禮節(jié)美語(yǔ)lesson 122 Faux Pas 1

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中國(guó)雇員Cathy憂心忡忡地去找美國(guó)同事Mark請(qǐng)教。

Kathy: Hey Mark...do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?

Mark: No problem, I've got time.

K: Great! Well, I'm going to Seattle for half a year. I'm attending a course at a university and I'll be doing some research as well.

Mark: Sounds like fun!

K: Yes. But I'm really worried that I don't understand American culture well enough. You know how here in China we have lots of little things that are considered impolite...what if I do something wrong in America? I'd be so embarrassed if that happened!

原來(lái)，Kathy要去西雅圖進(jìn)修半年，但是擔(dān)心自己對(duì)美國(guó)文化和風(fēng)土人情了解不夠，會(huì)在小事情上鬧笑話，讓自己難堪，embarrassed。

Mark: Ah, I see! Actually, we have a great word in English that describes making a cultural mistake...it's called a "faux pas" and it's actually originally a French term.

K: So I should say I want to avoid any cultural "faux pas?"

Mark: That's correct. You know, actually you shouldn't worry too much. America is a pretty relaxed country, but there are a couple things you should be aware of.

K: Oh? Such as?

Mark說(shuō)，這種文化上的失誤叫faux pas。 Faux pas是從法語(yǔ)來(lái)的。前面可以用動(dòng)詞avoid避免或是commit犯下。Mark安慰Cathy說(shuō)，美國(guó)是一個(gè)很隨便的國(guó)家，American is a pretty relaxed country. 不過(guò)還是有些地方需要注意。Such as? 比如說(shuō)呢？

Mark: Americans - and western people in general - can be very sensitive about smells.

K: Oh...so I should be careful after eating spicy foods, right?

Mark: Yep. Things like garlic or various Chinese dishes can have a strong smell. It's best to chew gum or use a breath freshener.

K: That's a good thing to remember. How about when I visit a friend's home? What should I bring?

Mark說(shuō)，西方人對(duì)氣味非常敏感，中國(guó)人喜歡吃的大蒜等食物，都會(huì)留下十分濃重的味道，It's best to chew gum or use a breath freshener. 所以最好嚼嚼口香糖，設(shè)法去去嘴里的味兒。去朋友家作客，帶點(diǎn)兒什么呢？

Mark: If you and your guest drink alcohol, it's always nice to bring a bottle of wine. If wine is a problem, you could try fruit or some kind of desert.

K: But should it be an expensive gift?

Mark: No, the price is not so important. Just bring something to show you care about your hosts and are grateful for their invitation.

如果賓主雙方都喝酒的話，帶瓶葡萄酒絕對(duì)沒(méi)錯(cuò)，否則的話，可以考慮帶點(diǎn)水果或是甜點(diǎn)。禮物不一定要非常貴重，能夠表達(dá)對(duì)主人的關(guān)心和對(duì)邀請(qǐng)的感激就可以了。