文化方面英语阅读
⑴ 谈中西方文化背景对英语阅读理解的影响
谈中西方文化背景对英语阅读理解的影响
文化背景知识学习是能够帮助学习者在阅读理解当中提取所需的信息，那么，中西方文化背景对英语阅读理解的影响是?以下是我为大家整理的谈中西方文化背景对英语阅读理解的影响，欢迎阅读，希望大家能够喜欢。
1.文化背景与英语阅读之间的关系
多年教学经验，发现其阅读理解能力比较强的学生，往往都是有着比较深厚的英语文化背景知识。简单来说，其学生的文化背景知识拥有丰富，就能够对阅读理解越容易，并且在理解过程中，也较少会产生理解上的偏差。相反，如果缺乏相应的文化背景知识，就自然而然会影响自己到英语阅读理解。
所以在英语阅读理解当中，除了需要掌握英语阅读材料知识，还需要理解相应单词、句子和段落，并且能够拥有充实的文化知识，这样才能够准确去理解英语阅读。
2.中西方文化差异对英语阅读的影响
文化背景与英语阅读理解之间的关系是一个相互影响的过程。换句话来说，是否具有相应的文化知识在很大程度上都将会影响到自身对阅读的理解。本文简单举三个例子，来阐述一下中西方文化对英语阅读的影响。
例一，在英语当中“Runalresidents”，用中国文化背景下理解，就会认为这单词指的是在偏远地区的经济不富裕人。但是对西方文化有所了解的人，都是知道住在郊区的一般都是有钱富人，因此这个单词不可能是按照字面的意思进行翻译。其在西方当中，这词意思为运行居民。
例二，以“Last night I went to visit John twice”为例，这句话翻译成中文的意思就是昨天我去了两趟厕所。但是如果不具备相应的西方文化背景，就很难理解“John”的意思就是“厕所”。从这也可以看出来，中西方文化之间的差异，是能够影响到英语阅读翻译的。
例三， “房东”这个词在中国文化当中，是指那些将自己房屋出租给其他需要居住的人，并且从中获得相应的报酬。但是由于中国历史的原因，就造成对“房东”这个词理解成指那些拥有土地然后去压榨劳苦大众。在西方国家，对于这个词理解是没有其他什么意思，就只是单纯指一种身份状态。
通过上述三个例子的研究，不难知道英语背景知识是对英语阅读理解能力有着比较强影响。所以在学习英语过程中，需要加强培养学生对西方文化的学习，从而提高学生的英语阅读理解能力。
3.加强文化背景知识来提高英语阅读理解能力
文化知识的.作用就是能够使得阅读理解更加方便。简单来说，文化背景知识学习是能够帮助学习者在阅读理解当中提取所需的信息。这也就需要英语教学者引导学生通过学习英语文化背景知识来加强英语阅读理解方面训练。通过多年的教学经验，笔者认为可以通过下述三方面来提高学生的英语阅读理解能力
3.1引导学生对西方文化的学习
想要培养学生良好的阅读能力，就需要结合英语现有的文化背景知识以及阅读材料本身相关的资料，将其进行合理的输入与输出，这样就能够加深学生对阅读理解印象。这也就需要英语教学者在教学过程中，适当引导学生对西方文化进行学习，并且对中西方文化的差异进行对比，从而加深学生对西方文化的理解。同样，这也需要英语教学者，能够结合自己教学实践经验，抓住阅读训练当中的重点，从其阅读中的重点来引导学生对西方文化进行学习。
3.2增加文化背景知识的积累意识
通过上述论文的研究，不难发现阅读理解能力不足与文化背景知识的缺乏存在着一定关系。所以想要更好学习英语，就需要增加相应的文化背景知识。也就是说，对文化背景知识的积累在提高阅读理解能力中起着关键作用。保证学生在英语基础知识学习的同时，也需要加深学生对英语文化的学习。对英语教学者来说，一方面是可以通过加强直观的视频资料环境的熏陶，加深学生对西方文化的记忆。另一方面，是可以通过文化背景知识引导，来吸引学生对其文化产生兴趣并进行学习。
3.3英语阅读教学过程中实现文化背景知识的学习
在英语的学习过程当中，因为缺乏相应的文化背景知识，也就限制了学生在阅读理解的能力，从而也就打击了学生学习英语的兴趣。所以建议英语教师，在英语教学的过程中，加深学生对于英语文化背景的学习，才能够保证文化背景知识与英语阅读学习进行有机的结合。例如，英语教学者是可以通过加深学生对于“美国西部牛仔”形象的认识、“苏格兰短裙”文化的认识等等，让学生在英语文化当中学习英语，也能够让学生在学习英语当中了解英语文化背景，让二者学习进行有效的融合与提升。
4.总结
作为一名长期在一线从事英语教育的工作者，深感中西方文化背景对提高促进英语阅读理解能力方面的所起的重要作用。所以对于从事英语教学的一线工作者，必须潜移默化的需要灌输给学生丰富的中西方文化背景知识对提高学生英语阅读理解方面的重要性。本文就是研究文化背景知识与英语学习之间的关系，寻找中西方文化背景知识差异对学习英语的影响，提出来加强文化背景知识来提高学生英语阅读理解能力的观点。在加强文化背景知识来提高英语阅读理解能力当中，提出引导学生对西方文化的学习、增强文化背景知识的积累、英语阅读教学过程中实现文化背景知识的学习这三种方法。
扩展：影响英语阅读理解能力提高的主要问题
（一）阅读理解词汇量非常大，这成为理解文意的最大障碍。
阅读理解综合考察考生的多项基本素质，其中很重要的一项就是对词汇量的掌握。要提高阅读理解能力，丰富词汇就显得至关重要。
词汇量的缺乏不能让读者快速的进入阅读状态，导致文章读起来晦涩难懂，甚至会产生误解和曲解。
（二）对英语国家的文化背景知识储备不足。
如果对英语国家的文化背景缺乏起码的了解，有时即使面对一些简单的单词组成的一句简单的话，也不能真正理解它的意思。
（三）没有良好的阅读习惯，阅读时注意力不集中，阅读效率低。
不少学生对阅读理解有恐惧心理，做到这一部分时就显得信心不足，这与他们不好的阅读习惯也有很大关系。
有的学生注意力不集中，短时记忆力差，读到后面前面的就忘了；有的学生则喜欢钻牛角尖，碰到一段不理解，就停留在那里，致使阅读效率很低；还有的学生习惯用手或者笔按着材料一点点的读，这也是一种很不好的阅读习惯。
阅读能有效提高英语写作水平
英语写作作为一项重要的技能，可以反映一个人的综合英语学习水平。在英语学习中，写作既是一个重点也是一个难点。
怎样才能用英语写出好文章？除了要打下牢固的语言基础，即一定词汇、语法基础外，大量的阅读也是必不可少的。
俗话说“读书破万卷，下笔如有神。”，“熟读唐诗三百首，不会做诗也会吟” 这些都详细阐述了中文阅读和写作的关系，英义同样如此，只有读得多了，见得广了，才能写出精彩的东西。
通过大量阅读，广泛地接触语言材料，一方面可以积累大量优美的词句、英语格言、警句、固定表达、习惯用语、修辞常识等，将其吸收消化为自己的东西，然后在文章中写出来；另一方面在揣摩作者意图，把握文章整体框架结构的基础上，我们还可以有意识地模仿作者谋篇布局、文章衔接、遣词造句等建构篇章的技能。
此外，大量的阅读有助于培养提高文本分析能力、独立思考能力、英语批判性思维能力，只有用英语来思考我们的文章才会避免汉语式的英语出现，才能创造出优美地道的英文作品。
;⑵ 关于中西方文化的初中英语阅读理解练习题及答案
In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Serving in restaurants is often large; too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.
Supper and dinner are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.
Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.
1. Which statement is true?
A. American people like sitting with people they don’t know.
B. A hostess always seats a small group at a large table.
C. American people never sit with people they don’t know.
D. American people would not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking.
2. What is served before you order?
A. bread B. butter C. coffee D. cold water
3. What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?
A. They take the food home with a doggie bag for their dogs.
B. They leave the food on the table and go away.
C. They take the food home with a doggie bag and enjoy the food later.
D. They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them.
4. Sunday dinner is_______.
A. a dinner in the evening B. A big noon meal
C. a big lunch on Sunday D. A supper on Sunday
这是一篇讲美国人的用餐习俗的阅读。
As you know different countries have different customs. Also there are many gestures showing many meanings in many countries. Here are a few examples of gestures. A fisherman in Britain will show the size of a fish he has caught by holding his two hands, palms(手掌) facing each other, the right distance apart in front of him. But the one from certain part of Africa will measure off the size along his left arm with his right hand. In Britain the gesture to show the number “one” is made by holding up the index finger (the second finger), but in Switzerland it is the thumb—the first finger which is held up. Some people point at objects with finger, others by sticking out the lips. The gesture for “come here” is made in Britain with the index finger, which is held, pointing upwards, at eye level and bent towards the body; in Egypt the hand is held at arm’s length, palm downwards, and the fingers are then bent. The difference between the movements is very important, and the meanings of the same gestures maybe opposite in different countries. It may bring trouble to those not well known with it.
1. This passage is mainly about _______.
A. different people in different countries B. how to understand the gestures in Britain
C. the different gestures D. how to show a gesture in Egypt
2Sometimes difference between the movements in different countries may bring about _______ to you.
A. a good luck B. a new world C. all ill effect D. happiness
3 How will the Africans express if the object’s size is longer than their left arms?
A. Take a string to show it. B. Keep silent.
C. Bring the object to the spot. D. In another way.
4According to the passage we should _______.
A. look before we leap B. pick and choose
C. strike while the iron is hot D. do in Rome as the Romans do
这是篇中西方习俗的。答案就先不给你发了，希望你认真做，等你做完以后可以把你的答案告诉我，我再告诉你正确的。
⑶ 中国文化英语短文快
中国的饮食文化Chinese food culture stretching more than 170 million years, is divided into raw food, cooked food, natural cooking, science and cooking four stages of development, introction of more than 60,000 kinds of traditional dishes point, more than 20,000 kinds of instrial food, colorful and bright colors and flavors of the Feast schools, access to "Cooking kingdom" in the world.
From the content point of view, the Chinese food culture to the food source involved in the development and use of utensils to use and innovation, food proction and consumption, food service and hospitality, catering instry and food instry business and management, as well as diet and peace and prosperity , diet and literary arts, diet and the relationship between the realm of life, deep broad.
From the extension, China's food culture from the era and techniques, geographical and economic, ethnic and religion, food and utensils, consumption and levels, a variety of folk and function of the angle classification, demonstrating the different cultural tastes, reflecting different value, and splendor.
From the trait perspective, Chinese food culture and highlight the benefit sufficient to support a business-Wei Theory (vegetarian main emphasis on medicated and tonic), and pay attention to "color, smell and taste," and taste. To reconcile the realm of flavors that (distinct flavor, palatability by Jane, the "tongue cuisine" reputation), Qi is inter-change of the cooking methods (kitchen rules-oriented, flexible), Cheong God pleasing dining concept (gentle, Yue teaching at the food), etc. 4 large property has a food culture is different from the foreign countries in natural beauty. Pay attention to the Chinese food culture dishes in addition to bright colors with picturesque, but also create an atmosphere of dining with a taste, it is the personality and tradition of the Chinese nation, but also highlights the way the traditional Chinese ritual.
In effect, China's food culture directly affects Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and other countries of the East catering cultural circle of the axis; At the same time, it also indirectly affect to Europe, the Americas, Africa and Oceania, like China's vegetarian culture, tea culture, sauce vinegar, pasta, medicated, ceramic tableware and soybeans, have the benefit of billions of people around the world.
In short, the Chinese food culture is a broad vision, deep-level, multi-angle, high-grade long-standing regional cultures; it is the Chinese people of all nationalities in more than 100 years of proction and daily life practice, in the food source development, utensils research, Food conditioning, nutrition, health and dietary aspects of aesthetic creation, accumulation and affect the neighboring countries and the world's material wealth and spiritual wealth. 中国饮食文化绵延170多万年，分为生食、熟食、自然烹饪、科学烹饪4个发展阶段，推出6万多种传统菜点、2万多种工业食品、五光十色的筵宴和流光溢彩的风味流派，获得“烹饪王国”的美誉。
从内涵上看，中国饮食文化涉及到食源的开发与利用、食具的运用与创新、食品的生产与消费、餐饮的服务与接待、餐饮业与食品业的经营与管理，以及饮食与国泰民安、饮食与文学艺术、饮食与人生境界的关系等，深厚广博。
从外延看，中国饮食文化可以从时代与技法、地域与经济、民族与宗教、食品与食具、消费与层次、民俗与功能等多种角度进行分类，展示出不同的文化品味，体现出不同的使用价值，异彩纷呈。
从特质看，中国饮食文化突出养助益充的营卫论（素食为主，重视药膳和进补），并且讲究“色、香、味”俱全。五味调和的境界说（风味鲜明，适口者珍，有“舌头菜”之誉），奇正互变的烹调法（厨规为本，灵活变通），畅神怡情的美食观（文质彬彬，寓教于食）等4大属性，有着不同于海外各国饮食文化的天生丽质。中国的饮食文化除了讲究菜肴的色彩搭配要明媚如画外，还要搭配用餐的氛围产生的一种情趣，它是中华民族的个性与传统，更是中华民族传统礼仪的凸现方式。
从影响看，中国饮食文化直接影响到日本、蒙古、朝鲜、韩国、泰国、新加坡等国家，是东方饮食文化圈的轴心；与此同时，它还间接影响到欧洲、美洲、非洲和大洋洲，像中国的素食文化、茶文化、酱醋、面食、药膳、陶瓷餐具和大豆等，都惠及全世界数十亿人。
总之，中国饮食文化是一种广视野、深层次、多角度、高品位的悠久区域文化；是中华各族人民在100多万年的生产和生活实践中，在食源开发、食具研制、食品调理、营养保健和饮食审美等方面创造、积累并影响周边国家和世界的物质财富及精神财富。希望帮到你！
⑷ 请帮忙找有关‘中国传统文化’的英语文章
Arts
Main article: Chinese art
Chinese art has varied throughout its ancient history, divided into periods by the ruling dynasties of China and changing technology, as well as influenced by great philosophers, teachers and religion. Early forms of art in China were made from pottery and jade in the Neolithic period, to which was added bronze in the Shang Dynasty. The Shang are most remembered for their bronze casting, noted for its clarity of detail. Early Chinese music and poetry was influenced by the Book of Songs, Confucius and the Chinese poet and statesman Qu Yuan. Early Chinese music was based on percussion instruments, which later gave away to string and reed instruments.
In early imperial China, porcelain was introced and was refined to the point that in English the word China has become synonymous with high-quality porcelain. Around the 1st century AD, Buddhism arrived in China, though it did not become popular until the 4th century. At this point, Chinese Buddhist art began to flourish, a process which continued through the 8th century. Around this period, several well-known Chinese poets influenced Chinese poetry, which included Cao Cao and his sons and Tao Qian. It was ring the period of Imperial China that calligraphy and painting became highly appreciated arts in court circles, with a great deal of work done on silk until well after the invention of paper.
Buddhist architecture and sculpture thrived in the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the Tang dynasty was particularly open to foreign influence. Buddhist sculpture returned to a classical form, inspired by Indian art of the Gupta period. Toward the end of the Tang dynasty, all foreign religions were outlawed to support Taoism. Also ring this period, Chinese poetry thrived and the Tang is considered the "Golden age" of Chinese poetry. In this period, the greatest Chinese poets, Li Po and Du Fu composed their poems. Late Tang poetry was marked by the influence of two poets, Li Shangyin and Li Yu, the latter of whom introced the stanza form. Painting from the Tang dynasty period mainly consisted of landscape that was to grasp emotion or atmosphere to catch the "rhythm of nature." Also in the Tang dynasty, Chinese opera was introced.
In the Song dynasty, poetry was marked by a lyric poetry known as Ci which expressed feelings of desire, often in an adopted persona. Also in the Song dynasty, paintings of more subtle expression of landscapes appeared, with blurred outlines and mountain contours which conveyed distance through an impressionistic treatment of natural phenomena. It was ring this period that in painting, emphasis was placed on spiritual rather than emotional elements, as in the previous period. In the Yuan dynasty, painting by the Chinese painter Zhao Mengfu influenced modern Chinese landscape painting, while Yuan dynasty opera became a variant of Chinese opera which continues today as Cantonese opera.
Late imperial China was marked by two specific dynasties: Ming and Qing. Of Ming Dynasty poetry, Gao Qi was acknowledged as the greatest poet of the era. Artwork in the Ming dynasty perfected color painting and color printing, with a wider color range and busier compositions than Song paintings. In the Qing dynasty, Beijing opera was introced; it is considered the best-known form of Chinese opera. Qing poetry was marked by a poet named Yuan Mei whose poetry has been described as having "unusually clear and elegant language" and who stressed the importance of personal feeling and technical perfection.
Twentieth-century Chinese art was heavily influenced by the New Culture Movement, which adopted Western techniques, introced oil painting and employed socialist realism. Twentieth-century Chinese poetry was also influenced by the Cultural Revolution but several poets attempted to resist the Cultural Revolution by incorporating pro-democratic themes. Contemporary Chinese artists continue to proce a wide range of experimental works, multimedia installations, and performance "happenings" which have become very popular in the international art market.
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Main article: Chinese architecture
Mix of old and new at Jing'an Temple in downtown Shanghai.Chinese architecture, examples of which can be found over 2,000 years ago, has long been a landmark of Chinese culture. There are certain features common to Chinese architecture, regardless of specific region or use.
The most important is its emphasis on the horizontal. In contrast to Western architecture, which tends to grow in height and in depth, Chinese architecture stresses on the width of the buildings. The halls and palaces in the Forbidden City, for example, have rather low ceilings when compared to equivalent stately buildings in the West, but their external appearances suggest the all-embracing nature of imperial China. This of course does not apply to pagodas, which in any case are relatively rare.
Another important feature is its emphasis on symmetry, which connotes a sense of grandeur; this applies to everything from palaces to farmhouses. One notable exception is in the design of gardens, which tends to be as asymmetrical as possible. Like Chinese scroll paintings, the principle underlying the garden's composition is to create enring flow, to let the patron wander and enjoy the garden without prescription, as in nature herself.
Feng shui designed architecture plays an important role in Chinese Culture. For example, Paifang is a Feng Shui designed gate of China town.
Ceramics and ceramic wares
Chinese porcelain - Porcelain - Potter's wheel - Glazes
]
Cinema
Main article: Cinema of China
For many years Hong Kong has been a center of filmmaking. Traditionally, the majority of films made centered around the common themes of martial arts (Wu-xia films), organized crime (in particular Triads), and other traditionally Chinese themes. While these films were always popular in the domestic Hong Kong market, they were also popular around the globe, and especially in the United States. This reached its zenith in the 1970s, when martial arts films were very popular in the United States. Now, in the 2000s, Asian-made films seem to be having a resurgence in popularity abroad. In recent years Mainland China has also become a hotbed of filmmaking with such films as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers being popular not only in China but around the world. American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino plans to shoot his next film, a traditional Wu-Xia movie, in China and have its dialogue in Mandarin Chinese.
Another genre of films that become better known internationally is those depicting the exotic past of Hong Kong as a colonial city and of China with remarkable traditional symbols, notably under the directors Wong Kar-wai (Mandarin: Wang Jia-Wei) and Zhang Yimou. However, some critics argue that both directors distorted the history so as to make the depiction more appealing.
Detail of Dragon Throne used by the Qianlong Emperor of China, Forbidden City, Qing Dynasty. Artifact circulating in US museums on loan from Beijing[edit]
Dance
Main articles: dragon dance
Music
Main article: Music of China
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Opera
Main article: Chinese
Language and literature
Chinese astrology - Chinese calendar - Chinese classic texts - Chinese constellation - Chinese dragon - Chinese mythology - Chinese New Year - Chinese philosophy - Confucianism - Confucius - Eastern philosophy - Five elements - Futs-Lung - I Ching - Qilin - Lao Zi - Listing of noted Confucianists - Listing of noted Taoists - Lung - Lunisolar calendar - Mohism - Qi - Taoism - Yin Yang - Zhang San Feng
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Language
Main articles: Chinese language, Languages of China
The majority of people in China speak one form or another of the Chinese language. In addition to their native local dialect, nearly all can speak Standard Mandarin. There has been ongoing debate as to whether "Chinese" is actually a defined "language" or in fact a family of many languages. The fact this debate exists is not only for political and unity reasons, but also partly e to the fact that written Chinese is a common standard throughtout China. For example a person who only speaks their local dialect is able to communicate with another person from a different area by using written Chinese. Although this written Chinese is itself based on one variety of spoken Chinese; Standard Mandarin or putonghua/guoyu. The written script across China is largely unified, and is the last of its kind that survives as a major language in the contemporary world. It is said, somewhat correctly, that Suzhou people cannot understand Shanghainese, despite them being less than 200km away from each other. This situation could be compared to the difference between French and Spanish.
Chinese character - Chinese numerals - Chinese written language - Classical Chinese - List of Chinese dialects - Pinyin - Zhuyin
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Literature
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Chinese proverbsMain article: Chinese literature
Chinese classic texts - Chinese poetry - List of Chinese language poets
Clothing
China's clothing varies by region, ethnic background, and economic situations. Contemporary urban clothing seemed to have developed an obsession with brand names (Giordano being one of the generic ones). In major urban centres, especially Shanghai, an increased western look is preferred, and there is an emphasis on formal wear over casual wear for alts on the streets. Teenagers prefer brand names. Children usually wear clothes that have a cartoon character.
Han Chinese clothing - Qipao - Ming official headwear - Manchu official headwear - Mandarin square
Contemporary Culture of China
Especially beginning in the late 1980's and early 1990's, China became exposed to more western elements, notably pop culture. American cinema is very popular in China. Young people tend to gather late at night at bars and nightclubs. The obsession with brand names is becoming more apparent by the day, and teen slang is incorporating more and more western language elements.
Cuisine
Main article: Chinese cuisine
American Chinese cuisine - Boba milk tea - Cantonese cuisine - Cardamom - Chinese Buddhist cuisine - Chinese food therapy - Chinese Islamic cuisine - Chiuchow cuisine - Chopsticks - Chop suey - Dim sum - Double steaming - Fingerroot - Five-spice powder - Fortune cookie - Ginger root - Hakka cuisine - Hot salt frying - Hot sand frying - Hunan cuisine - Longan - Lychee - Mandarin cuisine - Monosodium glutamate - Shanghai cuisine - Soy sauce - Stir frying - Szechuan cuisine - Szechuan pepper - Taiwanese cuisine - Tofu - Wok
http://www.uvm.e/~chinese/chincul.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_culture#Opera
http://www.chinapage.com/china.html
⑸ 关于文化差异的英语文章
不同的自然环境和社会背景孕育了不同的 文化 。下面是我带来的关于文化差异的英语 文章 ，欢迎阅读!
关于文化差异的英语文章1
Cultural differences
There are plenty of. people in the world. They come from different countried, have their own race, belief and way of life. What is more, their culture is different from others'. So, there is no doubt that cultural difference exist among lots of countries, especially between eastern and western countries.
Compared with the way of life, eastern people always have a bath in the evening or at night in order to relax themselves after one-day's hard work while western people take a bath in the morning. so as to keep freshly for the whole day. In general, it is true, especially for Chinese people. We, Chinese people would like to take baths at night rather than in the morning. It is a kind of habits we behave all the time.
Compared with the relationships, differences are as follow: firstly, eastern people like to make friends, sometimes through their friends, parents, relatives. While western people behave a little shyly. They do not want to make friends all the time. Secondly, eastern people would like to hang out with the person they do not know about quite a lot. while western people just like going out with the person whom they get along well with.
Finally, eastern people have much more friends than western people for their quite different way of getting along with. their friends. There is no doubt that eastern people are more outgoing than western people, so I agree with these a lot.
As for way of solving problems, eastern people always deal with things indirectly. They pay much attention to many things around them, and always work for a long time to solve the problem. However, western people just go straight the heart of the problem and solve it directly and efficiently. As far as I am concerned, this difference between eastern and western people is quite normal and correct. Eastern people, especially Chinese people care about things around them a lot, they always want to satisfy everyone's need, so that they spend much more time to solve a problem than western people.
As for way of thinking, people in eastern areas usually think indirectly. They used to think about the things around them a lot and try to deal with things in a reasonable even perfect way. However, in comparison with the eastern people, people in the western areas often think directly. They pay less attention to the things around them and care much more about themselves. Honestly speaking, I disagree to this.In my opinion, everyone is special and has their right and obligations to do things. There is no need for us to critise others and what we should do is to respect their own. decision.
There are a lot of differences between eastern and western culture. These are the symbols of their own characteristics and we need time to dig out more differences so as to learn more about them. Most importantly, we must respect their culture firstly!
关于文化差异的英语文章2
The difference between chinese and western culture
With the rapidly challging word, people throughout the world have found it increasingly necessary to minimize the rate of misunderstanding e to miscommunication in their contacts with another. In the oast most human beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geoographical area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. It might be said that technological advances have been most effective in creating the borderless word, the global community. As our world shrinks and its inhabitants become interdependent, people from remot cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. It is no longer hard to find situations in which membes of ince isolared groups of people. Now these people may live thousands of miles away or right next door to each other. So all the people are faced with the challenge of understand this world. So when the east meet west, there are many problems. Some problems are listed as follows.
First of all, the way of eating. All huaman beings have certain basic needs. Our fundamental needs for things that keep us alive. This is the physioligical need. All indivials must eat in order to survive. But what people eat, when they eat, and the manners in which they eat are all patterned by culture. No society views everything in its environment that is edible and might provide nurishment as food. Americans eat oysters but not snail. The French eat snails but not locusts. The Jews eat fish but not pork. The Hins eat pork but not beef. The Russiand eat beef but not snake. We all have ideas about what kinds of food are good to eat. We also have ideas about what kinds of food are bad to eat. As a result, people from one culture often think the food that people from another culture eat are disgusting or nauseating. Dislike is not the only reason why some culture will not eat a certain food. In some clture, certain foods are taboo. Sometimes the food taboos may be so strong thrat just the thought of eating forbidden foods can cause an indival to feel ill. We can also find culture difference in way of bring up children treating the early, greeting each other, saying and spending money before other people do in everyday, but in some English-speaking countries, people do not agree with us. We chinese may enjoy something that is not usually consider as edible by the English-speaking people. Generally we perfer to have thing hot and much emphasis on the taste. We eat from one plate when we are eating with others, and we like to seat one by one, and in the shape of a round. On the opposite, some English-speaking contries, most of the people like to seat in two rows, two people face to face. They have their own plate. On the aspect of table manners, there are many differences between chinese and English-speaking people. For example, in some Englishi-speaking countries, Bread plates are to the left of the main plate, beverage glasses are to the right. Salad fork, knife and soup spoon are further from the main plate than the main course knife, fork and spoon. When eating bread rolls, break off a piece before buttering. Use the knife only to butter the bread, not to cut it. They should not start eating before your host does or instructs to do so. At larger meals, it is considered okay to start eating once others have been served. When finished, place the knife and fork together at five o’clock with the fork on the left. It is considered rude to answer the telephone at the table. If need to take an urgent call, excuse self and go outside. Try to eat all the food you are served. But in China, the table manners are different. Chinese traditionally eat rice from a small bowl held in the left hand. The rice bowl is raised to the mouth and the rice pushed into the mouth using the chopsticks. Some Chinese find it offensive to scoop rice from the bowl using a spoon. If rice is served on a plate, as is more common in the West, it is acceptable and more practical to eat it with a fork or spoon. The thumb must always be above the edge of the bowl. The host should always make sure the guests drinks are sufficiently full. One should not pour for ones self, but should offer to pour for a neighbor. When your drink is being poured, you should say "thank you" and tap fingers on the table to show appreciation. When people wish to clink drinks together in the form of a cheer, it is important to observe that younger members should clink the edge of their drink below the edge of an elder to show respect.
Secondly, the way of communication. Form birth to death, communication plays an integral part in our life. There are some language problems, including the different styles of using language such as direct, indirect; expansive, succinct; argumentative, conciliatory; instrumental, harmonnizing; and so on. These different styles can lead to wrong interpretations of intent and evaluation of insincerity, aggreeiveness, deviousness, or arrogance, among other. The misinterpretation nonverbal signs and symbols such as gestures, postures, and other body movements. It is a definite communication barrier. But it is possible to learn the meanings of these observable message,usually in informal rather ways. It is more difficult to understand the less obvious unspoken codes of the other cultures. Language, as the carrier of culture, is created ring the process of human beings’ proctive labor and serves as the tool of communication to convey the message between people. However, it has been endowed with magic and power in particular language acts. As the old saying goes, troubles come out of the tongue. Superstitious people think that the language itself can bring about fortune or misfortune so that taboos to restrict the use of language are created. Anyone who violates them will get punishment, whereas those who faithfully obey the restrictions of language taboo will get protection. Furthermore, linguistic taboos change with the development of society .The paper firstly analyzes the evolution of linguistic taboo. It is indicated in the paper that linguistic taboo exists in almost every aspect of people’s life and is a universal social phenomenon in China and Britain. Both Chinese and English cultures are in agreement about linguistic taboos such as pronunciation taboo, and vocabulary taboo. However, influenced by different cultural backgrounds, ideologies and the concepts of value, Chinese and English linguistic taboos also have differences, as is discussed in the paper from the aspects of taboo subjects, taboo numbers and names. At last, this paper puts forward two effective ways of avoiding taboo, that is, using euphemism and having a good knowledge of the taboo culture. And this discussion would help English learners improve their ability of cross-cultural communication and achieve better communicational effects. For example, During the feudal times, people were not equal to the rulers and were suppressed by their superiors. The distinction between the upper and the lower classes was also reflected in the evaluation of the language used by them respectively. The words of upper class used were considered good and elegant while those used by the lower class were regarded as vulgar and indecent and should be avoided in the speech of ladies and gentlemen. In modern society, as a result of the development of science and technology, many natural phenomena are no longer mysterious. Human beings not only constantly improve their abilities to exploit the world where they are living through their great wisdom and knowledge, but also make efforts to explore the extraterrestrial world. Science has much more say in today’s society. Thereby, the superstitious elements in linguistic taboos decrease while those reflecting spiritual civilization increase.
In short, by comparison, we can find that both Chinese and English communication reflect people’s psychology for good will, for safety and fortune and pleasantness. The Chinese and English people restrict their words and deeds through taboos, trying to keep a harmonious relationship between human and nature, or between people and society. They are a reflection of people’s pursuit of freedom and equality.
The most important, the different way of family structure, family values and family ecation. Family structure is the big difference between east and west, traditional chinese, amony many other Asians, repect their elders and feel a deep sense of ty toward them. Children repay their parents` sacrifices by being successful and supporting them in old age. This is accepted as a natural part of life in China. In contrast, taking care of aged parents is often viewed as a tremendous burden in the English-speaking countries, where aging and family support are not honored highly. In some English-speaking countries are still extrmely family-oriented. They are dedicated to helping their children and will sacrifice greatly for their children to get an edcuation. In turn, the children are devoted to their parents, who often live nearby. Grown children who go away and leave the country for the economic reasons typically send large parts of their salary home to their parents and the rest of the family. Or in some Asia, any decisions or actions are done from family consideration, not indivial desires. Peope`s behavior is judged on whether it brings shame or pride to the family. The children are trained to rely on their families, to honor elderly people, and to fear foreigners. And many of them think that their actions in this life will influence their status in the next life.
The way of family edcation is also the different. We all know the family ecation is the elementary ecation for children. Many serious problems have appeared in our ecation system in recent years. Almost everyone has realized the importance of solving these problems and many people have presented a lot of valuable suggestions. There are many types of family ecation in the world and each of them shows distinctive features and is closely responsive to its culture. And American family ecation is the most famous one among them. There are great differences in the concepts of ecation, methods of ecation and results of ecation between East family ecation and West family ecation. In some English-speaking countries, parents’ aims are to train their children to have the ability of adapting to environmental variety and the ability of living independently. Based on this concept, most American parents emphasize more to train their children’s ability of independence once they are born. They generally believe that children’s growth must rely on their own experiences, because they think that children should form a self-supporting will and the capacity to live independently since their childhood. And the capacity comes from the training in the early age. The so-called training contains many aspects, such as work, temper will, patience, the spirit of hard work, etc. However, the most fundamental training is the ability of adapting to hard conditions. Through the process of work, children will form the labor sense, learn some work skills and form a habit of labor. Besides, children can learn how to overcome difficulties, temper their willpower, develop their talents and skills, rich their knowledge, and form a habit of hard work and thrifty by working in hard conditions. It is just in the unconsciously process that children will obtain the independent survivability and take the responsibilities for the society. Compared with some English-speaking countries, Chinese parents have a very different concept of children’s ecation. Some parents in China only care about whether the children have a promising future, a good job, a good life or not. Based on these expectations, the majority of parents feel that their responsibility for their children is to create as good conditions as possible they can so that the children will not worry about anything in the future. Chinese parents would like to provide everything what they can for their children in the process of children’s growth. In short, they would like to sacrifice anything if their children can live better with their help. Therefore, in the process of children’s growth, the most important thing the parents concerning is to developing their children’s intellect, except for caring children’s daily life. In order to make their children have a good performance in study, become outstanding, or even become a famous person in the future, they would not let children do anything except studying. As for the children’s independence, civic awareness and their ability adapting to the society in the future, they consider little or not at all. From these aspects we can find the obvious differences of family ecation between America and China.
When we faced with those difference between West and East, we should give some advice to solve these problems. According to the three big difference that pointed, we should find some way to deal with these problems.
We can study other languages and learn to expect in nonvwebal forms and other cultural aspects. We can train ourselves to meet intercultural encounters with more attention to situation details. We can use an investigative approach rather than stereotypes and preconceptions. We can graally expose ourselves to differences so that they become less threatening. We can even learn to lower our tension level when needed to advoid triggering defensive reactions. The overall goal should be to achieve intercultural communication competence.
So the ideal solution to rece the problems are to share knowledge with others in communication. This is why it is easiest to communicate with other members of the same group. This is why people so often gather together socially with others who are very much like them. Since intercultural communication is communication with members of different cultual groups, and therefore, because we do not share knowledge, assumptions, values, and forms of discourse with them, we must expect there to be problems of interpretation. We must look for these problems, anticipate where they will arise out of our differences, and then plan our aommunications to be as effective as possible.
However, we have to remember that, most of the time, the different ways that are the customs of dfferent cultures are neither right nor wrong. It is simply that different people do the same tings in different manners, even though we can not understand ,we should show the respect. I believe this is the best way to make our life become more comfortable and make the world more harmonious.
⑹ 有关美国文化的英语文章
21世纪的美国 文化 是兼容性和进取性很强的文化,同时又是开放性和宽容性很强的文化。它兼容并收,各种文化现象都可以产生并存在。下面是我带来的有关美国文化的英语 文章 ，欢迎阅读!
有关美国文化的英语文章篇一
Marriage of American Style美式婚姻
"I do." To Americans those two words carry great meaning. They can even change your life. Especially if you say them at your own wedding. Making wedding vows is like signing a contract. Now Americans don't really think marriage is a business deal. But marriage is serious business.
「我愿意」这句话对美国人而言具有重大意义，它甚至可以改变你的生命，特别是当你在自己的婚礼上说出这句话时，在婚礼中所发的誓言就如同签订契约一样，美国人并不是真把婚姻当作商业交易，但是，结婚确实是件严肃的事情。
It all begins with engagement. Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his sweetheart for permission to marry her. If the father agrees, the man later proposes to her. Often he tries to surprise her by "popping the question" in a romantic way.
结婚是从订婚开始，在传统上，年轻人会请求他的女朋友的父亲允许他娶她，如果女方的父亲答应，之后方可向女方求婚。通常男方会试着以罗曼蒂克的方式「提出这个问题」以带给女方惊喜。
Sometimes the couple just decides together that the time is right to get married. The man usually gives his fiancee a diamond ring as a symbol of their engagement. They may be engaged for weeks, months or even years. As the big day approaches, bridal showers and bachelor's parties provide many useful gifts. Today many couples also receive counseling ring engagement. This prepares them for the challenges of married life.
有时候双方会觉得现在结婚正是时候，于是男方通常会送女方钻戒做为互订终身的象征。他们可能订婚几个星期、几个月，甚至几年，当大喜的日子接近时，贺礼赠送会和单身汉俱乐部都会赠送许多实用的礼物。今天有许多订婚的男女在订婚期间接受咨询服务，这是为了让他们有准备接受婚姻生活的挑战。
At last it's time for the wedding. Although most weddings follow long-held traditions, there's still room for American indivialism. For example, the usual place for a wedding is in a church. But some people get married outdoors in a scenic spot. A few even have the ceremony while skydiving or riding on horseback! The couple may invite hundreds of people or just a few close friends. They choose their own style of colors, decorations and music ring the ceremony. But some things rarely change. The bride usually wears a beautiful, long white wedding dress. She traditionally wears "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue." The groom wears a formal suit or tuxedo. Several close friends participate in the ceremony as attendants, including the best man and the maid of honor.
最后就是婚礼了，虽然大多的婚礼仍沿袭长久以来的传统，但是美国人的个人主义仍有其空间，例如，通常婚礼的地点是在教堂，但是有些人却是到户外的风景区结婚，有些人甚至是跳伞或骑马结婚!双方可能邀请上百人或者只是一些熟朋友，婚礼的颜色风格，布置和音乐都由他们自己决定，但有些事是不太会变的;新娘通常都穿著美丽的白色结婚礼服，按照传统她必须穿的衣服上包括了：一些旧的，一些新的，一些借来的，及一些蓝色的东西。新郎则穿着正式的西装或燕尾晚礼服，几位熟朋友参加婚礼并协助帮忙，包括了伴郎和伴娘。
As the ceremony begins, the groom and his attendants stand with the minister, facing the audience. Music signals the entrance of the bride's attendants, followed by the beautiful bride. Nervously, the young couple repeats their vows. Traditionally, they promise to love each other "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." But sometimes the couple has composed their own vows. They give each other a gold ring to symbolize their marriage commitment. Finally the minister announces the big moment: "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride!"
当典礼开始时，新郎和伴郎和牧师站在一起，面对观众，音乐一起，表示伴娘入场，后面就跟着美丽的新娘。年轻的男女双方紧张地跟着说出他们的誓言，传统上而言，他们会承诺要彼此相爱，「不论好、坏、贫、富、生病时或健康时」，但是有时候，他们也可能自己编一套自己的誓言，他们互赠金戒指以此表示结婚的承诺，最后牧师宣布这重大的时刻：「我现在宣布你们成为夫妻，你可以亲吻你的新娘!」
At the wedding reception, the bride and groom greet their guests. Then they cut the wedding cake and feed each other a bite. Guests mingle while enjoying cake, punch and other treats. Later the bride throws her bouquet of flowers to a group of single girls. Tradition says that the one who catches the bouquet will be the next to marry. During the reception, playful friends "decorate" the couple's car with tissue paper, tin cans and a "Just Married" sign. When the reception is over, the newlyweds run to their "decorated" car and speed off. Many couples take a honeymoon, a one- to two-week vacation trip, to celebrate their new marriage.
在结婚宴会上，新娘新郎向宾客问候.然后切结婚 蛋糕 并互相喂对方一口。宾客们在享受蛋糕、饮料及其他的食物时就混在一起交谈。之后新娘将捧花投向一群单身女孩，传统说接到捧花的女孩会成为下一位新娘。在婚宴上，爱闹的朋友用面纸、铝罐和「新婚」标志「装饰」礼车，宴会结束后，新婚的小俩口就跑向他们「装饰完成」的礼车，迅速地离开，许多夫妻会去渡蜜月，就是一至二星期的假期以庆祝他们的新婚。
Almost every culture has rituals to signal a change in one's life. Marriage is one of the most basic life changes for people of all cultures. So it's no surprise to find many traditions about getting married . . . even in America. Yet each couple follows the traditions in a way that is uniquely their own.
几乎每一种文化都有仪式来表示一个人生命中的改变。结婚对于所有文化的人而言是一生中最重要的大事之一，所以会有这么多婚礼的习俗就不足为奇了，美国也不例外。然而每对新人都以自己认为独特的方式来跟随传统。
有关美国文化的英语文章篇二
Pets 美国宠物
mericans love pets. And it's not just puppy love, either. Many pet owners treat their furryfriends as part of the family. Sometimes they spice up their pets' lives with entertaining videosand amusing toys. If they have an eye for fashion, pet owners can dress their pets in stylishclothes. For special occasions, they can use canine perfume to make their dogs smell, well, lessbeastly. You might say Americans treat their pets like they treat their children-sometimes evenbetter.
美国人很爱宠物，而且这不只是一种不成熟、短暂的爱。很多宠物的主人把这些毛茸茸的朋友当作家庭的一部分，有时候还为宠物准备娱乐用的录像带和玩具来增添它们生活的乐趣，如果宠物的主人具有流行的眼光，还会让他们的宠物穿上时髦的衣服，在特殊的场合里，甚至为宠物喷上狗儿专用的香水，让它们味道好闻一点，减少一些动物身上的味道。你也可以说，美国人待他们的宠物如同待他们的孩子一样——有时甚至更好。
In America, there are more households with pets than those with children. At least 43percent of U.S. homes have pets of some sort. Exotic creatures, such as monkeys, snakes andeven wolves, find a home with some Americans. More common pets include tropical fish, miceand birds. But the all-time favorites are cats and dogs, even at the White House. The Clintons'cat, Socks, has replaced the Bushes' dog, Millie, as reigning First Pet. Americans sometimeshave strong feelings about whether dogs or cats make better pets. "Dog people" and "catpeople" often enjoy friendly rivalries.
在美国，有宠物的家庭比有孩子的家庭还多。至少百分之四十三的美国家庭有宠物，有些美国家庭养一些外国品种的动物，例如猴子、蛇、甚至狼;比较常见的宠物有热带鱼、老鼠、和鸟。不过，一直广受欢迎的是猫和狗，连白宫也不例外。柯林顿总统的猫——袜子，已经取代了布什的狗——米利，成为神气的「第一宠物」。美国人有时候很在乎到底最好的宠物是猫还是狗，「爱狗的人」和「爱猫的人」喜欢开玩笑地彼此争辩。
Leading a dog's life in America isn't such a bad thing. Many grocery stores sell gourmet petfoods to owners eager to please their pets. In Houston, Texas, dogs can have their dinnerdelivered to their homes, just like pizza. Well-to-do canines can attend doggy daycare centerswhile their owners work. Pets can even accompany their owners on vacation. Fancy hotels arebeginning to accommodate both man and beast. Furry guests at Four Seasons Hotels canenjoy gourmet meals served on fine china and sleep in soft beds.
在美国，狗所过的生活并不坏，很多杂货店都卖有宠物美食，让主人可以讨好他们的宠物。在德州的休斯敦市，狗儿还能享用专程送到家的晚餐，就跟披萨一样。家境富裕的狗儿在主人上班的时候可以去狗儿托育中心。宠物甚至可以和它们的主人一同去度假，高级饭店已经开始可以同时留宿人和宠物，这些毛茸茸的客人在四季饭店可以享用以精致瓷器盛装的美食，并在柔软的床上睡觉。
Beneath the fluffy luxuries, there lies a basic American belief: Pets have a right to be treatedwell. At least 75 animal welfare organizations exist in America. These provide care and adoptionservices for homeless and abused animals. Veterinarians can give animals an incredible level ofmedical careNfor an incredible price. To pay for the high-tech health care, people can buyhealth insurance for their pets. And when it's time to say good-bye, owners can bury theirpets in a respectable pet cemetery.
在舒适奢华的享受之下，其实存在着美国人的一种基本信念：宠物有受到妥善对待的权利。美国至少有七十五个动物福利组织，他们为流浪动物及被虐待动物提供照顾与领养的服务。兽医能提供给动物极好的医疗照顾——价格也极昂贵，若为了负担更先进的健康医疗照顾，人们可以为他们的宠物买健康 保险 。如果和宠物道别的时机到了，主人们可以为宠物买一块体面的墓地。
The average American enjoys having pets around, and for good reason. Researchers havediscovered that interacting with animals lowers a person's blood pressure. Dogs can offerprotection from burglars and unwelcome visitors. Cats can help rid the home of unwantedpests. Little creatures of all shapes and sizes can provide companionship and love. In manycases, having a pet prepares a young couple for the responsibilities of parenthood. Pets evenencourage social relationships: They give their owners an appearance of friendliness, andthey provide a good topic of conversation.
美国人一般都喜欢有宠物为伴，这是有原因的。研究人员发现，与动物为伍能够降低人的血压。狗能防止小偷及不受欢迎的访客。猫能帮忙清除家里讨人厌的害虫和有害的小动物。任何种类及大小的小宠物都能带给人们相伴与爱的感觉。很多时候，拥有一只宠物能帮助年轻夫妻做为人父母责任的准备。宠物甚至有助于人际关系：它们使主人们看起来更友善，并且也带给人们一个交谈的好话题。
Pets are as basic to American culture as hot dogs or apple pie. To Americans, pets are notjust property, but a part of the family. After all, pets are people, too.
宠物是美国文化中很基本的一部分，就如热狗和苹果派一样。对美国人而言，宠物不仅仅是他们所拥有的一样东西而已，它是家庭的一部分。毕竟，宠物也是「人」啊!
有关美国文化的英语文章篇三
Friendship 美式友谊
Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was aninter-national student from Jordan. He was excited to get to know an American. He wanted tolearn more about American culture. Yaser hoped that he and Steve would become good friends.
At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class.Sometimes he offered to study with Yaser. He even invited Yaser to eat lunch with him. Butafter the semester was over, Steve seemed more distant. The two former classmates didn't seeeach other very much at school. One day Yaser decided to call Steve. Steve didn't seem veryinterested in talking to him. Yaser was hurt by Steve's change of attitude. "Steve said we werefriends," Yaser complained. "And I thought friends were friends forever."
Yaser is a little confused. He is an outsider to American culture. He doesn't understandthe way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word friend in a very general way. Theymay call both casual acquaintances and close companions "friends". Americans have schoolfriends, work friends, sports friends and neighborhood friends. These friendships are based oncommon interests. When the shared activity ends, the friendship may fade. Now Steve andYaser are no longer classmates. Their friendship has changed.
In some cultures friendship means a strong life-long bond between two people. In thesecultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to last. American society is one of rapidchange. Studies show that one out of five American families moves every year. Americanfriendships develop quickly, and they may change just as quickly.
People from the United States may at first seem friendly. Americans often chat easily withstrangers. They exchange information about their families, hobbies and work. They may smilewarmly and say, "Have a nice day" or "See you later." Schoolmates may say, "Let's get togethersometime." But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship.
After an experience like Yaser's, outsiders may consider Americans to be fickle. Learninghow Americans view friendship can help non-Americans avoid misunderstandings. It can alsohelp them make friends the American way.
Here are a few tips on making friends with Americans:
1. Visit places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, Western restaurants, parks, sportsclubs.
2. Be willing to take the first step. Don't wait for them to approach you. Americans inChina may not know you speak English. They may be embarrassed if they can't speak yourlanguage.
3. Use small talk to open the conversation. Ask them where they're from, why they cameto China, etc. Remember: Be careful to avoid personal questions about age, salary, maritalstatus and appearance.
4. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. (Americans like to talk aboutthemselves!)
5. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific time.Americans sometimes make general invitations like "Let's get together sometime." Often this isjust a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation.
6. Don't expect too much at first. Maybe they're just being friendly. But maybe they dowant to be your good friends. It will take time to tell.
People like Yaser shouldn't give up trying to make American friends. Americans do valuestrong, life-long friendships, even with non-Americans. When making friends, it helps to have agood dose of cultural understanding.
史帝夫和亚瑟最初是在一所美国大学的化学课上认识的。亚瑟是从约旦来的国际学生。他很兴奋能够认识美国人，他要更多学习美国文化;亚瑟希望他和史帝夫会成为好朋友。
刚开始史帝夫似乎非常友善，上课前他总是热情地和亚瑟打招呼，有时他和亚瑟一起读书;他甚至邀请亚瑟一起共进午餐。但是学期结束后，史帝夫似乎较冷淡了，这两个以前的同学在学校不常碰面了。有一天，亚瑟决定打电话给史帝夫，史帝夫似乎没有兴趣和他讲话，对于史帝夫态度的改变，亚瑟感到受伤害。「史帝夫曾说我们是朋友，」亚瑟抱怨，「而且我认为一朝是朋友就永远是朋友。」
亚瑟有点困惑了，对于美国文化，他是个局外人(外行)。他不了解美国人对友谊的看法。美国人把「朋友」这个字用得非常广泛，一般的泛泛之交和亲密伙伴都算是朋友。美国人的朋友包含有学校的朋友、工作的朋友、运动的朋友或是街坊邻居。这些友谊都是建立在共同的兴趣上，当共同从事的活动结束时，友谊也可能跟着消失了。现在，史帝夫和亚瑟不再是同学，他们的「友谊」也就改变了。
在一些文化里，友谊意即两人之间一种强烈的，一世之久的情感。在这些文化里，友谊发展得慢，因为要持久。但美国是个急速变化的社会，有些研究发现每年每五个美国家庭之中，就有一个家庭搬家。美国人的友谊建立得快，但也可能改变得快。
从美国来的人可能刚开始看起来很亲切。美国人常能很容易地和陌生人聊天，他们交换关于自己的家庭、兴趣和工作的个人资料，他们可能热情地微笑说「祝你有愉快的一天」或是「待会儿见」，而同学也许会说「我们找一天聚聚」，但是美国人的友善并不意谓真正的友谊。
经过像亚瑟的经历之后，局外人也许会视美国人为善变的。了解美国人如何看待友谊，能够帮助非美国人士避免误会，也能帮助他们以美国人的方式交朋友。
以下是一些和美国人交朋友的秘诀：
1.到一些美国人喜欢去的地方：宴会、教会、西餐厅、公园和健身房。
2.乐意跨出第一步，不要等他们来接近你。在中国的美国人不知道你会不会讲英语。如果他们不会讲你的语言，他们可能觉得不好意思。
3.以闲聊来展开话题，问他们来自哪里，为什么到中国等等。切记：注意避免非常私人的问题，例如年龄、薪水、婚姻状况和长相。
4.对他们的文化、国家或者工作表示兴趣。(美国人喜欢谈论自己)
5.邀请他们和你一起吃饭或喝茶。要讲定时间，否则，美国人有时会用一些一般性的邀请，像「找个时间聚聚吧!」，但这只是表示友善的 方法 而非真正的邀请。
6.不要一开始就对你们的友谊期待太多，也许他们只是表示友善，但也可能他们真的要做你的好朋友，这需要时间证明。
像亚瑟一样的人不应放弃交朋友，美国人还是看重强烈，一生之久的友谊，即使是和非美国人士。交朋友时，对于文化有某种程度的了解将会有所帮助。