英语美文口袋书：文化篇

2023年10月13日星期五 祝福早安 天气多云 气温16℃ 《英语美文 文化篇》 Do you think studying in adifferent country is something that sounds very exciting?There are also some challenges you will encounter.Because your views may clash with the different beliefs,norms,values,and traditions that exist in different countries.This is culture shock.Evidently,at least four essential stages of culture-shock adjustment occur. The first stage is called“the honeymoon.”In this stage,you feel excited about living in adifferent place,and everything seems to be marvelous.You like everything,and everybody seems to be so nice to you.Also,the amusement of life in anew culture seems as though it will have no ending. Eventually,however,the second stage of culture shock appears.This is the“hostility stage.”You begin to notice that not everything is as good as you had originally thought it was.Moreover,people don’t treat you like aguest anymore.Everything that seemed to be so wonderful at first is now awful,and everything makes you feel distressed and tired. Usually at this point in your adjustment to anew culture,you devise some defense mechanisms to help you cope and to protect yourself against the effects of culture shock.One type of coping mechanism is called“repression.”This happens when you pretend that everything is acceptable and that nothing bothers you.Another type of defense mechanism is called“regression.”This occurs when you start to act as if you are younger than you actually are.You forget everything,and sometimes you become careless and irresponsible.The third kind of defense mechanism is called“isolation.”You would rather be home alone,and you don’t want to communicate with anybody.With isolation,you try to avoid the effects of culture shock.Isolation is one of the worst coping mechanisms you can use because it separates you from those things that could really help you.The last type of defense mechanism is called“rejection.”With this coping mechanism,you think you don’t need anybody.You feel you are coping fine alone. The defense mechanisms you utilize in the hostility stage are not helpful.If you only occasionally use one of these coping mechanisms to help yourself survive,that is acceptable.You must be cautious,however.These mechanisms can really hurt you because they prevent you from making necessary adjustments to the new culture. After you deal with your hostile feelings,recognition of the temporary nature of culture shock begins.Then you come to the third stage called“recovery.”In this stage,you start feeling more positive,and you try to develop comprehension of everything you don’t understand,and you adjust yourself to the new norms,values,and even beliefs and traditions of the new country.You begin to see that even though the distinctions of the culture are different from your own,it has elements that you can learn to appreciate. The last stage of culture shock is called“adjustment.”In this stage,you have reached apoint where you actually feel good because you have learned enough to understand the new culture.The things that initially made you feel uncomfortable or strange are now things that you understand.This acquisition of understanding alleviates much of the stress.Now you feel comfortable;you have adjusted to the new culture. Evidently,culture shock is something you cannot avoid when living in aforeign country.It does not seem like avery helpful experience when you are going through its four stages.However,when you have completely adjusted to anew culture you can more fully enjoy it.You learn how to interact with other people,and you learn aconsiderable amount about life in aculture that is not your own.Furthermore,learning about other cultures and how to adjust to the shock of living in them helps you learn more aboutyourself. 中文译文 文化冲击 卡勒弗·奥伯格 你认为在异国留学是一件听起来非常兴奋的事情吗？你也会遇到一些挑战。因为你的观点可能会与不同国家的不同信念、准则、价值观念和传统发生冲突。这就是文化冲击。很明显，在人们适应文化冲击的过程中至少会经历四个主要阶段。 第一阶段叫作“蜜月期”。在这一阶段里，你会因为能在一个不同国度里生活而感到兴奋不已，而且每一样东西都是那么美好。你什么都喜欢，而且好像每个人都对你很好。另外，新文化中的生活好像乐趣无限。 然而文化冲击的第二阶段最终还是出现了。这就是“敌意阶段”。你开始注意到并不是每样东西都如同你原先认为的那样美好。还有，人们也不再把你当作一个客人来对待了。所有最初看上去非常美好的东西现在变得让人讨厌了，而且每样东西都使你感到苦恼和厌倦。 通常在你适应一种新文化的过程中进入这一阶段时，你会采取一些帮助你应对和保护自己免受文化冲击影响的保护性机制。其中有一种叫作“压抑”。当你假装所有的东西都是可以接受的，没有什么令你感到烦恼的时候，你就是在用“压抑”机制。另一种保护性机制是“倒退”。当你的行为举止开始显得比你实际年龄要小的时候，你就在用这种机制。你忘记一切，有时会变得粗心大意和不负责任。第三种保护性机制叫“隔绝”。你宁可一个人待在家里，也不想和任何人交流。你想通过隔绝以避免受到文化冲击的影响。隔绝也许是人们用来对付文化冲击的最糟糕的办法之一，因为你把那些能真正帮助你的东西和你隔离开来了。最后一种保护性机制是“排斥”。这一办法让你觉得自己不需要任何帮助，自己可以独自把事情处理好。 你在敌意阶段中所采用的这些方法并不能解决问题。如果你只是偶尔使用一下其中一种来帮助你生存下去，这还情有可原。但是你必须谨慎小心，这些办法可能会真的使你受到伤害，因为它们会阻碍你对新的文化做出必要的适应。 在你对付过了自己的敌对情绪后，你就会开始认识到文化冲击的短暂性。然后你就会步入第三阶段——“恢复期”。在这个阶段，你开始变得积极起来，会努力去理解所有你并不理解的东西。你开始使自己适应新的准则、新的价值观念，乃至这个新国家的各种信仰和传统。你开始明白，虽然这种新文化的特点和你自己的文化特点有所不同，其中也必定有着值得你学习和欣赏的东西。 文化冲击的最后一个阶段是“适应阶段”。在这个阶段里，你达到了真正感觉良好的境界，因为你已经学到了很多东西，已经能理解这新的文化了。最初使你感到不舒服或者陌生的东西，现在已成了你能理解的东西了。这种理解会减轻你的许多压力。现在你感到舒服，你已经适应了新的文化。 很显然，文化冲击是一种生活在异国他乡的人们无法避免的东西。当你在经历文化冲击的这四个阶段时，它似乎并不是一件有益的事。然而，当你完全适应了某一种新的文化时，你会更加彻底地享受它。你学会了如何与他人交流，而且你还了解了大量与自己不同文化背景的人们的生活境况。此外，了解其他各种文化以及当你生活在其中时懂得如何去适应所受到的冲击，可以帮助你更好地了解你自己。 词汇速记 devise　v.　想出，策划 mechanism　n.　机制 cope　v.　处理，对付 美句欣赏 In this stage,you start feeling more positive,and you try to develop comprehension of everything you don’t understand,and you adjust yourself to the new norms,values,and even beliefs and traditions of the new country.在这个阶段，你开始变得积极起来，会努力去理解所有你并不理解的东西。你开始使自己适应新的准则、新的价值观念，乃至这个新国家的各种信仰和传统。 Let us not wallow in the valley of despair,I say to you today,my friends.And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow,I still have adream.It is adream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have adream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:“We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal.” I have adream that one day on the red hills of Georgia,the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have adream that one day even the state of Mississippi,a state sweltering with the heat of injustice,sweltering with the heat of oppression,will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have adream that my four little children will one day live in anation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have adream today! I have adream that one day,down in Alabama,with its vicious racists,with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of“interposition”and“nullification”—one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have adream today! I have adream that one day every valley shall be exalted,and every hill and mountain shall be made low,the rough places will be made plain,and the crooked places will be made straight;and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope,and this is the faith that Igo back to the South with.With this faith,we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair astone of hope.With this faith,we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into abeautiful symphony of brotherhood.With this faith,we will be able to work together,to pray together,to struggle together,to go to jail together,to stand up for freedom together,knowing that we will be free one day. And this will be the day—this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee Ising. Land where my fathers died, Land of the Pilgrim’s pride, From every mountainside, Let freedom ring! And if America is to be agreat nation,this must become true. 中文译文 我有一个梦想 马丁·路德·金 朋友们，今天我要告诉你们，我们切莫再沉湎于绝望的深渊之中。尽管我们面临重重困难，但我仍然有一个梦想。这个梦想深深扎根于伟大的美国梦。 我有个梦想：总有一天这个国家奋然而起，实现其信条的真谛：“我们认为这些真理不言自明，每个人生而平等。” 我有个梦想：总有一天在佐治亚州的红土山坡上，昔日奴隶的儿子与昔日奴隶主的儿子能够如兄弟手足般同榻而坐。 我有个梦想：总有一天就算是密西西比这样一个被不公正与种族压迫的热潮所统治的荒漠之州，也能转变成一方自由和正义的绿洲。 我有个梦想：总有一天我的四个孩子将生活在一个不是以他们的肤色、而是以他们内在品质来评价他们的国度中。 今天，我有一个梦想。 我有个梦想：总有一天亚拉巴马州——该州还存在恶毒的种族主义者，其州长今天仍在鼓吹反对和废除联邦法令的论调——能有所不同，黑人小男孩与小女孩能够和白人小男孩与小女孩如兄弟姐妹般地携手同行。 今天，我有一个梦想。 我有个梦想：总有一天我们会填平所有的峡谷，夷平所有的山丘，崎岖之地将变为坦荡的平原，曲折之路将变为笔直的大道；主的荣光将会显现，芸芸众生同声赞叹。 这是我们的渴望，也是将随我返回南方去的信念。靠着这个信念，我们就能把绝望之山凿成希望之石。靠着这个信念，我们就能把我们国家里种族争斗的杂音，谱成一篇兄弟般友爱的动人乐章。靠着这个信念，我们就能共同工作，共同祈盼，共同战斗，共同昂首入狱，共同维护自由。我们知道，总有一天，我们会获得自由。 当这一天到来之时，上帝所有的子民都能以全新的意义高唱：我的祖国，亲爱的自由之邦，我为你歌唱。这是祖先安息的故园，这是朝圣者为之自豪的土地。让自由之声在每一座山峰回响！ 当美国要成为真正伟大的国家，这一切必将成真。 词汇速记 wallow　v.　沉溺 oasis　n.　绿洲 interposition　n.　干涉，异议 nullification　n.　取消，废弃 exalt　v.　颂扬，提升 symphony　n.　交响乐 美句欣赏 I have adream that one day every valley shall be exalted,and every hill and mountain shall be made low,the rough places will be made plain,and the crooked places will be made straight;and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.我有个梦想：总有一天我们会填平所有的峡谷，夷平所有的山丘，崎岖之地将变为坦荡的平原，曲折之路将变为笔直的大道；主的荣光将会显现，芸芸众生同声赞叹。