When Chinese student Du Juan brought her American boyfriend home two years ago to use the toilet, her Japanese roommate became so upset that she shouted in English: "I hate you."
Du, then 21 and an undergraduate at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, was shocked. So was her boyfriend.
"Later I realized that she didn't literally mean what she said and that she was not aware of the full meaning of the word 'hate' in English," said Du. "It was more a problem with translation," she added.
Cultural differences can cause confusion about what words or even actions mean, an issue that has come to the forefront recently following the arrest of a Chinese doctoral degree student in New Jersey.
Zhai Tiantian, who studied at the Stevens Institute of Technology, has been accused of trying to set fire to a campus building and of making threats to a professor who gave him a low mark. No physical altercation took place but Zhai reportedly said something along the lines of "at worst, I will risk anything on the line." The professor called the campus police.
According to the indictment sheet(起诉书), Zhai is facing the serious charge of making a terroristic threat.
For a few days, Chinese media mistranslated, or misunderstood, the charges and reported that Zhai was being charged with terrorism.
Some language experts have speculated(推测) that the disagreement between Zhai and the professor can also be chalked up to cultural and linguistic differences. "What Chinese people regard as acceptable speech may be regarded by Americans as threats," said Luo Gang, the Chinese Consulate's Overseas Chinese Affairs consul. "This is an unfortunate incident. Even though Zhai intended no harm, he has done himself a great deal of harm."
Du, now 23, said she supports Zhai's actions in fighting to save his academic career, but added he needs to learn more about communication in a foreign language.
"Chinese students in a foreign country must prepare more in terms of languages and conversation skills to avoid misunderstandings," she said.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “altercation” mean?
A.fight | B.check | C.education | D.experiment |
A.Translation was not the real problem, as Du Juan and her roommate can both speak English. |
B.Du Juan can not understand what her roommate meant at all. |
C.Her roommate didn’t know what “hate” really meant in daily conservation. |
D.Her roommate spoke such poor English that she felt angry. |
A.He set fire to a campus building. |
B.He argued with a professor because he received a low mark. |
C.He has received a doctor’s degree at the Stevens Institute of Technology. |
D.He is facing a serious charge because he murdered the professor. |
A.Du Juan’s unpleasant experience abroad. |
B.Confusion caused by translation. |
C.Conservational skills in a foreign country. |
D.Cultural differences between China and America. |
科目:高中英语 来源:读想用 高二英语(下) 题型:050
阅读理解
In what now seems like the prehistoric times of computer history,the earth's postwar era,there was quite a wide-spread concern that computers would take over the world from man one day. Already today,less than forty years later,as computers are relieving us of more and more of the routine tasks in business and in our personal lives,we are faced with a less dramatic but also less foreseen problem.People tend to be over-trusting of computers and are reluctant to challenge their authority.Indeed,they behave as if they were hardly aware that wrong buttons may be pushed,or that a computer may simply malfunction(失误).
Obviously,there would be no point in investing in a computer if you had to check all its answers,but people should also rely on their own internal computers and check the ma-chine when they have the feeling that something has gone wrong.
Questioning and routine double-checks must continue to be as much a part of good
business as they were in pre-computer days.Maybe each computer may provide,it should
not be seen as a substitute for fundamental thinking and reasoning skills.
1.What is the main purpose of this passage?
[ ]
A.To look back to the early days of this passage.
B.To explain what technical problems may occur with computers.
C.To discourage unnecessary investment in computers.
D.To warn against a mentally lazy attitude towards computers.
2.According to the passages,the initial concern about computer was that they might
[ ]
A.change our personal lives
B.take control the world
C.create unforeseen problem
D.affect our businesses
3.The passage recommends those dealing with computers to________.
[ ]
A.he reasonably doubtful about them
B.check all their answers
C.substitute them for basic thinking
D.use them for business purposes only
4.The passage suggests that the present-day problem with regard to computers is________.
[ ]
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
"Time is a problem for children," states a news report for a new Swiss watch. Children in some countries" learn time slowly" because" they don’t wear watches" and " parents don’t really know how to teach them time. " The children grow up with this handicap and become adults (成人) —and then can’t get to work on time. Is there an answer to this problem? Of course — it’s the Flik Flak, made by a famous Swiss watch company.
The Flik Flak is being marketed as something teaching watch for children aged 4 to 10. The watch itself does not teach children how to tell time, of course; it merely " takes their imagination" by presenting the " hour" hand as a beautiful red girl named Flak and the " minute" hand as a tall blue boy named Flik. Flik points to related" blue" minutes on the dial, while Flak points to " red" hour numbers. The characters and colors combined with parental help, are supposed to teach young children how to tell time.
The watch comes equipped with a standard battery (电池) and a nylon band (尼龙表带). Peter Lipkin, the United States sales manager for the Flik Flak, calls it " childproof if it gets dirty you can throw the whole watch in the washing ma??chine. " The product is being sold in select department stores in Europe, Asia and the United States for a suggested price of $25. Parents who buy the watch may discover that it is one thing to tell time; it’s quite another for them to be on time.
1. From the news report we know that ______.
A. parents are patient when teaching children time
B. parents have little idea of how to teach children time
C. children are likely to learn time quickly
D. children enjoy wearing the Flik Flak watch
2. The author doesn’t seem to believe ______.
A. children will be on time if they have learnt how to tell time
B. a Flik Flak can help parents teach their children how to tell time
C. the Flik Flak can take children’s imagination
D. children usually have trouble telling time if they don’t wear watches
3. The underlined word handicap in Para. 1 means
A. displeasure B. discouragement C. disappointment D. disadvantage
4. The United State sales manager calls the new watch " childproof" because ______.
A. it is designed to teach children to be on time
B. it proves to be effective in teaching children time
C. it is made so as not to be easily damaged by children
D. it is the children’s favorite watch
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
"Time is a problem for children," states a news report for a new Swiss watch. Children in some countries" learn time slowly" because" they don’t wear watches" and " parents don’t really know how to teach them time. " The children grow up with this handicap and become adults (成人) —and then can’t get to work on time. Is there an answer to this problem? Of course — it’s the Flik Flak, made by a famous Swiss watch company. w.w.w..c.o.m
The Flik Flak is being marketed as something teaching watch for children aged 4 to 10. The watch itself does not teach children how to tell time, of course; it merely " takes their imagination" by presenting the " hour" hand as a beautiful red girl named Flak and the " minute" hand as a tall blue boy named Flik. Flik points to related" blue" minutes on the dial, while Flak points to " red" hour numbers. The characters and colors combined with parental help, are supposed to teach young children how to tell time.
The watch comes equipped with a standard battery (电池) and a nylon band (尼龙表带). Peter Lipkin, the United States sales manager for the Flik Flak, calls it " childproof if it gets dirty you can throw the whole watch in the washing machine. " The product is being sold in select department stores in Europe, Asia and the United States for a suggested price of $25. Parents who buy the watch may discover that it is one thing to tell time; it’s quite another for them to be on time.
41. From the news report we know that ______.
A. parents are patient when teaching children time
B. parents have little idea of how to teach children time
C. children are likely to learn time quickly
D. children enjoy wearing the Flik Flak watch
42. The author doesn’t seem to believe ______.
A. children will be on time if they have learnt how to tell time
B. a Flik Flak can help parents teach their children how to tell time
C. the Flik Flak can take children’s imagination
D. children usually have trouble telling time if they don’t wear watches
43. The underlined word handicap in Para. 1 means
A. displeasure B. discouragement C. disappointment D. disadvantage
44. The United State sales manager calls the new watch " childproof" because ______.
A. it is designed to teach children to be on time
B. it proves to be effective in teaching children time
C. it is made so as not to be easily damaged by children
D. it is the children’s favorite watch
查看答案和解析>>
湖北省互联网违法和不良信息举报平台 | 网上有害信息举报专区 | 电信诈骗举报专区 | 涉历史虚无主义有害信息举报专区 | 涉企侵权举报专区
违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com