【文章內(nèi)容簡(jiǎn)介】 osphere. But in different countries the ways to pliment are greatly different. 3. Ways of Invitation There are formal and informal invitations. For formal invitation there isn’t much difference between Chinese and American practic es. The invitation is usually in the written form and sent out quite some time in advance. It is the informal invitation that can cause confusion, which is usually done verbally. For example, “Let’s go together soon” “It’s good seeing you. I’ll invite you to tea later.” In these two statements the speakers don’t give specific time and places for the gettogether, so they are just expressions of goodwill rather than genuine invitations. If ever such questions were raised, the speaker would be embarrassed because he/she doesn’t really mean to do any invitation. However, Chinese rarely do this. They usually take these statements at their face value. “I’m going to give a party this weekend. Come if you like.” “How about joining us for dinner this Friday night?” These two statements are invitations as they give specific time. But they may sound uncertain to an oriental ear because of the tone of the verbal invitation. If a Chinese were to invite a friend to dinner or some other occasions, he/she would most likely say something like: “Do e.” “Please do e.” The likely explanation for the difference is that the Americans who value individual freedom a lot hate to impose anything on others, which they don’t like themselves. And we Chinese who are accustomed to collectivism tend to show our concern for the others, and we sound a little too eager because we know our culture requires people not to accept invitation immediately. There is one more point about invitation. In both cultures, if anything happen that prevents you from going after you have accepted the invitation, you’d better let the host know either by writing or by phone call. For example, your boss invite you to have party on Friday night, and you have accept that. However, your father will e you see you on Friday, which you didn’t know before your boss invite you. Therefore, you have to cancle that party and tell your boss the reason why you will not be there. You may say: “I really want to e to your party, but I’m sorry that I have to meet my father in the airport, because this the first time he get here.” 4. Ways of Farewells According to the customs in China, the host must go with the guest to the door when the guest leaves. Then the guest says to the host: “Please stop your step here.” The host m ust say some fixed words like “Go slowly”, “Walk slowly”, and “Ride slowly”. If we say these kinds of words to the Englishspeaking people, they may feel annoyed: “Why should I go slowly? I am strong enough!” In the English’s habits, the host go with the guest to the door just say “Bye, drop in again” or something like that. The guest answers: “Yes, I will. Bye.”, “OK, bye.” or “See you.” Moreover, Chinese always say goodbye very simple. The guest usually sees his watch first, and then stands up and says that he is going to leave. This kind of farewell will make the English people feel very sudden and surprised. Because in their minds, they should express their will of leaving ten minutes before they really leave. They always say like this: “Well, it’s love ly to see you again, but I must be going soon. I hope we will be able to get together again before long.”, “I think I’d better leave. It’s getting late.”。 “I have to be going soon. I have an appointment at 9.” So, we cannot just express our meaning in English by translating into Chinese simply. For example: A Chinese student went to an American teacher’s home for asking some questions. The American teacher treated him warmly and answered all the questions he asked. When the student was leaving, he said to the teacher: “I am sorry to have wasted a lot of your time. I am leaving.” These two sentences are all right in grammar, but it makes the American teacher stuck in confusion. Why she answered the student’s questions earnest whereas a waste in the student’s mind? In such kind of situation, according to the Westerner’s habit, they should say thanks for the teacher’s help, and then express your will of going to leave always with an excuse. So that you can say: “Thanks a lot for your help. I’m afraid I must be leaving now. I don’t want to catch in the rush hour.” 5. Ways of Greeting In daily life, greeting is a polite language whenever one meets others and wherever he or she is. It plays an important role in social munication and is a norm of morality and selfcultivation. However, different cultures have different influences on greetings. The more traditionoriented a society is, the more its members seem to make use of situational greetings. As is known to all, China is a country with a long tradition, then, Chinese greetings are more situational and less depend on formulaic greetings, which, in English, tend to have explicit religious derivations. Although both English and Chinese may also ask or ment on other things as a means of greeting, the two cultures differ in the ways they do this. For example, a Chinese and an Englishspeaker are acquaintances and came across in the way home one day. Chinese passed by and asked, “Have you eaten yet?” The English speaker was offended by this question. This is a typically acceptable and polite greeting used by native Chinese people to show their concern for others, but it is peculiar and offensive to the Westerners. Because to some Westerners, this question might mean that, “I haven’t either. Come on, let’s go togethe r and get something to eat.” or “If you haven’t, I am