CulturalEncounters

Susan Bassnett

1            We live in an age of easy access to the rest of the world.¹ Cheap flights mean thatmillions of people are able to visit places their parents could only dreamabout, while the Internet enables us to communicate with the remotest places and the traditional postalservices are nowreferredto almost mockingly as  “snail mail.”When students go off backpacking, they can email their parents from Internetcafes in the Himalayas or from a desert oasis. And as for mobile phones — the clicking of text messaging at any hour of the day or night has become familiar to usall. Everyone, it seems, provided, of course, they can afford to do so, neednever be out of touch.

2            Significantly also,this great global communications revolution isalso linked to the expansion of English, which has now become the leadinginternational language. Conferences andbusiness meetings around the globe are held in English, regardless of whether anyonepresent is a native English speaker. English has simply become the languagethat facilitatescommunication, and for many people learning English is anessential stepping stoneon the road to success.²

3            So why, you may wonder, would anyone have misgivings about allthese wonderful developments, and why does the rise of English as a globallanguage cause feelings of uneasiness for some of us? For there are indeedproblems with the communications revolution, problems that are not onlyeconomic. Most fundamental is the profound relationship between language and culture that lies at theheart of society and one that we overlook at ourperil.³

4            Different cultures are not simply groups ofpeople who label the world differently; languages giveus the means to shape our views of the world and languages are different fromone another. We express what we see and feel through language, and because languagesare so clearly culture-related,⁴ often we find that what we cansay in one language cannot be expressed at all in another. The English word “homesickness”translates into Italian as “nostalgia,” but English has had to borrow that sameword to describe a different state of mind, something that is not quitehomesickness and involves a kind of longing. Homesickness and nostalgia put together are almost, butnot quite, the Portuguese “saudade,” an untranslatable word that describes astate of mind that is not despair, angst (English borrowed that from German), sadness or regret,but hovers somewhere in and around all those words.

5            The early Bible translators hit the problemof untranslatability head-on. How do you translate the image of the Lamb of God for a culture in whichsheep do not exist? What exactly was the fruit that Eve¹¹picked in the Garden of Eden? What was the creaturethat swallowed Jonah, given that whales are not given to swimming inwarm, southern seas?⁵ Faced with unsurmountable linguistic problems, translators negotiated the boundariesbetween languages and came up with a compromise.⁶

6            Compromising is something that speakers ofmore than one language understand. When there are no words in anotherlanguage for what you want to say, you make adjustments and try to approximate.⁷ English andWelsh speakers make adjustments regarding the color spectrum in thegrey / green / blue / brown range, since English has four words and Welsh has three. Andeven where words do exist, compromises still need to be made. The word “democracy”means completely different things in different contexts, and even a word like “bread”which refers to astaple food item madeof flour means totally different things to different people. The flat breads ofCentral Asia are a long way away from Mother’sPride white sliced toasties, yet the word “bread” hasto serve for both.

7            Inevitably, the spread of English means thatmillions of people are adding another language to their own and are learninghow to negotiate cultural and linguistic differences. This is an essentialskill in today’s hybrid world, particularly now when the need for internationalunderstanding has rarely been so important. But even as more people become multilingual,so native English speakers are losing out, for they are becoming ever moremonolingual, and hence increasingly unaware of the differencesbetween cultures that languages reveal. Communicating in another language involves not onlylinguistic skills, but the ability to think differently, to enterinto another culture’s mentality and shape language accordingly.⁸Millions of people are discovering how to bridgecultures, while the English-speaking world becomes ever more complacent and cuts down on foreignlanguage learning programs in the mistaken belief that it is enough to knowEnglish.

8            World peace in the future depends onintercultural understanding. Those best placed to help that process may notbe the ones with the latest technology and state-of-the-art mobile phones, but those with theskills to understand what lies in, under and beyondthe words spoken in many different languages.⁹

 

Paragraphs 1-3

Questions:

1. What do cheap flights and the Internet mean to people today? (Paragraph 1)

Cheap flights mean that millions of people can afford to visitplaces their parents could only dream about, while the Internet means thatnumerous people are able to communicate with the remotest places with greatease.

2. Exemplify and explainthat English has become the most important international language. (Paragraph 2)

Conferences and business meetings around the globe are held inEnglish, regardless of whether anyone present is a native English speaker.English has simply become the language that facilitates communication, and formany people learning English is an essential stepping stone on the road tosuccess.

 

Words and Expressions

1.      access n.entrance; way in; means of entering or the right to use or look at something

e.g. The only means of access to the buildingis 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。

The system has been designed to give theuser quick and easy access to the required information.

Derivation:

accessible a.

 

2. communicate vi. shareor exchange feelings, opinions, or information, etc.

e.g. He is a shy boy who can’t communicatevery well.

Derivation:

communication n.

e.g. TheInternet is the best means of communication among several partners at differentlocations.

  communicative a.

 

3. remote a.distant in space or time

e.g. We can see remote stars through atelescope.

In the remote future, many new changeswill take place.

The Beatles carried Liverpool’sfame to the remotest corners of the earth.

Derivation:

remoteness n.

e.g. They found the remoteness of the countrya great problem.

Comparison: distant, far, remote

distant very far away esp. in distance

e.g. Shecould hear the distant sound of fireworks exploding.

far describe something that is not near, orthe part of something that is most distant from the centre or from you

e.g. Thestation isn’t far — we could easily walk it.

remote describe an area, house or village thatis a long way from any towns or cities

e.g.He lived in a remote mountain village.

Translation:

1. 我们很难观察月亮的另一边。

The far side of the moon is difficultfor us to observe.                            

2. 邮车每周只到这个偏僻的村庄一次。

Mail comes to this remote village onlyonce a week.

3. 这个朝圣者来自非常远的地方。

This pilgrim came from a very distantplace.

 

4. mockingly ad.in a way in which sb. or sth. is made fun of

e.g. Andrienneraised her eyebrows mockingly — “What’s wrong, my dear? Don’t you understand?”

The boy who was once referred tomockingly as a country boy is now the CEO of a joint venture.

 

5. regardless of without taking account of or worryingabout

e.g.I bought the book, regardless of the cost.

尽管价钱挺高，我还是买了这本书。

The law requires equal treatment forall, regardless of race, religion or sex.

 

6. facilitate vt.help; make easy or easier

e.g. The new underground railway willfacilitate the journey to the airport.

An interface is a window environment designed to facilitate theinteraction 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.

 

7. stepping stone any of a row of large stones with a level top, which one walks on tocross a river or stream; figuratively, a way of improvement or gaining success

e.g. For some people, gaining power is anessential stepping stone to a successful life.

Temporary jobs can be a stepping stoneout of unemployment.

 

8. have misgivings not be sure

e.g. I have many misgivings about taking thejob.

我对是否接受那项工作顾虑重重。

 

9. fundamental a.basic

e.g. Aknowledge 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 inattitude 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. Idisagreed fundamentally with what they stood for.

 

10. profound a.intense; deep; very strongly felt

e.g. The book contains profound insight intohuman behavior.

The development was to have a profoundeffect on all our lives.

Derivation:

profoundly ad.

e.g. Iam profoundly grateful for this opportunity to meet you.

 

11. at one’s peril (used when advising sb. not to do sth.) with the near certainty ofmeeting great danger

e.g. You ignore this warning at your peril.

    你若忽视这个警告，就得自担风险。

 

Activity: Fill in each blank with asuitable preposition.

1.Which companies was she referring ___when she spoke of competing firms? (to)

2.Bats communicate___ each other by ultrasonic messages. (with)

3.Citizens may have free access ____the library. (to)

4.It is rude to mock ____others’ shortcomings. (at)

5.I’d like to go back to teaching, but I am ___ touch with my subject now. (out of)

6.She is determined to do regardless ____all consequences.  (of)

7.Food is essential ___ life. (to)

8.At the time, many doctors had serious misgivings ____ the new treatment. (about)

9.Any climber who neglects these simple precautions does so___ his peril. (at)

 

Sentences

1. We live in an age of easy access tothe rest of the world. (Paragraph 1)

Translation: 我们生活在一个可以轻松到达世界其它角落的时代。

 

2. … for many peoplelearning English is an essential stepping stone on the road to success. (Paragraph 2)

Explanation: … for many peoplethe acquisition of English is basically a spring board towards their lifetimeachievements.

A stepping stone is a means thathelps you to progress towards achieving something especially in your work.

e.g. Students from variousminority groups are intent on using education as a stepping stone to abetter life.

 

3. Most fundamental is the profound relationshipbetween language and culture that lies at the heart of society and one that weoverlook at our peril. (Paragraph 3)

Paraphrase:There is a basic relationship between language and culture which is anessential part of society and one that it is dangerous if we ignore.

Translation:最根本的是语言与文化之间的深远关系，它存在于社会的中心，忽视它必然会造成危险。

 

Paragraphs 4-7

Questions:

1. Supply specific examples to provethat language and culture are closely related to each other. (Paragraph 4)

Numerousexamples show that language and culture are interrelated. Take a look at someEnglish idioms and see how different their Chinese counterparts are:

a dropin the ocean  沧海一粟

to laughone’s head off  笑掉大牙

to shedcrocodile tears  猫哭老鼠

tospend money like water  挥金如土

to beborn with a silver spoon in one’s mouth  生长在富贵人家

2. Explain and illustrate what “compromising”and “the spread of English” mean. (Paragraph 7)

For“compromising,” refer to Paragraph 6 ofthe text. As to “the spread of English,” a typical example is the spread ofEnglish inChina.Compared with other nations,Chinaboasts the largest number of people who have learned or are learning English.Chinese learners of English are learning how to overcome cultural andlinguistic differences. In today’sChina, the mastery of English hasbecome an important skill which is of great use and value in all walks of life.

 

Words and Expressions

12. label

v.fixor tie on sth. a piece of paper or other material that gives information aboutit; use a word

orphrase to describe sb. or sth.

e.g.I’ve just spent a whole day labelling all the items.

Thebottle is labeled poison.

瓶上标明有毒。

n.apiece of paper or other material, fixed to sth., which gives information aboutwhat it is, where it is to go, who owns it, etc.

e.g. Thelabels were attached to the luggage.

 

13.longing n.strongwish; a strong feeling of wanting sth.

e.g. Shefelt a great longing for the sights, sounds and smells of home.

Nothingcould quench her longing to return home again.

她重返家园的念头怎么也打消不掉。

 

14.despair n.completeloss of hope or confidence; sth. that causes this feeling

e.g.His failure in TOEFL drove him to despair.

Heis the despair of his teacher because he refuses to study.

Synonym:

desperationn.

 

15.hover vi.be in anuncertain state; stay around one place, esp. in a way that annoys other people

e.g. Ahawk hovered in the sky, waiting to swoop down on its prey.

Iheard the noise of a helicopter hovering overhead.

 

16.head-on ad.& a.withthe heads or front parts meeting, usu. violently

e.g. Themotor cycle ran head-on into the lorry.

Thegovernment and the unions are set for a head-on confrontation.

 

17. notbe given to not usually do sth.

e.g. Itis the truth. We are not given to telling lies.

 

18.unsurmountable a.toolarge or too difficult to be dealt with

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:

insurmountable,insuperable

Antonym:

surmountable

 

19.negotiate vt.discusssth. in order to reach an agreement, esp. in business or politics

e.g. ForeignMinisters are meeting at talks in Genevato negotiate a treaty banning all chemical weapons.

We’vedecided 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. Payrates are fixed by negotiations between the trade union and employers.

negotiable a.(not used before a noun)

e.g. Thecontract is for a period of six months, and is not negotiable.

 

20.come up with produce; think of a plan, reply, etc.

e.g. Noone have come up with a convincing explanation of why dinosaurs died out.

尚未有人能对恐龙的灭绝做出一个令人信服的解释。

He’scome up with a great idea.

他想出了一个绝好的办法。

 

21.compromise v.& n. settle an argument or difference ofopinion by each side agreeing to some of the demands of the other; an agreementreached in this way that is acceptable to both sides

e.g. Theyrefused to compromise their principles by doing a deal with the terrorists.

他们拒绝同恐怖分子做交易，以免原则受损。

Progresshas been made towards a political compromise between the two nations.

两国之间的政治和解已经取得进展。

 

Collocation:

compromise on / with

e.g. Let’scompromise on a 10% reduction in price on this shipment.

让我们来个折衷办法，这批货减价10％吧。

Don’ttry to threaten me. I won’t compromise with you.

不要威胁我，我不会向你妥协的。

 

22.adjustment n. changingslightly in order to make right or suitable for a particular purpose or

situation

e.g. Wehave to make some major adjustments to our scheme.

Someadjustment of the lens may be necessary.

可能有必要调节一下镜头。

Collocation:

make adjustments

 

23.regarding prep.asregards; concerning; on the subject of; in connection with

e.g. Ifyou have any questions regarding any of our services, please feel free to callme.

Shesaid nothing regarding your request.

她对你的要求闭口不答。

Synonym:

  concerning, considering, in termsof

 

24.range n.themeasurable limits within which variable amounts or qualities are included

e.g. Hesaid it was outside his range of responsibility.

Thenew technology has opened up a very wide range of possibilities.

Comparison:scope,range

scope n.thelimits within which sth. operates, exists, or is effective

e.g. Thereis not much scope for originality.

rangen.the amount, number or type of something between an upper and a lower limit

e.g.The price range is from $100 to $500.

Theproduct is aimed at young people in the 18─25 agerange.

Translation:

1. 那是在我的范围之内。

Itis within my scope.

2. 你提的问题已超出了这本书的范围。

Yourquestion is beyond the scope of this book.

3.这些孩子们的年龄在8岁到15岁之间。

Thechildren’s ages range from 8 to 15.

 

25. inevitably ad.unavoidably;that which is certain to happen; that which cannot be prevented

from happening

e.g. Thosewho are created by publicity will inevitably be destroyed by it.

Inevitably,a quarrel followed between the two sides.

双方随后不可避免地争吵起来。

Derivation:

inevitability n.

Synonym:

unavoidably

 

26.unaware a.nothaving knowledge or consciousness of sth.

e.g. Heseemed to be unaware of the trouble he was causing.

Hewas completely unaware that he was being watched.

Derivation:

unawarenessn.

Collocation:

be unaware of

Antonym:

aware

         

27.reveal vt.show orallow sth. previously hidden to be seen; to make known sth. previously secretor unknown

e.g. Thejournalist did not want to reveal the identity of his informant.

那名记者不愿透露消息提供者的身份。

Thesefew words fully revealed her noble quality.

这寥寥数语充分显示了她的高贵品质。

Synonym:uncover,unveil

Derivation:revelationn.

 

28.complacent a. pleasedor satisfied with oneself or with a situation, often unreasonably; not worrying,even though one perhaps should be

e.g.  He gave us a complacent smile.

Derivation:

complacencyn.

 

29. cutdown on reduce an amount done, eaten, etc.

e.g. Hecut down on coffee and sugar and ate a more healthy diet.

Finallythey have hired a new person. I hope this cut down on our work a little.

他们终于雇佣新人了。希望我们的工作能减少一些。

 

Activity:Translate each of the following sentences intoEnglish with the given word in the brackets:

1. 绝望之下，他放弃了尝试。（despair）

Hegave up the attempt in despair.

2. 汽车迎面撞到树上。（head-on）

Thecar hit the tree head-on.

3. 在这个价格范围内，有好几种汽车可供选购。（range）

Severalcars are available within this price range.

4. 现在我才知道有他这么个人。（unaware）

Iwas unaware of his existence until now.

5. 我们决不能满足于自己的成绩。（complacent）

Wemust not be complacent about our achievements.

 

Paragraph 8

Questions:

1. According to the writer,what is the great function of intercultural understanding?(Paragraph 8)

The writer says, “World peace in the future depends onintercultural understanding.” In other words, intercultural understanding willplay a most important role in the promotion of world peace in the future.

 

2. Who will probably be mostable to help the process of world peace in the future?(Paragraph 8)

Those who are most competent to contribute to the processof world peace probably are those who have acquired the skills to understandthe literal, implied, figurative, or cultural meanings of the words spoken inmany different languages.

 

Sentences

9. Those best placed to helpthat process may not be the ones with the latest technology and state-of-the-artmobile phones, but those with the skills to understand what lies in, under andbeyond the words spoken in many different languages. (Paragraph 8)

Translation:最有助于促进世界和平进程的也许不是那些掌握最新技术或使用最时髦的移动电话的人，而是那些掌握了理解许多不同语言的字面含义、隐含意义与超越词语本身意义的技巧的人。

 

Section Four ConsolidationActivities

I . Vocabulary Analysis

1 Phrase practice

1.provided as long as  假如，倘若

e.g. I willteach you English providedcircumstances permit.  倘若情况允许，我就教你英语。

 

2.need never be out of touch can neverfail to be reached 从不会失去联系

e.g. We need never be out of touchwith each other after graduation if we like. 毕业后，如果愿意，大家绝不会失去联系的。

 

3.regardless of no matter  不管，不顾

e.g.Fools pursue pleasure regardless of the cost. 愚人只追求享乐，而不顾代价。

This is a choice you must makefor yourself as an individual, regardlessof what anyone else thinks. 无论其他任何人怎样想，作为一个个体，这是一个你必须自己做的选择。

 

4. overlook at one’s peril fail to noticeat great risk 忽视……的危险或风险

e.g. The reason why we failed was thatwe had overlooked at its peril. 我们这次失败的原因是我们忽视了它的风险。

 

2 Word derivation

Fill in the blanks with the appropriateforms of the given words.

1.The country is trying to move from a centrally planned economy (economic)to one basically geared to the needs of the market.

2.There are no good roads in the area, so most of the ranches are only accessible(access) by jeep or other off-road vehicles.

3.The two approaches are so fundamentally (fundamental) different that itis surprising that they have both been successful.

4.They spent much time comforting the homesick (homesickness) children atthe beginning of the summer camp.

5.We are looking for an experienced journalist to join the news teams. The salaryis negotiable (negotiate).

6.The amount of any of these ingredients can be adjusted (adjustment) accordingto your taste.

7.The remoteness (remote) of the house was the only thing that made themhesitate about buying it.

8.He parked the car and smiled at her, complacently (complacent) assuminghe had passed the test.

 

1. economica. 经济学的；经济的；有利可图的

  economical a. 节俭的；经济的，合算的

  economics n.经济学

  economist n.经济学家

  economy n.节约；经济

e.g.每个人都关心今年的经济政策。.

Everyone wants to knowthe economic policy of this year.

这不是一种经济的取暖方式。

This is not aneconomical method of heating.

他是一个著名的经济学家。

He is a famous economist.

 

2. accessn. 通道，入口

  accessible a. 可得到的；易接近的，可进入的

accessibility n. 可以得到；易接近

e.g.即使我是老板的私人秘书，我也无法接触到他的所有信件。

Ican’t have access to all my boss’s correspondence, even if I am his privatesecretary.

这个小岛只能坐小船去。

Thisisland is accessible only by boat.

 

3. fundamental a. 基本的，根本的；重要的

  fundamentalismn. 原教旨主义

  fundamentalistn. 信奉正统派基督教的人

  fundamentally ad. 从根本上；基本地

e.g. 你我的观点根本不同。.

Thereare fundamental differences between your view and mine.

 

4. homesicka.想家的

  homesickness n. 乡愁，思乡病

e.g.当我读到母亲的来信时，我开始想家了。

   As I read my mother’s letter, I began tofeel more and more homesick.

 

5. negotiatev. 谈判，协商，交涉

  negotiable a.可磋商的，可协商的

  negotiation n. 谈判，协商

  negotiator n. 磋商者，交涉者

e.g.公司已经和全体员工商定了一项新合同。

The company hasnegotiated a new contract with its staff.

两家公司对谈判的顺利进行很满意。

Bothcompanies are satisfied with the smoothness of the negotiation.

 

6. adjustv. 调整，调节；使适应

  adjustable a.可调整的

  adjustment n. 调整

e.g.我对座位表作了小小的调整。

I’ve made a few minoradjustments to the seating plan.

 

7. remotea.偏僻的，遥远的，远程的

  remoteness n. 远离，远隔，偏僻

e.g.他出生在一个偏远的山村。

    He was born in a remote village.

 

8. complacenta.满足的，自满的，得意的

  complacently ad. 满足地，自满地，沾沾自喜地

  complacency n. 自满，沾沾自喜

e.g.我们决不能一见成绩就自满。

We must not becomplacent over any success.