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Without Words, Speaking Different Languages 无声的语言差异

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课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Miscommunication isn’t always in the form of words  沟通不良不仅限于言词而已

Min Byoung-chul, a professor at Konkuk University, was recently having lunch with some Chinese students. This time, it was the teacher who was taking notes.

南韩建国大学教授闵丙哲最近和几位中国学生共进午餐。这回是当老师的在作笔记。

The students were citing differences between Chinese and South Korean culture. Why, they asked, do Koreans look at them strangely when they lift their rice bowls to eat, or smoke in front of the elderly?

学生们举出了中国与南韩文化的不同。他们问道，为什么当他们拿起饭碗来吃东西，或是在长者面前抽烟时，韩国人就会用奇怪的眼光看着他们。

And why do Korean teachers get insulted when they hand in their papers using one hand instead of two? And hasn’t anyone told teachers that students from China would never bow like their Korean counterparts?

还有当他们用单手而非双手交报告时，韩国老师为什么会觉得不受尊重？而且，难道没有人告诉过老师，中国学生绝不会像韩国学生那样鞠躬？

Japanese students voiced similar differences with Koreans. Why, for example, do South Koreans talk loudly on their cell phones in trains and buses, a practice that’s a social taboo back home?

日本学生也表达过和韩国人之间的类似差异。例如，为什么南韩人会在火车及公交车上大声讲手机？这在他们的祖国日本是个社会禁忌。

Documenting the differences  文化上的差异

Min has made an avocation out of cataloging such differences. He’s a cross-cultural interpreter whose terrain is the delicate, often undefined line where cultural mannerisms clash.

将这些差异分门别类记录下来成了闵丙哲的嗜好。他是一位跨文化的传译者（译注：cross-cultural interpreter此指能够解释、「翻译」不同文化之间的差异的人，并非指真正的译者），他涉足的领域是不同文化、言行举止所交会冲击的那条微妙、往往并未明确界定的界线。

Over the years, the 59-year-old educator has queried people at airports, coffeehouses and classrooms in the U.S. and Asia about cultural faux pas committed by visiting foreigners.

多年来，这位59岁的教学者曾在美国和亚洲的机场、咖啡馆及教室里，询问人们有关来访的外国人士所犯的文化上的失礼行为。

He has written three guides that, country by country, highlight the differences between American culture and the social customs in South Korea, China and Japan. He is researching a new book that will examine the differences among Asia cultures.

他写过三本指南，依照国别点明美国文化与南韩、中国及日本社会习俗之间的差异。他正在为一本新书做研究，该书将检视亚洲各个文化之间的不同处。

The time has come for such a book, he says, because the improved political and economic climate throughout northeast Asia has translated into more regional tourism and business travel.

他表示，这本书诞生的时机成熟了，因为整个东北亚改善的政治与经济氛围已转化出更多的区域性观光及商业差旅。

单词发音

More Information

insult [ɪnˋsʌlt] v. 侮辱，羞辱

hand in 缴交 to return or submit (something, such as an examination paper)

bow [baʊ] v. 鞠躬

voice [vɔɪs] v.（用言语）表达，说出 to utter in words; give expression to

taboo [təˋbu] n. 禁忌，忌讳

avocation [͵ævəˋkeʃən] n. 副业；兴趣；爱好 an activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment; a hobby

catalog [ˋkætəlɔg] v. 将……编入目录

cross-cultural [ˋkrɔsˋkʌltʃərəl] adj. 跨文化的 comparing or dealing with two or more different cultures

interpreter [ɪnˋtɝprɪtɚ] n. 翻译者，引导者

terrain  [təˈren] n.（知识等的）领域

delicate [ˋdɛləkət] adj. 微妙的

mannerism [ˋmænərɪzm] n.〔某人所特有的说话或动作的〕习性; 习气 a distinctive behavioral trait; an idiosyncrasy

faux pas【法】失礼 a social blunder

highlight [ˋhaɪ͵laɪt] v. 强调，使...显着

custom [ˋkʌstəm] n. 习俗，惯例

课文朗读

课文讲解

Ugly Asians, ugly Americans  丑陋的亚洲人，丑陋的美国人

In 1993, Min published Ugly Koreans, Ugly Americans, examining customs that are often lost in translation across the Pacific Ocean. He co-wrote follow-ups, Ugly Japanese, Ugly Americans and Ugly Chinese, Ugly Americans, which further detail clashes between East and West.

闵丙哲于1993年出版《丑陋的韩国人，丑陋的美国人》，检视越过太平洋就往往变了调的习俗。他也和他人合写后续系列《丑陋的中国人，丑陋的美国人》，进一步详述东方与西方之间的冲击。

His research led him to conclude that the language barrier is but one hurdle between cultures.

他的研究促使他做出这样的结论，那就是语言只是不同文化之间的障碍之一而已。

“A 70-year-old Korean man once reached over to rub my inner thigh as we talked in my office,” he said. “His gesture was meant to show, ‘I know you. I’m friendly. I’ve seen you on TV.’”

「有次一位七十岁的韩国男子在我的办公室和我说话时，伸手摩擦我的大腿内侧。」他说：「他这个举动的意思是：『我知道你，我很友善，我在电视上看过你。』」

“But I explained that as South Korea becomes more globalized, foreign visitors won’t understand. I advised him to stop doing that.”

「但我向他解释说，南韩愈来愈全球化，外国访客不会了解这样的行为。我劝他停止这种举动。」

In South Korea, the hands-on culture condones body contact as an acceptable form of communication. Yet what Koreans will not customarily do, Min says, is apologize for slamming into someone or hold open a door for a person in a crowd.

在南韩，勾肩搭背的文化（译注：hands-on原指亲自动手做，此指喜欢有肢体接触的习性，引申为勾肩搭背）容许肢体接触，将其视为一种可接受的沟通形式。闵丙哲指出，然而韩国人却不习惯为撞到别人而道歉或在人群中顺手替他人撑住打开的门。

Koreans, in turn, are baffled by the behavior of Americans and other Westerns. Why do many stick their hands in their pockets while talking, blast their car radios or refuse to stand when a boss approaches? They ask.

韩国人同样也对美国人及其他西方人的行为感到困惑。他们问说，为什么很多人在说话时要把手插在口袋里？把汽车收音机开得震天价响？或是在老板来的时候不肯站起来？

“The point of the books isn’t to blame one side or the other,” Min said, “but to help both sides view the other in a more open manner.”

「这些书的目的不是要指责任何一方，」闵丙哲说：「而是要协助双方用更开放的心态看待对方。」

Two sides to every story  事情的两面

Min took an early interest in the rough-hewn intersection of language and culture.

闵丙哲很早就对语言与文化未经粉饰的交集之处感到兴趣。

He later spent several years studying and teaching leadership and educational policy courses in Chicago, observing how Koreans were misjudged as unfriendly because they were too timid to speak English.

后来他花了数年的时间在芝加哥研究与教授领导学及教育政策的课程，观察韩国人如何因为太过胆怯不敢说英语而被误认为不友善。

The misunderstandings, he learned, go both ways. Koreans consider direct eye contact with a superior disrespectful, whereas Americans view it as a form of sincerity. Most Americans prefer hearty handshakes and often consider less-gregarious Korean greetings as weak and effeminate.

他发现这种误解是双向的。韩国人认为直视上司是不尊敬的行为，而在美国人看来这样却代表诚恳。大多数美国人喜欢热情的握手，往往将少了点交际感觉（而显得冷淡的）韩国式问候视为软弱及缺乏男子气。

But some cultural differences will be harder to bridge, Min said.

但有些文化差异较难跨越，闵丙哲说。

“Asians even eat at restaurants in different ways,” he said. “While a Korean will loudly complain about poor service or a hair in his soup, many Japanese would never dream of making such an outburst. They’ll just quietly endure, and never come back again.”

「亚洲人甚至在餐馆吃饭的态度都不一样，」他说：「韩国人会大声抱怨服务不佳或是他的汤里有一根头发，然而许多日本人绝不敢想象这样的勃然叫嚣。他们只会安静地忍受，然后永远不再光顾。」

－by John M. Glionna

单词发音

Vocabulary Focus

cite [saɪt] v. 引用；举出 to mention something as proof for a theory or as a reason why something has happened

counterpart [ˋkaʊntɚ͵pɑrt] n. 对应的人（或物）a person who has the same purpose as another one in a different place or organization

query [ˋkwɪrɪ] v. 询问 to ask questions, especially in order to check if something is true

hurdle [ˋhɝd!] n. 障碍，困难 a problem that you have to deal with before you can make progress

condone [kənˋdon] v. 宽恕﹐ 原谅 to accept or allow behavior that some people consider wrong

rough-hewn [͵rʌfˋhjun] adj. 粗野的；下流的 crude and unrefined

gregarious [grɪˋgɛrɪəs] adj. 社交的, 群居的 liking to be with other people

单词发音

More Information

but [bʌt] adv. 仅仅 merely; just

thigh [θaɪ] n. 股，大腿

globalize [ˋglobə͵laɪz] v. 全球化

hands-on [ˋhændzˋɑn] adj. 实际动手做的 characterized by or involving active personal participation

slam into 撞到… someone or something: to crash into someone or something

in turn 转而, 反过来 

baffle [ˋbæf!] v. 困惑; 难倒 perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

blast [blæst] v. 发出巨响

intersection [͵ɪntɚˋsɛkʃən] n. 交集

misjudge [mɪsˋdʒʌdʒ] v. 对〔人或情况〕错误判断

timid [ˋtɪmɪd] adj. 羞怯的; 胆小的

effeminate [ɪˋfɛmənɪt] adj. 柔弱的；无男子气概的 having qualities or characteristics more often associated with women than men

outburst [ˋaʊt͵bɝst] n.（情感、力量等的）爆发，迸发

Cultural Differences - An Introduction

Cross Cultural Differences In Body Language by Image Matters Asia