大连海事大学研究生英语听力文本 Unit5.docVIP

Unit Five Language and Culture Part One Warm-up Listening Differences Between Western Language Styles and Japanese Language Style Task One Styles Description Western-style conversation Between two people It is like a game of tennis. If I introduce a topic, a conversational ball, I expect you to hit it back. If you agree with me, I don’t expect you simply to agree and do nothing more. I expect you to add something—a reason for agreeing, another example, or a remark to carry the idea further. But I don’t expect you always to agree. I am just as happy if you question me, or challenge me, or completely disagree with me. Whether you agree or not, your response will return the ball to me. And then it is my turn again. I don’t serve a new ball from my original starting line. I hit your ball back again from where it has bounced. I carry your idea further, or answer your questions or objections, or challenge or question you. And so the ball goes back and forth. Between more than two people It is like doubles in tennis, or like volleyball. There is no waiting in line. Whoever is nearest and quickest hits the ball, and if you step back, someone else will hit it. No one stops the game to give you a turn. You are responsible for taking your own turn and no one person has the ball for very long. Japanese-style conversation It is like bowling. You wait for your turn, and you always know your place in line. It depends on such things as whether you are older or younger, a close friend or a relative stranger to the previous speaker, in a senior or junior position, and so on. The first thing is to wait for your turn, patiently and politely. When your moment comes, you step up to the starting line with your bowling ball, and carefully bowl it. Everyone else stands back, making sounds of polite encouragement. Differences Between Western Language Styles and Japanese Language Style After I was married and had lived in Japan for a while, my Japanese gradually improved to the poin