美國人的問候方式
Greetings
美國人的問候方式
East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." At least, that's what English writer Rudyard Kipling said. Truth is, nowadays Easterners and Westerners meet quite often. And when they do meet, naturally, they have to find an appropriate greeting. Aye, there's the rub. What's culturally appropriate for people in one culture may be completely out of line in another culture. So the best approach is to follow the well-known maxim, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
「東方是東方，西方是西方，兩者是不會相會的。」至少，英國短篇小說家吉普林是如此認爲。事實上，當今東方人與西方人時常碰面。當他們會面時，自然而然地必須找出一種合適的問候方式。唉，這就麻煩了！在某個文化裏可能恰到好處的事，到另一個文化裏，就可能過分踰矩。因此，最佳的做法就是遵守這個耳熟能詳的行事準則：「入境隨俗」。
So what's an appropriate salutation for Americans? Maybe you already know how to say, "How are you?" You might even know the customary response, "Fine, thanks, and you?" Is that all there is to greeting people American-style? Well, Americans do often use this trite greeting, and they generally expect nothing but the standard answer. (If you want to shock an American friend, the next time he greets you this way, tell him how you're really doing.) But most Americans enjoy a little variety now and then. In informal settings, you might hear Americans say, "How's it going?" (which doesn't mean, "What's your destination?") or "What's up?" (which isn't an inquiry about the stock market). Formal situations, on the other hand might call for expressions like "Good morning" or "Hello, it's nice to see you."
那麼，對美國人而言，什麼纔是適當的問候語？可能你已經懂得怎麼說「How are you?」（你好嗎？）你甚至也知道一般常用的回答「Fine, thanks, and you?」（我很好，謝謝，你呢？）用美國的方式來問候別人，就僅僅如此而已嗎？其實美國人的確常用這老套的問候方式，而他們所期待的，也只是一般的標準回答。（你如果想讓你的美國朋友吃驚，下一次他如此問候你時，你就把你真正的感覺告訴他。）但是，多數的美國人偶而會喜歡有些變化。在非正式的場合裏，你可能聽到美國人說「How's it going?」 (它不是在問「你的目的地是哪裏？」)或者是「What's up?」(它也不是詢問股市的動態) 而在另一方面，一個正式的場合所使用的問候語，則可能是「Good morning」（早安），或是「Hello, it is nice to see you.」（哈囉！很高興見到你。）
After the initial "hello," what kind of comments are appropriate to kick off a conversation? You might engage in small talk and make a remark about the weather, your job or current events. Or you could ask your American friend about his recent activities or his upcoming plans. If you know that he's been under the weather, you might ask him how he's feeling. But don't make use of personal comments or questions like "Boy, you've put on weight!" or "What are all those bumps on your face?" or "How much money did that necklace cost?" Americans might take offense at questions or comments about money or their appearance.
說了開場的「Hello」之後，用什麼話來適當地打開話閘子呢？你可能與對方閒聊，提及天氣、你的工作或是時事。或者，你可以問你的美國朋友他最近做了什麼，或是再來的計劃有哪些。如果你知道他一直身體不適，你或許可以問他感覺如何。但千萬不要用牽涉個人的評語或問題，像是：「唷！你體重又增加了！」或是「你臉上一粒一粒的是怎麼來的？」或是「那條項練你花了多少錢？」美國人可能會對於有關金錢以及個人外表的問題或批評，感到反感。
One other caution: In some social contexts, particularly in an office or a professional setting, greetings between the sexes should be very conservative. If you're a man, greeting a woman with a statement like "Wow! You look beautiful today!" may be construed as a come--on. So when you're giving a compliment, the key is to use discretion.
另一項值得注意的：在某種社交場合，尤其是在辦公室或專業場合裏，兩性之間的問候應該非常保守。如果你是男性，而問候女性時你說：「哇！你今天真漂亮！」這可能會被誤解爲一種挑逗行爲。因此，讚美他人時，仔細斟酌非常重要。
What about overt displays of affection, like hugging and kissing? Contrary to some stereotypes, Americans don't go around hugging and kissing everyone they meet. Of course, girls might give each other a squeeze as a friendly gesture, and in some high society circles, a little peck on the cheek is a common courtesy. But except with family members and close friends, Americans usually don't give out wholesale hugs. Besides that, not all Americans are inveterate huggers anyway. So don't wrap your arms around the next American you see. He or she might be just as uncomfortable as you are.
那麼，公開地表示感情，例如擁抱以及親吻，又該如何呢？美國人與一般人所認定的典型不同，他們並不會到處擁抱、親吻遇見的每一個人。當然，女性們可能會在見面時彼此緊抱一下以示友好；而且在某些上流社交圈裏，輕吻對方的面頰是很普遍的禮節。但除了對家人與好友外，美國人通常不會經常隨便擁抱他人。此外，並不是每一位美國人都習慣擁抱他人。因此，不要隨便把手臂環住下一個你碰到的美國人。他可能會跟你一樣地不自在。
