那些讓人印象深刻的文化差異

Some friends and I go to a bar to have a few beers before dinner. Beer is expensive in Japan and so we order a couple of pitchers to save a few precious yen as opposed to bottles or individual pints.

我和幾個(gè)朋友在晚飯前到酒吧喝啤酒，在日本啤酒很貴，所以我們只點(diǎn)了幾罐啤酒，而沒(méi)有選擇按杯或者品脫計(jì)算，這可以省下點(diǎn)錢。

We finish the beers, ask for the check, get it and leave some money on the table. It came to 4990 yen. We leave a 5000 yen note, thank the waiter and leave.

我們喝完酒，準(zhǔn)備結(jié)賬，然后將錢留在桌子上?？偣?990円，我們留下5000円然后離開。

As we are an entire block away, we hear someone shouting behind us, and waving a piece of paper. We quickly realise it is the waiter from the bar.

當(dāng)我們已經(jīng)出了店，聽到后面有人在喊，拿著一張紙幣。我們很快認(rèn)出是那家酒吧的服務(wù)員。

He doesn't speak English, we don't speak Japanese but he had chased us out of the bar for an entire block to give us the 10 yen in change. This is worth around 0.06 (10c USD).

他不會(huì)講英語(yǔ)，我們不會(huì)講日語(yǔ)，但是他追了我們一個(gè)街區(qū)只為了找我們10円零錢，而這差不多相當(dāng)于0.06美元。

Tipping doesn't exist in Japan, or even simply leaving a tiny bit of change to save the waiter the hassle of getting you the change isn't a thing.

日本沒(méi)有給小費(fèi)的習(xí)慣。如果你給了服務(wù)員小費(fèi)，也只會(huì)給他們?cè)黾勇闊?，他們還要將錢還給你。

From there on in, I never tipped and waited for my change everywhere I went.

從那之后，我從不給小費(fèi)，會(huì)等服務(wù)員找零錢給我。

I was in Shenzhen, China, and a family stopped me and my wife and asked us (my friend interpreted) if they could have their children take a photo with us. They were visitors from the interior of the country, and had never seen an American before.

我在中國(guó)深圳的時(shí)候，有一家人攔住了我和我妻子，然后問(wèn)我們(我的朋友翻譯)是否可以和他們的孩子合張影。他們是來(lái)自內(nèi)地，從沒(méi)見過(guò)美國(guó)人。

A similar thing happened in Shanghai. This time I was alone walking across the Waibaidu Bridge, and a group of teenage girls asked me (using sign language this time) if I could pose with them for a photo. I was happy to oblige, and I recall them all giggling as the photo was taken. (I wish I had a copy.)

同樣的事發(fā)生在上海。我一個(gè)人走在外白渡橋，一群少女問(wèn)我(這次用肢體語(yǔ)言)能否跟他們合張影。我很樂(lè)意，在拍照時(shí)我讓他們都大笑。(我期待照片復(fù)印件)

Another surprise: I was in Pudong (the newly rebuilt area of Shanghai) and I couldn’t find the entrance to the subway (a two stop line between Pudong and the Bund). I approached a man who was walking near me, showed him the ticket I had for the ride, and he nodded vigorously. Then he indicated I should follow. We went about 4 blocks; he pointed to the entrance, smiled, turned and walked away. I had no time to offer him a tip, which (in retrospect) was a good thing because it might have been taken as an insult. I couldn’t believe that he had taken so much trouble for a stranger.

另一個(gè)驚喜：我在浦東(上海重建地區(qū))找不到地鐵出口(在浦東和外灘之間有停車線)。我詢問(wèn)了一位正在走近我的男士，給他看了我的票，他猛地點(diǎn)頭。然后他讓我跟著他。我們走了四個(gè)街區(qū)，他微笑著指了入口處，然后轉(zhuǎn)身離開。我來(lái)不及感謝他給他小費(fèi)，不過(guò)回想起來(lái)，給小費(fèi)可能是一種侮辱。我無(wú)法相信他可以為一個(gè)陌生人做這么多。

Again, similar experiences repeated themselves across China. The friendliness of the people, their courtesy, and their eagerness to help was wonderful. I don’t know if that classifies as“cultural shock” but it made me think about the US, and how I rarely experience such courtesy in my own country.

我在中國(guó)有許多類似的經(jīng)歷。人們的友好熱情、熱心幫助他人讓人感覺(jué)很棒。我不知道這是否歸結(jié)于“文化沖擊”。但這讓我想到了美國(guó)，在美國(guó)我很少感受到這種友好。