新编跨文化交际英语教程cases参考答案

Case1Inthiscase,thereseemedtobeproblemsincommunicatingwithpeopleofdifferentculturesinspiteoftheeffortsmadetoachieveunderstanding.WeshouldknowthatinEgyptasinmanycultures,thehumanrelationshipisvaluedsohighlythatitisnotexpressedinanobjectiveandimpersonalway.WhileAmericanscertainlyvaluehumanrelationships,theyaremorelikelytospeakoftheminlesspersonal,moreobjectiveterms.Inthiscase,Richard‘smistakemightbethathechosetopraisethefooditselfratherthanthetotalevening,forwhichthefoodwassimplythesettingorexcuse.Forhishostandhostessitwasasifhehadattendedanartexhibitandcomplimentedtheartistbysaying,―Whatbeautifulframesyourpicturesarein.InJapanthesituationmaybemorecomplicated.Japanesepeoplevalueorderandharmonyamongpersonsinagroup,andthattheorganizationitself－beitafamilyoravastcorporation－ismorevaluedthanthecharacteristicsofanyparticularmember.Incontrast,Americansstressindividualityasavalueandareapttoassertindividualdifferenceswhentheyseemjustifiablyinconflictwiththegoalsorvaluesofthegroup.Inthiscase:Richard‘smistakewasinmakinggreateffortstodefendhimself.Lettheothersassumethattheerrorswerenotintentional,butitisnotrighttodefendyourself,evenwhenyourunstatedintentistoassistthegroupbywarningothersofsimilarmistakes.Asimpleapologyandacceptanceoftheblamewouldhavebeenappropriate.ButforpoorRichardtohavemerelyapologizedwouldhaveseemedtohimtobesubservient,unmanly.WhenitcomestoEngland,weexpectfewerproblemsbetweenAmericansandEnglishmenthanbetweenAmericansandalmostanyothergroup.Inthiscasewemightlookbeyondthegestureoftakingsugarorcreamtothevaluesexpressedinthisgesture:forAmericans,―Helpyourself;fortheEnglishcounterpart,―Bemyguest.AmericanandEnglishpeopleequallyenjoyentertainingandbeingentertainedbuttheydiffersomewhatinthevalueofthedistinction.Typically,theidealguestatanAmericanpartyisonewho―makeshimselfathome,eventothepointofansweringthedoororfixinghisowndrink.Forpersonsinmanyothersocieties,includingatleastthishypotheticalEnglishhost,suchguestbehaviorispresumptuousorrude.Case2Acommonculturalmisunderstandinginclassesinvolvesconflictsbetweenwhatissaidtobedirectcommunicationstyleandindirectcommunicationstyle.InAmericanculture,peopletendtosaywhatisontheirmindsandtomeanwhattheysay.Therefore,studentsinclassareexpectedtoaskquestionswhentheyneedclarification.MexicanculturesharesthispreferenceofstylewithAmericancultureinsomesituations,andthat‘swhythestudentsfromMexicoreadilyadoptedthetechniquesofaskingquestionsinclass.However,Koreanpeoplegenerallypreferindirectcommunicationstyle,andthereforetheytendtonotsaywhatisontheirmindsandtorelymoreonimplicationsandinference,soastobepoliteandrespectfulandavoidlosingfacethroughanyimproperverbalbehavior.Asismentionedinthecase,tomanyKoreans,numerousquestionswouldshowadisrespectfortheteacher,andwouldalsoreflectthatthestudenthasnotstudiedhardenough.Case3Theconflicthereisadifferenceinculturalvaluesandbeliefs.Inthebeginning,Marydidn‘trealizethatherDominicansistersawherasamemberofthefamily,literally.IntheDominicanview,familypossessionsaresharedbyeveryoneofthefamily.LuzwasactingasmostDominicansisterswoulddoinborrowingwithoutaskingeverytime.OnceMaryunderstoodthattherewasadifferentwayoflookingatthis,shewouldbecomemoreaccepting.However,shemightstillexperiencethesamefrustrationwhenthishappenedagain.Shehadtofindwaystocopewithherownemotionalculturalreactionaswellasherpracticalproblem(thebatteriesrunningout).Case4Itmightbesimplyaquestionofdifferentrhythms.Americanshaveonerhythmintheirpersonalandfamilyrelations,intheirfriendlinessandtheircharities.Peoplefromothercultureshavedifferentrhythms.TheAmericanrhythmisfast.Itischaracterizedbyarapidacceptanceofothers.However,itisseldomthatAmericansengagethemselvesentirelyinafriendship.Theirfriendshipsarewarm,butcasual,andspecialized.Forexample,youhaveaneighborwhodropsbyinthemorningforcoffee.Youseeherfrequently,butyouneverinviteherfordinner---notbecauseyoudon‘tthinkshecouldhandleaforkandaknife,butbecauseyouhaveseenherthatmorning.Therefore,youreserveyourmoreformalinvitationtodinnerforsomeonewholivesinamoredistantpartofthecityandwhomyouwouldnotseeunlessyouextendedaninvitationforaspecialoccasion.Now,ifthefirstfriendmovesawayandthesecondonemovesnearby,youarelikelytoreversethis---seethesecondfriendinthemorningsforinformalcoffeemeetings,andthefirstoneyouwillinvitemoreformallytodinner.Americansare,inotherwords,guidedveryoftenbytheirownconvenience.Theytendtomakefriendseasily,andtheydon‘tfeelitnecessarytogotoagreatamountoftroubletoseefriendsoftenwhenitbecomesinconvenienttodoso,andusuallynooneishurt.Butinsimilarcircumstancespeoplefrommanyothercultureswouldbehurtverydeeply.Case5InChina,itisoftennotpolitetoacceptafirstofferandHepingwasbeingmodest,politeandwell-behavedandhadeveryintentionofacceptingthebeeratthesecondorthirdoffer.ButhehadnotfiguredonNorthAmericanruleswhichfirmlysaythatyoudonotpushalcoholicbeveragesonanyone.Apersonmaynotdrinkforreligiousreasons,hemaybeareformedalcoholic,orhemaybeallergic.Whateverthereasonbehindtherule,youdonotinsistinofferingalcohol.SounconsciousandsostrongaretheirculturalrulesthattheAmericansequallypolitelynevermadeasecondofferapologizemorefrequentlyandanapologyinJapanesedoesnotnecessarilymeanthatthepersonisacknowledgingafault.TomanyJapanese,WesternersmayseemtoberudejustbecausetheydonotapologizeasoftenastheJapanesewoulddo.Inthiscase,forinstance,theattitudeoftheAustralianstudent‘sparentsisshockingtotheJapanesebutwillbeacceptableinanEnglish-speakingsociety,forthestudentisalreadyanadultandcanberesponsibleforherowndeeds.Case12Inthiscase,itseemsthattheChineseexpectationswerenotfulfilled.First,havingtwopeoplesharinghostresponsibilitiescouldbesomewhatconfusingtothehierarchicallymindedChinese.Second,becauseageisoftenviewedasanindicationofseniority,theChinesemighthaveconsideredtheyouthoftheirCanadianhostsasslighttotheirownstatus.Third,inChina,itistraditionalforthehosttoofferawelcometoastatthebeginningofthemeal,whichisthereciprocatedbytheguests;bynotdoingso,theCanadianmightbethoughtrude.TheabruptdepartureoftheChinesefollowingthebanquetwasprobablyanindicationthattheywerenotpleasedwiththewaytheyweretreated.TheCanadians‘lackofunderstandingoftheChinesecultureandtheChinesewaysofcommunicationclearlycostthemintheirbusinessdealingswiththevisitingdelegation.Case13Thisexamplevividlyillustratesthatfailuresininterculturaltranslationmayprobablyleadtoveryseriousconsequence,orevendisasterstohumanbeings.Definitely,translationisnotsuchasimpleprocessasrenderingaword,asentenceoratextliterally,butratherafarmorecomplexonethanmostpeopleassumed.Forexample,onceaChinesecosmeticmanufacturerwantedtopromotetheirproductsintotheinternationalmarket.Thesloganoftheadvertisementwas:―sweetasJade‖,sinceinChinese―jade‖wasalwaysemployedtocomplimentwoman‘sbeauty;butunfortunately,itwasnotanappropriatewordtodescribethebeautyofaladyinWesterncultures.InEnglish,―jade‖initsuseofreferringawomanhadtheconnotationssuchasvulgar,rude,immoral,orskittish.Undoubtedly,thesalesinEuropeancountrieswerenotsatisfying.Theseemingequivalentsbetweenlanguagesmayhaveverydifferentconnotationsindifferentcultures,thusthetranslatorshouldbecautiousintheprocessofdoingthetranslationsoastoavoidmisunderstandings.Case14―杨‖referstoYangKaihuiwhowasMaoZedong‘sdeceasedwifeand―柳‖referstoLiuzhixunwhowasLishuyi‘sdeceasedhusband.Theycanbetranslatedindifferentways,butitseemstobeverydifficult,ifnotimpossible,toachieveequivalenceintranslatingfromChineseintoEnglish.Adoptingtheliteraltranslationstrategy,version1appearstobefaithfultotheoriginalbutmayeasilyconfusethereadersinthetargetlanguage.Version2employstheliberaltranslationstrategywithanattempttoconveytheoriginalmeaningaspreciselyaspossible.However,theoriginalpoeticflavorislostastherhetoricdevice—pun—isnotreproduced.Case15Thetranslationseemstobefaithfultotheoriginal,butitmaynotbereallygoodforthepurposeofinterculturalcommunication.Foreignreadersofthetranslationmayfinditstrangeandinappropriate.ThefollowingiswhatafriendlyAmericanjournalisthascommentedonthetranslation:Myfirstreactionwasunfortunatelylaughterbecauseitissofullofmistakes.ItomitssomenecessaryinformationabouttheDragon-BoatFestival,includingitshistoricaloriginsandwhenitactuallytakesplace.Thesethingsareimportant…Thecopyseemstotryto―snow‖thereaderwithfanciful,overblownassertionsabouthowterrificitallis,butinunintentionallyhilariouslanguagethatleavesthereaderlaughingoutuninformed…Thebrochurealsosuffersfromlackofbackgroundmaterial,thetaking-if-for-grantedthatthereaderalreadyisfamiliarwithmanyaspectsofChinesehistoryandculture?visitinganareawanttoknow.WhyisitthatmanyChinesetravelguidesreadbasicallythesame,nomatterwhatregionisbeingwrittenabout,andaresopackedwithindiscriminatehyperbole?Lessexaggerationwouldactuallybemoreconvincing.Itdoesn‘ttellyouwheretogo,howtogetthere,whenthingsareopenandclosed,howmuchtheycost,andsoforth.AllthesearethingspeopleCase16ComparingthetwoEnglishversions,wecanseethatinYang‘sversionmoreculturally-loadedmeaningsareconveyedfromtheoriginalwhileHawkes‘versionmaybeeasierforEnglish-speakingreaderstocomprehend.Lookatsomeofthedifferencesbetweenthetwoversionsofthisextract:贾母TheLadyD