The American Character 美国人的性格

The American Character 美国人的性格(Bradford Smith 布拉德福德·史密斯)

The following is part of an essay taken from Bradford Smith's book, Why We Behave Like Americans. Success as a goal and materialism, according to Smith, are among the underlying factors that make up the American character.

以下节选自布拉德福德所著《为什么我们的举止象美国人》里的一篇文章。据布拉德福德所说，目标为成功和物质享乐主义，构成美国人性格的内在因素。

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When visitors from abroad undertake to describe the American Character, the results are frequently puzzling to Americans. "All Americans are Puritans; that's what's wrong with them," says one. "They're always thinking about enjoying themselves," says another. "They spend too much time at work," a distinguished visitor tells us. "They don't know how to play." "Americans don't know what work is, " retorts another." Their machines do it all." "American women are shameless sirens." －"No, they're prudes." "The children here are wonderful －outgoing and natural." －"Natural as little beasts. They have no manners, no respect for their elders."

要是让国外来客描述美国人的性格，结果常常令美国人感到奇怪。一个人说：“所有的美国人都是清教徒；所以他们与众不同。”另一个人说：“他们总是想方设法让自己开心。”一位尊贵的客人告诉我们：“他们花在工作上的时间太多。他们不懂如何玩乐。”另一个人反驳说：“他们不懂什么是工作。因为机器替他们做了一切。”“美国女人是不知廉耻的，妖艳而危险的女人。”--“不，她们假正经。”“这里的孩子真好－－外向，自然。”----“象小小的野兽一样自然。他们没礼貌，不尊敬长辈。”

There is, of course, no single pattern of American character any more than there is a single English or Turkish or Chinese character. Personality in America is further complicated by our diverse racial and cultural origins, by successive waves of immigration from all parts of the world, by our regional diversities. It is complicated by several hundred varieties of religious belief with their varying impact on the believers. It is further diversified by the generation to which the person belongs －first generation immigrant, second generation child of immigrants, and on down the line.

当然，世上既没有单一模式的美国人性格，也没有单一的英国人性格或土耳其人性格或是中国人性格。个性的定义在美国变得更为复杂，因为我们有不同的种族和文化背景，因为来自世界各地连续不断的移民浪潮，因为我们区域的多样性。个性的定义变得复杂，因为几百种不同的宗教信仰及其对各自的信奉者的影响不同。个性的定义也由于每个人所处的年代不同而趋多样化－－第一代是移民，第二代是移民的孩子，一直照此延续下去。

The temptation is strong to lump all Americans together. Yet those who look a little deeper are puzzled by the seeming contradictions in American life. It is true that Americans as a whole work hard. But they also play hard. They spend more time and money in traveling, camping, hunting, watching sports, drinking, smoking, going to movies, watching television and reading newspapers and magazines than any other people in the world. Yet they also spend more money on churches, social services, hospitals and all kinds of charities. They are always in a hurry, yet they spend more time relaxing. They are at the same time sensitive to the rights of the individual and habitual conformist. They worship bigness yet idealize the little man, whether he be the small business man as opposed to the