Professor: Kevin and Jose are new roommates who are meeting each other for the first time. Jose is from Mexico, and is telling Kevin about his experience coming to America. Winnie, in this first section, listen for the phrase “to strike someone,” which means to really catch someone’s attention.
哦，”to strike someone”就是特别引起某人的注意。好，我仔细听。
Kevin: What were some of the things that really struck you when you first came to America?
Jose: Well, my first impression is that everything was really spread out.
Kevin: That’s particularly true in the American southwest. Because there is so much space, many cities like Los Angeles grow outward rather than build taller buildings, like in New York.
Jose: Yeah, I hear that’s why the traffic is so bad there.
Kevin: Yes, everything is far apart so everyone needs a car to get around, so there is lots of traffic.
Professor: Winnie, what struck Jose about America when he first arrived?
他的第一印象是美国所有东西都很分散，spread out.
Professor: That’s right. And how has this affected traffic conditions?
正是因为很多城市都铺得很开，所以人们的生活离不开汽车，造成了交通拥挤。
Professor: Exactly. In the next section, listen for the phrase “to stand out,” which means to be very obvious or noticeable.
Kevin: What about the culture? Was there anything that really stood out about Americans when you first started interacting with them?
Jose: Well, the thing that struck me was how casual Americans are. Even people who are strangers still call each other by their first names, as if they’re friends.
Kevin: Yes, Americans also tend to be very casual in business relationships. Sometimes people from other countries who are used to being more formal find this rude.
Jose: Yeah, I bet some people have a hard time getting used to that.
Professor: So Winnie, what really stood out for Jose about American culture?
他觉得，美国人很随便，即使是在正式场合也经常对别人直呼其名。
Professor: Right. And does this sometimes cause problems?
美国人可能觉得这样很亲切，可是在某些文化看来，这可能是非常不礼貌的。
Professor: Right. In the next section, listen for the phrase “to keep someone at arm’s length,” which means to maintain a distant relationship with someone.
Jose: But you know, I find it interesting that even though Americans are very casual and friendly, they also value privacy more than people in other cultures.
Kevin: You know, I think you’re right. Even though Americans are friendly to strangers, some of them also like to keep people they don’t know at arm’s length.
Jose: Yeah, they really like to have time to themselves.
Kevin: I agree. If you’re from a culture in which people are always together, Americans can seem very rude when they’re trying to be left alone.
一点没错。我的美国邻居每次见面都特别友好地跟我打招呼，可从来不请我去她家作客。
Professor: That’s pretty common. Americans like to be friendly in public, but they also like to have their own space.
Hmm … 没准她家特别乱，不敢让人去？
Professor: Could be. In the next section, listen for the word “punctual,” which means “on time.”
Jose: You know, I’ve also noticed that Americans really value punctuality and like to be on time.
Kevin: That’s right. In some cultures, people aren’t so worried about being on time. They have a hard time in the United States because Americans don’t like for people to be late.
Jose: It’s true. Sometimes when Americans come to Mexico for tourism, they get really mad when the bus doesn’t leave on time. It’s strange to always be in such a hurry, even on vacation.
Kevin: You know, I think when you go to another country, you have to go with the flow.
美国人喜欢守时，但是Kevin觉得，如果他们到那些并不重视时间观念的国家去，就应该”go with the flow” 入乡随俗。
Professor: Yes, as the English expression says, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”