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When two people are talking to each other, they tend to stand a specific distance apart. Each person has an invisible boundary around their body into which other people may not come. If someone pierces this boundary, they will feel uncomfortable and move away to increase the distance between them. (The major exception is family members and other loved ones.) This personal distance is not due to body odor or bad breath, but because closeness lends a sense of intimacy that is at odds with their relationship to the other individual. • Interestingly, the average personal distance varies from culture to culture. Americans tend to require more personal space than in other cultures.
A man’s home is his castle • Personal Space can be defined as a movable, invisible barrier surrounding each individual (Aiello, 1987). • Moving into someone's personal space can be viewed as a violation. This space varies across individuals according to factors such as culture, age, and gender.
Just the right distance • Freshmen X and Y illustrate an intimate talking distance in the Lerner Student Center at Columbia University. • Different cultural ideas of personal space come into play the moment you approach someone…or try to. Each culture has its own standards on what qualifies as too close, too far and just right.
In the United States, the accepted distance for conversation is about 18 inches. • The closest distance between two people in a conversation takes place in Middle Eastern cultures. Men usually talk to each other at very short distances, and they even push and shove each other. • The distance between two people in a conversation is also very close in Latin America. • On the other end of the distance spectrum, Asians tend to keep much more distance between each other than Westerners do. • The perception of personal space is very strong in Japan. Crossing between two people or intruding into another's space to move through a crowded room is seen as ruder than in other cultures.
The British keep also big distances when they talk to each other," said Givens. Klinkenberg agreed and mentioned the legendary story of a British diplomat and an Arab diplomat speaking at a party. The Arab kept moving forward, while the Briton kept backing away to establish the distance at which he felt most comfortable. The result was a comical chase around the party hall, the Briton backing away with the Arab in pursuit.
Reach out and touch someone • Latin Americans commonly put a hand on their conversation partner's shoulder while speaking, esp. when both participants are of the same sex • People from other cultures perceive this touching as hostile. With Asians, touching between people of opposite genders is frowned upon. • The contrast is that Japanese and Chinese don't mind jostling each other on buses and trains. "Often you'll see one person sitting on another's lap, both strangers to each other," Klinkenberg said. "They don't find such cramped contact threatening or hostile."
African cultures also have touching as a common custom. The body is conceived as a product of the spoken word. It is then another way of expression. • There is a common shock in American businessmen when they go to Latin America. Latin men think nothing of giving each other a hearty "abrazo," or hug, when they meet. That might freak out an American man, who might want to slap his conversation partner on the arm or back – an action a Latino would find startling or threatening. • When it comes to greeting, the most universal one is the handshake. • In Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the buttock slap is given as a sign of insult. "buttock pat," used in American sports as a sign of encouragement.
Speak up! or Quiet down! • The voice tones are almost universal, but there are always special cases. The Japanese, for example, growl when they disagree with something. I believe it's a tradition that comes from the martial arts." • When it comes to volume or tone of voice, cultural differences are not that big. Around the world people raise their voices when they are angry, use lower-pitched voices in romantic situations or use a rising intonation to ask a question. But Americans don't deal with silence as well as Asian cultures do,
Americans feel silence is an uncomfortable void that must be filled, while Asians see it as a sign of respect." Asians usually keep their voices down when they speak, she said. Americans have always been accused of talking loudly. Americans increase the volume as a function of distances, sth. is different from Middle Eastern people, who get quieter the closer they come to each other.
Some special cases • "Only Americans strive for the corner office, away from the rest of their co-workers." That is not the case in France, where the boss's desk is in the center of the room and power radiates out to the room's edge. • In the United States, cubicles replaced the more exposed "pool" desks, which had earlier lined the floors of group-occupied workrooms. • Germans visiting the U.S. see the open doors in offices and businesses as indicative of an unusually relaxed and "unbusinesslike" attitude. Americans in return get the feeling that the Germans' closed doors conceal "a secretive or conspiratorial operation." • " What do you think of him?- He's a close-talker." • "Hold me closer, hold me closer...
More body languages • Many Japanese wear surgical masks to prevent spreading germs to other people. Conversely, Americans wear them to keep other people’ germs out. • In Latin America, it is common to greet relatives or friends with one kiss on the cheek. In Spain they do the same thing but people kiss twice, one on each cheek, while in some French regions they give three kisses, switching cheeks each time.
Giving the right sign • The American OK sign (forming a circle with thumb and forefinger) is a crude reference to a vagina in Brazil. It also means "zero" or worthless in France, money in Japan, and calling someone a very bad name in Germany. • Putting feet on table is an American gesture that is found to be offensive to nearly every other country around the globe. • In some countries, such as Greece or Bulgaria, people have opposite signs to show approval or negation. They nod when they mean no and shake their heads when they mean yes.
The distance between men and women • Women approach more closely, and seem to prefer side-by-side conversations. Men prefer more face-to-face conversations. • Men are more likely to initiate touch with others than are women. Women are touched more than men, partly because they are more likely to associate touch with personal warmth and expressiveness. • Although women use more facial expression, they appear to use fewer and more restrained gestures than men.
On an escalator, women seem to prefer to act as if they do not notice anything, so that unwanted contact can be avoided, say anthropologists Anneke Vrugt and Ada Kerkstra in their study about sexual differences in non-verbal communication. According to them, men make it clear in their reactions that they do not appreciate a rapprochement. • women are more skilled at both sending and interpreting facial expression than are men. Women use more facial expression in general and smile more in particular. • Women who introduce themselves with a firm handshake were perceived as being intellectual and open to new experiences
Text structure To explore why the problem of space invasion is getting more and more serious. Part 1(1-2) The author’s experience of how his personal space was invaded and how his individual border was intruded on. Part 2(3-7) The phenomenon of invading personal space has become more and more serious in the current society. Part 3(8-9) The shrinking of personal space is less a physical matter than people’s psychological withdraw.
Part one • How did the author describe the violation of personal space that happened in a bank? • ---The author related his experience with a series of verb phrases and adverbials, which vividly described the process in which the people in line, though reluctant, had to give away their personal space to the invaders until they become hugger-mugger against each other.
Words and expressions Para 1-2 ﹡ Snake: If a river, road, train, or line snakes somewhere, it moves in long, twisting curves ~ along/past/down etc The train was snaking its way through the mountains. The road snaked along the valley far below.
﹡Some tired velvet ropes: Some slackened (loose, less active) velvet ropes It is personified. (personification) * Inch: n. v. to move very slowly in a particular direction, or to make something do this • She is five feet six inches. • 她身高五英尺六英寸。 • His legs are too long for his inches. • 就他的身高而言, 他的腿太长了。 • inch one's way forward 慢慢前进 • Prices are inching down.物价在缓慢下降.
﹡ Deposit: 1. to leave a layer of a substance on the surface of something, especially gradually. When the River Nile is in flood, it deposits a layer of mud on the fields.尼罗河泛滥时, 便在田野上沉积一层泥。 2. to put money or something valuable in a bank or other place where it will be safe You may deposit your returned books with the librarian.你可以把要还的书留在图书管理员处. You are advised to deposit your valuables in the hotel safe.
*minute: adj. 1.extremely small • You only need a minute amount. Her handwriting is minute. • 2. paying careful attention to the smallest details • a minute examination of the rock He explained the plan in minute detail . ﹡ In mild annoyance: with a little anger or impatience 温和的恼怒 in mild astonishment
﹡ Sidle: walk in a timid manner, esp. sideways or obliquely, to walk towards something or someone slowly and quietly, as if you do not want to be noticed A man sidled up to me and asked if I wanted a ticket for the match. * Scribble: write or draw carelessly or hurriedly; to draw marks that have no meaning ~ down
﹡ Shuffle:combinedragjumblemixscramblescrapescufftrudge vi. to walk very slowly and noisily, without lifting your feet off the ground ; to move something such as papers into a different order or into different positions shuffle out of responsibility ( avoid sth. unpleasant) 狡猾地设法摆脱责任 shuffle into [out of] one's clothes 笨拙[匆匆]地穿上[脱下]衣服
shuffle sb. to and fro • 把某人调来调去 • shuffle sth. out of sight • 把某物塞在看不见的地方 • shuffle one's clothes on [off] • 笨拙[匆匆]地穿上[脱下]衣服 • shuffle cards • 洗纸牌 • shuffle the cards • [喻]改变机构人事; 改变政策
﹡ Hugger-mugger: confused, disorderly * slinky ﹡ Quaint: attractively unusual or old-fashioned • a quaint old house一座古雅的老房子 • a quaint method一个奇怪的方法
﹡ Seventies: 1970s, in which American people talked a lot about personal space ﹡ Ring: a quality , or an impression of having the quality that is mentioned Her story had a ring of truth about it. • have a familiar ring • if something has a familiar ring, you feel that you have heard it before • His voice had a strangely familiar ring. …The phrase “personal space” sounds old-fashioned and reminds one of the seventies..
﹡ Gratify:pleasesatisfy gratifysb.'s taste 满足某人的爱好 be -fied with [at] the results 对结果感到满意 be -fied to know 知道... 很高兴
﹡ Gratifying: giving pleasure or satisfaction Eg: The new plan may be gratifying to the President.
﹡ Penetrate:boreenterperceiveperforatepiercepuncturesee throughunderstand Vt. • be penetrated with discontent • 深为不满 • penetrate the mystery of • 揭示...的秘密
The rain penetrated (through) our clothes. • 雨水湿透了我们的衣服。 • A smell of gunpowder penetrated the woods. • 森林中弥漫着火药味。 • Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East. • 西方观念逐渐传入东方。
Make somebody uneasy: make somebody feel anxious that something may be wrong or there may be some danger.
Para3-7 • The following questions could be asked : • Is “personal space” a phrase of the seventies? Is it out of date nowadays? Why or why not? • Do you agree with the author about the reasons of space invasion given in Paragraph 4? What other factor have caused it? • What does the author mean by saying “personal space is mostly a public matter”? • Do space invaders respect other people’s personal space?
n. • a wedge of cake • 一块楔形蛋糕 vi. The box won't wedge into such a narrow space. 那盒无法塞进那么小的地方去。
Vt. • wedge oneself into a crowd • 挤在人群中间 • be wedged (in) between two persons • wedge a window to prevent it from rattling用楔将窗户塞紧, 使不作响 • He wedged himself through the narrow window.
﹡ zigzag Adj. a zigzag line 一条锯齿形的线 zigzag reflection 多次反射
Adv. The path ran zigzag up the hill. 这条小路曲曲弯弯地通往山上。 vi. Lightning zigzagged across the sky. 闪电曲折地在天空划过。
Vt. The office buildings were slightly zigzagged to fit available ground space. 办公大楼为了配合可用的地皮建造得略呈之字形。
﹡ Jostle:bumppushshovethrust Don't jostle against me. 别推我。 The crowd jostled into the new stadium. 人群挤进了新体育场。
Riders are no longer taking pains to carve out little zones of space…: subway passengers are no longer trying to establish some personal space between them
﹡ fidgety • adj. • Mary is always fidgeting about her mother's health. 玛丽老是为她母亲的健康担忧。 • What's fidgeting you? 什么事使你烦躁不安? ﹡
﹡ Attribute…to…: believe sth. to be the cause of Malthusian logic: War, famine, or disease intervenes or efforts are made to limit population T-shirt weather: weather in which people wear T-shirts, mainly in summer.
﹡ Allure:attractcaptivatecharmfascinateinfatuatetempt Alluring: powerfully attractive or charming Vt. allure sb. From 诱使(某人)离开... allure (sb.) into [to] 把(某人)诱入, 骗进 They allured her into a snare. 他们诱她落入圈套。
﹡ Proliferation: rapid increase in numbers ﹡ Manhattan: Manhattan Island, an island in New York city surrounded by the Hudson, East, and Harlem rivers
﹡ Infuse:animatebathedrenchinfectinspireinstillliftput insaturate • vt. • infuse new blood • 注入新鲜血液 • infuse new life into sb. [sth.] • 赋与某人[某物]以新的生命
infuse tea • 泡[沏]茶 • infuse herbs • 泡制草药 • infuse sb. with courage • 鼓起某人的勇气 • vi. Let the tea stand a few minutes to infuse.让茶多泡几分钟使泡出味道来。
﹡ Jangling: anxious ﹡ Keep to oneself: remain private; avoid meeting people Eg: She doesn’t go out much; she likes to keep to herself.
