最新英语笔译实务-3级配套训练-第十三单元--英译汉(一)Do-as-the-Romans-Do

英语笔译实务3级配套训练第十三单元

英译汉（一）

Do as the Romans Do

Here I must put a few words about my experience here in China. If I have dinner with a Chinese host, he always presses more food onto my plate as soon as I have emptied it of the previous helping. That often makes me feel very awkward. I have to eat the food even I don’t like it, because it is considered bad manners in the West to leave one’s food on the plate. I have also noticed that when a Chinese sits at, say, an American’s dinn er party, he very often refuses the offer of food or drink though he is in fact still hungry or thirsty. This might be good manners in China, but it is definitely not in the West. In the United States, it is impossible to keep asking someone again and again or press something on him. Americans are very direct. If they want something, they will ask for it. If not, they will say, “No, thanks.” Here’s an example: When an American is offered beer by the host, and he doesn’t like beer, he will probably say, “No,thanks. I just don’t feel like it. I’ll take some diet

Pepsi-Co la fi you have it.” That is what an American will do. Americans consider it confusing to avoid telling the true facts, even if avoiding the truth is done only to be polite. Americans are taugh t that “Honesty is the best policy.” But in some countries, courtesy might be more important than honesty. That is where misunderstanding occurs, when people from two different countries meet. So when I am here in China, I have to observe the customs here. But when you go to the United States, you had better “do as the Romans do.”

课文词汇

Pepsi-Cola 百事可乐

awkward 尴尬的

courtesy 礼貌；谦恭

参考译文

入乡随俗

这里我得说一下自己在中国的经历。与中国主人一起用餐时，刚吃完前面夹给我的菜，他总是马上又在我的碟子里堆上更多的菜。这常常使我感到很尴尬。在西方，把食物剩在碟子里是不礼貌的，不想吃的食物，我也得吃下去。我还注意到，中国人坐在，比方说，美国人举办的宴席上，常常会辞谢递给他的食物和饮料，事实上他还没吃饭或口还渴。在中国这样做可能是得体的举止，但在西方，却决不见得文明。在美国，一再问人家要不要食物，或强塞给人食物是不礼貌的。美国人很直率。想要什么，他们就会提出。不想要，他们就会说：“不，谢谢。”比如：主人给一位美国客人敬酒，客人不喜欢，他就会说：“不，谢谢。我不太想喝啤酒。要是您有无糖的百事可乐，我倒想来点儿。”这就是美国人的行事方式（美国人都会照此办理）。不说真话（把真话闷在心里），即便这样做完全是出于礼貌，也会令美国人感到难以理解。美国人信奉（遵循）“诚实是最佳的处事方针”。但在有些国家，彬彬有礼比诚实更为重要。两个不同国家的人碰到一起，往往就会产生误解。我在中国的时候，得遵循这里的习俗。若你们去美国，最好也要“入乡随俗”。