【正文】 unpleasant information. Americans, however, have always preferred the first approach. 他們?cè)诒磉_(dá)自己的負(fù)面看法時(shí)絕對(duì)誠(chéng)實(shí)。如果在你的國(guó)家人們用間接委婉的方式來傳達(dá)壞消息或負(fù)面評(píng)價(jià)，美國(guó)人的直率簡(jiǎn)直會(huì)令習(xí)慣隱喻的你大驚失色！ They are likely to be pletely honest in delivering their negative evaluations. If you e from a society that uses the indirect manner of conveying bad news or unplimentary evaluations, you will be shocked at Americans? bluntness. 29. If you e from a country where saving face is important, be assured that Americans are not trying to make you lose face with their directness. It is important to realize that an American would not, in such case, lose face. 29. 如果你認(rèn)為“要面子”很重要，那么請(qǐng)相信美國(guó)人的直率并不是存心讓你大丟面子。而且你要明白美國(guó)人也不會(huì)因此而丟面子。 The burden of adjustment, in all cases while you are in this country, will be on you. There is no way to soften the blow of such directness and openness if you are not used to it except to tell you that the rules have changed while you are here. 不管怎樣，一旦你來到美國(guó)，學(xué)會(huì)入鄉(xiāng)隨俗是你必備功課。如果你不習(xí)慣，對(duì)不起，沒有辦法緩和這種直接和率真的風(fēng)氣，只能說，你來到這里，習(xí)慣已經(jīng)改了。 Indeed, Americans are trying to urge their fellow countrymen to bee even more open and direct. The large number of “assertiveness” training courses that appeared in the United States in the late 1970s reflects such a mitment. 美國(guó)人正試圖敦促自己的同胞更加開放和直率。 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)的鮮明寫照。 30. Americans consider anything other than the most direct and open approach to be dishonest and insincere and will quickly lose confidence in and distrust anyone who hints at what is intended rather than saying it outright. 30. 美國(guó)人認(rèn)為如果說話做事不直截了當(dāng)就是缺乏誠(chéng)意，他們不會(huì)信任那些有話不直說而專愛拐彎抹角之人。 31. Anyone who, in the United States, chooses to use an intermediary to deliver that message will also be considered manipulative and untrustworthy. 31. 在美國(guó)，人們通常給那些說話拐彎抹角的人扣上一頂“世故圓滑、不可信任”的帽子。 Practicality and Efficiency 32. Americans have a reputation for being realistic, practical, and efficient. The practical consideration is likely to be given highest priority in making any important decision. 務(wù)實(shí)和效率 32. 美國(guó)人被公認(rèn)是務(wù)實(shí)和講效 率的。人們?cè)谧龀鲋卮鬀Q定時(shí)，往往首先便會(huì)考慮這樣做是否行之有效。 Americans pride themselves in not being very philosophically or theoretically oriented. If Americans would even admit to having a philosophy, it would probably be that of pragmatism. 美國(guó)人為自己不是很哲學(xué)化或理論化而感到自豪。如果說美國(guó)人也會(huì)承認(rèn)他們尊崇一派哲學(xué)，那便只可能是實(shí)用主義哲學(xué)了。 Will it make money? What is the bottom line? What can I gain from this activity? These are the kinds of questions Americans are likely to ask, rather than: is it aesthetically pleasing? Will it be enjoyable? Will it advance the cause of knowledge? 這樣做能掙錢嗎？最壞會(huì)是什么結(jié)果？我能從中得到什么？這些都是美國(guó)人在決策之前最常問的問題，而不是諸如：這樣做體面嗎？有趣嗎？能推進(jìn)知識(shí)的發(fā)展嗎？之類的問題。 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 Americans to view some professions more favorably than others. 這種務(wù)實(shí)傾向使得美國(guó)人在發(fā)明創(chuàng)新上勝過其他世界各國(guó)。這種對(duì)“實(shí)用性”的熱愛也導(dǎo)致了美國(guó)人偏愛某些職業(yè)勝于其他職業(yè)。 Management and economics are much more popular in the United States than philosophy or anthropology, and law and medicine more valued than the arts. 管理和經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)在美國(guó)比哲學(xué)和人類學(xué)更受歡迎，同樣法律和醫(yī)學(xué)比藝術(shù)更受重視。 Americans belittle “emotional” and “subjective” evaluations in favor of “rational” and “objective” assessments. Americans try to avoid being “too sentimental” in making their decisions. They judge every situation “on its own merits.” 美國(guó)人鄙視主觀感性，偏愛理性客觀。美國(guó)人在做決定時(shí)絕對(duì)不會(huì)感情用事。他們一定會(huì)就事論事，因事而異。 ? derogatory [d??r?g?t?r?]adj. showing a hostile or critical attitude(to one?s reputation, etc) 貶損的 , 損毀的，誹謗的 ? insulting and disapproving 侮辱的；不贊許的 ? 補(bǔ)充： derogate [39。der?ge?t] v. 貶損 。 減損 。 貶低 。 損害 。 誹謗 He criticized the poem severely and went on to make derogatory remarks about her. Such conduct would only be derogatory to his own ,并說了許多詆毀她的話。那樣的行為只會(huì)毀損他自己的名譽(yù)。 The word “pig” is a derogatory word term for policeman. “豬 ”是個(gè)侮辱警察的詞。 Cheating id regarded as derogatory 欺騙被認(rèn)作卑劣行為。 ... goodfornothing (a derogatory term for someone who is lazy or irresponsible) 沒出息的人 ? fatalistic [fe?t??l?st?k]adj. believing that there is nothing you can do to prevent events from happening。 showing a belief in fate。宿命論的；相信宿命論的 補(bǔ)充： fatalism宿命主義； fatalist宿命論者 。 fatality天數(shù)，命中注定 Finally her father39。s death, resulting in the eviction of her family from their home, precipitates Tess39。s doom, and as a last desperate reparation to her helpless mother and sisters she yields, with a fatalistic calm, to the inevitable. 最后 ,父親去世 ,全家人被逐出家門 ,這件事終于決定了苔絲的命運(yùn)。作為對(duì)無依無靠的母親和妹妹們的最后無可挽救的補(bǔ)償 ,她屈服了 ,以平靜地聽天由命的心情 ,走上了不可避免的道路。 gave a fatalistic shrug無可奈何地聳聳肩 a fatalistic philosophy宿命論哲學(xué) a fatalistic people相信宿命論的民族 a fatalistic person/approach to life 聽天由命的人 /生活態(tài)度 ? initiative[??n???t?v] n. ability to make decisions or take action without waiting for someone to tell you what to do 。action taken to resolve a difficulty 主動(dòng)性，創(chuàng)造力；對(duì)策，新舉措 The government should by no means lose the initiative in the fight against 喪失控制權(quán) 。 In the absence of his manding officer, he acted on his own initiative. 指揮官不在場(chǎng)，他 主動(dòng) 見機(jī)行事。 Because of the general39。s indecisiveness, their armies have lost the initiative to the enemy. 由於將軍未能當(dāng)機(jī)立斷 ,他們的軍隊(duì)已喪失對(duì)敵采取行動(dòng)的主動(dòng)權(quán) . They took the initiative in establishing an international new media research 研究機(jī)構(gòu)。 cut off： interrupt sb speaking on the phone by breaking the connection切斷電話線路； stop the supply of sth to sb停止向某人供應(yīng)； prevent sth or sb from leaving or reaching a place or municating with people outside a place使與外界隔絕；disinherit sb 剝奪某人的繼承權(quán) We were cut off in the mi