評論
打印
Lesson 9 Culture
第九課 文化
June 18
6月18日
What Did I Say?
我說錯了什么？
Read it!
讀讀看！
Alex asked Carol's age.
亞力克斯問卡蘿幾歲。
That's a personal question and impolite in Western culture.
在西方文化里，這是個私人的問題，而且這么問是不禮貌的。
"Are you married?" and "How much is your salary?"
“你結婚了嗎？”以及“你的薪水多少？”
are other examples of personal questions.
也都屬于私人問題。
You also shouldn't say something about people's looks.
你也不該評論別人的外貌，
Don't say, "You look tired today."
“你今天看起來很累。”
That can make people embarrassed.
這么說可能會讓人覺得尷尬。
Conversation A
會話A
Susie, can I ask you a question?
蘇希，我可以問妳一個問題嗎？
Sure, Alex. What's up?
當然可以呀，亞力克斯，怎么了？
Am I rude?
我很粗魯沒禮貌嗎？
No!
不會啊！
Who said you were rude?
誰說你沒禮貌？
Carol did. Maybe I said something wrong.
卡蘿啊。也許我說錯了什么話。
Maybe. What were you talking about?
有可能。你們在談什么？
We were talking about her grandchildren.
我們在談她的孫子，
I asked her age.
于是我問了她幾歲。
Uh-oh. You never ask an older woman her age!
糟糕，你絕對不能向年紀較大的女士詢問年齡！
Why not?
為什么不行？
It's impolite in Western culture.
這樣在西方文化中是不禮貌的行為。
Conversation B
會話B
It's a personal question.
這是個私人問題。
Right. You shouldn't ask people personal questions.
沒錯，你不該問別人私人問題。
But I ask personal questions all the time in Taiwan.
可是我在臺灣經常問別人私人問題。
You do?
真的嗎？
Yes. It's just small talk.
是啊，只是閑聊而已。
For example, I can ask, "Are you married?"
“你結婚了嗎？”
You can't ask that in American culture! It's too personal.
你在美國文化里不能問這種話！這樣是太個人的問題了。
Oh, really? What about, "How much is your salary?"
真的嗎？那么“你的薪水多少？”這個問題呢？
Don't ask that, either.
這個問題也不要問，
That's also personal information.
這也屬于私人信息。
Conversation C
會話C
Can I say something about people's looks?
我可以評論別人的外貌嗎？
Maybe, maybe not. For example?
也許可以，也許不可以。舉個例子？
Can I say, "You look tired today"?
我可不可以說：“你今天看起來很累？”
You can, if you know the person well.
如果你和對方很熟就可以。
But I shouldn't say that to Carol.
可是我不該對卡蘿這么說。
No. That's not a good idea.
不行，這樣不好。
Why not?
為什么？
Because she will be embarrassed.
因為這樣她會覺得尷尬，
No one wants to look tired.
沒有人會想要看起來很累的模樣。
But I am concerned. I want to show that.
可是我想表達的是我擔心她。
