【英语趣味课堂】不同国家的社交礼仪-Social Contact in Different Country

Amir: Maybe it's something I have to mention about Iranians, we don't kiss, of course, on the lips. It's only on the cheek.

 

Tu: Yes, even on the cheek?

 

Amir: Yes, on the cheeks.

 

Tu: Even on the cheeks.

 

Amir: Well, men in Iran kiss each other on the cheeks.

 

Tu: What?

 

Amir: Yeah, just like Italian people. We do that.

 

Tu: Really? For greeting?

 

Amir: For greetings.

 

Tu: In public?

 

Amir: No, you go in the party, there are like fifty people sitting in the living room, then all of them stand up, and the new guest arrives, and then they shake hands and they have to kiss three times each person on the cheeks. It just takes so long. Sometimes when I'm back from other countries I feel like well, just greet them by just waving my hand, things like that.

 

Tu: What about holding hands?

 

Amir: Holding hands? We shake hands. Yeah, definitely¹, we shake hands.

 

Tu: You don't like hold hands?

 

Amir: Ah, hold hands, like a boyfriend and girlfriends holding hands ... well, that really can be done only in the mountainside where it's not so much observed, yeah.

 

Tu: Oh, you know what? Actually, in Vietnam we hold hands pretty frequent. I don’t know why, but I got the habit of holding my mom’s hand.

 

Amir: Oh, OK.

 

Tu: And, so when I first came here, I was so worried that they would say I’m a lesbian. or something. Yeah, but, we do hold hands a lot.

 

Amir: Uh, well, when you’re saying holding hands are you mean female² or males you know or who you’re holding hands with?

 

Tu: Oh, yeah, actually, you know of course lovers³ hold hands, but usually females⁴. Females, Vietnamese females got the habit of holding hands on the street, you know, going shopping and hanging out, just friends, female friends. I don’t see many men holding hands, but usually females do it quite often.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

have to mention

 

There's something that I have to mention

 

When a speaker says ‘I have to mention’, it usually means they will make an important point. Notice the following.

 

The country is beautiful, the people are nice and the food is delicious, but I have to mention, the traffic is terrible.

Nadia seems nice, but I have to mention, I don’t like her boyfriend much.

of course

 

we don’t kiss of course

 

We use ‘of course’ when we assume⁵ that something is obvious or already known. Here are two examples.

 

Jack⁶ really enjoyed the trip to Beijing. Of course, the language was a bit of a problem.

It’s difficult to practice English with native speakers. Of course, studying helps.

just like

 

Just like Italian people.

 

We use the phrase ’just like’ when we talk about things that are similar. Notice the samples.

 

The Japanese love baseball, just like the Americans.

I wish I could sing just like Beyoncé.

habit of

 

I got in the habit of

 

A habit, of course, is something we do often, usually with out thinking about it. Note the examples.

 

In high school, Suzanne got in the habit of studying late at night.

While living in Asia. I got in the habit of taking off my shoes before entering a building.

on the street

 

You don't kiss on the street.

 

‘On the street’ simply talks about daily things we do and see while walking around a town or city.

 

Couples in Iran don’t normally⁷ hold hands on the street.

1 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

2 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

3 lovers   

爱好者( lover的名词复数 )； 情人； 情夫； 情侣

参考例句：

• They were off-screen lovers. 他们是真实生活中的情侣。
• Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet 罗密欧和朱丽叶这一对莎士比亚笔下命运多舛的恋人

4 females   

n.雌性动物( female的名词复数 )；女人

参考例句：

• The male birds are more colourful than the females. 这种鸟雄性比雌性更加色彩艳丽。
• The males in the herd protect the females and the young. 兽中的雄性动物保护雌性动物和幼崽。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 assume   

vt.假装；假定，设想；承担；呈现，采取

参考例句：

• I assume that he won't cheat you.想来他是不会骗你的。
• We can't assume anything in this case.在这种情况下我们不可能做出假设。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。