Your actions speak louder

A Peace Corps staff member is hurriedly called to a town in Ethiopia to deal with reports that one of the volunteers is treating Ethiopians like dogs. What could the volunteer be doing to communicate that?

一名和平队的工作人员被紧急召到埃塞俄比亚的一个小镇,去处理有关其中一名志愿者像对待狗一样对待埃塞俄比亚人的报道。志愿者可以做些什么来传达这些信息呢?

A volunteer in Nigeria has great trouble getting any discipline in his class, and it is known that the students have no respect for him because he has shown no self-respect. How has he shown that?

尼日利亚的一名志愿者很难在课堂上保持纪律,众所周知,学生们不尊重他,因为他没有自尊。他是如何证明这一点的?

Neither volunteer offended his hosts with words. But both of them were unaware of what they had communicated through their nonverbal behavior.

两位志愿者都没有言语冒犯东道主。但他们都没有意识到自己通过非语言行为传达了什么。

In the first case, the volunteer working at a health center would go into the waiting room and call for the next patient. She did this as she would in America -by pointing with her finger to the next patient and beckoning him to come. Acceptable in the States, but in Ethiopia her pointing gesture is for children and her beckoning signal is for dogs. In Ethiopia one points to a person by extending the arm and hand and beckons by holding the hand out, palm down, and closing it repeatedly.

在第一个案例中,在健康中心工作的志愿者将进入候诊室呼叫下一个病人。她这样做,就像她在美国做的那样——用手指着下一个病人,并示意他过来。这在美国是可以接受的,但在埃塞俄比亚,她的手指手势是给孩子的,她的招手信号是给狗的。在埃塞俄比亚,人们通过伸出手臂和手来指向一个人,通过伸出手,掌心向下,然后反复合拢来示意。

In the second case, the volunteer insisted that students look him in the eye to show attentiveness, in a country where prolonged eye contact is considered disrespectful.

在第二种情况下,志愿者坚持让学生看着他的眼睛以表示关注,在一个国家,长时间的眼神接触被认为是不尊重的。

While the most innocent American-English gesture may have insulting, embarrassing, or at least confusing connotations in another culture, the converse is also true. If foreign visitors were to bang on the table and hiss at the waiter for service in a New York restaurant, they would be fortunate if they were only thrown out. Americans might find foreign students overly polite if they bow.

在另一种文化中,美式英语中最无辜的手势可能含有侮辱性的、令人尴尬的或至少令人困惑的含义,反之亦然。如果外国游客在纽约的一家餐馆里敲桌子,对服务员发出嘘声,如果他们只是被赶出去,那就算幸运了。如果外国学生鞠躬,美国人可能会觉得他们太客气了。

It seems easier to accept the arbitrariness of language -that dog is chien in French or aja in Yoruba -than the differences in the emotionally laden behavior of nonverbal communication, which in many ways is just as arbitrary as language.

似乎人们更容易接受语言的任意性——在法语中狗叫chien,在约鲁巴语中叫aja——而非语言交流中情感承载行为的差异,在很多方面就像语言一样任意性强。

We assume that our way of talking and gesturing is “natural” and that those who do things differently are somehow playing with nature. This assumption leads to a blindness about intercultural behavior. And individuals are likely to remain blind and unaware of what they are communicating nonverbally, because the hosts will seldomtell them that they have committed a social blunder. It is rude to tell people they are rude; thus the hosts grant visitors a “foreigner’s license,” allowing them to make mistakes of social etiquette, and they never know until too late which ones prove disastrous.

我们认为我们说话和打手势的方式是“自然的”,而那些做不同事情的人在某种程度上是在玩自然。这种假设导致了对跨文化行为的盲目性。而且,人们很可能仍然对自己的非语言交流内容一无所知,因为主人很少会告诉他们他们犯了一个社交错误。告诉别人他们很粗鲁是不礼貌的;因此,主人给来访者颁发了“外国人执照”,允许他们在社交礼仪上犯错误,而他们直到太晚才知道哪些是灾难性的。

An additional handicap is that the visitors have not entered the new setting as free agents, able to detect and adopt new ways of communicating without words. They are prisoners of their own culture and interact within their own framework. Yet the fact remains that for maximum understanding the visitor using the words of another language also must learn to use the tools of nonverbal communication of that culture.

另一个障碍是,游客没有进入新的设置作为自由的代理人,能够发现和采用新的沟通方式,而没有文字。他们是自己文化的囚徒,在自己的框架内互动。但事实是,为了最大限度地理解,使用另一种语言的游客也必须学会使用该文化的非语言交流工具。

Nonverbal communication -teaching it and measuring effect -is more difficult than formal language instruction. But now that language has achieved its proper recognition as being essential for success, the area of nonverbal behavior should be taught to people who will live in another country in a systematic way, giving them actual experiences, awareness, sensitivity. Indeed, it is the rise in linguistic fluency which now makes nonverbal fluency even more critical. A linguistically fluent visitor may tend to offend even more than those who don’t speak as well if that visitor shows ignorance about interface etiquette; the national may perceive this disparity between linguistic and nonlinguistic performance as a disregard for the more subtle aspects of intercultural communication. Because nonverbal cues reflect emotional states, both visitor and host national might not be able to articulate what’s going on.

非语言交际——教授非语言交际并衡量其效果——比正式的语言教学更难。但是现在语言已经被公认为是成功的关键,非语言行为领域应该以一种系统的方式教授给那些将要在另一个国家生活的人,给他们实际的经验,意识和敏感度。事实上,正是语言流利度的提高使得非语言流利度变得更加重要。如果一个语言流利的访问者表现出对界面礼仪的无知,那么他可能会比那些语言不那么流利的访问者更容易受到冒犯;这个民族可能会认为语言和非语言表现之间的差异是对跨文化交际中更微妙方面的漠视。因为非语言暗示反映了情绪状态,游客和东道主可能都不能清楚地表达出发生了什么。

While it would be difficult to map out all the nonverbal details for every language that Peace Corps teaches, one can hope to make visitors aware of the existence and emotional importance of nonverbal channels. I have identified five such channels: kinesic, proxemic, chronemic, oculesic, and haptic.

虽然很难描绘出和平队教授的每一种语言的所有非语言细节,但我们可以希望让游客意识到非语言渠道的存在和情感重要性。我已经确定了5个这样的通道:身势、空间、语速、视觉和触觉。

Kinesics -movement of the body (head, arms, legs, etc.). The initial example from the health center in Ethiopia was a problem caused by a kinesic sign being used which had different meanings cross-culturally. Another example, the American gesture of slitting one’s throat implying “I’ve had it” or “I’m in trouble,” conveys quitea different message in Switzerland. It means “I love you.”

身势学——身体(头部、手臂、腿等)的运动。埃塞俄比亚卫生中心的最初例子是由于使用了一种不同文化意义的运动符号而引起的问题。另一个例子是,美国式的割喉手势暗示“我受够了”或“我有麻烦了”,但在瑞士却传达了完全不同的信息。它的意思是“我爱你。”

Americans make no distinction between gesturing for silence to an adult or to a child. An American will put one finger to the lips for both, while an Ethiopian will use one finger to a child and four fingers for an adult. To use only one finger for an adult is disrespectful. On the other hand, Ethiopians make no distinction in gesturing to indicate emphatic negation. They shake their index finger from side to side to an adult as well as to a child, whereas this gesture is used only for children by Americans. Thus, if visitors are not conscious of the meaning of such behavior, they not only will offend their hosts but they will be offended by them.

美国人对大人和小孩的手势没有区别。美国人会用一根手指按住嘴唇,而埃塞俄比亚人会用一根手指按住孩子的嘴唇,用四根手指按住成年人的嘴唇。对成年人只用一根手指是不尊重的。另一方面,埃塞俄比亚人在表示强调否定的手势上没有区别。他们对大人和小孩都左右摇晃食指,而这个手势只有美国人对小孩用。因此,如果客人没有意识到这种行为的意义,他们不仅会冒犯主人,而且还会被主人冒犯。

Drawing in the cheeks and holding the arms rigidly by the side of the body means “thin” in Amharic. Diet-conscious Americans feel complimented if they are told that they are slim and so may naturally assume that to tell an Ethiopian friend this is also complimentary. Yet in Ethiopia and a number of other countries, this is taken pejoratively, as it is thought better to be heavy-set, indicating health and status and enough wealth to ensure the two.

在阿姆哈拉语中,脸颊缩进,手臂僵直地放在身体两侧意味着“瘦”。注重饮食的美国人在被告知自己很苗条时会觉得受到了恭维,因此很自然地认为对埃塞俄比亚朋友说这也是恭维。然而,在埃塞俄比亚和其他一些国家,这被轻蔑地看待,因为人们认为胖身材更好,表明健康和地位,以及足够的财富来确保这两项。

Proxemics -the use of interpersonal space. South Americans, Greeks, and others find comfort in standing, sitting, or talking to people at a distance which Americans find intolerably close. We give their unusual closeness the social interpretation of aggressiveness and intimacy, causing us to have feelings of hostility, discomfort, or intimidation. If we back away to our greater distance of comfort, we are perceived as being cold, unfriendly, and distrustful. Somalis would see us as we see South Americans, since their interface distance is greater still than ours.

空间学——人际空间的使用。南美人、希腊人以及其他一些人喜欢站着、坐着或与人交谈,而美国人却觉得距离近得难以忍受。我们把他们不同寻常的亲密当作攻击性和亲密的社会解释,使我们产生敌意、不安或恐吓的感觉。如果我们退回到更舒适的距离,我们会被认为是冷漠、不友好和不信任。索马里人会像我们看待南美人那样看待我们,因为他们的界面距离比我们还要大。

Chronemics -the timing of verbal exchanges during conversation. As Americans, we expect our partner to respond to our statement immediately. In some other cultures, people time their exchanges to leave silence between each statement. For Americans this silence is unsettling. To us it may mean that the person is shy, inattentive, bored, or nervous. It causes us to repeat, paraphrase, talk louder, and “correct” our speech to accommodate our partner. In the intercultural situation, it might be best for the visitor to tolerate the silence and wait for a response.

语速-对话中言语交流的时间。作为美国人,我们希望我们的伙伴立即对我们的声明作出回应。在其他一些文化中,人们会在每句话之间留出沉默的时间。对美国人来说,这种沉默令人不安。对我们来说,这可能意味着这个人害羞、漫不经心、无聊或紧张。它使我们重复,转述,大声说话,并“纠正”我们的讲话,以适应我们的伴侣。在跨文化的情况下,最好的做法是让来访者容忍对方的沉默,等待对方的回应。

Oculesics -eye-to-eye contact or avoidance. Americans are dependent upon eye contact as a sign of listening behavior. We do not feel that there is human contact without eye contact. In many countries there are elaborate patterns of eye avoidance which we regard as inappropriate.

视觉学-眼与眼的接触或回避。美国人依赖目光接触作为倾听行为的一种标志。我们觉得没有眼神的接触就没有人与人之间的接触。在许多国家,有一些我们认为不合适的精心设计的眼睛回避模式。

Haptics -the tactile form of communication. Where, how, and how often people can touch each other while conversing are culturally defined patterns. We need not go beyond the borders of our own country to see groups (Italians and black Americans, for example) which touch each other more often than Anglo-Americans do. Overseas, Americans often feel crowded and pushed around by people who have much higher toleration for public physical contact and even need it as part of their communication process. A visitor may feel embarrassed when a host national friend continues to hold his or her hand after the formal greetings are over.

触觉-触觉交流的形式。人们在交谈时可以在哪里、如何以及多久碰一次对方是由文化定义的模式。我们不需要走出自己国家的边界,就能看到比英美人更经常互相接触的群体(例如意大利人和美国黑人)。在海外,美国人经常感到拥挤,被那些对公共场合身体接触有更高容忍度的人推来推去,甚至需要将其作为交流过程的一部分。如果在正式的问候结束后,东道国的朋友仍然握着客人的手,客人可能会感到很尴尬。

These five channels of nonverbal communication exist in every culture. The patterns and forms are completely arbitrary, and it is arguable as to what is universal and what is culturally defined.

这五种非语言交流的渠道存在于每一种文化中。这些模式和形式完全是任意的,至于什么是普遍的,什么是文化定义的,这是有争议的。

Of course, there is no guarantee that heightened awareness will change behavior. Indeed, there may be situations where visitors should not alter their behavior, depending on the status, personalities, and values in the social context. But the approach seeks to make people aware of an area of interpersonal activity which for too long has been left to change or to the assumption that visitors to other countries will be sensitive to it because they are surrounded by it.

当然,并不能保证提高意识就能改变行为。的确,在某些情况下,访客不应该改变他们的行为,这取决于他们在社会环境中的地位、个性和价值观。但这种方法试图让人们意识到人际交往活动的一个领域,这个领域太长时间以来一直没有改变,或者假设到其他国家的游客会因为周围的环境而对它敏感。

全文翻译:
一名和平队的工作人员被紧急召到埃塞俄比亚的一个小镇,去处理有关其中一名志愿者像对待狗一样对待埃塞俄比亚人的报道。志愿者可以做些什么来传达这些信息呢?

尼日利亚的一名志愿者很难在课堂上保持纪律,众所周知,学生们不尊重他,因为他没有自尊。他是如何证明这一点的?

两位志愿者都没有言语冒犯东道主。但他们都没有意识到自己通过非语言行为传达了什么。

在第一个案例中,在健康中心工作的志愿者将进入候诊室呼叫下一个病人。她这样做,就像她在美国做的那样——用手指着下一个病人,并示意他过来。这在美国是可以接受的,但在埃塞俄比亚,她的手指手势是给孩子的,她的招手信号是给狗的。在埃塞俄比亚,人们通过伸出手臂和手来指向一个人,通过伸出手,掌心向下,然后反复合拢来示意。

在第二种情况下,志愿者坚持让学生看着他的眼睛以表示关注,在一个国家,长时间的眼神接触被认为是不尊重的。
在另一种文化中,美式英语中最无辜的手势可能含有侮辱性的、令人尴尬的或至少令人困惑的含义,反之亦然。如果外国游客在纽约的一家餐馆里敲桌子,对服务员发出嘘声,如果他们只是被赶出去,那就算幸运了。如果外国学生鞠躬,美国人可能会觉得他们太客气了。

似乎人们更容易接受语言的任意性——在法语中狗叫chien,在约鲁巴语中叫aja——而非语言交流中情感承载行为的差异,在很多方面就像语言一样任意性强。

我们认为我们说话和打手势的方式是“自然的”,而那些做不同事情的人在某种程度上是在玩自然。这种假设导致了对跨文化行为的盲目性。而且,人们很可能仍然对自己的非语言交流内容一无所知,因为主人很少会告诉他们他们犯了一个社交错误。告诉别人他们很粗鲁是不礼貌的;因此,主人给来访者颁发了“外国人执照”,允许他们在社交礼仪上犯错误,而他们直到太晚才知道哪些是灾难性的。

另一个障碍是,游客没有进入新的设置作为自由的代理人,能够发现和采用新的沟通方式,而没有文字。他们是自己文化的囚徒,在自己的框架内互动。但事实是,为了最大限度地理解,使用另一种语言的游客也必须学会使用该文化的非语言交流工具。

非语言交际——教授非语言交际并衡量其效果——比正式的语言教学更难。但是现在语言已经被公认为是成功的关键,非语言行为领域应该以一种系统的方式教授给那些将要在另一个国家生活的人,给他们实际的经验,意识和敏感度。事实上,正是语言流利度的提高使得非语言流利度变得更加重要。如果一个语言流利的访问者表现出对界面礼仪的无知,那么他可能会比那些语言不那么流利的访问者更容易受到冒犯;这个民族可能会认为语言和非语言表现之间的差异是对跨文化交际中更微妙方面的漠视。因为非语言暗示反映了情绪状态,游客和东道主可能都不能清楚地表达出发生了什么。

虽然很难描绘出和平队教授的每一种语言的所有非语言细节,但我们可以希望让游客意识到非语言渠道的存在和情感重要性。我已经确定了5个这样的通道:身势、空间、语速、视觉和触觉。

身势学——身体(头部、手臂、腿等)的运动。埃塞俄比亚卫生中心的最初例子是由于使用了一种不同文化意义的运动符号而引起的问题。另一个例子是,美国式的割喉手势暗示“我受够了”或“我有麻烦了”,但在瑞士却传达了完全不同的信息。它的意思是“我爱你。”

美国人对大人和小孩的手势没有区别。美国人会用一根手指按住嘴唇,而埃塞俄比亚人会用一根手指按住孩子的嘴唇,用四根手指按住成年人的嘴唇。对成年人只用一根手指是不尊重的。另一方面,埃塞俄比亚人在表示强调否定的手势上没有区别。他们对大人和小孩都左右摇晃食指,而这个手势只有美国人对小孩用。因此,如果客人没有意识到这种行为的意义,他们不仅会冒犯主人,而且还会被主人冒犯。

在阿姆哈拉语中,脸颊缩进,手臂僵直地放在身体两侧意味着“瘦”。注重饮食的美国人在被告知自己很苗条时会觉得受到了恭维,因此很自然地认为对埃塞俄比亚朋友说这也是恭维。然而,在埃塞俄比亚和其他一些国家,这被轻蔑地看待,因为人们认为胖身材更好,表明健康和地位,以及足够的财富来确保这两项。

空间学——人际空间的使用。南美人、希腊人以及其他一些人喜欢站着、坐着或与人交谈,而美国人却觉得距离近得难以忍受。我们把他们不同寻常的亲密当作攻击性和亲密的社会解释,使我们产生敌意、不安或恐吓的感觉。如果我们退回到更舒适的距离,我们会被认为是冷漠、不友好和不信任。索马里人会像我们看待南美人那样看待我们,因为他们的界面距离比我们还要大。

语速-对话中言语交流的时间。作为美国人,我们希望我们的伙伴立即对我们的声明作出回应。在其他一些文化中,人们会在每句话之间留出沉默的时间。对美国人来说,这种沉默令人不安。对我们来说,这可能意味着这个人害羞、漫不经心、无聊或紧张。它使我们重复,转述,大声说话,并“纠正”我们的讲话,以适应我们的伴侣。在跨文化的情况下,最好的做法是让来访者容忍对方的沉默,等待对方的回应。

视觉学-眼与眼的接触或回避。美国人依赖目光接触作为倾听行为的一种标志。我们觉得没有眼神的接触就没有人与人之间的接触。在许多国家,有一些我们认为不合适的精心设计的眼睛回避模式。

触觉-触觉交流的形式。人们在交谈时可以在哪里、如何以及多久碰一次对方是由文化定义的模式。我们不需要走出自己国家的边界,就能看到比英美人更经常互相接触的群体(例如意大利人和美国黑人)。在海外,美国人经常感到拥挤,被那些对公共场合身体接触有更高容忍度的人推来推去,甚至需要将其作为交流过程的一部分。如果在正式的问候结束后,东道国的朋友仍然握着客人的手,客人可能会感到很尴尬。

这五种非语言交流的渠道存在于每一种文化中。这些模式和形式完全是任意的,至于什么是普遍的,什么是文化定义的,这是有争议的。

当然,并不能保证提高意识就能改变行为。的确,在某些情况下,访客不应该改变他们的行为,这取决于他们在社会环境中的地位、个性和价值观。但这种方法试图让人们意识到人际交往活动的一个领域,这个领域太长时间以来一直没有改变,或者假设到其他国家的游客会因为周围的环境而对它敏感。

ps:最近太懒了,上一篇英文翻译抽空补上吧。翻译全部来自网上有道翻译,我只是个搬运工,有错误之处,还请多多包涵~

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