Paige: how's your time spent in the United States?
Kyle: well, pretty good.
P: I'm glad to hear that. What impressed you most?
K: well, the cultural differences impressed me most.
P: you mean we Chinese think differently from the Americans?
K: that's right, quite different. One day one of my American friend looked pale, so I asked him whether he was sick or not. But he was reluctant to answer my question.
P: what's weird.
K: and what's more, when he told me he had caught a cold for several days, I suggested him to go to the hospital as soon as possible.
P: you really cared about your friend.
K: sure I am. But he responded by saying'what do you mean?'.
P: I'm confused. Why did he say that?
K: I felt the same at first. Later he told me that I'd better not give him any suggestions when he was sick. Offering unsolicited help or advice is like showing sympathy to the weak or the poor. Back in China, helping others is always regarded being kind.
P: absolutely. Now I understand why he responded that way
你在美國待得怎么樣?
嗯,挺好的.
很高興你這么說.印象最深的是什么?
文化差異.
你是說我們中國人和美國人的思維方式不一樣?
對,很不一樣.有一天,我的一位朋友臉色蒼白,我問他是不是病了,可他根本不愿意回答我的問題.
這很奇怪啊.
還有更怪的呢,他告訴我他感冒已經(jīng)好幾天了,然后我建議他盡快去醫(yī)院.
你還挺關(guān)心你朋友的.
當(dāng)然了.可是他卻對我說:”你這話什么意思?”
我暈.你怎么那樣說話啊?
開始我和你的反應(yīng)一樣.后來他告訴我,他生病的時候,我最好不要給他提供任何建議.未經(jīng)請求而提供幫助或建議就好像是憐憫弱者或窮人一樣.可是在中國,幫助他人往往被認(rèn)為是善舉.
沒錯.現(xiàn)在我明白他為什么那樣說話了.
Impress: if a person or thing impresses you, you feel admiration for them or it 使欽佩;使敬仰;給…留下深刻的好印象 ~ sb (with sth/sb)
We interviewed a number of candidates but none of them impressed us.
我們和數(shù)名申請人進(jìn)行了面談,但都沒有給我們留下什么印象。 VN
She was suitably impressed(= as impressed as somebody had hoped)with the painting.
她一如所期望的對那幅油畫發(fā)生了興趣。
He impressed her with his sincerity.
他的真誠打動了她。
His sincerity impressed her.
他的真誠打動了她。
The Grand Canyon never fails to impress.
大峽谷永遠(yuǎn)讓人嘆為觀止。 V
It impressed me that she remembered my name.
令我佩服的是她記得我的名字。
Unsolicited: not asked for and sometimes not wanted 未經(jīng)要求的;自發(fā)的;自我推薦的 adjective
unsolicited comments/criticism/advice
主動作出的評論/批評/忠告
The record company receives dozens of unsolicited demo tapes each week.
唱片公司每周收到數(shù)十盤自我推薦的試唱磁帶。
Reluntant: hesitating before doing something because you do not want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do 不情愿的;勉強的
reluctant agreement/support
勉強同意/支持
She was reluctant to admit she was wrong.
她不愿承認(rèn)自己有錯。
He finally gave a reluctant smile.
他最后露出了一絲無可奈何的微笑。
a reluctant hero(= a person who does not want to be called a hero)
不情愿做英雄的英雄