the Chinese. The American sense of the comedic is quite different from the Chinese. When Americans tell a joke to the Chinese, the looks of puzzlement are simply golden. Likewise Chinese humor is just as great a mystery to Americans.
美國(guó)人的幽默經(jīng)常使中國(guó)人很困惑。美國(guó)人的笑話與中國(guó)人的很不一樣。美國(guó)人向中國(guó)人講笑話時(shí)，那種迷惑的表情真是堪稱一絕。同樣地，中國(guó)人的幽默對(duì)于美國(guó)人來(lái)說(shuō)，也是神秘得不得了。

B Americans have this expression: “It’s good to have a sense of humor about life.” This generally means it is helpful to refrain from anger or despair when your situation is difficult.
美國(guó)人有這樣一句話，“對(duì)生活有幽默感還是好的。”這大致就是說(shuō)，當(dāng)你的處境出現(xiàn)困難時(shí)，它可以幫助你克制住憤怒、絕望。

2    Sample Sentences
1.    I try to maintain a robust sense of humor.
      我盡量保持十足的幽默感。
2.    They always try to make fun of me.
    他們老是開(kāi)我的玩笑。
3.    We like to joke about such things.
      我們喜歡說(shuō)一些這樣的笑話。
4.    You will be so popular here in America, because you are so much MORE beautiful than the girls I see here. No kidding!
      你在美國(guó)會(huì)很受歡迎的，因?yàn)槟惚任以谶@里看到的女孩都漂亮多了。是真的！
5.    He is not a good-looking guy, but he’s very funny.
      他長(zhǎng)相并不好看，但是他很滑稽。
6.    He is very humorous. He always makes me laugh.
他很幽默。他老是惹我笑。
7.    The situations I have encountered certainly defy my imagination, and deserve a good laugh.
我所遇到的情形與我想象中的完全不一樣，值得哈哈大笑一番。
8.    I don’t see the humor in it.
我不覺(jué)得這好笑。
9.    You know Tina is kind of slow; she didn’t get it at first.
      你知道蒂娜的反應(yīng)有點(diǎn)慢，她起先沒(méi)有明白過(guò)來(lái)。
10.   Oh, my gosh！ It’s unbelievable.
      噢，天啦! 簡(jiǎn)直無(wú)法相信。

3 Conversations
1. A Chinese woman, Helen, is chatting at her home with her American single friend, Sam, who just answered his mobile phone.
Helen: Do you have to leave soon?
Sam: No. Actually I can stay longer. Dave (his boss) called to say that there is a beautiful Chinese girl who’s going to pick me up at the school gate tonight at 10:30 instead of 8:30.
Helen: Oh, that’s better. So you don’t have to rush.
Sam: Yeah. You know what Dave just said?
Helen: What?
Sam: He said I should put on something very nice, because this girl will be my next target1.
Helen: (smiling) He knows you very well.
Sam: He always makes fun of me. He always says things like that. You know the new coming teacher, a Chinese Canadian. He said she would really be my chance.
Helen: I’m sure you have chances everywhere. You’re handsome, talkative2, and got a sense of humor. You must be very popular.
Sam: No, you’re kidding. I’m not taking it seriously.
【譯文】
——你很快就要走嗎？
——不。實(shí)際上我還可以呆久一點(diǎn)。戴夫(他的老板)打電話來(lái)說(shuō)今晚有個(gè)漂亮的女孩會(huì)在學(xué)校門口接我，八點(diǎn)半改成了十點(diǎn)半。
——噢，那更好。這樣你就不必急急忙忙了。
——是啊。你知道剛才戴夫說(shuō)什么了嗎？
——什么？
——他說(shuō)我應(yīng)該穿好看一點(diǎn)，因?yàn)檫@個(gè)女孩將會(huì)是我的下一個(gè)目標(biāo)。
——(微笑) 他真了解你。
——他老是開(kāi)我的玩笑。他老是說(shuō)些那樣的話。你知道這位新來(lái)的老師，一個(gè)中國(guó)的加拿大人。他說(shuō)她將會(huì)是我真正的機(jī)會(huì)。
——我敢肯定你的機(jī)會(huì)到處都有。你很帥，又健談，而且還有幽默感。你一定很受歡迎。
——沒(méi)有，你在說(shuō)笑。我不會(huì)當(dāng)真啦。

2. Joseph, an American guy, came to Guangzhou recently. He is talking to his Chinese friend about his experience here.
Julia: You have been here for how long? Four months now?
Joseph: Yeah, about.
Julia: Do you know Chinese better now?
Joseph: Oh, definitely. I remember, when I first arrived in Guangzhou, my girlfriend was haggling3 with a sales clerk over the price of a mobile phone.
Julia: Oh, yeah. Many Chinese like to bargain. It happens almost everywhere.
Joseph: I mean, I understand that. But the speed of the conversation got faster and faster, until it seemed to me that they would fight. My perception4 of the tone was that it was a violent shouting match5. The truth was that it was a perfectly normal conversation.
Julia: (laughing) A shouting match? You’re so funny. You must be exaggerating6. I don’t believe it.
Joseph: I am not exaggerating at all. I’m telling you the truth. That was how I felt at that time.
Julia: Yes, perhaps. Chinese usually don’t notice that sort of thing. Maybe it’s quite natural7 to us.
Joseph: Yes, absolutely true.
【譯文】
——你來(lái)中國(guó)多久了？到現(xiàn)在四個(gè)月？
——是，大概是這樣。
——你現(xiàn)在對(duì)中國(guó)人了解多一些了吧？
——噢，那當(dāng)然。我記得，當(dāng)我初到廣州時(shí)，我的女朋友在買手提電話時(shí)跟營(yíng)業(yè)員正在討價(jià)還價(jià)。
——噢，是啊。很多中國(guó)人喜歡討價(jià)還價(jià)。這幾乎隨處可見(jiàn)。
——我知道是那樣。但是談話的語(yǔ)速越來(lái)越快，直到我看來(lái)他們會(huì)打架。他們的音調(diào)讓我覺(jué)得那是一場(chǎng)猛烈的爭(zhēng)吵比賽。實(shí)情是，那是一個(gè)很平常的談話。
——（笑）一場(chǎng)爭(zhēng)吵比賽？你還真滑稽。你一定在夸張。我不信。
——我一點(diǎn)都不夸張。我是在說(shuō)真的。當(dāng)時(shí)我真是這么覺(jué)得。
——是，有可能。中國(guó)人通常不會(huì)注意到這種事。也許我們都習(xí)以為常了。
——對(duì)，一點(diǎn)都沒(méi)錯(cuò)。

3. Justin is a tall American guy working in China. Right now he’s talking to his Chinese colleague about the city bus.
Lynne: Do you take a bus to and from8 work?
Justin: Yeah, everyday. And there’s only one choice. All the other buses are going the other direction.
Lynne: Hmm. I have the same problem. When I leave work, it’s always rush hour9. So the buses are always crowded.
Justin: Oh, yeah, it’s terrible. I will tell you the funniest thing I have seen in China. It’s when so many people try to get onto one city bus, and the last guy is squeezed in10 so tight that the door is tightly pressed against his butt11.
Lynne: That sounds terrible the way you describe it. But you know, not long ago I really suffered on the bus.
Justin: What happened? Were you having a hard time getting on a bus?
Lynne: You just can’t imagine! I waited for the first bus but it was too full, so I waited for the second, and it was still very crowded. Then I decided not to wait for the next one, and got on the second bus. It was so full that I had to stand on one foot! No kidding!
Justin: Hmm. Good exercise, uh?
Lynne: Yeah, absolutely!
Justin: And it’s so much fun. One day, the bodies were so tightly packed that some girl’s behind was pressed against my front. I was afraid to put my hands down for fear of12 accidentally groping13 her.
Lynne: You were so happy, weren’t you?
Justin: What do you think? I’m a good boy.

【譯文】
——你乘公車上下班嗎？
——是啊，每天都這樣。而且還只有一個(gè)選擇。其它所有的車都去另外一個(gè)方向。
——嗯。我的車也是這樣。當(dāng)我一下班，就總是交通擁擠高峰期。所以汽車?yán)鲜菗頂D不堪。
——噢，是很糟糕。我來(lái)告訴你我在中國(guó)見(jiàn)過(guò)的最好笑的事是，當(dāng)這么多人拼命擠上公共汽車時(shí)，最后一個(gè)男的被擠得如此之緊，以致他的屁股被門緊緊地壓著。
——你描述的這種方式真令人無(wú)法忍受。但是你知道嗎，不久前我真是在車上受苦。
——怎么啦？你上車很擠嗎？
——你簡(jiǎn)直想不到。我等著第一輛車來(lái)，但是太滿了，所以我就等第二輛，可是車上還是很擠。后來(lái)我決定不再等下一趟了，就上了第二輛車?？绍囎訑D得我只能用一個(gè)腳站著！一點(diǎn)都不開(kāi)玩笑！
——嗯。很好的鍛煉，是不是？
——是啊，絕對(duì)地！
——還很好玩呢。一天，這些軀體被擠得如此之緊，一個(gè)女孩的背都被緊緊擠到我跟前。我不敢把手放下，因?yàn)榕屡既粊y摸到她。
——你很高興，對(duì)不對(duì)？
——你會(huì)怎么認(rèn)為？我是個(gè)好男人。

4. An American guy is having lunch with two Chinese women.
Robert: You know, I don’t quite understand the Chinese criterion14 of beauty. I mean, I asked some Chinese guys who had seen my girlfriend. I asked them, “Isn’t she beautiful?” They were looking at me with eyes wide open, like …and they even wondered how in the world I could ever have fallen in love with her!
Amy: I understand. I’ve heard quite a few people say that most Chinese women that foreigners have chosen are not pretty at all. I know I’m one of those that they were describing. I’m surely not beautiful.
Kitty: Oh, come on, although you married a foreigner, you’re not that bad!
Robert: I mean I think my girlfriend is very pretty and cute. She has these red cheeks, and her silk hair has been evenly15 cut. Very pretty, very charming16.
Kitty: (laughing) Chinese don’t notice that sort of thing at all. Amy, what is that saying17?
Amy: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder18.
Kitty: Yeah, that’s right. Magic love.
【譯文】
——你知道嗎，我真不明白中國(guó)人的審美標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。我是說(shuō)，我問(wèn)過(guò)幾個(gè)看到過(guò)我女朋友的中國(guó)男人。我問(wèn)他們，“她難道不漂亮嗎？”他們看著我，眼睛睜得圓圓的，像……而且他們還想知道我怎么會(huì)竟然愛(ài)上了她！
——我明白。我已聽(tīng)好幾個(gè)人說(shuō)過(guò)大部分外國(guó)人選擇的中國(guó)女人一點(diǎn)都不漂亮。我知道我就是他們所說(shuō)的其中之一。我是無(wú)疑不漂亮的。
——哦，別這樣，盡管你嫁給了個(gè)老外，你還沒(méi)那么丑！
——我是說(shuō)我認(rèn)為我的女朋友很漂亮，而且很可愛(ài)。她有紅撲撲的臉頰，而且她那很有光澤的頭發(fā)還被剪得齊齊的。很漂亮，很迷人。
——（笑）中國(guó)人不會(huì)注意到這樣的事。艾米，那句話是怎么說(shuō)的？
——情人眼里出西施。
——對(duì)，沒(méi)錯(cuò)。愛(ài)的魔力。

4 Words and Expressions
1. target 靶子;攻擊的目標(biāo)
2. talkative 喜歡說(shuō)話的,健談的
3. haggle (在價(jià)格方面)爭(zhēng)論不休
4. perception 感知,感覺(jué);察覺(jué)
5. shouting match 大聲嚷嚷的爭(zhēng)吵
6. exaggerate 夸張,使增大
7. natural 不做作的，自然的
8. to and from來(lái)回地;往返地
9. rush hour (上下班時(shí))高鋒時(shí)間
10. squeeze in 榨出,擠出
11. butt 屁股
12. for fear of 因恐
13. grope暗中摸，撫摸...的身體
14. criterion 標(biāo)準(zhǔn),準(zhǔn)則,尺度
15. evenly 平等地;均勻地
16. charming 迷人的;有魅力的
17. saying 格言,警句,諺語(yǔ)
18. beholder 觀看者;旁觀者