种族NationalraceThewholequestionofthechangingroleofBlacksinAmericansocietyasbeenthesubjectofnewspaperarticlesaroundtheworldsofrequentlythatvisitorstotheUnitedStatesdonotknowwhattoexpectwhentheyarrive.TheymaybesurprisedwhentheyseethatBlacksandWhitesworksidebysideinoffices,factories,andschoolsacrossthecountry.ThemajorityofBlacksintheUnitedStates,however,liveinandaroundonlyasmallnumberofAmericancities.Manydark-skinnedvisitorsarriveintheUnitedStatesfearingpersonalattackorexpectingvariousdegreesofracialprejudice.Someformsofdiscrimination[1]stillexist,unfortunately,especiallyintheareasofthehousing,schools,andjobs.Theschoolequalityisstillmoreadreamthanareality.TherearestilltoomanyareasofthecountrywhereBlackAmericansdonotenjoythesamefullopportunitiesasWhiteAmericans.However,thevastmajorityofAmericansareworking,studying,andsharingpublicplacestogether.Thiswasnottrueevenafewyearsagoinsomepartsofthecountry,butprogressissteadilybeingmade.Youwillbeabletoobservetheimprovementinracerelationsassoonasyourplanelands.Youwillseeitintheairport,inpublicbusesandtrains,intheaters,restaurants,restroom,insopsandlibraries,inofficesandfactories.ClosepersonalfriendshipsbetweenBlacksandWhites,fulltrustandsocialrelationshipsarestillnotcommon,exceptincertainareas,However,eveninthis-theslowestareaofprogress-therehasbeenchange,especiallyamongyoungpeople.[1]discriminationn.辨别,区别,识别力,辨别力,歧视Excerptedfrom"AGuidetoU.S.A.",editedbyLiYang,LiYi,publishedbyForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPress.CultureDifferenceitisnotanovelknowledgethatculturedifferenceexistsbetweeneasternandwesterncountries.ButnotuntilIheardthelecturegivenbyaChinesescholar,whohasbeenlivedinAustraliaforseveralyears,didIcametounderstandthathowdifferentitis.Thescholarsummarizedthatwe,asChinese,prefertothinkinaspiral,casualway,whilewesternpeople,moreoftenthannot,arefondofalinear,business-is-businessway.Supportingtheidea,henamedoutexampleshehimselfexperiencedwhilestayinginAustralia.Herearesomeexcerpts.Firstly,lineupmatter.IfyouareinChina,itisnotraretoseethatacrowdofpeoplethronginthesupermarket,tryingtogetservicefirst.PeopleinChinadolineup,thescholarsaidinahumoroustone,buttheyprefertolineupatahorizontalway.Incontrast,inwesterncountries,say,inAustralia,peoplealwayslineup,nomatterinabigbankorasmallgrocerystore.Andtheytakeitforgranted.Lininguphaslongsincebecomepartoftheirlifethattheyscarcelydoubtitorgrowimpatientwhiledoingit.Secondly,firstcome,firstserved.ThoughinwordsitisanormalprinciplehereinChina,it’smostlynotthecaseinreality.Takeanexampleofwhatusuallyhappensinabank.Herewhenweareinamiddle-sizedbank,andsupposewearetalkingwiththecashier,italwaystendstohavesomeonebuttin,claimingthathisorherrequesttakesonlyonesecond.Anditseemsthatwehavealreadybeenaccustomedtoit.Sohasthecashier.Butinwesterncountries,itneverapplies.Itisalwaysrudethatyoubuttinwhilethecashierisservinghiscustomer.Nomatterhowlittletimeyourrequestcosts,thecashier,moreoftenthannot,islikelytoturnyoudown.Onlyonecustomeratatimeishisprinciple.Thirdly,changestuff.SupposeIaminashoppingmallandthestuffIpurchasecostme142RMB.Whileliningupatthecasher’sandhappeningtocheckmywallet,IfindIhave200RMBandtwoone-yuancoins.WhatwillIdo?Togivethecashier200RMB,orgivehim200RMBandthetwoone-yuancoinssothathecouldreturnme60RMB,whichismoreconvenientforbothofus.IthinkwhentheChinesewereinthissituation,theywouldmostlychoosethelatterone.Butthescholarsaid,inAustralia,theywon’tdoso.Hethentoldthathehimselfdidtryitonce,andhethoughtitwasself-evidenttodoso.Butthecashierdidnotunderstand.Sothescholarlatteronsummarizedthatwesternpeoplearepronetolackofflexibilitywhiledoingtheirwork.Thenhowaboutusintheireyes?TheythinkweChinesehaveatendencytomakethingscomplicate.Whataninterestingcontrast!HereIdon’tintendtotellwhichisbetterandwhichisworse.WhatItrytosayisjustthatwemightwellbeinconformitywiththecustomsandbeawareoftheculturedifferenceswhilebeingabroad.Likethesayinggoes—whileyouareinRome,doasRomansdo.Ifyoudon’twanttoputyourselfinthepublic,bearingallthisinmindisperhapsthebestpolicy.
