大学生跨文化交际 Different Attitude to Time2014定稿

Different Attitude to Time

1.Time is one of the most central differences that separate cultural ways of doing things. In the west, time tends to be seen as quantitative, measured in units that reflect the march of progress. It is logical, sequential, and present-focused, moving toward a future the ego cannot touch and a past that is not a part of now. To them the expression "time is money" is frequently heard. This approach to time is called monochronic time --------it is an approach that favors linear structure and focus on one event or interaction at a time.

对待时间的态度是区分不同文化及其处事方式的最主要的差异因素之一。在西方,时间往往以一定的单位被量化,这种单位反映了时间的向前流逝（如时、分、秒）。时间是有逻辑性的,连续的,立足现时的。它朝着自我现在不能触碰到的未来流逝，告别了不属于现在的过去。对西方人而言，“时间就是金钱”之类的表达是经常听到的。这种处理时间的方法称为单向计时制（单维度时间取向，一元时间制）- - - - -这是一个倾向于线性结构，注重于一次只处理一个事情或只进行一次互动的方法。

2.In the East, it seems that time has unlimited continuity with no strict boundary. Birth and death are not such absolute ends since the universe continues and humans, though changing form, continue as part of it. People may attend to many things happening at once in this approach to time, called polychronic time. This may mean many conversations in a moment, such as a meeting in which people speak simultaneously, "talking over" each other as they discuss their subjects.

在东方，时间似乎是无限的、连续的，没有严格的边界的。自从宇宙诞生以来，生与死就不是绝对对立的。尽管在生与死之间，人类不断变化着形式，但人类始终是宇宙的一部分。在多向计时制（多维度时间取向，多元时间制）的计时方法中，人们可能会一次同时参于很多事情。这可能意味着许多对话会发生在同一时刻,比如一次会议中，在讨论话题时，人们会同时彼此交谈。

3.Monochronic culture typically emphasize doing one thing at a time during a specified time-period, working on a single task until it is finished. Monochronic

people see time as being divided into fixed elements (seconds, minutes, hours, etc.), sequential blocks that can be organized, quantified, and scheduled. They love to plan in detail, make lists, keep tracks of activities, and organize time into a daily routine. Only after one task is completed are they comfortable moving to another, and switching back and forth from one task to another is not only wasteful and distracting, it is also uncomfortable.

单维时间取向的文化非常典型地强调，在指定的时间内，每次只单独做一件的事，直到完成。单维时间取向的人会把时间分成固定的单位（例如秒，分，小时等）。在他们看来，时间就是能够组织起来的连续的时间组块，是可以量化的，是可以预先排好进度的。他们喜欢详细地计划，列出清单，记录活动，把一天的时间进程分配好。只有当一件任务完成后他们才会心里舒坦，才会去做另外一件事，如果同时在两件事情间来回切换，不仅浪费时间，分散注意力，而且也会让人不舒服。

4. In contrast, polychronic culture are involved with many things at once, usually with varying levels of attention paid to each. Polychronic people prefer not to have detailed plans imposed on them but want to make their own plans and meet deadlines in their own way. Switching from one activity to another is both stimulating and productive and the most desirable way to work.

相比之下，多维时间取向的人会一次参与很多事情，但他们通常区分每件事的轻重程度，给予不同的关注度。多维时间取向的人不喜欢强加于他们身上的详细计划，喜欢以自己的方式，制定自己的计划，并按时完成。从一个活动切换到另一个，是既刺激又富有成效且最理想的工作方式。

5.P-time cultures deal with time holistically. People in such kind of cultures do not emphasize scheduling by separating time into discrete , fixed segments. They treat time as a less tangible medium so that they can interact with more than one person or do more than one thing at a time. They do not perceive appointments as iron-clad commitments, therefore, in these cultures, personal interaction and relationship development are far more important than making appointments or meeting