P：How's your time spent in the United States?

你在美國待得怎么樣?

K：Well, pretty good.

嗯,挺好的.

P：I'm glad to hear that. What impressed you most?

很高興你這么說.印象最深的是什么?

K：Well, the cultural differences impressed me most.

文化差異.

P：You mean we Chinese think differently from the Americans?

你是說我們中國人和美國人的思維方式不一樣?

K：That's right, quite different. One day one of my American friend looked pale, so I asked him whether he was sick or not. But he was reluctant to answer my question.

對,很不一樣.有一天,我的一位朋友臉色蒼白,我問他是不是病了,可他根本不愿意回答我的問題.

P：That's weird.

這很奇怪啊.

K：And what's more, when he told me he had caught a cold for several days, I suggested him to go to the hospital as soon as possible.

還有更怪的呢,他告訴我他感冒已經(jīng)好幾天了,然后我建議他盡快去醫(yī)院.

P：You really cared about your friend.

你還挺關(guān)心你朋友的.

K：Sure I am. But he responded by saying'what do you mean?'.

當(dāng)然了.可是他卻對我說,“你什么意思?”

P：I'm confused. Why did he say that?

我暈.你怎么那樣說話啊?

K：I felt the same at first. Later he told me that I'd better not give him any suggestions when he was sick. Offering unsolicited help or advice is like showing sympathy to the weak or the poor. But back in China, helping others is always regarded being kind.

開始我和你的反應(yīng)一樣.后來他告訴我,他生病的時候,我最好不要給他提供任何建議.未經(jīng)請求而提供幫助或建議就好像是憐憫弱者或窮人一樣.可是在中國,幫助他人往往被認(rèn)為是善舉.

P：Absolutely. Now I understand why he responded that way.

沒錯.現(xiàn)在我明白他為什么那樣說話了.