170 Saving Face 2

Jerry要去中国出差,找同事Amy请教。

Jerry: My book on Chinese culture says that the idea of shame is a big part of how society works.

A: That's true. Chinese culture places more value on the group and less on the individual.

J: Pretty much the opposite of the U.S. huh?

A: Yeah. In China your actions at work reflect on your employer and your daily conduct reflects on your family.

J: So if you shame yourself you're also shaming your employer?

A: In some cases, yes.

集体的概念在中国文化里很重要。Amy说,Chinese culture places more value on the group and less on the individual. 相对个人而言,中国文化更重视集体,the opposite of the U.S.,跟美国正相反。你工作时的表现会影响到你公司的形象,你的日常举止行为能反映出你的家庭教养,to reflect on someone,是影响到某人形象的意思。

A: Chinese culture doesn't encourage showboating or aggressive self-promotion.

J: Ha! In America, we promote ourselves all the time! It's the only way to get noticed.

A: But in Chinese society, you might have a better chance at getting a promotion at work by being a real team player. The best advice I can give to a foreigner who wants to do business in China is this: be sincere, try not to offend and tone down the volume.

中国文化不鼓励showboat,自我吹嘘,也不鼓励self-promotion,自我宣传。在美国,只有自我宣传才能得到上司的注意,然而在中国,最好的途径是be a real team player,做团队的一员。Amy说,她给外国人最好的建议是:be sincere,真诚;try not to offend,不要冒犯别人;以及tone down the volume,调低音量。

J: What do you mean when you say, "turn down the volume?"

S: Well, for one thing: don't talk so loud! Americans are loud and although China is a very noisy country, people don't like it when you draw attention to yourself.

J: Would that include how I dress as well?

A: Certainly. Try to blend in as much as possible. The locals will appreciate the effort.

J: Wow, Amy....I'm so glad I talked with you! You've been a great source of information.

A: Sure. Let me know if you need more specifics.

Amy建议Jerry讲话不要太大声,因为 People don't like it when you draw attention to yourself,大家不喜欢那些故意吸引别人注意的人。

另外,穿着打扮也不要太醒目,Try to blend in as much as possible,意思是融入周围的环境,也就是说,Jerry应该尽量设法跟周围的人打成一片。