英语畅谈中国文化 50 主题 第 19 章 Shanghai Men 上海男人A: "You don't act like a typical man from shanghai. "For a man from shanghai, such a comment is both a compliment and an offence. Usually he doesn't know how to respond.B: Why? A: Because in northern china, men from Shanghai are usually perceived as "womanly." They are extremely detail-oriented and spend too much time doing housework, which in the eyes of a Northerner, should only be done by women. In other words, shanghai men have too much respect for women. In comparison, men from Northern China are the hands-off type. They don't like house chores, and they'd feel embarrassed to be subservient to their wives. The worst nickname for a Northern man is Qi Gauanyan meaning henpeckedB: What kind of a man does a Chinese girl like to marry? A: It depends. Currently, more women like to marry Shanghai men because they are more understanding, considerate and helpful. Have you ever seen the film What Women Want? The main character of the movie is Nick Marshall. He was struck by lightening and, as a result, he acquired the extrasensory ability of reading a woman's mind. He got tremendous benefit from this ability both in his career of advertising women's products and in his private life. Understanding women has become a new criterion for an ideal man. There is certainly no need for a shanghai man to be hit by lightening to become an ideal husbandB: Is this part of local culture in shanghai？ A: Shanghai has been very open a commercial city for many years, as a result of its longstanding Western influence. People tend to be more practical and chivalrous. You don't find a lot of male chauvinism there. Before the 1980s, Shanghai men used to be laughed at for their lack of manly character,but now they have become examples of an ideal husband. For men in the North, especially in Beijing, the reason for their male chauvinism is the bureaucratic environment associated with the Imperial Court. They want to look important, even in front of their wives. Of course, I’m only making a general comment. Men in the North can also be very tender and considerate. If you run into a man carrying a lady's handbag next to a woman in a supermarket, most likely, he is a Northerner.B: It’s good for men to be chivalrous, but I’m not too keen on carrying a woman's handbag. A man is a man after all. No matter where he's from.
