精美英文欣赏:中西方不同的友谊(上)

Friendship in China and the West

中西方的友谊

Chinese expect friendships to be more lasting¹.

忠实友谊注重天长地久

For Chinese a true friendship endures² throughout life changes. Chinese are friends even if they haven't spoken for 20 years.

对于中国人而言，真正的友谊可以经得住生活变故的考验。即使有20年都没能说话，那也是朋友。

If you shared something at one time, then all your life you are friends.

如果你曾经和朋友们分享过快乐，那么你们会是一辈子的朋友。

This is the best of Guanxi, the Wide Web that connects Chinese through time and space.

这是一种最好的关系，互联网让中式友谊没有时空的限制。

Chinese invented the Internet long before Bill Gates was born.

在比尔·盖茨出生前，中国人就发明了网络。

In North America, even the relationship in which people feel close and tell each other personal problems may not survive life changes such as moving to another city, graduation from a university, a change in economic circumstances, or marriage.

在北美，即使之前关系亲密无间的朋友，也可能会因为搬家到另一个城市，从大学毕业，家庭经济状况发生变化，或者是结婚而终止了友谊。

If the people do not see each other regularly, the relationship is likely to die.

如果人们不能经常看到对方，那么朋友关系也可能会消失。

Different foundations³ for friendships Chinese friends share "things in common": a task, a class, the hometown.

友谊的建立有不同的基础，其中的共同点是：一个任务，一个班级，一个家乡。

Friendships are formed by people who work or go to school together.

友谊建立在那些一起工作或者一起上学的伙伴之间。

You may or may not like the person, but if he or she can do something for you because of his position or job, you can be friends.

你可能喜欢或者不喜欢某个人，但是如果他或者她能够凭借自己的职位和工作为你做一些事，那么你们也可以是朋友。

But in North America, business and friendship are kept separate. The friendships are usually tied to specific activities.

但是在北美，生意和友谊是分开的。友谊通常是和某个特别的活动有关系。

A person may have work friends and leisure⁴ activity friends.

一个人也学有工作朋友，或者娱乐活动的朋友。

Also friends tend to have similar financial circumstances, because friendship in the west is based on equality.

当然，朋友们间的经济水平也在同一水平上，因为西方的友谊是建立在平等的基础上的。

Friends should exchange similar activities and give similar things to each other.

朋友间应该能够参与彼此的活动，给予对方类似的东西。

1 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

2 endures   

n.最终用户

参考例句：

• Love is a sweet tyranny,because the lover endures his torment willingly. 爱情是甜蜜的暴政，情人甘心忍受它的折磨。
• Somehow the language endures and continues to survive. 那种语言以某种方式保存下来，并继续存在下去。

3 foundations   

n.地基

参考例句：

• The builders are now beginning to lay the foundations of the new school. 建筑工人正开始给新校舍打地基。
• The house is unsafe since the foundations were undermined by floods. 这栋房子不安全，因为地基被洪水损坏了。

4 leisure   

n.空闲时间，空暇；悠闲，安逸

参考例句：

• I am seldom at leisure.我很少有空。
• He read books at his leisure.他在空闲时读一些书。