unit09 The Voices of Time 时间的声音

The Voices of Time

Time talks. It speaks more plainly than words. Time communicates in many ways.

Consider the different parts of the day, for example. The time of the day when something is done can give a special meaning to the event. Managers in the US fully¹ realize the importance of an announcement made during the middle of the morning or afternoon that takes every away from his work.

In the US, it is not customary² to call someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that the matter is urgent³ and requires immediate⁴ attention. The same meaning is attached to phone calls made after 11:00 pm. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he assumes⁵ it is a matter of life and death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance.

Imagine the excitement and fear caused by a crowd of people arriving at the door at 2:00 am. On an island in the South Pacific, a plant manager from the US has just such an experience. The natives of the island met one night to discuss a problem, when they arrived at a solution, they went to see the manager and woke him up to tell him what had been decided⁶. Unfortunately, it was after 2 o’clock in the morning. They did not know that it is a very serious matter to wake up Americans at this hour. The manager, who did not understand the local culture, thought there was a fight and called out the military troops. It never occurred to him or to the natives that parts of a day have different meaning in different cultures.

In social life, time plays an important part. In the US, guests tend to feel they are not highly⁷ regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended⁸ only 3 or 4 days before the party date. But in other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because it tends to be forgotten.

Americans look ahead and are concerned with the future. The American idea of future is limited, however. It is the foreseeable future and not the future of the South Asians, which may involve centuries.

Promptness¹⁰ is also value highly in American life. People who are not prompt⁹ may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible. A person who is 5 minutes late is expected to make a short apology. If he is less than 5 minutes late, he will say a few words of explanation, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence. To an American, being half an hour late is the beginning of the “insult period”. No matter what is said in apology, there is little that can remove the damage done by a 30-minute wait.

Since time has such different meanings in different cultures, communication is sometimes difficult. We will understand each other a little better if we keep this fact in mind.

1 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

2 customary   

adj.习惯上的，惯常的，合乎习俗的

参考例句：

• He makes his customary visit every week.他每星期都按照惯例造访一次。
• It is customary with me to do so.这样做是我的习惯。

3 urgent   

a.紧急的，急迫的，紧要的

参考例句：

• He asked to see the manager for something urgent. 他有急事求见经理。
• A part of this urgent task was allotted to us. 这项紧急任务的一部分分给了我们。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 assumes   

取得（权力）( assume的第三人称单数 )； 假设； 假定； 呈现

参考例句：

• The motion of matter always assumes certain forms. 物质的运动总是表现为一定的形式。
• It is usually the woman who assumes overall care of the baby. 通常由女性负责照顾孩子的方方面面。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

8 extended   

adj.延伸的；伸展的；延长的；扩大的v.延伸(extend的过去式和过去分词)；伸展；延长

参考例句：

• an extended lunch hour 延长了的午餐时间
• France has greatly extended its influence in world affairs. 在世界事务中，法国的影响已大大地扩大了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 prompt   

adj.迅速的，敏捷的，立刻的；vt.激起，促进，推动；提示； vi.提示；n.提示；提示的内容；n.[商]付款期限

参考例句：

• His prompt action prevented the fire from spreading.他的果断行动制止了火势的蔓延。
• Will you prompt for us at the performance?演出时你给我们提示台词好吗？

10 promptness   

n.敏捷，迅速，机敏

参考例句：

• The manager replied with promptness and courtesy. 那经理思路敏捷、彬彬有礼地作了答复。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This promptness proved how strictly he had held to his word. 这足以表示，他是多么谨守前约。 来自辞典例句