【正文】 e to avail myself of this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to all those who offered me guidance and help in my preparing and writing this thesis.First and foremost, substantial acknowledgements go to Professor Luo Guoliang, who, as my tutor, offered me valuable suggestions and opinions concerning my outline organization and thesis writing. As a prestigious professor, Mr. Luo has been patient and ready to answer any of my problems in my two and a half years’ study at this graduate college. Thanks to his guidance and warm help, I have greatly widened my knowledge and set up a sound and optimistic philosophy of life towards the future.My thanks also go to all those dedicated teachers and professors at the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, who have spared no effort to enrich my knowledge. Without their dedication to the cause of education, I would have achieved much less than I did during the past two years.I feel grateful to the leaders of the Language School and the postgraduate Administration Office of SIFT for their efforts in minimizing external distractions and helping me tide over my difficulties.Last but not least, I would like to thank my beloved parents and my fianc233。Abstract“Everything flows, nothing stays still.” (Heraclitus)[1] Greek Philosopher, BC.[1] In modern society, the rapid development of economy, science and technology and the tendency of global cooperation have brought us into direct and indirect contact with other people, who, because of their cultural diversity, often behave in such different ways that we do not understand them. In international contacts, a symbolic relationship ties all people together. No nation, group, or culture could remain aloof or autonomous. As a result, intercultural munication bees more axiomatic and pervasive. It can be seen in such diverse arenas as international business, international education, tourism, and cultural blending. However, because of different social backgrounds, social systems, ways of thinking, norms of behaviors and customs, people have many difficulties and obstacles understanding one another and municating with one another. Thus it is very important and meaningful for us both to pay more attention to and to be better aware of intercultural munication.Beginning with the profound influence of intercultural munication in the business world, this thesis describes the role that customs play in intercultural munication and points out the significance of custom awareness.In order to give a definition of intercultural munication, Chapter Two first analyzes culture and provides some characteristics of culture. Then it describes munication and lists some of its ponents. Chapter Two also offers the criteria of effective munication.Chapter Three is the core of this thesis. It analyses the customs of social interaction between Chinese and Americans by contrast, namely, forms of address, greetings, farewells, pliments and responses, gratitude and thanks, invitations, appointments, visiting and hospitality. Then it points out that what result in the differences are different histories and values.Chapter Four discusses some other barriers to intercultural munication and points out that cultural conflicts occur as a result of misinterpretations, ethnocentrism, stereotypes, and even prejudices. Faced with culture shock, people would have different reactions to cope with them, and there is an intercultural adaptation process, which is also provided in this chapter. Chapter Five, the last chapter, offers some methods for the development of intercultural munication and for the reduction of cultural conflicts. First, we should know ourselves, then we should develop empathy and munication flexibility. Last but not least, we should appreciate similarities and respect differences. 現(xiàn)代社會(huì)中，經(jīng)濟(jì)和科技的飛速發(fā)展以及全球化合作使我們和其他民族進(jìn)行著直接或間接的交流?？缥幕瘻贤▽⑷藗冞B接在了一起。由此，跨文化溝通日益明顯，日益頻繁。然而，由于社會(huì)背景、社會(huì)體制、思維方式和行為準(zhǔn)則的不同，人們?cè)诮煌鶗r(shí)會(huì)碰到各種各樣問(wèn)題，妨礙了相互理解和交流。本文從論述跨文化溝通對(duì)商務(wù)方面的深刻影響說(shuō)起，描述了社會(huì)交往風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣在跨文化溝通中的作用并指出溝通中需要有風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣的意識(shí)。繼而分析溝通及其要素。第三章為本文的核心。然后總結(jié)出不同的根源在于不同的歷史發(fā)展和價(jià)值觀形成過(guò)程。面對(duì)文化沖擊，人們的反應(yīng)有所不同，對(duì)于沖擊的適應(yīng)也會(huì)有一個(gè)過(guò)程。第五章作為最后一章，提供了改進(jìn)跨文化溝通、減少文化沖突的方法。最后，我們?cè)诳缥幕瘻贤ㄖ羞€需要尋求共性，尊重差異。 As a result of the rapid developments of science and technology, especially those in the areas of the transportation, telemunication, and information systems, globalization has bee a trend since the 1960s. It naturally follows that people from diverse backgrounds have e into more and more contacts with one another. For instance, the convenient transportation avails us to on board a plane and fly anywhere in the world in a matter of hours, and the opening world attracts more and more people to study abroad and travelers to enjoy different nations and places throughout of the world as well. The reality of a global economy makes today’s contacts far more monplace than in any other period of the world’s history. Globalization ties all nations of the world into an international network of economic interdependence. No country could be pletely selfsufficient, each country has at least one asset that is superneeded by another one. In the arena of business, for instance, 60 per cent of all shoes and more than half of the toys sold in the United States bear a “Made in China” label. Economic interdependence accelerates international trade cooperation. The relevant trade agreements like GATT and NAFTA that lower tariffs, tap larger markets, and improve living standards in the world have bee monplace. Multinational corporations increasingly participate in various international business arrangements including joint ventures between two or more organizations that share in the ownership of a business undertaking. Globalization also calls for new approaches to doing business, one of which has been the uniting of national business to form multinational organizations. Through acquisitions and mergers, many . panies have been absorbed into other panies or have gain