美国人的问候方式

Greetings

美国人的问候方式

East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." At least, that's what English writer Rudyard Kipling said. Truth is, nowadays Easterners and Westerners meet quite often. And when they do meet, naturally, they have to find an appropriate greeting. Aye, there's the rub. What's culturally appropriate for people in one culture may be completely out of line in another culture. So the best approach is to follow the well-known maxim, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

「东方是东方，西方是西方，两者是不会相会的。」至少，英国短篇小说家吉普林是如此认为。事实上，当今东方人与西方人时常碰面。当他们会面时，自然而然地必须找出一种合适的问候方式。唉，这就麻烦了！在某个文化里可能恰到好处的事，到另一个文化里，就可能过分踰矩。因此，最佳的做法就是遵守这个耳熟能详的行事准则：「入境随俗」。

So what's an appropriate salutation for Americans? Maybe you already know how to say, "How are you?" You might even know the customary response, "Fine, thanks, and you?" Is that all there is to greeting people American-style? Well, Americans do often use this trite greeting, and they generally expect nothing but the standard answer. (If you want to shock an American friend, the next time he greets you this way, tell him how you're really doing.) But most Americans enjoy a little variety now and then. In informal settings, you might hear Americans say, "How's it going?" (which doesn't mean, "What's your destination?") or "What's up?" (which isn't an inquiry about the stock market). Formal situations, on the other hand might call for expressions like "Good morning" or "Hello, it's nice to see you."

After the initial "hello," what kind of comments are appropriate to kick off a conversation? You might engage in small talk and make a remark about the weather, your job or current events. Or you could ask your American friend about his recent activities or his upcoming plans. If you know that he's been under the weather, you might ask him how he's feeling. But don't make use of personal comments or questions like "Boy, you've put on weight!" or "What are all those bumps on your face?" or "How much money did that necklace cost?" Americans might take offense at questions or comments about money or their appearance.

One other caution: In some social contexts, particularly in an office or a professional setting, greetings between the sexes should be very conservative. If you're a man, greeting a woman with a statement like "Wow! You look beautiful today!" may be construed as a come--on. So when you're giving a compliment, the key is to use discretion.

另一项值得注意的：在某种社交场合，尤其是在办公室或专业场合里，两性之间的问候应该非常保守。如果你是男性，而问候女性时你说：「哇！你今天真漂亮！」这可能会被误解为一种挑逗行为。因此，赞美他人时，仔细斟酌非常重要。

What about overt displays of affection, like hugging and kissing? Contrary to some stereotypes, Americans don't go around hugging and kissing everyone they meet. Of course, girls might give each other a squeeze as a friendly gesture, and in some high society circles, a little peck on the cheek is a common courtesy. But except with family members and close friends, Americans usually don't give out wholesale hugs. Besides that, not all Americans are inveterate huggers anyway. So don't wrap your arms around the next American you see. He or she might be just as uncomfortable as you are.

那么，公开地表示感情，例如拥抱以及亲吻，又该如何呢？美国人与一般人所认定的典型不同，他们并不会到处拥抱、亲吻遇见的每一个人。当然，女性们可能会在见面时彼此紧抱一下以示友好；而且在某些上流社交圈里，轻吻对方的面颊是很普遍的礼节。但除了对家人与好友外，美国人通常不会经常随便拥抱他人。此外，并不是每一位美国人都习惯拥抱他人。因此，不要随便把手臂环住下一个你碰到的美国人。他可能会跟你一样地不自在。

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