Cross-culturalCommunicationcases

ProfessorLianghaswrittenabookonChinesecultureinChinese.HisbookisputondisplayinBeijingInternationalBookFair.ProfessorLiangwouldliketohavehisbooktranslatedintoEnglishandsubmittedtoThompsonPublishers.ProfessorLianghasaskedLiYan,whomhemeetsregularlyintheEnglishCorner,tohelphimtotalktoPeterAllright,aThompsonrepresentative.Prof.Liang:奧萊特先生，這是鄙人的拙作。LiTan:Mr.Allright,thisaclumsybookwrittenbyyourhumbleservant.Mr.Allright:No,no,no,you'renotmyhumbleservant.WedonotpublishbooksinChinese.LiYan(toProfessorLiang):不，不，不，你不是我的仆人，我們不出中文書。ProfessorLiang:我要請李艷翻譯成英文。LiYan(toMr.Allright):ProfessorLiangwillaskmetotranslateitintoEnglish.Mr.Allright:Mm,that’sinteresting.Case1Analysis:Chineseauthorsalmostalwaysbelittletheirworksbydescribingthemasclumsywritings,andtheyusethesamedescriptionwhentheypresentthemtoChinesepublishers.Butthiswillbecounter—productiveinEnglish.Instead,authorsshouldpointoutthemeritsoftheirworksratherthan“clumsiness”.

DavidHuhadjuststartedworkingfortheforeignownedcompany.Hewassittingathisworkstationbuthadnotbeengivenanyassignmentthatheshouldbedoingatthismoment.Hewasrelaxingandwaitingandthenthoughthewouldtaketheopportunitytohavealookaround.Hepokedhisheadintoseveralofficesjusttoseewhattherewastobeseen.SuddenlyMr.Parkercameuptohimandangrilyaskedhimwhathewasdoing.DavidHuwasembarrassed.Helaughedandquicklystartedtomovebacktowardhisworkstation.Mr.Husighed;heknewhehadmadeabadstartbutstilldidn’tunderstandwhy.Case2Analysis:inESC,peoplepayattentiontoprivacyparticularly,andtheydon’tlikethattheirprivacyisdisturbed.ButtheChineseliketoknowwhatotherpeoplearedoing.Inthiscase,Mr.Wuwalksaroundinthecompanywithoutpermission,andcausesdissatisfactionofotheremployees.Case3ABritishtouristisvisitingaChinesefamily.TheChinesehostessintroducesherselfandherhusbandtoguest.Chinesehostess:Welcometomyhome.MynameisCaiHong,andthisismyhusband.Britishtourist:Thankyou,Mrs.Cai.It’sapleasuretomeetyou,Mr.Cai.I’mLucyTaylor.Chinesehostess:Haveaseat,MadamLucy.Analysis:TheBritishtouristthinksthatCaiHong’ssurnameisherhusband’ssurname,sincesheisunawareofthefactthatinChinawomenstillusetheirownsurnameaftermarriage.CaiHongthinksthat“madam”isarespectfultermofaddressforanyfemaleEnglish-speaker,unawareofthefactthatinBritainitisusuallyusedbysomeonewhoisprovidingaservicesuchasashopassistanttoacustomerorapolicemantoamemberofthepublicasin“CanIhelpyou,madam?”Itisneverusedasatitlebeforesomeone’sname.Shealsomistakesthegivennameforthesurname.Case4BillhadjustarrivedfromtheUnitedStatestostudyengineeringataChineseuniversity.Afterfewdays,henoticedthatfemalestudentsoncampusfrequentlywalkedarm-in-armorevenholdinghands,andstudentsofbothsexeswouldhuddlearoundnewspaperdisplaysinafashionofclosecontactsimilartohisfriendandothersaroundtheradio.Billfeltratheruncomfortableandwonderedhowhewouldrespondifoneofhisclassmatesweretoputhisarmsaroundhim.Analysis：Thiscasecanreflectdifferentcultureshavedifferentopinionstospatialrelations.Differentcultureshaveverydifferentopinionsaboutanindividual’sunconsciouslystructuringthemicrospaceimmediatelysurroundingthephysicalbody.Someculturescanhaverelativelyclosedistancewhencommunicatingwhileotherculturescannot.Somewesternculturesconsiderbodytouchbetweenpeopleofthesamegendertobeculturaltabooandasymbolofbeinghomosexual.Case5

Inagoodrestaurant,fourteenpeoplearegatheredtosaygoodbyetotheirprofessor,whoismovingtoanotheruniversity.Onestudent:Iwouldthereforeliketoproposeatoast.Colleagues,pleasechargeyourglasses.Weknowwewillneverforgetyou.ToProfessorShore!All:(Standingup)ToProfessorShore!Everyonedrinks.ProfessorShoreremainsseatedandsmilesatthemall.Analysis:ItisbigdifferencetotoastbetweenChinaandESC.InESC,toastcannotdrinkandneedtositandwatch.Besides,toast-masterneednottoleavehisseat.Case6WhenZhangTaotraveledinAmerica,helivedinthehomeofhisAmericanfriend,Bill.Onceafterhehadtraveledback,hefoundBillwasinabadmood.Whenheaskedwhattheproblemwas,BilltoldZhangTaothathissonAdamgotfuriousaboutthenoiseZhangmadewhenwalkingupstairsandalsobecausehewasusingtoomuchwaterinthesolarpoweredshowerandAdamhadtohavehisshowerincoldwater.BilltoldZhangTaothatheshouldwalkmoresoftlyinfuture,andhaveafastshowertosavewater.ZhangTaofeltuneasy.Howcouldthehostsetsuchrulesforhisguest!Analysis:InChina,whenpeoplehostsomeone,theyputtheguestintheplaceofhonortoshowhospitality.Theytrytotakecareoftheguest，andtrytomaketheguestfeelcomfortableandatease.InAmerica,peopletendtogivetheguestgreatfreedomandtreataguestmorecasually,naturallyandtruthfully.