Listening U7B2.docx
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Listening U7B2.docx
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ListeningU7B2
TalkingAboutChineseTaboos
Ellen:
(ShetalkstoWang&Zhang.)Youknow,RobertandIaregoingtoChinathisfallandwe'llstaythereforatleastsixmonths.Youknow,everyculturehasitstaboos...
Wang:
Yeah,that'sright.
Ellen:
...andwe'dliketolearnsomethingaboutChinesetaboossowewon'tmakestupidmistakesoroffendpeople.
Wang:
Ah,yes,inChinatherearelotsoftaboosandIthinkit'susefultoknowsomeofthem.Forinstance,certainthingsarenevergivenaspresents.
Robert:
Yes,yes,thatwouldbeveryimportanttoknow.We'vebeenrackingourbrainsinchoosinggiftsforourChinesefriends.Sofar,we'veboughtsomeniceplates,clocksandgiftwatches...
Zhang:
Hangon!
Didyousayclocks?
Robert:
Yes,what'swrong?
I'veboughtsomeornamentalclocks,reallylovelyones.Theymakewonderfulgifts.I'msureourChinesefriendswilllikethem.
Wang:
No,no,no,no,youshouldnevergivethemaspresents,especiallytoolderChinese.
Ellen:
(Shelookspuzzled.)Whynot?
Wang:
Oh,youknow,clockshaveafuneralconnotation.
Ellen&Robert:
(Theylookevenmorepuzzled.)Ah...(withtheirmouthswideopen)
Zhang:
Well,itmaysoundstrange,evenabsurdtoyou,butinChinait'sindeedthecase.Ithassomethingtodowiththepronunciation.Thewordfor“clock”hasthesamepronunciationastheChineseword“zhong”,meaning“theendofone'slife”.
Wang:
Yeah,andsimilarly,alwaysavoidthenumber“four”becausethepronunciationoftheword“four”is“si”,thesameasthewordfordeath.
Robert:
Howinteresting!
Arethereanyothertabooswhicharepronunciation-related?
Wang:
Erm...yes,ifyou'reinvitedtoaChinesehomeontheeveoftheSpringFestival,thereisonedishyoushouldnotentirelyfinisheating.Thatisfish.
Ellen:
Butisn'tittruethatthehostishappytoseethedishesallfinished,whichmeansthattheguestsenjoythedisheshefixes?
Besides,unlikeotherdishes,fishisbettereatenwhenit'sfresh.Right?
Zhang:
Yes,exactly,butonthatparticularoccasion,you'dbetterbecareful.Youknow,thepronunciationofthewordfor“fish”is“yu”,andChinesewouldliketosay“niannianyouyu”,meaning“onemustleavesomethingforthenextyear”,indicatinggoodluckforthecomingyear.
Ellen:
It'ssointeresting!
CanyoutellusmoreaboutChinesetaboos?
Wang:
Erm...letmesee.Oh,yes,ifyoupayavisittoaChinesefamilyandyouwanttobringsomeflowers,youshouldneverbringchrysanthemumswhichareasymbolofdeath.
Robert:
Allright.Pleasetellusmore.
Wang:
Ah,yes,ifyou'reinvitedtoaChinesehomefordinner,don'tarriveexactlyontimebecausethehostsmaythinkyou'veonlycomeforthedinneralone.
Robert:
Whenshouldwearrivethen?
Wang:
Severalminutesearly.
Robert:
Isee.
Zhang:
Ah,thereisonemorethingIwanttoremindyouof.Youshouldnotunwrapapresentinfrontofthepersonwhogivesittoyou.
Ellen:
Butthat'swhatwedoathome,sowecanshowourgratitudeandappreciationrightaway.
Zhang:
Yes,it'saculturaldifferenceandthat'swhyImentionit.
Ellen:
Wow,Chinareallyisafascinatingcountry.Thankssomuchforyouradvice;otherwisewemight'vemadesomemistakesandspoilourvisittoyourcountry.
Robert:
Yes,indeed.We'llkeepthosetaboosinmindsothatwewillenjoyourstaymore.Thanksagain.
Wang&Zhang:
You'rewelcome!
1.sowewon'tmakestupidmistakesoroffendpeople.
2.Youshouldnevergivethemaspresents,especiallytoolderChinese.Clockshaveafuneralconnotation.Ithassomethingtodowiththepronunciation.Thewordfor“clock”hasthesamepronunciationastheChineseword“zhong”,meaning“theendofone'slife”.
3.Alwaysavoidthenumber“four”becausethepronunciationoftheword“four”is“si”,thesameasthewordfordeath.
4.Ifyou'reinvitedtoaChinesehomeontheeveoftheSpringFestival,thereisonedishyoushouldnotentirelyfinisheating.Thatisfish.
Thepronunciationofthewordfor“fish”is“yu”,andChinesewouldliketosay“niannianyouyu”,meaning“onemustleavesomethingforthenextyear”,indicatinggoodluckforthecomingyear.
5.IfyoupayavisittoaChinesefamilyandyouwanttobringsomeflowers,youshouldneverbringchrysanthemumswhichareasymbolofdeath.
6.Ifyou'reinvitedtoaChinesehomefordinner,don'tarriveexactlyontimebecausethehostsmaythinkyou'veonlycomeforthedinneralone.Severalminutesearly.
7.Youshouldnotunwrapapresentinfrontofthepersonwhogivesittoyou.
ListeningI
(TerryJoycetalksaboutherexperienceoflivingandworkinginEngland,whereshehasbeenforthepastelevenyears.)
Interviewer:
So,Terry.You'vebeeninEnglandforquitealongtimenow.
Terry:
Mmm.
Interviewer:
WhatdifferencesdoyounoticebetweenEnglandandtheUnitedStates?
Terry:
Obviouslythebiggestdifferenceisthepeople.TheaverageEnglishmanis...mmcoldandnotveryopen.
Interviewer:
Oh.
Terry:
IntheUnitedStatesit'sverydifferent.Westartconversationswithpeopleinthestreet,inthesubway;we'realotmoreoutgoingthanpeoplehere.Youknow,whenIfirstcame,Icouldn'tunderstandwhyIwasgettingsolittlereactionfrompeople,butnowIseethattheythoughtIwasoverpoweringandtoofriendlytoosoon.
Interviewer:
But,tellme:
DoestheEnglishmanimproveasyougettoknowhim?
Terry:
Oh,yes.
Interviewer:
Oh,good.
Terry:
Onceyouhavemadeafriend,it'safriendforlife,butittakesaverylongtime.I'lltellyousomethingthatIthinkisveryimportant.AnEnglishmaninAmericaisrespected.Everyonewantstotalktohim.We'reinquisitive.Welovehisaccentandhiscountry.ButAmericansinEnglandarethoughttobealittleinferiorbecauseoftheirloudbehaviorandtheirlanguage.OnethingI'velearnedisthatEnglishpeoplelikeacertaindistance.WhenIwastalkingtosomeone,hewouldmoveaway,youknow,movebackwards,andIthought,“DoIsmell?
AmIboringhim?
”Thereasonis,yousee,Americansstandcloserwhenthey'retalkingwhileEnglishpeoplelikeacertaindistance.
ListeningII
Manycenturiesago,agroupofJewslandedinIndiaandimmediatelywenttotheking.Theytoldhimthattheywerelostandwantedtosettleinhiskingdom.
Inthosedaysanyforeignerwasviewedwithsuspicion.Sothekingwashesitantaboutlettingthemin.Hesentforoneglassofmilkandoneglassofwater.HeaskedtheleaderoftheJewstotastethemilk.Thenhepouredoutsomemilkandaddedsomewater.Heaskedtheleadertotastethemilkagainandsaid,“Whatisthedifferenceintaste?
”
Theleadersaid,“Thesecondtimethemilktastesterrible.”“Thatisbecauseofthewateraddedtothemilk,”saidtheking,“Thewaterdilutesthemilkandspoilsitstaste.Sotooyouradditionwillspoilthekingdom.”TheleaderoftheJewsthoughtforamomentandaskedforanotherglassofmilk.Hethenaddedsugartothemilkandaskedthekingtotasteit.“Ittastessweet,”saidtheking.
TheleaderoftheJewsbowedhisheadandsaid,“Oh,YourMajesty!
Thatishowwewouldliketolivehere:
asthesmallamountofsugarwhichsweetensthelargequantityofmilkandnotasthewaterwhichdilutesthemilk.”Pleasedwithhim,thekinggrantedthempermissiontostay.
PracticeOne
ManyAmericansfollowtraditionsmeanttobringgoodluckintheNewYear.Somepeoplewearspecialclothesoreatspecialfoods.Forexample,menandwomenwhowanttofindtheirtruelovewearyellowclothing.Otherscarrysilverinthehopeoffindingmoney.
PeopleinmanypartsoftheUnitedStatescelebratetheNewYearbyeatingblack-eyedpeas.Cabbageisanothervegetablethatpeopleeattobringgoodluckandmoney.IntheSouth,peopleprepareandeatatraditionalfoodcalledHoppin'John.Itcontainspeas,onions,baconandrice.Ithasthisunusualnamebecauselongagochildrenweresaidtolikeitsomuchtheyhoppedaroundtheroomwhilewaitingforittocook.
Asian-Americanssometimesmaketraditionalfortunecookies.Thesesweetscontainsmallpiecesofpapertellingaboutaperson'sfuture.SomeAmericansfromSpanish-speakingfamiliesfollowatraditionfortheNewYearthatinvolvesfruit.OnJanuary1,theystandonachairandeatgrapes.
PracticeTwo
AHindupriest,rabbiandalawyerweredrivingdowntheroadwhenthecarbrokedown.Fortunately,theyfoundafarmhousenearby.Thefarmerinformedthemthathehadonlyonespareroom,andthatithadonlytwotwinbeds.
Theywerewelcometoit,butoneofthemhadtosleepinthebarn.Aftermuchdiscussion,theHinduvolunteeredtogotothebarn.Afewmomentslater,therewasaknockonthebedroomdoor,andtheHinduexplainedthattherewasacowinthebarn,andcowsweresacredandhecouldnotpossiblysleepinthebarnwithacow.
Annoyed,therabbivolunteered.Afewmomentslater,therewasaknockonthedoor.Therabbiexplainedthattherewasapiginthebarnandthathe,beingveryorthodox,couldnotpossiblyspendtheeveninginthebarnwiththeoriginofpork.
Finally,thelawyersaidthathewouldgotothebarn.Afewmomentslatertherewasaknockonthedoor.Itwasthecowandthepig!
PracticeThree
Differentculturesadheretodifferentbusinesscustoms.Forexample,theBritishconsideritimpolitetointerruptavisitor,evenafterallbusinesshasbeendone.Thusavisitorshouldknowwhentostoptalkingandwhentoleave.
Spanishbusinesspeopleneedtoseesamples,sosamplesofproductsorservicesshouldbeofferedwheneverpossible.VisitorsalsoneedtoknowthatinSpainofficesandretailestablishmentsgenerallyclosefrom1:
00p.m.toaslateas4:
30p.m.Inaddition,blackshoes,notbrown,areconsideredproperforbusinessoccasions
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