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1、新编研究生综合英语教程Advanced English for Graduate Students:General Skills&Academic Literacy,Unit Three Culture,Text A The Values Americans Live By,A culture can be viewed as a collection of values that go together to shape the way a group of people perceive and relate to the world around them.As people grow
2、up,they learn certain values,which will influence and shape their way of life.How does American culture differ from others?The way to address this question is to consider the values Americans live by.,Overview,“Values”are ideas about what is right and wrong,desirable and undesirable,normal and abnor
3、mal,proper and improper.Most people who grow up in a particular culture share certain values.These values overlap and support each other;they fit together.Dr.L.Robert Kohls has developed a list of 13 commonly held values which help explain why Americans act as they do.,Background Information Pre-rea
4、ding Questions Text A The Values Americans Live Vocabulary Exercises,Text A The Values Americans Live By,Background Information,Text A The Values Americans Live By,Exercises,Dr.L Robert Kohls,Director of International Programs at San Francisco State University,is a renowned literary contributor to t
5、he research on cultural patterns.He has developed a list of 13(8 are listed in Text A)commonly held values which help explain to first-time visitors to the United States why Americans act as they do.He is careful,and cautions to avoid labeling these values positive or negative.Whether one agrees wit
6、h Kohls or not or is willing to accept as valid any generalizations about Americans his observations are thought provoking.,Background,1.Information about the author,:In recent decades,a new form of identification has emerged which breaks down the understanding of the individual as a coherent whole
7、subject into a collection of various cultural identifiers.These cultural identifiers may be the result of various conditions including:locality,gender,race,history,nationality,language,sexuality,religion,ethnicity,aesthetics,and even food.Therefore,cultural identity refers to a feeling of belonging
8、to a group.It is part of a persons self-conception and self-perception and is related to these cultural identifiersor any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.In this way,cultural identity is both characteristic of the individual but alsoof the culturally identical group of members
9、 sharing the same cultural identity.Cultural identity can also be expressed through certain styles of clothing or other aesthetic markers.,Background,2.Information about cultural identity,:.,Background,3.Information about the Declaration of Independence,The Declaration of Independence was drafted by
10、 Thomas Jefferson and then adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4,1776.It was regarded as the nations most cherished symbol of liberty and Jeffersons most enduring monument.“We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by their Creator with cert
11、ain unalienable Rights,that among these are Life,Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”was made by Abraham Lincoln as the centerpiece of his rhetoric(as in the Gettysburg Address of 1863),and his politics.Since then,it has become a well-known statement on human rights.,Q1:How much do you know about
12、the American values?Which part of American values do you think is acceptable to us?Q2:What is the cause of traditional American values?Q3:What is your view on American values?What are the effects of American values?Q4:How is the mainstream American culture different from the Chinese culture?Q5:Do cu
13、ltural values change as time changes?,Pre-reading Questions,Q1:How much do you know about the American values?Which part of American values do you think is acceptable to us?Open,Pre-reading Questions,Q2:What is the cause of Traditional American values?The earliest settlers came to the North American
14、 continent to establish colonies that were free from the controls that existed in European societies.They wanted to escape the controls placed on their lives by the kings and governments,priests and churches,noblemen and aristocrats.In 1776,the British colonial settlers declared their independence f
15、rom England and established a new nation,the United States of America.In doing so,they created a climate of freedom where the emphasis was on the individual.This is probably the most basic of all the American values,which is also called individualism by scholars.,Pre-reading Questions,Q3:What is you
16、r view on American values?What are the effects of American values?By freedom,Americans mean the desire and the ability of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference.There is,however,a price to be paid for this individual freedom:self-reliance.Individuals must learn to
17、rely on themselves or risk losing freedom.This means achieving both financial and emotional independence from their parents as early as possible,usually by age of 18-21.It means that Americans believe they should take care of themselves,solve their own problems,and“stand on their own two feet.”,Q3:W
18、hat is your view on American values?What are the effects of American values?Most Americans believe that they must be self-reliant in order to keep their freedom.If people are dependent,they risk losing freedom as well as the respect of their peers.In order to be in the mainstream of American life-to
19、 have power and/or respect individuals must be seen as self-reliant.Although receiving financial support from charity,family,or the government is allowed,it is never admired.Many people believe that such individuals are setting a bad example,which may weaken the American character as a whole.,Q3:Wha
20、t is your view on American values?What are the effects of American values?So,it is important to understand what most Americans truly mean when they say they believe in equality of opportunity.They mean that each individual should have an equal chance for success.It helps ensure that the race for suc
21、cess is a fair one and that a person does not win or lose just because of external forces.The phrase“going from rags to riches”became a slogan for the great American dream.There is,however,a price to be paid for this equality of opportunity:competition.,Q3:What is your view on American values?What a
22、re the effects of American values?People who like to compete and are more successful than others are honored by being called winners.On the other hand,those who do not like to compete and are not successful when they try are often dishonored by being called losers.The pressure to compete causes Amer
23、icans to be more energetic,but it also places a constant emotional strain on them.When they retire,they are at last free from the pressures of competition.But then a new problem arises.They may feel useless and unwanted in a society that gives so much prestige to those who compete well.This is why o
24、lder people in the United States do not have as much honor and respect as they do in other less competitive societies.,Q4:How is the mainstream American culture different from the Chinese culture?Open,Pre-reading Questions,Q5:What are the main characteristics of values?First,as part of culture,value
25、s are learned from people around:family,school,mass media,and so on.Once learned,they tend to be stable and govern people beliefs,attitudes,ideas and actions.Second,values are hidden.We do not see them as they exist in our subconsciousness.We are not always aware of them,but we make judgments accord
26、ing to them.,Pre-reading Questions,Q5:What are the main characteristics of values?Third,values are pervasive.Each of us has a unique set of individual values,but there are also values that tend to permeate a culture.They are called cultural values.The point we have to keep in mind is that the value
27、of the culture may not be the value of all individuals within the culture.Fourth,values can be compared on a continuum rather than one of only two possible choices.People posses the same values to different degrees.,Pre-reading Questions,Q5:What are the main characteristics of values?Fifth,values ar
28、e interrelated.They dont work alone.For example,the value toward family usually leads to those toward age,status,etc.Finally,values of a culture change just as cultures do.Of course,they change much more slowly than do the way people dress,the artifacts people make,and other parts of a culture that
29、are easily seen.Contradictory values can be found in a particular culture.There is often a gulf between the values that are articulated(idealism)and the values that are acted out(reality).,Part2_TA1_s,Pre-reading Questions,1.Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you,specifically,what th
30、e values are that Americans live by.They have never given the matter much thought.,Text A The Values Americans Live By,1.大多数美国人在谈起其赖以生存的价值观时会感到力不从心。他们从未仔细考虑过价值观这个问题。,L.Robert Kohls,2.Even if Americans had considered this question,they would probably,in the end,decide not to answer in terms of a defi
31、nitive list of values.The reason for this decision is itself one very American value their belief that every individual is so unique that the same list of values could never be applied to all,or even most,of their fellow citizens.,2.即使美国人考虑过这个问题，他们最终也不可能决定以一张明确的价值观清单来回答。做出这样的一个决定，本身就是一个非常美国式的价值观他们相信
32、每个个体都是独一无二的，相同的价值观永远也不可能适用于所有的美国公民，甚至不能适用于大多数公民。,3.Although Americans may think of themselves as being more varied and unpredictable than they actually are,it is significant that they think they are.Americans tend to think they have been only slightly influenced by family,church or schools.In the en
33、d,each believes,“I personally chose which values I want to live my own life by.”,3.尽管美国人可能认为他们自己比实际看上去更加变幻莫测，但重要的是他们的确认为自己变幻莫测。美国人普遍认为他们受家庭、教会或学校影响很轻微。最终，每个人都认为“我个人会根据自己生活方式选择我的价值观”。,4.The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs,assumptions an
34、d values of that particular group.When you encounter an action,or hear a statement in the United States that surprises you,try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed here.,4.一个民族的不同行为方式或者一种文化之所以有意义，是因为人们通过该民族的基本信仰、看法和价值观念来看待它们。在美国，如果某一个行为或某一句话使你感到吃惊，那么你可以将其与下面罗列的价值观对号入座。,5.Be
35、fore proceeding to the list itself,we should also point out that Americans see all of these values as very positive ones.They are not aware,for example,that the people in many Third World countries view some of these values as negative or threatening.,5.在探讨这个清单之前,有必要指出美国人认为这些价值观是充满正能量的。他们没有意识到许多第三世界
36、国家的人们可能认为其中一些价值观是消极或者可怕的。,In fact,all of these American values are judged by many of the worlds citizens as negative and undesirable.Therefore,it is not enough simply to familiarize yourself with these values.You must also,so far as possible,consider them without the negative or derogatory connotati
37、on that they might have for you,based on your own experience and cultural identity.,事实上,许多外国人认为美国人的这些价值观是消极和不受欢迎的。因此，仅仅熟悉这些价值观是不够的，还必须尽可能做到不因自身经历和文化身份而对这些价值观有负面和贬损的看法。,Personal Control over the Environment6.Americans no longer believe in the power of Fate,and they have come to look at people who do
38、as being backward,primitive,or hopelessly naive.To be called“fatalistic”is one of the worst criticisms one can receive in the American context;to an American,it means one is superstitious and lazy,unwilling to take any initiative in bringing about improvement.,对环境的自我把握6.美国人不再相信命运的力量，那些相信此道的人被认为是落后、原
39、始和极其幼稚的。在美国语境下，“宿命论者”是对一个人最糟糕的评价之一；对美国人来说，这一评价意味着这个人迷信、懒惰且不思进取。,7.In the United States,people consider it normal and right that Man should control Nature,rather than the other way around.More specifically,people believe every single individual should have control over whatever in the environment mig
40、ht potentially affect him or her.,7.在美国,人们认为人定胜天,而非受制于自然的观点既正常又正确。更确切地说，人们相信每个人都应该控制周围环境中任何可能影响到自己的因素。,The problems of ones life are not seen as having resulted from bad luck as much as having come from ones laziness in pursuing a better life.Furthermore,it is considered normal that anyone should lo
41、ok out for his or her own self-interests first and foremost.,一个人在追求美好生活的过程中出现挫折人们不认为是因为运气差，而是由自己的懒惰所导致。而且，人们认为如果一个人把追寻个人利益放在第一位是很正常的。,Time and Its Control8.Time is,for the average American,of utmost importance.To the foreign visitor,Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things accomplishe
42、d on time(according to a predetermined schedule)than they are with developing deep interpersonal relations.Schedules,for the American,are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest detail.,把握时间8.对普通美国人来说，时间至关重要。在外国人看来，美国人似乎更关注按时（根据预定的日程表）完成任务而不是发展深层人际关系。美国人认为，哪怕最小的细节也必须在日程安排中列出来并付诸实施。,9.I
43、t may seem to you that most Americans are completely controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists,cutting their discussions off abruptly to make it to their next appointment on time.,9.你或许会觉得美国人完全被戴在手腕上的那个小玩意所控制着，为了能准时赴下一个约会，他们会突然打断谈话。,10.Americans language is filled with references t
44、o time,giving a clear indication of how much it is valued.Time is something to be“on,”to be“kept,”“filled,”“saved,”“used,”“spent,”“wasted,”“lost,”“gained,”“planned,”“given,”“made the most of,”even“killed.”,10.美国人的语言中充斥着时间的指示词，这也暗示出人们对于时间的重视程度。时间可以遵守、填补、节省、利用、度过，浪费、失去、赢得、计划、给予，充分利用，甚至可以消磨。,11.The int
45、ernational visitor soon learns that it is considered very rude to be late even by 10 minutes for an appointment in the United States.(Whenever it is absolutely impossible to be on time,you should phone ahead and tell the person you have been unavoidably detained and will be a half hour or whatever l
46、ate.),11.外国人很快就会发现，在美国与人约会，即使迟到十分钟就会被认为是很不礼貌的行为。如果实在无法准时到达，应事先打个电话告诉不得不久等你的人你将迟到半小时或怎样。,Equality 12.Equality is,for Americans,one of their most cherished values.This concept is so important for Americans that they have even given it a religious basis.They say all people have been“created equal.”Most
47、 Americans believe that God views all humans alike without regard to intelligence,physical condition or economic status.,平等12.平等是美国人最珍视的价值理念之一，美国人也因此而赋予这一理念以宗教基础。他们说人“生来平等”。大多数美国人相信上帝会平等地看待每一个人，而不考虑其智力、体力或经济方面的差异。,In secular terms this belief is translated into the assertion that all people have an
48、equal opportunity to succeed in life.Americans differ in opinion about how to make this ideal into a reality.Yet virtually all agree that equality is an important civic and social goal.,通俗地说，这种信仰被解释为一种信念，即每个人都有平等获得成功的机会。美国人在如何把这种理想转化为现实的看法方面存在分歧，然而人们一致认为平等是公民和社会共同追求的重要目标。,13.The equality concept oft
49、en makes Americans seem strange to foreign visitors.Seven-eighths of the world feels quite differently.To them,rank and status and authority are seen as much more desirable considerations even if they personally happen to find themselves near the bottom of the social order.,13.这种关于平等的理念常使外国人感到美国人不可思
50、议。十之八九的外国人并不认同这一理念。对他们来说，等级、地位和权威是人们更加向往的东西，即使他们碰巧发现自己接近社会次序的底层。,Class and authority seem to give people in those other societies a sense of security and certainty.People outside the United States consider it reassuring to know,from birth,who they are and where they fit into the complex system calle
