新编英语教程7 unit 1

DifferentSpaceConceptsbetweentheEnglishandtheAmericans黄微王哲刘燕王利洁曹娟娟Ⅰ.IntroductionAsforeignlanguageespeciallyEnglishlearners,UncleSamandJohnBullarenotstrangetous.Asisknowntoall,Americansareoptimistic,confident,braveandactive,whiletraditionalEnglishmanareintroversive,indifferent,polite,loyalandfullofsenseofnationalsuperiority.EnglishmanandAmericansrespectivelycomplainsomuchthatEnglishmandislikeAmericans’lackofhistorywhereasAmericanssayEnglishmanarevoidoffuturesense.Inspiteoftheirsharedlanguage,theircultureistotallydifferent.Americancultureisuniquebecauseitisnurtured,formedanddevelopedundercertainconditions,whicharecharacteristicallyAmerican.Themajorfactorscontributingtothemakingofthisnewnationandtheformingofanewculturearethehardenvironment,ethnicdiversityandpluralreligion,whichisquitedifferentfromothernationsintheworld.Whatismore,theseelementsarestillinfluencingtheAmericanculture.However,thecultureofEnglandreferstotheidiosyncraticculturalnormsofEnglandandtheEnglishpeople.BecauseofEngland’sdominantpositionwithintheUnitedKingdomintermsofpopulation,EnglishcultureisoftendifficulttodifferentiatefromthecultureoftheUnitedKingdomasawhole.Itisculturethatmakesthemholddifferentattitudestowardsspace.What’smore,inregardtotheneedforascreenfortheego,thisplacestheAmericanssomewherebetweentheGermansandtheEnglish.Someexampleswhichcanobviouslyillustratethesedifferencesareasfollows.Ⅱ.Contrasting1.ClassdistinctionsIntheUnitedStates,weusespaceasawayofclassifyingpeopleandactivities,whereasinEnglanditisthesocialsystemthatdetermineswhoyouare.IntheUnitedStates,youraddressisanimportantcuetostatus.TheJonesesfromBrooklynandMiamiarenotas"in"astheJonesesfromNewportandPalmBeach.GreenwichandCapeCodeareworldsapartfromNewarkandMiami.BusinesseslocatedonMadisonandParkavenueshavemoretonethanthoseonSeventhandEighthavenues.Acornerofficeismoreprestigiousthanonenexttotheelevatororattheendofalonghall.InEngland,theparticularlycomplexandconfusingclasssystemissimplymadeupoftheupper,middleandlowerclass.ThewealthyfamilieswhoruntheCityofLondonareatthecoreoftheBritishclassandtheypassonwealthfromgenerationtogenerationandenjoyadominantpositioninsociety,whichmarksitasdifferentfromtheAmericanorChinesestructure.Themiddleclasscanbedividedintoevensmallersegments.SomepeoplewhoaredependentonthetightclassstructureoftheBritishEmpireforhisposition,butpoorerthanmanypeopleinsupposedlylowerclassesmayrefertohisownfamilyas“lower-upper-middleclass”.Unfortunately,lower-classisrelatedtothosewhosebackgroundsareworkingclass.Theyseldomhavetherighttodowhattheywanttodo.Thus,inBritain,withaninherittitlesuchasbaronets,baronsandduck,theupper-classdoeshavealotofprivilege.TheymostlikelyhaveaseatintheHouseofLordsandvoteasindividualsforservingtheirowninterests.They,theEnglishman,arebornandbroughtupinasocialsystem.HeisstillLord--nomatterwhereyoufindhim,evenifitisbehindthecounterinafishmonger'sstall.2.Inadditiontoclassdistinctions,therearedifferencesbetweentheEnglishmanandAmericansinhowspaceisallotted.Themiddle-classAmericangrowingupintheUnitedStatesfeelshehasarighttohavehisownroom,oratleastpartofoffice.SomeAmericansubjects,whenaskedtodrawanidealroomoroffice,invariablydrewitforthemselvesandnooneelse.Whenaskedtodrawtheirpresentroomoroffice,theydrewonlytheirownpartofasharedroomandthendrewalinedownthemiddle.Bothmaleandfemalesubjectsidentifiedthekitchenandthemasterbedroomasbelongingstothemotherorthewife,whereasFather'sterritorywasastudyoraden,ifonewasavailable,otherwise,itwas"theshop,""thebasement,"orsometimesonlyaworkbenchorthegarage.Americanwomenwhowanttobealonecangotothebedroomandclosethedoor.TheMiddle-andupper-classEnglishman,ontheotherhand,isbroughtupinanurserysharedwithbrothersandsisters.Theoldestoccupiesaroombyhimselfwhichhevacateswhenheleavesforboardingschool,possiblyevenattheageofnineorten.Thedifferencebetweenaroomofone'sownandearlyconditioningtosharedspace,whileseeminginconsequential,hasanimportanteffectontheEnglishman'sattitudetowardhisownspace.Hemayneverhaveapermanent"roomofhisown"andseldomexpectsoneorfeelsheisentitledtoone.EvenMembersofParliamenthavenoofficesandoftenconducttheirbusinessontheterraceoverlookingtheThames.Asaconsequence,theEnglisharepuzzledbytheAmericanneedforasecureplaceinwhichtowork,anoffice.AmericansworkinginEnglandmaybecomeannoyediftheyarenotprovidedwithwhattheyconsiderappropriateenclosedworkspace.Inregardtotheneedforwallsasascreenfortheego,thisplacestheAmericanssomewherebetweentheGermansandtheEnglish.3.Thecloseddoorisanunremarkablephenomenon,whileithasgreatdistinctionamongAmerican,EnglishandGerman.Thecloseddooristhesignmeaning“Donotdisturb”or“I’mangry.”AnAmericanisavailableifhisdoorisopenathomeorathisoffice.Heisexpectednottoshuthimselfoffbuttomaintainhimselfinastateofconstantreadinesstoanswerthedemandsofothers.Closeddoorsareforconferences,privateconversations,andbusiness,workthatrequiresconcentration,study,resting,sleeping,dressing,andsex.WhentheAmericanwantstobealonehegoesintoaroomandshutsthedoor.ForanAmericantorefusetosomeoneelsepresentinthesameroom,togivethemthe“silenttreatment,”istheultimateformofrejectionandasuresignofgreatdispleasure.TheEnglish,ontheotherhand,lackingroomsoftheirownsincechildhood,neverdevelopedthepracticeofusingspaceasarefugefromother.Theyhaveineffectinternalizedasetofbarriers,whichtheyerectandwhichothersaresupposedtorecognize.Therefore,themoretheEnglishmanshutshimselfoffwhenheiswithanAmericanthemorelikelytheAmericanistobreakintoassurehimselfthatalliswell.Tensionlastsuntilthetwogettoknoweachother.Theimportantpointisthatthespatialandarchitecturalneedsofeacharenotthesameatall.InaninstancewheretheAmericanswouldconsiderhimselfnottointrudeGermanyandbydefinitionwouldnotbecomeinvolvedwithhim,whileGermanywouldthinktheyhavealreadyenteredtheirterritory.Thefollowingexperiencebroughttheconflictintofocus.AsHallstoodtalkingonthedoorstep,heglancedtotheleftandnoticedthatsomefiftytosixtyfeetaway,insidethestudio,thePrussianartistandtwoofhisfriendswerealsoinconversation.TheartistwasfacingsothatifheglancedtoonesidehecouldjustseeHall.Hallhadnotedtheartist’presence,butnotwantingtoappearpresumptuousortointerprethisconversation,unconsciouslyappliedtheAmericanruleandassumedthatthetwoactivities-hequietconversationandtheartist’sconversation-werenotinvolvedwitheachother.AsHallwassoontolearn,thiswasamistake,becauseinlesstimethanittakestotell,theartisthaddetachedhimselffromhisfriends,crossedtheinterveningspace,pushedHall’sfriendaside,andwitheyesflashing,startedshoutingatHall.BywhatrighthadHallenteredhisstudiowithoutgreetinghim?WhohadgivenHallpermission?Ⅲ.SummaryLikemostwritingsofanacademicnature,thisarticleisneatly-structured.Itusesintroduction-elucidation-conclusionstructure.Itsthesisisclearlystatedinthefirstparagraphthatthere’redifferencesbetweentheEnglishandtheAmericansandthereasoncausingthisiscommunicationsonotherlevelsbeginningwithEnglishintonationandcontinuingtoego-linkedwaysofhandlingtime,space