and they would no more think of stepping on the mats with their shoes on than you would of getting into bed with your shoes on. 他们从不会想到穿着鞋子走在草垫上，正如你不会想到穿着鞋子上床一样。

There are no chairs in a Japanese house, for the Japanese sit on the floor. 日本人的房内没有椅子，因为日本人席地而坐。

For us it is very uncomfortable to sit on the floor for any length of time, 我们要是坐在地板上，哪怕是再短的时间，也会觉得非常不舒服。

but the Japanese prefer it, and I have seen them squatting on the floor in railway stations, although there were benches to sit on right alongside. 但是，日本人更喜欢席地而坐。我曾经看见他们蹲坐在火车站的地板上，尽管旁边就有长凳可以坐。

I don't know why, but I've often seen American girls sit on chairs with their feet up under them as if they were sitting on the floor. 也不知为什么，我常常看见美国女孩盘腿坐在椅子上，好像坐在地板上一样；

But I've never seen boys do it. 但我从未看见男孩子这样坐。

Perhaps girls are part Japanese. 也许，美国女孩子有部分日本血统吧。

The tables in a Japanese house have legs only a few inches high; 日本人家里的桌子桌腿只有几英寸高。

they are really only trays like the bed trays we use when one is sick, 它们其实就像我们在有人生病的时候使用的床上托盘。

and meals are served by placing such a tray in front of each person as he squats on his heels on the floor. 一日三餐就是放在这样的一个桌子上，摆在跪坐者的前面。

There are no beds either; they sleep on the mats and cover themselves with a padded kimono for a comforter and use a hard wooden block for a pillow. 日本人室内也没有床。他们就睡在席子上，把衬里的和服当被子盖在身上，用一块硬木头当枕头。

The Japanese are like elephants. In what way? 日本人像大象。在哪个方面像呢？

I'll give you three guesses. They bathe frequently. 我让你猜三次。日本人勤洗澡。

The Chinese, who seldom bathe, say the Japanese must be very dirty to need so many baths. 很少洗澡的中国人说，日本人一定很脏，才需要这么经常洗澡。

But what seems to us peculiar, all the family, one after another, bathe in the same tub without changing the water. 但是，在我们看来，很奇怪的一点是，一家人洗澡用一个浴盆，一个人洗完另一个洗，中间不换水。

The tub is shaped like a sawed-off barrel in which there is room to sit but not to lie down. 澡盆的形状像个被锯了一截的大木桶，人在里面只能坐着不能躺下。

The water is piping hot "to open the pores." 洗澡水很烫，可以“使毛孔张开”。

After the bather has parboiled himself, he then climbs out and scrubs himself. 洗澡的人在滚热的水里泡上一段时间，然后爬出来，用力擦洗身体。