- 一个德国受训者和一个英国受训者，为了"该不该在名片上印博士头衔"吵了起来——同一件小事，两种文化的反应可以差这么大。
- 文章拆成三块讲跨文化商务礼仪：怎么称呼对方、微笑代表什么、眼神接触该不该保持，每一块都举了具体国家的例子。
- 微笑在美国代表友好，在俄罗斯却可能被当成"没理由地笑=傻"，跨文化研究甚至发现"爱笑的人"在不同国家被评价为更聪明或更不聪明。
- 作者最后提醒：国家文化只是影响行为的一个因素，不要拿这些规律去给整个民族"贴标签"。
重点内容
原文 / 段落
Much of today's business is conducted across international borders, and while the majority of the global business community might share the use of English as a common language, the nuances and expectations of business communication might differ greatly from culture to culture. A lack of understanding of the cultural norms and practices of our business acquaintances can result in unfair judgements, misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication. Here are three basic areas of differences in the business etiquette around the world that could help stand you in good stead when you next find yourself working with someone from a different culture.
Addressing someone
When discussing this topic in a training course, a German trainee and a British trainee got into a hot debate about whether it was appropriate for someone with a doctorate to use the corresponding title on their business card. The British trainee maintained that anyone who wasn't a medical doctor expecting to be addressed as 'Dr' was disgustingly pompous and full of themselves. The German trainee, however, argued that the hard work and years of education put into earning that PhD should give them full rights to expect to be addressed as 'Dr'.
This stark difference in opinion over something that could be conceived as minor and thus easily overlooked goes to show that we often attach meaning to even the most mundane practices. When things that we are used to are done differently, it could spark the strongest reactions in us. While many Continental Europeans and Latin Americans prefer to be addressed with a title, for example Mr or Ms and their surname when meeting someone in a business context for the first time, Americans, and increasingly the British, now tend to prefer using their first names. The best thing to do is to listen and observe how your conversation partner addresses you and, if you are still unsure, do not be afraid to ask them how they would like to be addressed.
Smiling
A so-called 'smile of respect' is seen as insincere and often regarded with suspicion in Russia. A famous Russian proverb even states that 'laughing without reason is a sign of idiocy'. Yet in countries like the United States, Australia and Britain, smiling is often interpreted as a sign of openness, friendship and respect, and is frequently used to break the ice.
In a piece of research done on smiles across cultures, the researchers found that smiling individuals were considered more intelligent than non-smiling people in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, China and Malaysia. However, in countries like Russia, Japan, South Korea and Iran, pictures of smiling faces were rated as less intelligent than the non-smiling ones. Meanwhile, in countries like India, Argentina and the Maldives, smiling was associated with dishonesty.
Eye contact
An American or British person might be looking their client in the eye to show that they are paying full attention to what is being said, but if that client is from Japan or Korea, they might find the direct eye contact awkward or even disrespectful. In parts of South America and Africa, prolonged eye contact could also be seen as challenging authority. In the Middle East, eye contact across genders is considered inappropriate, although eye contact within a gender could signify honesty and truthfulness.
Having an increased awareness of the possible differences in expectations and behaviour can help us avoid cases of miscommunication, but it is vital that we also remember that cultural stereotypes can be detrimental to building good business relationships. Although national cultures could play a part in shaping the way we behave and think, we are also largely influenced by the region we come from, the communities we associate with, our age and gender, our corporate culture and our individual experiences of the world. The knowledge of the potential differences should therefore be something we keep at the back of our minds, rather than something that we use to pigeonhole the individuals of an entire nation.
生词表
| 英文 | 中文 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| nuance | 细微差别 | nuances of business communication |
| business etiquette | 商务礼仪 | |
| pompous | 自负的、摆架子的 | disgustingly pompous：令人反感地自负 |
| stark (difference) | 明显的、鲜明的 | a stark difference in opinion |
| break the ice | 打破尴尬、破冰 | 习语，常用于社交场合开场 |
| insincere | 不真诚的 | 与 sincere 相对 |
| regard with suspicion | 以怀疑眼光看待 | regarded with suspicion |
| prolonged | 长时间持续的 | prolonged eye contact |
| detrimental | 有害的 | detrimental to building relationships |
| pigeonhole (v.) | 把…简单归类、贴标签 | 比 stereotype 更口语化的说法 |
| stand sb in good stead | 对某人以后有帮助 | 习语，指现在学的东西日后会用得上 |
| conceive (as) | 认为、设想 | could be conceived as minor：可能被认为是小事 |
理解要点
- 三个小标题（称呼/微笑/眼神）各自独立成段，读的时候可以按"现象—国家对比—给出建议"的固定结构去找信息，不用逐句细读。
- 开头的德国 vs 英国名片小故事是全文的钩子，后面每一段的论证都在呼应这个"同一行为、不同解读"的主线。
- 留意作者反复使用 might/could/tend to 这类弱化语气的词，这是学术写作里表达"这是趋势不是绝对规则"的信号，不要把例子当成放之四海皆准的定律。
- 结尾段是整篇的态度收束句，提醒读者文化差异知识该"放在心里参考"而不是"用来给人贴标签"，抓住这句才算读懂作者的真正立场。
Sources
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