VOA标准英语2010年-'Simples Gestures' Can Lead to Mideast

American anthropologist¹ explores diverse cultural landscape of Middle East

Mohamed Elshinnawi | Washington, DC 09 June 2010
 

Enjoying a Yemeni meal with villagers in 1986

Despite decades of close U.S. involvement in Middle East affairs, most Americans know little about the cultures of the region.

Andrea Rugh, however, is an exception. In her new book, "Simple Gestures," the anthropologist explains the cultural differences and similarities she encountered during the four decades she lived and worked in the Middle East.

Rugh journeyed to the Middle East with her husband, an American diplomat², who served in capitals from Cairo and Damascus to Islamabad and Kabul. With him, she mingled³ with social and political elites⁴. Rugh formed strong relationships with local families while raising her three sons.

Dr. Andrea Rugh, author of 'Simple Gestures: A Cultural Journey into the Middle East.'

But Rugh is also an anthropologist who has advised development projects in Africa and the Middle East. In that role, she worked closely with community leaders, getting a view of the region that most Americans never see.

"Generally, what we see is the outrages⁶ or we see the dramatic events," says Rugh. "But you can't look at outrage⁵ behaviors without feeling an emotional content to it that perhaps leaves you without understanding the normal everyday behavior. So that is mainly what I wanted to do with this book, to give more normal everyday events and activities in these countries."

Although most of the countries in the region are Arab and predominantly Muslim, Rugh stresses that the Middle East is not a single, uniform culture.

Lunching in Afghanistan (2000)

"There is certainly no comparison between, for example, Lebanon or Egypt which is maritime⁷ or agricultural societies and the societies of the gulf⁸ that are primary tribal⁹ in their origins and backgrounds."

However, she says, there is a strong sense of loyalty¹⁰ across all Middle Eastern societies, more so than among Americans.

"I found out that one of the important things was the emphasis on obligation or duty," says Rugh. "I think people tend to be part of their circles of obligation within the family. There are certain obligations that people feel they owe to others. In other words, you tend to respect your elders and you tend to be defferential to them and even maybe your siblings¹¹ or your parents. But this is a very important concept."

Andrea and Bill Rugh waiting to receive guests in the United Arab Emirates.

In "Simple Gestures," Rugh disputes the notion that people in the Middle East hate the United States. While they may dislike certain American foreign policies, the people she met and worked with had no quarrel with Americans. In fact, they admired the U.S. democratic process, higher education, advanced technologies and its artistic¹² diversity.

Rugh wants her book to show Americans the importance of looking at other countries and other cultures in a way that is not colored by Western values.

"It is very important for us to try to understand another culture on its own terms, not simply by imposing¹³ our own value structure on them," says Rugh. "So, that is the main message; how to step back and be able to see and make sense of what another culture is doing."

That approach, Rugh argues, can serve U.S. foreign policy aims.

She points to Afghanistan as an example. If American decision makers¹⁴ had understood the tribal nature of Afghan society, she suggests, they would have promoted a more decentralized government.

"I would have liked to see a decentralized one, where local groups had more autonomy to govern and provide for their own development. I think it was a mistake encouraging the Afghans to so centralize the power in the hands of one person."

Rugh notes that culture is revealed most clearly in the way people interact with each other, and that understanding those simple gestures is key to understanding the society.

 

1 anthropologist   

n.人类学家，人类学者

参考例句：

• The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
• The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

4 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

5 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

6 outrages   

引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• People are seeking retribution for the latest terrorist outrages. 人们在设法对恐怖分子最近的暴行进行严惩。
• He [She] is not allowed to commit any outrages. 不能任其胡作非为。

7 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

8 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

10 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

11 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

12 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

13 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

14 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》