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1、Unit The Voices of TimeUnit 9 The Voices of Time 时间会说话，不同文化背景的人有着不同的时间观。在美国，人们一般不会在清晨洗漱或早餐期间给人打电话，也不会在晚上11点后打电话，除非事情紧急。如果只提前三四天邀请一位美国客人参加晚餐会，他会觉得自己没有受到足够的重视。如果你约会迟到了半小时，美国人会大为光火，任何道歉形式都无法弥补他们因此而感受到的侮辱。 Time talks. It speaks more plainly than words. Time communicates in many ways. Consider the differ
2、ent parts of the day, for example. The time of the day when something is done can give a special meaning to the event. Managers in the US fully realize the importance of an announcement made during the middle of the morning or afternoon that takes every away from his work. In the US, it is not custo
3、mary to call someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that the matter is urgent and requires immediate attention. The same meaning is attached to phone calls made after 11:00 pm. If someone receives
4、a call during sleeping hours, he assumes it is a matter of life and death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance. Imagine the excitement and fear caused by a crowd of people arriving at the door at 2:00 am. On an island in the South Pacific, a plant manager from the US has just su
5、ch an experience. The natives of the island met one night to discuss a problem, when they arrived at a solution, they went to see the manager and woke him up to tell him what had been decided. Unfortunately, it was after 2 oclock in the morning. They did not know that it is a very serious matter to
6、wake up Americans at this hour. The manager, who did not understand the local culture, thought there was a fight and called out the military troops. It never occurred to him or to the natives that parts of a day have different meaning in different cultures. In social life, time plays an important pa
7、rt. In the US, guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended only 3 or 4 days before the party date. But in other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because it tends to be forgotten. Americans
8、look ahead and are concerned with the future. The American idea of future is limited, however. It is the foreseeable future and not the future of the South Asians, which may involve centuries. Promptness is also value highly in American life. People who are not prompt may be regarded as impolite or
9、not fully responsible. A person who is 5 minutes late is expected to make a short apology. If he is less than 5 minutes late, he will say a few words of explanation, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence. To an American, being half an hour late is the beginning of the “insult period”. No
10、matter what is said in apology, there is little that can remove the damage done by a 30-minute wait. Since time has such different meanings in different cultures, communication is sometimes difficult. We will understand each other a little better if we keep this fact in mind. 译文 时间会说话。它说的比言语更明白。时间用许
11、多方式交流。 比如，考虑一天的不同时段。当某件事发生时的那一天被记载为特定的涵义。美国的管理人充分地认为早上或下午打扰他们时间的公告的重要性。 在美国，人们一般不会在清晨期间给人打电话。当人们早上刮胡子或吃早饭时，若果你想给他打电话，除非是非常紧急的事情。同样也不会在下午11点以后打电话。若果一个人在睡觉的时间接到电话，他会认为是生死攸关的事情。打电话时间的选择表明了它的重要性。 想象一个兴奋和令人恐惧将被一群人引起，凌晨2点来到门口。在南太平洋的一个岛屿，一个来自美国的工厂经历也有这样的经验。当他们得到解决方案去看那个经理叫醒他这个决定时，岛上的土著人在一夜之间讨论这个问题。不幸的是在凌晨两
12、点时发生了。他们不知道在这个时间叫醒一个美国人是多么可怕的事。这个经理不明白当地的习俗，他认为有一个战争和唤起了军队。对于他或者土著人都不知道一天的不同时刻在不同的文化里有不同的含义。 在社会生活中，时间扮演者重要的角色。在美国如果只提前三四天邀请一位美国客人参加晚餐会，他会觉得自己没有受到足够的重视。但是在世界的另一些区域，这样被认为是愚蠢的，因为把约定过于提前他们会忘记。 美国人计划并涉及未来。然而美国对未来的想法是有限制的。这样可预测未来，不是南亚人包含诸世纪的未来。 在美国人的生活中，敏锐也是非常有价值的。不敏锐的人会被视为粗鲁或不被充分地重视。一个迟到5分钟的人会被期望做一个简短的道
13、歉。如果迟到小于5分钟，他会解释几句，可能认为他不会说完整的一句话。对于一个美国人，迟到半小时将是一个无理的开始。不管如何解释，也不会挽回一个30分钟的等待的代价。 因为时间在不同的文化里有不同的含义，表达有时就不同。如果我们在意识里保持这种观念，我们就不会更好的理解对方。 词汇： Announcement n.宣布，通告 Assume vt.认为，以为 Complete vt.完成 Customary adj.惯常的 Communicate v. 交流，传答 Damage n. 损坏，破坏 Experience n. /v. 经历 Foreseeable adj.可预见的 Immediate
14、 adj. 立刻的 Impolite adj.不礼貌的 Insult n. /vt.侮辱 Limited adj.有限的 Matter n.事物 Military adj.军事的 Native adj.土生土长的 n.土著人 Plainly adv.清楚地，明白地 Prompt adj.及时的，准时的 Troop n.军队 Value vt.珍惜，看重 流行短语： a matter of life and death 生死攸关的事 attachto 将连接到 be concerned with 关心 be highly regarded 深受尊重 make a short apology 做出简单道歉 too far in advance 过于提前 extend an invitation 发出邀请 keepin mind 记住
