March 24

【Text】

Time-oriented cultures

The Western world, particularly North America and Western Europe, is strongly time-oriented. Events take place at specific, scheduled times. Appoints are kept to the minute, with perhaps a five-minute leeway.

In time-oriented cultures, time is linear and limited. Imagine time as a conveyor belt carrying boxes past. Each box represents a segment of time. One must pack as much as possible into each box before it slips into the past. Time must be "manage" well-otherwise it may get "wasted". And everywhere, people are "running out" of time.

Event-oriented cultures

In event-oriented cultures, meetings begin when everybody arrives and finish when all the business is done. Events are scheduled to begin "after dinner" or simply "tomorrow". This laid-back lifestyle characterizes people in Arab, African, Latin American and Southeast Asian countries.

Here, time is cyclical and unlimited. It begins anew every day, following the motion of the sun. Because time is unlimited, people in event-oriented cultures tend to value relationships more. Schedules quickly get set aside for a friend in need or even just a friend met on the street.

【Word Bank】

leeway (n.)
缓冲；余裕
Our boss gives us some leeway on when to arrive for work. If we're a little late, that's OK.

segment (n.)
部分
This book is split into three segments, each on a different topic.

characterize (v.)
显示出…的特性
Thai cuisine is characterized by lots of spices and seafood.

set aside (v.) 置于脑后；丢在一旁
They decided to set aside their personal differences and work together.

【More Information】

linear (adj.)
线性的；线形的
Logic is solving problems in a linear way.

conveyor belt (n.)
输送带
The objects slowly moved along the conveyer belt in the factory.

cyclical (adj.)
循环的
The seasons of the year follow one after another in a cyclical pattern.

【译文】

以时间为导向的文化

西方世界，特别是北美和西欧，极度地以时间为导向。事件在特定、安排好的时间进行。约会是以分钟为单位来遵守的，仅有大概五分钟的缓冲。

在以时间为导向的文化中，时间是线性且有限的。相像时间是个载运箱子过去的输送带，每个箱子都代表了一部分的时间。在箱子向过往消逝之前，人一定要尽量把箱子塞满。时间也要被「管理」，否则就会「浪费掉」。此外，各地的人时间都「不够用」。

以事件为导向的文化

在以事件为导向的文化中，会议在每个人抵达后才开始，在一切事务处理完后才结束。事件是安排在「晚餐后」才开始，或干脆排在「明天」。这种轻松的生活方式显示了阿拉伯、非洲、拉丁美洲和东南亚国家人民的特性。

在这些地方，时间是循环且无限的。每一天都是新开始，跟随着太阳的运行。由于时间是无限的，在以事件为主的文化中的居民倾向于重视人际关系。一个朋友有需要，甚至是一名在街上邂逅的友人，都会让行程表被迅速地置之脑后。

已经不知道该怎么感谢楼主了!!!!!!!! 我是空中英语教室的FANS，只要没有特殊原因，我是天天都听这档广播的，只是没有学习资料。亲爱的楼主，你怎么那么善解人意呢！拥抱一下子！ ：）

March 25

【Text】

Cross-cultural conflicts

Not understanding these different ideas about time can create conflicts between people of different cultures. For example, American students often quickly exchange "how are you?" and "fine" as they rush to make class on time. But event-oriented students see this exchange as impersonal. Before they can say anything more than "fine", the Amerian student has already hurried past them.

Time-oriented people doing business in event-oriented lands may cut to the chase too quickly. This offends event-oriented people, who prefer getting to know their associates before discussing the details of a business deal.

For those who believe "time is money", the slow pace of life in event-oriented lands can be frustrating. Since time-oriented people value productivity, they might view event-oriented people as lazy or inefficient.

Not having specific times for events also causes problems. Some Americans in Mexico were told a meeting would start "after dinner". They rushed through dinner so they could be on time, only to end up waiting for everybody else.

What can the world traveler do to avoid these time-related conflicts? Follow the age-old rule: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

【Word Bank】

impersonal (adj.)
没人情味的
Whenever I call this company, I only get a recorded message. It feels very impersonal.

associate (n.)
合伙人
Ben is a sales associate at this company.

productivity (n.)
生产力；生产率
Studies show that if workers are happy, their productivity is higher.

inefficient (adj.)
没有效率的；效能差的
Jocelyn isn't lazy; she's just inefficient. She needs to work smarter, not harder.

【More Information】

cut to the chase (idiom)
开门见山
Let's cut to the chase and discuss exactly how much this project will cost.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do (idiom)
入境随俗
You should try the local food! After all, when in Rome, do as the Romans do!

【译文】

跨文化冲突

不明了这些关于时间的相异概念，会导致不同文化居民的冲突。举例而言，美国学生经常在赶着准时上课时很快地相互寒暄「你好吗？」与「还好」。但是以事件为导向的学生认为这种招呼很没人情味。在这些学生想多说一些除了「还好」之外的问候语时，美国学生早己匆匆擦身而去。

当以时间为导向的人们在以事件为导向的地区洽公时，或许会过于匆促地开门见山。这种态度会冒犯以事件为导向的人，他们偏好在讨论商业交易的细节之前多认识自己的合伙人。

对相信「时间就是金钱」的人来说，那些以事件为导向国家的缓慢生活步调，可能很令人气馁。由于以时间为导向的人重视生产力，他们或许会认为那些以事件为导向的人很懒散或没有效率。

没有为事件设下待定时间也会引发问题。有些在墨西哥的美国人被告知要在「晚餐之后」开会。他们仓皇用完晚餐好准时到达，结果只能眼巴巴等着每个人出现。

世界旅人们能做什么来避免这些与时间有关的冲突呢？遵守亘古不变的规则：入境随俗吧。

LZ太伟大了，敬佩啊

March 27

【Text】

The Perfect Vacation

Even perfect plans can have disappointing results

March 27

Our canoe glided over the lake. My husband, Troy, and I dipped our paddles into the clear water again. We moved closer to the lake's far shore. We were in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesoda. This area has more than a million acres of forests, lakes and streams.

An outfitter in nearby Ely, Minnesota, Helped us plan the trip. He provided all the equipement and supplies we needed for camping five days in the wilderness. Troy and I wanted to enjoy the perfect vacation. Now that we were here, the place was more beautiful than we had imagined.

As we paddled on the still water, we felt like we were the only two people on Earth. Troy sat at the rear of the canoe; I at the front. "Look," I called. "A beaver's den." We floated by the pile of sticks.

"Let's go over to a bigger lake," I suggested. We carried our gear over a short trail to the other lake. We turned the canoe upside down and Troy carried it on his back.

"There's a campsite," Troy pointed. "Do you want to camp here?"

I wanted to camp in a more secluded location. "No," I answered. "Let's keep going."

【Word Bank】

glide (v.)
滑行
The dancers glided across the dance floor as if they were flying.

boundary (n.)
边界；分界线
My neighbor's fence is a boundary between his house and mine.

gear (n.)
设备
Our camping gear included a tent, sleeping bages and a flashlight.

secluded (adj.)
隐蔽的；僻静的
Tracy's family home is located in a quiet, secluded forest.

【More Information】

outfitter (n.)
旅行用品店业者
We went to an outfitter to buy everything we needed for the hike.

beaver's den (n.)
海狸窝
We found a beaver's den next to the river.

【译文】

完美假期

即便是完美的计划也可能有令人失望的结果

March 27

我们的独木舟在湖上滑行。我先生德生和我再次把桨浸入清澈的湖水中，朝远端的湖滨划近。我们正在明尼苏达州北部的「边界水域泛舟野营区」。这一区拥有一百多万英亩的森林、湖泊和溪流。

离此不远的明尼苏达州伊里镇的一家旅行用品店业者帮我们计划这趟旅行。他提供了我们五天野外露营行程所需的一切器材和供给品。德生和我想要享受一个完美的假期。现在我们已经到达目的地了，而这里比我们相像的还要美丽。

我们在静止的湖水上划桨前进时，觉得自己像是地表上唯一的两个人。德生坐在独木舟上后方，我坐在前面。「你看，」我喊着。「一个海狸窝耶。」我们让独木舟漂过这一堆海狸窝的柴枝。

我接着建议：「我们去那个比较大的湖。」我们扛着所有的设备走过一小段步道后抵达另一个湖。我们把独木舟翻倒过来，德生把它背在背后。

「有个露营区耶，」德生指着，「你要在这儿露营吗？」

我想在更僻静的地方露营，所以我回答：「不要，我们继续走。」

进来支持一下梵天版主的辛勤劳动

惭愧ing~~~这几天忙于主页的更新，好些天没有学习了。不过等页面基本完成之后，我会把这些内容补上的：）

每天都翘首盼望着版主续帖啊。

March 28

We put our canoe into the larger lake and paddled lazily, admiring the scenery. Suddenly the soft breeze changed into a stiff wind. Waves began to beat against the side of the canoe. Paddling became hard work.

"We've got to find a campsite now," Troy decided.

"There's one," I pointed ahead. Troy switched his paddle from the right side to left and back again. He worked to push the canoe forward. At the front, I kept the canoe on course to the campsite. With the wind behind us now, we approached the shore and pushed the canoe into the sand.

"This wind is bringing rain," Troy said. "Let's get the tent up!"

"He piled our packs away from the water's edge and tipped the canoe over. We carried the tent up to the campsite.

Large, fat drops of rain fell. the wind lashed the canvas in our hands. We worked quickly to set up the tent. By this time, the occasional drops had become a stinging rain. I took shelter in the tent as Troy finished tying the cover on.

Inside, we sat-wet, cold and hungry. Outside, the wind and the rain roared. All we could do was wait.

【Word Bank】

stiff (adj.)
强烈的；猛烈的
A stiff breeze blew some leaves off the trees.

switch (v.)
交换；转换
Lisa likes to switch back and forth between English and Chinese when she speaks.

lash (v.)
扑打
I woke up to the sound of rain and wind lashing at my windows.

sting (v.)
刺痛
I wasn't careful washing my face and the soap stung my eyes.

【More Information】

on course (adj.)
维持在…方向上
If you continue to study hard, you'll be on course to graduate in two years.

canvas (n.)
帆布
My backpack is made out of canvas.

【译文】

我们把独木舟放进大湖中，慵懒地划桨前进边欣赏美景。柔和的微风突然变成强风，湖波开始拍打独木舟的侧边。划桨变得十分吃力。

德生下定决定：「我们现在一定得找个露营区。」

「有了，」我指着前方。德生把桨从右边换到左边，然后再换回来。他努力推动独木舟前进。我在前面打头阵，让独木舟维持在前往营区的方向。强风在我们后头呼呼地吹，我们靠近湖滨，把独木舟推进沙子中。

「风把雨也带来了，」德生说。「我们把帐篷架起来吧！」

他把我们的背包堆好，远离水岸，然后把独木舟翻过来。我们接着把帐篷扛到露营区。

大颗大颗饱满的雨珠开始落下。强风吹动帆布，朝我们的手不断扑打。我们迅速把帐篷设好。原本稀疏滴落的雨此时已成为刺人的滂沱大雨。当德生快要把遮篷绑好时，我进到帐篷内躲雨。

我们坐在帐篷内——又湿又冷又饿。外头的风雨交加呼啸。我们能做的只有等待。

March 29

I felt disappointed. My plans did not include a rainstorm. Worse still was the drop in temperature.

"I'll get some firewood when the rain stops," Troy said.

He split a log and chopped wood from the inside. Soon a small campfire warmed us. We ate a simple meal. Then Troy used ropes to pull our food bag high between two trees. That would keep our food out of the reach of bears.

The next morning we awoke with cold noses. We dressed in two layers of clothes, and Troy went fishing. As he dropped his line into the water, he heard something large rustling through the grass.

Was it a bear? Troy thought it might be. Nervously, he pushed the canoe back away from shore. As he did, a moose raise its head through the tall grass. Troy sighed in relief. Three hours later he returned to camp, empty-handed and hungry.

That afternoon, rain blew in again. The next evening, more rain fell! I was miserable. My clothes were damp, I needed a bath, and the food tasted awful. So we decided to leave.

The next day, after eating and resting in town, our moods brightened. "Our vacation wasn't perfect," I said to Troy, "but it wasn't so bad. I'd like to go again sometime."

【Word Bank】

split (v.)
劈开；分开
Terri split the sandwich into two and shared it with Jim.

rustle (v.)
沙沙作响
The leaves on the tree rustled in the wind.

empty-handed (adj.)
双手空空的
Sarah couldn't find the shoes she wanted, so she left the shore empty-handed.

damp (adj.)
湿的；潮湿的
Hang the damp towel on the clothesline to dry.

【More Information】

moose (n.)
麋鹿
A moose is an animal that looks like a large deer.

【译文】

我感到失望不已。我的计划并未包括暴雨，更糟糕的是直线下降的气温。

「雨停后我就去拿一些木柴过来，」德生说。

他把一根原木劈开，从木头内部开始砍。很快地，一圈小小的营火开始让我们暖起来。我们吃了简单的一餐后，德生用绳子把食物袋吊高，悬挂在两颗树之间。这样一来，熊就够不到我们的食物了。

隔天早上我们醒过来，鼻子又冰又凉。我们穿了两层衣服，然后德生去钓鱼。他把钓鱼绳放到湖中时，听到了草丛中有某只大型动物沙沙作响。

是熊吗？德生觉得有可能。他紧张地把独木舟推离湖岸。就在他这样做时，一只麋鹿从高耸的草丛中把头抬起来。德生松了一口气。三个小时后他返回营地，双手空空而且觉得饿。

那天下午，雨再度来临。隔天傍晚，更多的雨又滂沱而下！我真是悽惨无比。我的衣服都湿了，我需要洗个澡，而且食物尝起来糟透了。因此我们决定离开。

隔天在市中心用餐并且休息后，我们的心情好多了。「我们的假期并不完美，」我对德生说，「但也没那么糟啦。什么时候我还想再去一次。」