零距离美语会话[文化风俗差异]Lesson6:Ashoutingmatch

Six   A shouting match?
一场争吵比赛？

 1   Introduction 
A   American humor often confuses the Chinese.  The American sense of the comedic is quite different from the Chinese.  When Americans tell a joke to the Chinese, the looks of puzzlement are simply golden.  Likewise Chinese humor is just as great a mystery to Americans.
美国人的幽默经常使中国人很困惑。美国人的笑话与中国人的很不一样。美国人向中国人讲笑话时，那种迷惑的表情真是堪称一绝。同样地，中国人的幽默对于美国人来说，也是神秘得不得了。

B   Americans have this expression: “It’s good to have a sense of humor about life.” This generally means it is helpful to refrain from anger or despair when your situation is difficult.
美国人有这样一句话，“对生活有幽默感还是好的。”这大致就是说，当你的处境出现困难时，它可以帮助你克制住愤怒、绝望。

 2    Sample Sentences
1.    I try to maintain a robust sense of humor.
      我尽量保持十足的幽默感。
2.    They always try to make fun of me.
    他们老是开我的玩笑。
3.    We like to joke about such things. 
      我们喜欢说一些这样的笑话。
4.    You will be so popular here in America, because you are so much MORE beautiful than the girls I see here.  No kidding!
      你在美国会很受欢迎的，因为你比我在这里看到的女孩都漂亮多了。是真的！
5.    He is not a good-looking guy, but he’s very funny.
      他长相并不好看，但是他很滑稽。
6.    He is very humorous.  He always makes me laugh.
他很幽默。他老是惹我笑。
7.    The situations I have encountered certainly defy my imagination, and deserve a good laugh.
我所遇到的情形与我想象中的完全不一样，值得哈哈大笑一番。
8.    I don’t see the humor in it.
我不觉得这好笑。
9.    You know Tina is kind of slow; she didn’t get it at first.
      你知道蒂娜的反应有点慢，她起先没有明白过来。
10.   Oh, my gosh！ It’s unbelievable.
      噢，天啦! 简直无法相信。

 3    Conversations
1.  A Chinese woman, Helen, is chatting at her home with her American single friend, Sam, who just answered his mobile phone.
Helen:  Do you have to leave soon?
Sam:  No.  Actually I can stay longer.  Dave (his boss) called to say that there is a beautiful Chinese girl who’s going to pick me up at the school gate tonight at 10:30 instead of 8:30.
Helen:  Oh, that’s better.  So you don’t have to rush.
Sam:  Yeah.  You know what Dave just said?
Helen:  What?
Sam:  He said I should put on something very nice, because this girl will be my next target1.
Helen:   (smiling) He knows you very well.
Sam:  He always makes fun of me.  He always says things like that.  You know the new coming teacher, a Chinese Canadian.  He said she would really be my chance.
Helen:  I’m sure you have chances everywhere.  You’re handsome, talkative2, and got a sense of humor.  You must be very popular.
Sam:  No, you’re kidding.  I’m not taking it seriously.
【译文】
——你很快就要走吗？
——不。实际上我还可以呆久一点。戴夫(他的老板)打电话来说今晚有个漂亮的女孩会在学校门口接我，八点半改成了十点半。
——噢，那更好。这样你就不必急急忙忙了。
——是啊。你知道刚才戴夫说什么了吗？
——什么？
——他说我应该穿好看一点，因为这个女孩将会是我的下一个目标。
——(微笑) 他真了解你。
——他老是开我的玩笑。他老是说些那样的话。你知道这位新来的老师，一个中国的加拿大人。 他说她将会是我真正的机会。
——我敢肯定你的机会到处都有。你很帅，又健谈，而且还有幽默感。你一定很受欢迎。
——没有，你在说笑。我不会当真啦。

2.   Joseph, an American guy, came to Guangzhou recently.  He is talking to his Chinese friend about his experience here.
Julia:  You have been here for how long?  Four months now?
Joseph:  Yeah, about.
Julia:  Do you know Chinese better now? 
Joseph:  Oh, definitely.  I remember, when I first arrived in Guangzhou, my girlfriend was haggling3 with a sales clerk over the price of a mobile phone.
Julia:  Oh, yeah.  Many Chinese like to bargain.  It happens almost everywhere.
Joseph:  I mean, I understand that.  But the speed of the conversation got faster and faster, until it seemed to me that they would fight.  My perception4 of the tone was that it was a violent shouting match5.  The truth was that it was a perfectly normal conversation.
Julia:   (laughing) A shouting match?  You’re so funny.  You must be exaggerating6.  I don’t believe it.
Joseph:  I am not exaggerating at all.  I’m telling you the truth.  That was how I felt at that time.
Julia:  Yes, perhaps.  Chinese usually don’t notice that sort of thing.  Maybe it’s quite natural7 to us.
Joseph:  Yes, absolutely true.
【译文】
——你来中国多久了？到现在四个月？
——是，大概是这样。
——你现在对中国人了解多一些了吧？
——噢，那当然。我记得，当我初到广州时，我的女朋友在买手提电话时跟营业员正在讨价还价。
——噢，是啊。很多中国人喜欢讨价还价。这几乎随处可见。
——我知道是那样。但是谈话的语速越来越快，直到我看来他们会打架。他们的音调让我觉得那是一场猛烈的争吵比赛。实情是，那是一个很平常的谈话。
——（笑）一场争吵比赛？你还真滑稽。你一定在夸张。我不信。
——我一点都不夸张。我是在说真的。当时我真是这么觉得。
——是，有可能。中国人通常不会注意到这种事。也许我们都习以为常了。
——对，一点都没错。

《零距离美语会话[文化风俗差异]Lesson6:Ashoutingmatch》永久阅读地址: http://91kudian.com/yingyu/2014/