Six   A shouting match?
一場爭吵比賽？

 1   Introduction 
A   American humor often confuses the Chinese.  The American sense of the comedic is quite different from the Chinese.  When Americans tell a joke to the Chinese, the looks of puzzlement are simply golden.  Likewise Chinese humor is just as great a mystery to Americans.
美國人的幽默經(jīng)常使中國人很困惑。美國人的笑話與中國人的很不一樣。美國人向中國人講笑話時，那種迷惑的表情真是堪稱一絕。同樣地，中國人的幽默對于美國人來說，也是神秘得不得了。

B   Americans have this expression: “It’s good to have a sense of humor about life.” This generally means it is helpful to refrain from anger or despair when your situation is difficult.
美國人有這樣一句話，“對生活有幽默感還是好的。”這大致就是說，當你的處境出現(xiàn)困難時，它可以幫助你克制住憤怒、絕望。

 2    Sample Sentences
1.    I try to maintain a robust sense of humor.
      我盡量保持十足的幽默感。
2.    They always try to make fun of me.
    他們老是開我的玩笑。
3.    We like to joke about such things. 
      我們喜歡說一些這樣的笑話。
4.    You will be so popular here in America, because you are so much MORE beautiful than the girls I see here.  No kidding!
      你在美國會很受歡迎的，因為你比我在這里看到的女孩都漂亮多了。是真的！
5.    He is not a good-looking guy, but he’s very funny.
      他長相并不好看，但是他很滑稽。
6.    He is very humorous.  He always makes me laugh.
他很幽默。他老是惹我笑。
7.    The situations I have encountered certainly defy my imagination, and deserve a good laugh.
我所遇到的情形與我想象中的完全不一樣，值得哈哈大笑一番。
8.    I don’t see the humor in it.
我不覺得這好笑。
9.    You know Tina is kind of slow; she didn’t get it at first.
      你知道蒂娜的反應有點慢，她起先沒有明白過來。
10.   Oh, my gosh！ It’s unbelievable.
      噢，天啦! 簡直無法相信。

 3    Conversations
1.  A Chinese woman, Helen, is chatting at her home with her American single friend, Sam, who just answered his mobile phone.
Helen:  Do you have to leave soon?
Sam:  No.  Actually I can stay longer.  Dave (his boss) called to say that there is a beautiful Chinese girl who’s going to pick me up at the school gate tonight at 10:30 instead of 8:30.
Helen:  Oh, that’s better.  So you don’t have to rush.
Sam:  Yeah.  You know what Dave just said?
Helen:  What?
Sam:  He said I should put on something very nice, because this girl will be my next target1.
Helen:   (smiling) He knows you very well.
Sam:  He always makes fun of me.  He always says things like that.  You know the new coming teacher, a Chinese Canadian.  He said she would really be my chance.
Helen:  I’m sure you have chances everywhere.  You’re handsome, talkative2, and got a sense of humor.  You must be very popular.
Sam:  No, you’re kidding.  I’m not taking it seriously.
【譯文】
——你很快就要走嗎？
——不。實際上我還可以呆久一點。戴夫(他的老板)打電話來說今晚有個漂亮的女孩會在學校門口接我，八點半改成了十點半。
——噢，那更好。這樣你就不必急急忙忙了。
——是啊。你知道剛才戴夫說什么了嗎？
——什么？
——他說我應該穿好看一點，因為這個女孩將會是我的下一個目標。
——(微笑) 他真了解你。
——他老是開我的玩笑。他老是說些那樣的話。你知道這位新來的老師，一個中國的加拿大人。 他說她將會是我真正的機會。
——我敢肯定你的機會到處都有。你很帥，又健談，而且還有幽默感。你一定很受歡迎。
——沒有，你在說笑。我不會當真啦。

2.   Joseph, an American guy, came to Guangzhou recently.  He is talking to his Chinese friend about his experience here.
Julia:  You have been here for how long?  Four months now?
Joseph:  Yeah, about.
Julia:  Do you know Chinese better now? 
Joseph:  Oh, definitely.  I remember, when I first arrived in Guangzhou, my girlfriend was haggling3 with a sales clerk over the price of a mobile phone.
Julia:  Oh, yeah.  Many Chinese like to bargain.  It happens almost everywhere.
Joseph:  I mean, I understand that.  But the speed of the conversation got faster and faster, until it seemed to me that they would fight.  My perception4 of the tone was that it was a violent shouting match5.  The truth was that it was a perfectly normal conversation.
Julia:   (laughing) A shouting match?  You’re so funny.  You must be exaggerating6.  I don’t believe it.
Joseph:  I am not exaggerating at all.  I’m telling you the truth.  That was how I felt at that time.
Julia:  Yes, perhaps.  Chinese usually don’t notice that sort of thing.  Maybe it’s quite natural7 to us.
Joseph:  Yes, absolutely true.
【譯文】
——你來中國多久了？到現(xiàn)在四個月？
——是，大概是這樣。
——你現(xiàn)在對中國人了解多一些了吧？
——噢，那當然。我記得，當我初到廣州時，我的女朋友在買手提電話時跟營業(yè)員正在討價還價。
——噢，是啊。很多中國人喜歡討價還價。這幾乎隨處可見。
——我知道是那樣。但是談話的語速越來越快，直到我看來他們會打架。他們的音調(diào)讓我覺得那是一場猛烈的爭吵比賽。實情是，那是一個很平常的談話。
——（笑）一場爭吵比賽？你還真滑稽。你一定在夸張。我不信。
——我一點都不夸張。我是在說真的。當時我真是這么覺得。
——是，有可能。中國人通常不會注意到這種事。也許我們都習以為常了。
——對，一點都沒錯。

《零距離美語會話[文化風俗差異]Lesson6:Ashoutingmatch》永久閱讀地址: http://www.jiazhineng.cn/yingyu/2014/