【正文】 freliant in order to keep their freedom. If people are dependent, they risk losing freedom as well as the respect of their peers. In order to be in the mainstream of American 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。 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。更確切地說(shuō)，人們相信每個(gè)人都應(yīng)該控制周圍環(huán)境中任何可能影響到自己的因素。時(shí)間可以遵守、填補(bǔ)、節(jié)省、利用、度過(guò)，浪費(fèi) 、失去、贏得、計(jì)劃、給予，充分利用，甚至可以消磨。 13. The equality concept often makes Americans seem strange to foreign visitors. Seveneighths of the world feels quite differently. To them, rank and status and authority are seen as much more desirable considerations — even if they personally happen to find themselves near the bottom of the social order. 13. 這種關(guān)于平等的理念常使外國(guó)人感到美國(guó)人不可思議。在美國(guó)的外國(guó)人要做好被當(dāng)做“普通人” 看待的心理準(zhǔn)備。 In the United States, privacy is not only seen as a very positive condition, but it is also viewed as a requirement that all humans would find equally necessary, desirable and satisfying. It is not unmon for Americans to say — and believe — such statements as “If I don?t have at least half an hour a day to myself, I will go stark mad.” 而在美國(guó)，隱私不僅被看做一種非常積極的狀態(tài)，而且被視為必需品，人們普遍認(rèn)為其不可或缺，令人向往。 Americans believe leisure activities should consume a relatively small portion of one?s total life. People think that it is “sinful” to “waste one?s time,” “to sit around doing nothing,” or just to “daydream.” ? 19. Such a “no nonsense” attitude toward life has created many people who have e to be known as “workaholics” or people who are addicted to their work, who think constantly about their jobs and who are frustrated if they are kept away from them, even during their evening hours and weekends. 19. 這樣一個(gè)“不做無(wú)意義的事”的人生態(tài)度造就了一大批被稱作“工作狂”的人 —他們沉醉于，甚至常常全身心投入到他們的工作或職業(yè)當(dāng)中。即使與其近鄰西歐相比，美國(guó)也稱得上是世界上最隨便的民族之一。當(dāng)然這種不拘小節(jié)絕非有意冒犯。 從 70 年代末期美國(guó)大量涌現(xiàn)的“自信培訓(xùn)班”是這一趨勢(shì)的鮮明寫(xiě)照。 This pragmatic orientation has caused Americans to contribute more inventions to the world than any other country in human history. The love of “practicality” has also caused Americ