新视野大学英语视听说教程 4 Unit 10-7

MODEL2   What do you think are the reasons for
          that difference?
Script
Susan:  Do you find that people in America often walk faster than people in China? Americans always seem to be in a hurry.
John:   It’s hard to come to a definite conclusion. Some Americans walk in a leisurely¹ way, and some Chinese hurry all the time. But on the whole, I think you’re right.
Susan:  What do you think are the reasons for that difference?
John:   Americans treasure time. For them, time is tangible². It’s a thing. “Time is money.” You can “spend time”, “waste time”, “save time”. You can even “kill time”!
Susan:  Does this strong sense of time affect their lifestyle?
John:   Sure. If you’re 20 minutes late for a bussiness appointment, the other person or persons will be annoyed. They may not trust you anymore.
Susan:  But as far as I know, English-speaking people may be 15-30 minutes late for a dinner party.
John:   That’s true. For an informal occasion like that, punctuality is not so important. Also, a boss may keep his employees waiting for a long time.
Susan:  But if his secretary is late, she’s in trouble. She will probably receive a reprimand.
John:   How true!
Susan:  The American workship of time probably led them to create fast foods.
John:   I agree. And globalization shrinks the differences between cultures. Now people everywhere are rushing, and anywhere you go, you find Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Susan:  But plenty of Chinese are still making appointments saying, “If I am late, wait for me.”
John:   But with more intercultural communication, I think the gap will eventually be bridged, and Chinese will be hurrying everywhere.
 

1 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

2 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。