Unit 20 Culture Shock 文化冲击(精品文档)

Unit 20 Culture Shock

Kalvero Oberg

1 Culture shock might be called an occupational disease of people who have been suddenly transplanted abroad. Like most ailments, it has its own symptoms and cure.

文化冲击又叫人们移居国外的职业病。像大多数小病一样，它也有自己的症状和治疗方法。

2 Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. Those signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situation of daily life: when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people, when and how to give tips, how to make purchases, when to accept and when to refuse invitations* when to take statements seriously and when not. These cues, which may be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, or norms, are acquired by all of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept. All of us depend for our peace of mind and our efficiency on hundreds of these cues, most of which we do not carry on the level of conscious awareness.

文化冲击是焦虑产生的，这种焦虑是由于丧失了指导我们进行社交的熟悉的信号和符号。这些信号和暗示包含了许许多多使我们适应日常生活情况的方法：何时握手，当我们见到人时说什么，何时怎样给小费，怎样购物，何时接受何时拒绝邀请，何时把别人的话当真，何时不。这些暗示也许是词语，手势，面部表情，风俗习惯或者规范，这些都是我们在成长过程中学习得来的，它们跟我们所讲的语言，所接受的信条一样，是我们文化的一部分。我们所有人都依靠这些暗示来获得平静的心情以及高效的生活，而这些暗示的大多数并不是有意识地记住的。

3 Now when an individual enters a strange culture, all or most of these familiar cues are removed. He or she is like a fish out of water. No matter how broad- minded or full of goodwill you may be, a series of props have been knocked from under you, followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety. People react to the frustration in much the same way. First they reject the environment which causes the discomfort. “The ways of the host country are bad because they make us feel bad." When foreigners in a strange land get together to grouse about the host country and its people, you can be sure they are suffering from culture shock. Another phase of culture shock is regression. The home environment suddenly assumes a tremendous importance. To the fore18ner everything becomes irrationally glorified. All the difficulties and problems are

forgotten and only the good things back home are remembered. It usually takes a trip home to bring one back to reality.

当一个人进入一个陌生的文化，所有或大多数的暗示消失了。他或她像是离开水的鱼。不管你是多么心胸开阔或者充满友善，你的一系列精神支柱从你身下被抽走，随之而来的是挫败感和焦虑。人们对焦虑的反应大都是相同的方式。首先，他们抵制引起不适的环境。“东道国的习俗不好，因为他们让我感到很糟糕。”当生活在异国他乡的外国人聚到一起抱怨东道国和它的子民时，你可以确定他们正在遭受文化冲击带来的痛苦。另一个文化冲击的阶段是回归。家庭环境突然变得极为重要。对外国人来说，家中的一切都被不合逻辑的美化了。所有的困难和问题都将被遗忘，只记得家中美好的事情。这通常需要回家一趟，才能把他们带回现实中来。

4 Some of the symptoms of culture shock arc excessive washing of the hands, excessive concern over drinking water, food dishes, and bedding; fear of physical contact with attendants, the absent-minded stare; a feeling of helplessness and a desire for dependence on long term residents of one's own nationality; fits of anger over minor frustrations; great concern over minor pains and eruptions of the skin; and finally, that terrible longing to be back home.

文化冲击的一些症状是过多的洗手，过多担心饮用水，食物，和床具；害怕亲自与服务员接触，心不在焉的眼神；无助的感觉和渴望依靠来自本国的长期居住者；因为一点点挫折大动肝火；对轻微疼痛和皮疹的担心；最后，极为渴望回家。

5 Individuals differ greatly in the degrees in which culture shock affects them. Although not common, there are individuals who cannot live in foreign countries. However; those who have seen people go through culture shock and on to a satisfactory adjustment can discern steps in the process. During the first few weeks most individuals are fascinated by the new. They stay in hotels and associate with nationals who speak their 1anguage and are polite and gracious to foreigners. This honeymoon stage may last from a few days or weeks to six months, depending on circumstances. If one is very important, he or she will be shown the show places, will be pampcred and petted, and in a press interview will speak glowingly about goodwill and international friendship.

个人受文化冲击的程度大不相同。尽管这样的现象不普遍，但确实有人不能生活在国外。然而，那些看过人们经历文化冲击到令人满意的适应过程的人，却能辨认出该过程的各个阶段。在最初的几个星期，大多数人都被新鲜感感到着迷。他们待在酒店里，与讲自己国家语言的人交往，并且对外国人礼貌和善。这个蜜月期将持续几天或者几个星期到6个月，依情况而定。如果这个人是重要人物，他将会被安排游览胜地，受到纵容和宠爱，在新闻采访中，他会热情洋溢地谈论友善和国际友谊。

6 But this mentality does not normally last if the foreign visitors remains abroad and has seriously to cope with real conditions of life. It is then that the second stage begins, characterized by a hostile and aggressive attitude toward