美国人的性格和风俗习惯.pptVIP

American Character and Customs ——曹媛媛 New Englander :stern and self reliant Southerner as gracious and leisurely Westerner as casual and friendly. Most regional distinctions have been gradually erased by modern transportation and communication . American have certain things in common The pioneering spirit of immigrants is still an important part of the American character. Americans like to believe that a difficult problem can be solved immediately and they take pride in meeting challenges and overcoming difficult obstacles. This can-do spirit has given Americans a sense of optimism about themselves and their country. Americans are trained from childhood to question ,analyze and search. For example: it’s frequently one can find in the US that junior staff members dare to challenge older executives or ague points with them. How do Americans deal with the relations between truth and politeness? Truth in the US has a higher priority than politeness. In view of such profound differences in values between Americans and other peoples, it is natural that misunderstandings and irritations often occur. Here is an example : “How far is it to the next village?” the American asks a man standing by the edge of the road. This repeated question of accuracy versus courtesy leads to many misunderstandings between peoples of different cultures. America is clearly characterized by much more informality and less social distinction than many other countries. How do Americans consider the social rank? Americans have little feeling for “rank”, especially social rank. For example: Americans do not have family tittles to show class distinctions. If a person is distinguished, what they use instead is occupational title. Such as Ambassador Jones, Senator Smith, Judge Harley, General Clark, Dr. Brown. Father white, Bishop Grey. If you doubt as to the manner of address, never hesitate to ask. If you want to show your respect, you can always use “Sir” or “Ma’am” . To some people, “Mr.”,