An American friend has invited you to visit his family You’ve never been to an American’s home before, and you’re not sure what to do Should you take a gift How should you dress What time should you arrive What should you do when you get there Glad you asked When you’re the guest, you should just make yourself at home That’s what hospitality is all about: making people feel at home when they’re not
The question of whether or not to bring a gift often makes guests squirm Giving your host a gift is not just a social nicety in some cultures-it’s expected But in American culture, a guest is not obligated to bring a present Of course, some people do bring a small token of appreciation to their host Appropriate gifts for general occasions might be flowers, candy or-if the family has small children-toys If you choose not to bring a gift, don’t worry No one will even notice
American hospitality begins at home-especially when it involves food Most Americans agree that good home cooking beats restaurant food any day When invited for a meal, you might ask, "Can I bring anything" Unless it’s a potluck, where everyone brings a dish, the host will probably respond, "No, just yourself" For most informal dinners, you should wear comfortable, casual clothes Plan to arrive on time, or else call to inform your hosts of the delay During the dinner conversation, it’s customary to compliment the hostess on the wonderful meal Of course, the biggest compliment is to eat lots of food!
When you’ve had plenty, you might offer to clear the table or wash the dishes But since you’re the guest, your hosts may not let you Instead, they may invite everyone to move to the living room for dessert with tea or coffee After an hour or so of general chit-chat, it’s probably time to head for the door You don’t want to wear out your welcome And above all, don’t go snooping around the house It’s more polite to wait for the host to offer you a guided tour But except for
Americans usually like to have advance notice when people come to see them only very close friends drop by unannounced This is especially true if the guests want to stay for a few days Here’s a good rule of thumb for house guests: Short stays are best As one 19th century French writer put it, "The first day a man is a guest, the second a burden, the third a pest" Even relatives don’t usually stay for several weeks at a time While you’re staying with an American family, try to keep your living area neat and tidy Your host family will appreciate your consideration And they may even invite you back!
Most Americans consider themselves hospitable people Folks in the southern United States, in particular, take pride in entertaining guests In fact, "southern hospitality" has become legendary But in all parts of America, people welcome their guests with open arms So don’t be surprised to find the welcome mat out for you Just don’t forget to wipe your feet
英语的文化常识
西方对"文化"的探讨。西方人论述 "文化" 的时间比中国人晚。英文中"文化"（culture）一词源自拉丁文中的"colo"、"cultus"、"cultum"等词，包含有"栽培、驯养、耕作"等涵义。所以英语里面"culture"的原始含义就是指通过人工劳作，将自然界的野生动植物加以驯化和培养，使之成为符合人类需要的品种。后来，随着"culture"一词在实际中的不断使用，它的涵义亦不断扩展，其所蕴涵的客观对象，从原来的人对自然本身的照管、驯化，逐渐引申为对人对自身本能状态的教化、培养和修炼，以及对人与人之间关系的培养和照料活动。"文化"一词成为一个被广泛接受的术语。学者们对于"文化"含义的认识，从十九世纪中叶到近现代，有如下代表性的观点：
泰勒：所谓文化或文明乃是包括知识、信仰、艺术、道德、法律、习惯以及其他人类作为社会成员而获得的种种能力、习性在内的一种复合整体。
克鲁克洪：美国人类学家所用的文化一词，当然是一个术语，绝不能与普通语言以及历史和文学上比较有限的概念相混淆。这一人类学术语所确定的涵义，是指整个人类环境中由人所创造的那些方面，既包含有形的也包含无形的。所谓"一种文化"，它指的是某个人类群体独特的生活方式、他们整套的"生存式样"。
马林诺夫斯基：文化包括一套工具及一套风俗--人体的或心灵的特性，它们都是直接地或间接地满足人类的需要。
1 威尔士，北爱尔兰，英格兰
2 白宫
3 do it yourself
4 the United States美利坚共和国
5 慕尼黑
6 50，这个和它国旗上的星星一样多
7 应该是lady first吧，就是女士优先的意思
