美国的文化习俗？英文双语对照

美国文化习俗杂谈

　　随便与约束

　　欧洲人比较死板，喜欢拘泥于细节，德国人和英国人在这方面表现得特别突出。美国人则不然，待人处事上表现得灵活随便。几乎每个英国绅士都知道他们应该怎样做才不失绅士风度；而美国人，尽管有关礼仪的书充斥于市，却很少在礼节和习俗上统一起来。除了在上层社交场合，美国的普通民众在社会交往中大多摆脱了种种不利于人们接近的等级性清规戒律。

　　美国人的这种待人接物态度反映了他们的思想观念。在美国人看来，礼貌规范是由人制订出来的，它们不应该成为限制人的僵硬模式。因此，在美国，没有法庭制订社会礼节，也没有上层阶级强行规定执行这类礼节。各种社会礼节主要按照人们的生性习惯去落实在行动上。

　　由于美国人在行为举止上较少约束自己，他们在许多方面都表现得很随便。他们说话随便，衣着随便，吃东西随便，对人的态度也随便。不了解他们的人以为美国人放纵粗鲁，不成体统，上，这是美国人的随便习性。反映在英语语言使用上，美国人对它的“为我所用”态度，常地些墨守成规的老派文人痛心疾首；而那些广泛地浒于民间的不规则表达法，更使不少语法学家徒叹无奈。至于语言中含蓄地表现社会等级观念的词语，美国人常常不屑一顾，置之不理。

　　也可能由于美国人对清规戒律缺乏重视，他们的纪律观念比较淡薄，这常使行政官员和执行纪律的人感到头痛。有一种说法，说是英国人认为遵守规章是种乐趣，而美国人则把强硬要求他遵守某种规定看作是对他的不敬、甚至侮辱。美国党校里，学生纪律松散；美国家庭里，父母管教孩子不严；美国军队里，士兵自由散漫更是远近闻名。

　　令人惊讶的是，美国的教育还算成功，美国的孩子长大后大多成为好父母、好公民，美国的军队也偶尔能打些胜仗。这种看似矛盾的现象也许可以这样解释：美国人热爱自由，不愿被人强行控制，然而在真正行使自由权利时，他们仍受法律观念约束，有分寸地在自己的权限范围内“自由潇洒”。

　　事实上，尽管美国人表面上办事满不在乎，不尊重法律，但实际上，美国人是极其崇尚法治的。世界上没有哪一个国家象美国那样下功夫研究法律，也没有哪一个国家的律师象美国那样在政治和日常生活中起如此重要的作用。美国人可以无所顾忌地用粗话批评总统和国会，但对最高法院却以敬畏的精神相待。这也许是美国人在随便与约束上保持平衡、弛张相宜的最好例证。

　　个人主义与合作精神

　　说起个人主义，人们很容易想到利欲薰心、唯利是图的资产阶级伦理价值观，尤其是像美国这种典型的资本主义国爱。其实，英文里的个人主义（individualism）在美国有两层意思。第一层是它的积极意义，指的是个人自我独立、自我奋斗、自己掌握自己命运的执著精神。这层意义上的个人主义常与这样的美国人形象相联系：他是一个勇敢坚强的拓荒者，向荒野迁移，与蛮夷作伴，用自己的智慧和力量独辟蹊径，铺设成功之路，他所做的一切充满着创业精神和独特活力。第二层是它的消极意义，指的是个人为了追求自己的利益，置他人利益和公共利益于不顾，疯狂索取，贪得无厌。这层意义上的个人主义常与这样的美国人形象相联系：他是一个自私自利的投机分子，为了满足个人的种种欲望，不择手段、不顾一切地从社会和大自然中攫取有用之物，对社会福利和自然环境冷谈麻木，漠不关心。可以这么讲，个人主义的这两层意思是该词内涵所不可分割的一个整体，如同一枚硬币有其正反两面一样。

　　从好的角度说，个人主义有利于创业精神的弘扬，它给人以机会，赋予自由，鼓励多样性，从而推动和促进了美国的工业、农业、科技、教育、娱乐和体育的发展。从坏的角度来讲，个人主义的无节制膨胀给大自然造成了很大的破坏，也给社会中的人际关系抹上了一层厚厚的冷霜。许多人在冷酷的个人主义的竞争、挤压下，或生活潦倒、心灰意懒，或人性扭曲、愤世嫉俗。因此，从个人主义的积极、消极两方面因素来看，问题的关键是如何抑恶扬善，而这也是美国文化中始终没有妥善解决的“难结”。

　　不过，令人值得我味的是，美国人虽然个人主义强盛，但他们也很愿意合作。可以这么讲，除英国之外，西文国家中没有哪个国家象美国人那样愿意为某种共同的目的而自愿联合起来；没有哪个国家私人的联合会有美国那样多和那样卓有成效。

　　在欧洲大陆，建立一个教会、一所学院、一座医院、一个慈善机关，往往费时费劲，困难重重。但在美国，只要个人或团体有兴趣就可以轻易地建立这类机构。于是，各种各样的纷纷成立――乐施行善的、繁荣商业的组织、影响政治的组织、收集历史资料的组织、规划未来的组织、研究文化的组织、拥有枪支的组织等等，不一而足。几乎社会上的每个人都有自己的组织：学校里的男女孩子，商人和学者，朋友和领居，老移民和新移民，素食者和戒酒者，集邮爱好者，心脏病患者等，统统都有自己的组织。这种现象说明，人们在追求个性发展的同时，仍注重团体组织的建设，以保证社会能有秩序和稳定，使个人利益和集体利益之间达到一定程度的平衡。

American culture is consuetudinary by-talk

Informal with the tie

European more formalist, like constrained at detail, german support of the people the Englishman is behaved particularly outstandingly in this respect. American criterion otherwise, wait for a person to play on it is informal to be behaved neatly. Almost every England gent knows how they should do ability not to break gent demeanour; And American, although concern formal book to be full of at city, mix in ceremony rarely however consuetudinary on all comes along. Besides in superstratum socialization circumstance, ordinary people of the United States cast off a variety of grade sexes that go against people to be close to mostly in social association regulations.

The manner of this kind of the ways one gets along with others of American reflected their thought sense. Look in American, courteous standard comes out by person formulate, they should not become the inflexible pattern that confines a person. Accordingly, be in the United States, without ceremony of judicial formulate society, strong without carriage trade also guild regulations carries out this kind of ceremony surely. All sorts of society ceremonies basically fall according to the natural disposition habit of people.

Because American is on conduct behavior,restrain oneself lesser, they are behaved very casually in a lot of respects. It is informal that they talk, clothing is casual, it is informal to have a thing, informal also to the person's manner. The person that does not know them thinks American abandon is cloddish, do not become decency, on, this is the informal characteristics of American. Report is used in English language on, american is right its " be used for me " manner, often some by rule with bitter hatred of old style bookman; And those widely the waterside irregular expression at folk law, more make many language jurisconsult sigh in vain but. Behave the term of social grade idea implicatively as to language call the turn, american often distains to be considered, ignore.

Take regulations lack seriously possibly also as a result of American, their discipline idea is thinner, this often makes administrative official and the person sense in the end of executive discipline painful. Have a kind of view, saying is the Englishman thinks abiding by regulations is kind of fun, and American criterion strong demand it is irreverent to his that he abides by some kind of regulation to regard, insult even. In American Party school, student discipline is inattentive; In American family, parental certainly child is lax; In American army, soldier lax in discipline is far and near more famed.

Surprising is, american education still calculates a success, good parents, good citizen is become mostly after American child is grown, american army also can call some of victorious battle now and then. This kind sees the phenomenon that seems contradiction perhaps can explain so: American has deep love for freedom, do not wish to be controlled forcibly, it is however when right of real exercise freedom, they still accept legal sense obligation, ground of proper limits for speech or action is in inside his attributive limits " freedom is cheesy " .

In fact, although American apparently handle affairs not worry at all, do not respect law, but actually, american is to advocate extremely of law. The United States is resembled without which country on the world make great efforts in that way research law, the lawyer that also does not have which country is in in that way like the United States politics and the effect with in living daily, rise so main. American can scruple without place the ground criticizes president and congress with vulgar language, but wait for with awe-stricken mental appearance however to the supreme court. This perhaps is American going up with the tie casually poise, of relax Zhang Xiangyi best and paradigmatic.

Individualistic with cooperative spirit

Speak of individualistic, people thinks of Li Yuxun heart, gainful bourgeois ethics viewpoint of value very easily, resemble the capitalist country love of this kind of American model especially. Actually, in English individualistic (Individualism) there are two meanings in the United States. Ground floor is its active meaning, those who point to is individual ego independence, ego struggles, the clinging spirit that oneself master him destiny. On this meaning individualistic often contact with such American figure photograph: He is the pioneer of a brave adamancy, to wild and migratory, with pretty exterminate joins, with oneself wisdom and force develop a new style or a new method of one's own, the path with successful laid, everything what what he does is full of poineering spirit and distinctive vigor. The 2nd is its inactive meaning, those who point to is an individual the interest for him pursuit, interest of place other people and public interest at disregarding, ask for wildly, flay a flint. On this meaning individualistic often contact with such American figure photograph: He is an egoistic opportunist, to satisfy a variety of desires of the individual, by hook and crook, fling caution to the winds the ground grabs from inside society and nature useful content, to social welfare and coma of environment Leng Tan, indifferent. Can so tell, these two individualistic means place of this word connotation is impartible a cut whole, if have two sides of its positive and negative with a coin.

Say from good point of view, individualistic be helpful for poineering spirit promote, it gives a person with the opportunity, gift free, encourage diversity, the industry that be driven thereby and promoted the United States, agriculture, science and technology, education, recreation and gymnastic develop. Will tell from bad angle, individualistic incontinent expanded to cause very big destruction to nature, the human relation in also giving a society is wiped went up a thick Leng Shuang. A lot of people fall in callous individualistic competition, extruding, or life be frustrated, dejected, or human twist, cynical. Accordingly, from individualistic active, inactive in light of two respects element, the key of the problem is how to or evil raise be apt to, and this also is the United States solve without appropriate from beginning to end in culture " difficult knot " .

Nevertheless, those who make a person be worth my flavour is, although American is individualistic powerful and prosperous, but they also are willing to cooperate very much. Can so tell, except England, the country resembles American without which in Home Xi Wenguo be willing to be some kind of common goal in that way and freewill combination rises; The federation with private state has the United States to be mixed more in that way without which fruitful in that way.

Be in European mainland, establish an an an a church, institute, hospital, beneficent office, often take time is laborious, difficult and heavy. But be in the United States, it is OK to want individual or organization to have fun at only build this kind of orgnaization easily. Then, various hold water in succession -- of happy applying be apt to, the organization of prosperous commerce, organization that affects politics, organization that collects historical data, organization of program future, organization that studies culture, organization that has firearms is waited a moment, by no means an isolated case. Almost socially the organization that everybody has him: The male girl in the school, businessman and scholar, friend and get house, old immigrant and new immigrant, vegetarian and abstainer, stamp collecting lover, heart disease patient waits, have oneself organization completely. This kind of phenomenon explains, while people is going after individual character to develop, still pay attention to the construction of incorporation, in order to make sure the society can have order and stability, make the balance of certain level is achieved between individual interest and collective interest.