Cultural Encounters

1. Unit 4 Cultural Encounters

2. Quote Cultural information1 Human beings draw close to one another by their common nature, but habits and customs keep them apart. — Confucius

3. A question English is now being most widely used throughout the world. Do you like or dislike it? Why?

4. Brain storm • Can you think of examples of borrowed Chinese words or expressions from English or vice versa?

5. Similarities of C_E • 嗤之以鼻 • turn up one’s nose at • 乱七八糟 • at sixes and sevens 隔墙有耳 Walls have ears

6. Similarities of C_E • 胃口小 • Eat like a bird • 趁热打铁 • Strike while the iron is hot • 一箭双雕 kill two birds with one stone  

7. Similarities of C_E • 很忙 • Have one’s hand full   • 自吹自擂 • Blow one’s own horn • 酒后吐真言 • There is truth in wine. • 披着羊皮的狼 • wolf in sheep’s clothing • 白费口舌 • Waste one’s breath

8. What is Culture In anthropology, it refers to the patterns of behavior and thinking that people living in social groups learn, create, and share. A people’s culture includes their beliefs, rules of behavior, language, rituals, art, technology, styles of dress, ways of producing and cooking food, religion, and political and economic systems.

9. Translation 1. What’s Culture Shock ? It means strong feelings of discomfort, fear, or anxiety, which people may have when they enter another culture. 文化冲突指某人突然身处异族文化或环境中 而经受的一种不安、恐惧、焦虑的状况。

10. Symptoms of culture shock physical & psychological excessive washing of hands excessive concern over…… Fear of physical contact…… headaches, stomach/back aches, dizziness, ulcers excessive sleepiness difficult to sleep well insomnia tend to feel tired …… helpless desire for dependence on… frustrated fear depression loneliness isolated anger, aggression, hatred, hostility withdrawal, …… back

12. 1. What type of writing is this essay? And what’s the main strategy the author adopt to develop the body of the essay? Structural analysis 1 It is a piece of argumentation. Abundant examples are provided to support her argument in the body of the essay.

13. Text analysis Structural analysis 2. Divide the text into parts by completing the table. Structural analysis 2 It describes the communications revolution taking place worldwide and the widespread use of the English language, and then points out that there are indeed problems with the communications revolution.

14. Text analysis Structural analysis Structural analysis 3 It exemplifies that language and culture are so closely interrelated that often we find that what we can say in one language cannot be conveyed at all in another, and that confronted with insurmountable linguistic problems, translators negotiate the boundaries between languages and come up with a compromise. It briefly points out the immense significance of intercultural understanding.

15. back-packing: If you go backpacking, you go traveling with a backpack. • desert oasis: a place with water and trees in a desert; a place which is different from its surroundings, usu. in a pleasant or comforting way

17. Her bedroom is an oasis of calm in the noisy house. • textmessage（短信）: a written message that is sent or received on a mobile phone or pager • multimediamessage（彩信）

18. cafe :a small restaurant where light meals and drinks are served • Eg: Cafes are found everywhere in the city. • Cafes in Britain do not serve alcoholic drinks. • Internet cafe

19. accessn. entrance; way in; means of entering or the right to use or look at something Detailed reading1– access The only means of access to the building is along a muddy track. 到达那幢楼的唯一途径是沿着那条泥泞的小路前行。 设计该系统旨在使用户方便迅速地获得所需信息。 The system has been designed to give the user quick and easy access to the required information. Derivation: accessible a.

20. Detailed reading remotea. distant in space or time Detailed reading1– remote 1 We can see remote stars through a telescope. In the remote future, many new changes will take place. 甲壳虫乐队使他们的名声传播到每个角落。 The Beatles carried their fame to the remotest corners of the earth. e.g. Derivation: remoteness n. They found the remoteness of the country a great problem. 他们发现，这个乡村地处偏远，这给他们带来了大问题。

21. Comparison: distant, far, remote Detailed reading1– remote 2 distant very far away esp. in distance She could hear the distant sound of fireworks exploding. far describe something that is not near, or the part of something that is most distant from the centre or from you The station isn’t far — we could easily walk it. remote describe an area, house or village that is a long way from any towns or cities He lived in a remote mountain village.

22. Detailed reading Translation: Detailed reading1– remote 3 1. 我们很难观察月亮的另一边。 2. 邮车每周只到这个偏僻的村庄一次。 3.这个朝圣者（ pilgrim）来自非常远的地方。 The far side of the moon is difficult for us to observe. ___________________________________________________________ Mail comes to this remote village only once a week. This pilgrim came from a very distant place.

23. Detailed reading1-- mockingly mockinglyad. in a way in which sb. or sth. is made fun of e.g. 那个经常被嘲弄的乡村男孩如今已是合资企业的CEO了。 The boy who was once referred to mockingly as a country boy is now the CEO of a joint venture.

24. Detailed reading Detailed reading1– regardless of regardless of without taking account of or worrying about I bought the book, regardless of the cost. The law requires equal treatment for all, regardless of race, religion or sex. 法律要求不论男女老少，宗教信仰，所有人都应被平等对待。

25. Detailed reading facilitate vt. help; make easy or easier Detailed reading1– facilitate e.g. The new underground railway will facilitate the journey to the airport. An interface is a window environment designed to facilitate the interaction between the user and the system. 界面是一个窗口环境，其设计是用来促进用户和系统之间的交互作用。 Derivation: facilitation n. facilitative a.

26. Detailed reading stepping stone any of a row of large stones with a level top, which one walks on to cross a river or stream; figuratively, a way of improvement or gaining success Detailed reading1-- stepping stone For some people, she is a stepping stone to a successful life. 对于有些人来说，她只是通往成功的垫脚石。

27. Detailed reading have misgivings not be sure Detailed reading1-- have misgivings e.g. I have many misgivings about taking the job. 我对是否接受那项工作顾虑重重。

28. Detailed reading fundamental a. basic Detailed reading1– fundamental e.g. A knowledge of economics is fundamental to any understanding of this problem. 经济学知识对于理解这个问题是至关重要的。 There is a fundamental difference in attitude between these two politicians. 这两位政治家的态度有着根本的区别。 Derivation: fundamentally ad. e.g. I disagreed fundamentally with what they stood for. 我从根本上和他们所代表的意见不一致。

29. Detailed reading profound a. intense; deep; very strongly felt Detailed reading1– profound e.g. The book contains profound insight into human behavior. 该书对人类行为洞悉深刻。 Derivation: profoundly ad. I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to meet you. 我对这次有机会见到您深表感激。

30. Detailed reading at one’s peril (used when advising sb. not to do sth.) with the near certainty of meeting great danger Detailed reading1-- at one’s peril e.g. You ignore this warning at your peril. 你若忽视这个警告，就得自担风险。

31. Detailed reading Activity: Fill in each blank with a suitable preposition. Detailed reading1– Activity 1 1. Which companies was she referring when she spoke of competing firms? 2. Bats communicate each other by ultrasonic messages. 3. Citizens may have free access the library. 4. It is rude to mock others’ shortcomings. 5. I’d like to go back to teaching, but I am out touch with my subject now. 6. She is determined to do regardless all consequences. to with to at of of

32. Detailed reading Detailed reading1– Activity 2 7. Food is essential life. 8. At the time, many doctors had serious misgivings the new treatment. 9. Any climber who neglects these simple precautions does so his peril. to about at

33. 杯子 • Cup: a small round container, usually with a handle, that you use to drink tea, coffee, etc.

34. 杯子 • Glass: a drinking vessel, esp. made of glass or plastic, often with a stem.

35. 杯子 • Goblet [‘ɡɒblət]高脚杯，酒杯: a drinking vessel, usually of glass or metal, with a base and stem but no handles and esp. used for drinking wine.

36. 杯子 • Mug[mʌɡ]马克杯: a drinking vessel with a flat bottom, straight sides and a handle

37. 杯子 • Tumbler [‘tʌmblə(r)]平底无脚酒杯: a large, flat-bottomed drinking glass with no handle or stem.

38. 杯子 • Tankard [‘tæŋkəd]大啤酒杯: a large drinking cup or mug, usually with a handle and lid, esp. for drinking beer.

39. Detailed reading Detailed reading1– We live in … We live in an age of easy access to the rest of the world. Translation: 我们生活在一个可以轻松到达世界其它角落的时代。

40. Detailed reading1– … for many … … for many people learning English is an essential stepping stone on the road to success. Explanation: … for many people the acquisition of English is basically a spring board towards their lifetime achievements. A stepping stone is a means that helps you to progress towards achieving something especially in your work. Students from various minority groups are intent on using education as a stepping stone to a better life.

41. label v.fix or tie on sth. a piece of paper or other material that gives information about it; use a word or phrase to describe sb. or sth. Detailed reading1– label e.g. I’ve just spent a whole day labeling all the items. The bottle is labeled poison. 瓶上标明有毒。 n.a piece of paper or other material, fixed to sth., which gives information about what it is, where it is to go, who owns it, etc. e.g. The labels were attached to the luggage.

42. A survey of news stories in 2006 reveals that the antiscience tag has been labeled to many other groups as well, from authorities who advocated the elimination of the last remaining stocks of smallpox virus to Republicans who advocated decreased funding for basic research. 一项关于2006年新闻报道的调查显示，反科学的标签还可以贴在许多其他团体身上，从提倡消灭最后存留的天花病毒的权威机构，到鼓吹削减基础研究经费的共和党人

43. Detailed reading Detailed reading1– longing longing n. strong wish; a strong feeling of wanting sth. She felt a great longing for the sights, sounds and smells of home. Nothing could quench her longing to return home again. 她重返家园的念头怎么也打消不掉。

44. despair n. complete loss of hope or confidence; sth. that causes this feeling Detailed reading1– despair e.g. His failure in TOEFL drove him to despair. 她拒绝学习，让老师感到绝望。 She is the despair of his teacher because she refuses to study.

45. Detailed reading hover vi. be in an uncertain state; stay around one place, esp. in a way that annoys other people Detailed reading1– hover e.g. A hawk hovered in the sky, waiting to swoop down on its prey. I heard the noise of a helicopter hovering overhead. She is hovering between life and death. 她正处于生与死之间。

46. Detailed reading head-on ad. & a. with the heads or front parts meeting, usu. violently Detailed reading1– head-on e.g. The motor cycle ran head-on into the lorry. The government and the unions are set for a head-on confrontation.

47. Detailed reading not be given to not usually do sth. Detailed reading1– not be given to e.g. It is the truth. We are not given to telling lies.

48. Detailed reading unsurmountable a. too large or too difficult to be dealt with Detailed reading1– unsurmountable e.g. I don’t think there are any unsurmountable problems in this project. The problems are not unsurmountable. 问题不是无法解决的。 Synonym: insuperable Antonym: surmountable

49. negotiatevt. discuss sth. in order to reach an agreement, esp. in business or politics Detailed reading1– negotiate 1 e.g. Foreign Ministers are meeting at talks in Geneva to negotiate a treaty banning all chemical weapons. We’ve decided to negotiate with the employers about our wage claim. 我们决定就工资问题与雇主谈判。 Derivation: negotiation n. e.g. Pay rates are fixed by negotiations between the trade union and employers.

50. Detailed reading Derivation: Detailed reading1– negotiate 2 negotiable a. (not used before a noun) The contract is for a period of six months, and is not negotiable. 合同为期6个月，且没有商量的余地。