【正文】 can lifeto have power and/or respect –individuals must be seen as selfreliant. Although receiving financial support from charity, family, or the government is allowed, it is never admired. Many people believe that such individuals are setting a bad example, which may weaken the American character as a whole. ? Q3: What is your view on American values? What are the effects of American values? ? So, it is important to understand what most Americans truly mean when they say they believe in equality of opportunity. They mean that each individual should have an equal chance for success. It helps ensure that the race for success is a fair one and that a person does not win or lose just because of external forces. ? The phrase “going from rags to riches” became a slogan for the great American dream. There is, however, a price to be paid for this equality of opportunity: petition. ? Q3: What is your view on American values? What are the effects of American values? ? People who like to pete and are more successful than others are honored by being called winners. On the other hand, those who do not like to pete and are not successful when they try are often dishonored by being called losers. The pressure to pete causes Americans to be more energetic, but it also places a constant emotional strain on them. When they retire, they are at last free from the pressures of petition. But then a new problem arises. They may feel useless and unwanted in a society that gives so much prestige to those who pete well. This is why older people in the United States do not have as much honor and respect as they do in other less petitive societies. ? Q4: How is the mainstream American culture different from the Chinese culture? ? Open ? Q5: What are the main characteristics of values? ? First, as part of culture, values are learned from people around: family, school, mass media, and so on. Once learned, they tend to be stable and govern people’ beliefs, attitudes, ideas and actions. Second, values are hidden. We do not see them as they exist in our subconsciousness. We are not always aware of them, but we make judgments according to them. ? Q5: What are the main characteristics of values? ? Third , values are pervasive. Each of us has a unique set of individual values, but there are also values that tend to permeate a culture. They are called cultural values. The point we have to keep in mind is that the value of the culture may not be the value of all individuals within the culture. Fourth, values can be pared on a continuum rather than one of only two possible choices. People posses the same values to different degrees. Q5: What are the main characteristics of values? Fifth, values are interrelated. They don’t work alone. For example, the value toward family usually leads to those toward age, status, etc. Finally, values of a culture change just as cultures do. Of course, they change much more slowly than do the way people dress, the artifacts people make, and other parts of a culture that are easily seen. Contradictory values can be found in a particular culture. There is often a gulf between the values that are articulated (idealism) and the values that are acted out (reality). 1. Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what the values are that Americans live by. They have never given the matter much thought. 1. 大多數(shù)美國(guó)人在談起其賴以生存的價(jià)值觀時(shí)會(huì)感到力不從心。他們從未仔細(xì)考慮過(guò)價(jià)值觀這個(gè)問(wèn)題。 L. Robert Kohls 2. Even if Americans had considered this question, they would probably, in the end, decide not to answer in terms of a definitive list of values. The reason for this decision is itself one very American value — their belief that every individual is so unique that the same list of values could never be applied to all, or even most, of their fellow citizens. 2. 即使美國(guó)人考慮過(guò)這個(gè)問(wèn)題，他們最終也不可能決定以一張明確的價(jià)值觀清單來(lái)回答。做出這樣的一個(gè)決定，本身就是一個(gè)非常美國(guó)式的價(jià)值觀 ——他們相信每個(gè)個(gè)體都是獨(dú)一無(wú)二的，相同的價(jià)值觀永遠(yuǎn)也不可能適用于所有的美國(guó)公民，甚至不能適用于大多數(shù)公民。 3. Although Americans may think of themselves as being more varied and unpredictable than they actually are, it is significant that they think they are. Americans tend to think they have been only slightly influenced by family, church or schools. In the end, each believes, “I personally chose which values I want to live my own life by.” 3. 盡管美國(guó)人可能認(rèn)為他們自己比實(shí)際看上去更加變幻莫測(cè)，但重要的是他們的確認(rèn)為自己變幻莫測(cè)。美國(guó)人普遍認(rèn)為他們受家庭、教會(huì)或?qū)W校影響很輕微。最終，每個(gè)人都認(rèn)為“我個(gè)人會(huì)根據(jù)自己生活方式選擇我的價(jià)值觀”。 4. The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When you encounter an action, or hear a statement in the United States that surprises you, try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed here. 4. 一個(gè)民族的不同行為方式或者一種文化之所以有意義，是因?yàn)槿藗兺ㄟ^(guò)該民族的基本信仰、看法和價(jià)值觀念來(lái)看待它們。在美國(guó)，如果某一個(gè)行為或某一句話使你感到吃驚，那么你可以將其與下面羅列的價(jià)值觀對(duì)號(hào)入座。 5. Before proceeding to the list itself, we should also point out that Americans see all of these values as very positive ones. They are not aware, for example, that the people in many Third World countries view some of these values as negative or threatening. 5. 在探討這個(gè)清單之前 , 有必要指出美國(guó)人認(rèn)為這些價(jià)值觀是充滿正能量的。他們沒(méi)有意識(shí)到許多第三世界國(guó)家的人們可能認(rèn)為其中一些價(jià)值觀是消極或者可怕的。 In fact, all of these American values are judged by many of the world?s citizens as negative and undesirable. Therefore, it is not enough simply to familiarize yourself with these values. You must also, so far as possible, consider them without the negative or derogatory connotation that they might have for you, based on your own experience and cultural identity. 事實(shí)上 ,許多外國(guó)人認(rèn)為美國(guó)人的這些價(jià)值觀是消極和不受歡迎的。因此，僅僅熟悉這些價(jià)值觀是不夠的，還必須盡