新世纪大学英语综合教程第一册第8单元Text B

Different Ways of Talking

Text

1 A few hours after Joy Fisher's birth, her parents took pictures of her. Joy's mother put a pink headband around Joy's head, so that everyone who saw the pictures would know that the new baby was a girl. Even before she was born, Joy's parents knew that she was going to be female. When Joy's mother was six months pregnant, she got a sonogram (超声波扫描图), or picture of the baby. When the doctor said, “I'm sure you have a little lady in there,” Joy's parents told all their relatives and friends that their baby was a girl. Gifts soon arrived, including pink dresses and dolls. Joy's parents decorated her room in pink and white.

2 A few years later, Joy's brother, Tommy, was born. His room was painted blue, and he received books and a football as gifts. Joy enjoyed helping her mother take care of the new baby. She also enjoyed playing with other girls at school. Now, Tommy has also entered school, where he plays with other boys. The games Joy and Tommy play are quite different. Joy loves jumping rope with her two best friends. Tommy likes to play ball with a large group of boys. Sometimes when they play a game, he is the captain. He enjoys telling the other boys what to do. Joy, on the other hand, doesn't like it when new girls join her friends and try to change the way they jump rope. She thinks that some of these girls are too bossy.

3 Both Joy and Tommy are growing up in the culture of the United States. They are learning what it means to be a girl and a boy in this culture. Their sex at birth, female and male, is now becoming a gender — a way of thinking, speaking, and acting that is considered feminine or masculine. Each culture has its own way of defining gender, and very early in life gender becomes a basic part of a person's identity. According to Deborah Tannen, a professor at Georgetown University, gender differences are even reflected in the ways that men and women use language. Tannen and others who study communication believe that these differences begin early in life.

4 For example, in the United States and Canada, boys and girls usually play in same-sex groups. Boys might play in large groups in which every boy knows his place. Some are leaders; others are followers. Boys compete with one another for leadership. Many boys like to get attention by boasting, or talking about how well they can do things. The games that they play often have complicated rules, and each boy tries hard to win.

5 Girls, in contrast, usually play in smaller groups. Sometimes they play with only one or two “best friends.” Most girls want other girls to like them, and this is more important to them than winning. Girls may be interested in playing fairly and taking turns. For example, when girls jump rope together, two girls hold the rope while others jump. Then the rope-holders take their turn jumping.

6 Tannen has found that these differences are reflected in the ways that children use language while they play. Boys often use commands when they talk to each other. For instance, when Tommy is captain he might say, “You go first. Don't wait for me.” As the leader of the other boys, he tells them exactly what to do. But when Joy wants to influence her friends, she uses different forms of language. Instead of using commands, she will say, “Let's try it this way. Let's do this.” This is how she tries to direct the other girls without sounding bossy. By using the form “let's,” she also emphasizes the fact that the girls all belong to the same group.

7 As Joy and Tommy grow up, they will continue to speak differently. In junior high school, Joy's status will depend on her circle of friends. If her friends are popular, then Joy may enjoy high status at school. For this reason, Joy and many other girls are interested in gossip. If Joy has some information to share about a popular girl at school, this proves that she has a friendship with this girl. In this way Joy can use gossip to gain more status in her school.

8 Tommy, on the other hand, may be less interested in gossip. His status does not depend on who his friends are at school. Tommy gains status through his own ability to play sports well or earn high grades. Later in life, Joy may continue to be interested in talking about other people and their lives. Tommy will be less interested in personal talk and more concerned with discussions of sports and news. These give him a chance to gain status by showing others his knowledge.

9 Different ways of speaking are part of gender. As adults, men and women sometimes face difficulties in their communication with each other. Studies of communication show that if a woman tells her husband about a problem, she will expect him to listen and offer sympathy. She may be annoyed when he simply tells her how to solve the problem. Similarly, a husband may be annoyed when his wife wants to stop and ask a stranger for directions to a park or restaurant. Unlike his wife, he would rather use a map and find his way by himself.

10 Language is also part of the different ways that men and women think about friendship. Most North American men believe that friendship means doing things together such as camping or playing tennis. Talking is not an important part of friendship for most of them. American women, on the other hand, usually identify their best friend as someone with whom they talk frequently. Tannen believes that for women, talking with friends and agreeing with them is very important. Tannen has found that women, in contrast to men, often use tag questions. For example, a woman might say, “This is a great restaurant, isn't it?” By adding a tag question to her speech (“isn't it?”), she is giving other people a chance to agree with her. Likewise, many women use more polite forms — “Can you close the door?” “Could you help me?” “Would you come here?” Men, however, often speak more directly, giving direct commands — “Close the door.” “Help me.” “Come here.”

11 These differences seem to be part of growing up in the culture of the United States and following its rules of gender. If men and women can understand that many of their differences are cultural, not personal, they may be able to improve their relationships. They may begin to understand that because of gender differences in language, there is more than one way to communicate.

Text Translation

                 不同的交流方式

1    乔伊•费希尔出生几个小时后，父母就给她拍了照片。妈妈给她围上一条粉红色的头巾，这样大家一看照片就知道是个女孩。其实在乔伊未出世之前，父母就知道了她的性别。妈妈怀孕六个月的时候，去做了超声波检查，也就是给还未出世的宝宝拍照。医生说：“我确信你怀了个小淑女。”乔伊的父母把这个消息告诉了所有亲朋好友，很快便收到了礼物，其中有一些粉红色的裙子和洋娃娃。父母把乔伊的房间装饰成粉白色调。

2    几年后，乔伊的弟弟汤米出生了。他的房间粉刷成了蓝色，收到的礼物则是一些儿童读物和一个足球。乔伊很乐意帮妈妈照顾宝宝，也很喜欢在学校跟其他女孩玩耍。如今汤米也入学了，他在学校跟男孩子们一起玩耍。乔伊和汤米玩的游戏很不一样。乔伊喜欢和两个好朋友跳绳。汤米喜欢跟一大帮男孩踢球。有时候还比赛；比赛时汤米担任队长。汤米喜欢指挥其他男孩怎么踢球。而乔伊跟她的朋友跳绳的时候，不喜欢其他人加入，她们总想改变跳绳的方式。她觉得有些女孩太爱指挥人了。

3    乔伊和汤米都在美国文化中成长。他们一直在学习自己作为女孩和男孩在这种文化中意味着什么。他们与生俱来的生理性别——女性和男性——逐渐转变为社会性别，即女性或男性所独有的思维、言谈和行事方式。每种文化都有界定社会性别的独特模式。在生命的初始，社会性别已经成为一个人的身份标识。据乔治敦大学教授德博拉•坦嫩研究，这种社会性别差异甚至体现在男性和女性使用语言的方式上。在坦嫩以及其他人际交流研究专家看来，这种差异在生命早期就已经出现了。

4    例如，在美国和加拿大，男孩和女孩通常在同性别群体中玩耍。男孩可能会参与人数较多的群体，每个人都清楚自己的位置，其中一些是领导者，一些是追随者。他们为了争夺领导者的地位会相互竞争。为了引起别人的关注，许多男孩喜欢吹嘘或炫耀自己如何能干。他们参与的比赛，其规则通常十分复杂，每个孩子都会全力以赴以赢得比赛。

5    与此相反，女孩们通常在小群体中玩耍。有时她们只会跟一两个“最好的朋友”一起玩。大多数女孩都想得到其他女孩的欣赏，这一点比赢得比赛更为重要。女孩可能喜欢公平比赛和轮流玩耍。例如，女孩们一起跳绳时，先有两人负责摇绳，其他女孩跳，一轮结束后摇绳的女孩再跳。

6    坦嫩发现，这些差异表现在孩子玩耍时使用的语言上。男孩习惯用命令的口气交谈。例如，担任队长的汤米会说：“你先来。不要等我。”作为领头人，他明确告诉其他男孩该做什么。可是当乔伊想影响她的朋友时，却用不同的语言形式。她不会用命令的口气，而会这样说：“让我们来试试这个办法。我们一起这样做。”这就是她让其他女孩听从自己安排的说话方式，听起来就没有发号施令的意味了。使用“让我们来…”这种表达方式，还可以强化女孩们的群体归属感。

7    随着乔伊和汤米逐渐长大，他们的说话方式也日渐不同。在上初中时，乔伊的人气来自她的朋友圈。如果她的朋友很受欢迎，那么乔伊在学校也会更有人气。因此，乔伊和其他女孩们都喜欢八卦。如果乔伊和朋友分享了学校里一个颇受欢迎的女孩的八卦新闻，那说明她跟那个女孩很有交情。如此一来，乔伊就可以通过传播八卦新闻的方式来提升人气。

8    汤米对八卦却不怎么感兴趣。他在学校的地位并不靠朋友圈。汤米凭借自己的体育运动能力或优异的学习成绩赢得人气。成年后，乔伊可能仍然喜欢议论身边的人和他们的生活。但汤米会对私密的交谈不太感兴趣，而会更关注体育和时事。这些能让他有机会展现自己的学识，为自己赢得人气。

9    不同的说话方式是社会性别差异的表现之一。作为成年人，男人和女人有时还会陷入彼此间无法交流的困境。人际交流方面的研究表明，如果一位女人向丈夫诉说某个问题时，她希望对方倾听并给予同情。丈夫如果直截了当地提出解决问题的方法，妻子可能会很生气。同样，妻子停下来向陌生人询问去公园或饭店的路时，丈夫也会感到不快。他宁愿自己用地图确定方向，也不会像妻子那样问路。

10    语言使用上的差异还体现在男性和女性对友谊的看法上。大多数北美男性认为友谊就是合作共事，比如一起野营或者打网球。他们大多都认为聊天并不是友谊的重要组成部分。而美国女性却往往把经常在一起聊天的人视为最好的朋友。坦嫩认为，对女性而言，跟朋友聊天并获得共鸣是非常重要的。坦嫩还发现，女性经常使用附加疑问句，这一点与男性截然不同。比如，女性可能说：“这家餐馆很棒，对吧？”通过一个附加疑问句（“对吧？”），以获得别人的认可。同样，很多女性使用更为礼貌的句式——“你能关上门吗？”“你能帮助我吗？”“你能来这里吗？”然而，男性的语气通常更为直接，带有命令的口气——“关上门。”“帮帮我。”“到这里来。”

11    这些差异似乎是在伴随着人们在美国文化中的成长，也是遵循其性别规则的结果。许多性别差异是由文化造成的，而非个人的原因所致。如果男性与女性都清楚这一点，两性之间的关系可能会得到改善。他们会逐渐明白，正是由于在语言层面存在性别差异，两性之间交流的方式自然不止一种。

Word Study

Key Words:

relative n.	bossy a.	define vt.	identity n.
compete vi.	leadership n.	boast vi	contrast n.
command n.	sympathy n.	identify vt.	likewise ad.

relative

n. a member of the same family 家人，亲戚

e.g. If he dies without making a will, his closestrelative will inherit.

如果他没有立下遗嘱就去世了，他的至亲将成为其继承人。

adj.havingmeaning or significance only in relation to something else; not absolute 相对的; 比较的

e.g. He retired and lived in relative isolation.

他退休后, 生活比较孤寂。

Relativeto the size, the city is sparsely populated.

与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。

bossy a. infml too fond of giving orders 〖非正式〗好发号施令的，专横的

e.g. She turned me off with her bossy manner.

她态度专橫很讨我嫌。

Tommyis very bossy; he always wants to rule the roost.

汤米很专横，他总是想一切由他支配。

define vt.

1. explain the exact qualities, limits, duties, etc., of  规定，限定；明确

e.g. Please listen while I define yourduties.

在我规定你的职责时，请仔细听好。

Wewere unable to define what exactly was wrong with him.

我们说不清楚他到底哪里不对劲。

2.to state precisely the meaning of (words, terms, etc.) 给…下定义;解释

e.g. Collins English Dictionary defines aworkaholic as ‘a person obsessively addicted to work’.

《柯林斯英语词典》给“工作狂”一词下的定义是“一个过分沉溺于工作中的人”。

identity n.

1. the individual characteristics by which a thing or person is recognized orknown 身份

e.g. Abu is not his real name, but it’s one he usesto disguise his identity.

阿布不是他的真名，是他用于伪装身份的名字。

Passportsare frequently serviceable in proving the identity of the traveler.

护照往往可用来证明旅行者的身份。

2. the distinct personality of an individualregarded as a persisting entity 个性, 特性

e.g. I wanted a sense of my own identity.

我想要确立自己的个性意识。

The planners decided topreserve their distinct identities.

设计者们决定保留他们各自的特色。

compete vi. [(with,against, for)] try to win sth. in competition with sb. else [常与with, against, for连用]竞争；争夺

e.g. The stores will inevitably end up competingwith each other in their push for increased market shares.

在努力争取更大的市场份额的过程中，这些商场最终将不可避免地相互展开竞争。

Some 1000 athletes competed in20 events.

约1000名运动员参加了20个项目的比赛。

CF: compete,contend, contest, rival

这些动词均可表示“竞争”之意。

compete   普通用词，含义广泛。既可指体育活动等活动中争取优胜的相互竞争，也可指为了自己的利益与他人竞争。

contend   指为战胜或击败对手进行不懈努力，强调拼搏。也可指口头上进行有对立情绪或严重分歧的争论。

contest       指为争夺土地、阵地、权力或荣誉等而展开的竞争。

rival           指在两方或多方的竞争或比赛中，谁都想战胜或比得上对手。

leadership n.

1. theposition or function of a leader领导，领导地位

e.g. This report has been examined and approved bythe leadership.

这份报告已经领导审批。

Britain haslost her leadership in the shipbuilding industry.

英国已丧失在造船业的领导地位。

2. the period during which a person occupies theposition of leader

e.g. During herleadership very little was achieved.

她在任期间成就不大。

3. Capacity or ability to lead 领导才能，领导作风

e.g. He is a manager capable of leadership.

他是个富有领导才能的经理。

Whatmost people want to see is determined, decisive action and firm leadership.

大多数人希望看到的是果决的行动和强有力的领导作风。

4. Guidance; direction

e.g. Without correct leadership, the enthusiasm ofthe masses cannot be sustained.

没有正确的领导，群众的积极性就不可能持久。

boast vi. [(about, of)] derog talk orstate with unpleasant or unreasonable pride [常与about, of连用]〖贬〗夸口，夸耀，吹嘘

e.g. The old man is boasting again about his warexperience and how he singlehandedly combated five men.

       He boast of being the bestfootball-player in the school.

       他夸耀自己是学校里最棒的足球运动员。

       It is nothing to boast of.

       这没有什么可夸耀的。

CF: boast,brag, crow, pride

这些动词均含有“自夸，吹嘘”之意。

boast   普通用词，指对自己所做的事，自己的长处、财富以及家庭等的夸耀，常含言过其实的意味。

brag    非正式用词，其夸耀和吹嘘意味强于boast，到了过分夸大，有时令人讨厌的地步。

crow   多指大声吵嚷地吹嘘，夸耀自己做某事比他人做得好。

pride   与boast的意义较接近，指炫耀、夸口，自鸣得意，常与反身代词连用。

contrast

n. [(with，to)] thecomparison of objects or situations that are dissimilar, esp. to showdifferences [常与with, to连用]对比，对照

e.g. The black paint on the door provides acontrast for the white walls.

门上的黑漆与白墙形成对比。

Hisactions were in stark contrast to his words.

他的行动同他说的话形成鲜明的对照。

v. todistinguish or be distinguished by comparison of unlike or opposite qualities 对比，对照

e.g. She contrasted the situation thenwith the present crisis.

她将当时的情况和目前的危机进行对比。

Compareand contrast English with Chinese.

将汉语与英语比较对比。

CF: compare, compare to, compare with, contrast

这些动词(短语)均含“比较”之意。

compare   侧重比较两个或更多东西的异同优劣，强调相同或类似之处。

compare to   指两物有类似或相似之处，从而“把(一物)比作(另一物)。”

compare with  指“把……用……作比较”以便找出差异或好坏。

contrast   指比较两个或更多东西之间的差异，侧重不同点。

command n. An order given with authority 命令，指示

e.g. The general issued a command that all of themshould come at six o’clock.

将军颁布了一道命令, 所有的人都要在六点钟到。

Hisrequest was in the nature of a command.

他的请求好像是命令。

CF: command, order, direction, instruction

这些名词均含“命令”之意。

command   较正式用词，强调权威性、全局性和强制性。

order   普通用词，侧重指具体的命令。

direction   正式用词，指口头或书面的指示或命令。内容不一定详尽，语气较缓和，不太强调强制性。也可指指导性的说明。

instruction  书面用词，指不容违反、不容推翻的命令。也多指包含具体说明的指示。

sympathy n. sensitivityto and understanding of the sufferings of other people, often expressed in awillingness to give help. 同情，同情心

e.g. He had sympathy with those who were broughtlow by misfortune.

对于那些因不幸而陷入贫困的人们他表示了同情。

Shespoke words of sympathy.

她说了一些同情的话。

CF: pity, mercy, sympathy, compassion

这些名词均有“同情，怜悯”之意。

pity   指对弱者、不幸者所表示的怜惜之情。

mercy   侧重指对应受惩罚或地位卑下者的慈悲或怜悯。

sympathy   普通常用词，含义广。指志趣、看法上的一致，也指感情相投，带有深深的恻隐之心的亲切之情。

compassion   较正式较庄重用词，指对同等人的同情与理解，常含急切愿意帮忙的意味。

identify vt. [(as)] prove or show the identity of [常与as连用]证明;认出，识别；确认，鉴定

e.g. Would you be able to identify the man whorobbed you?

你能够认出那个抢你东西的人吗?

Hishoarse voice was quickly identified.

他那沙哑的嗓音让人一听就知道是他。

CF: identify, recognize, make out

这些动词均含“认出，识别”之意。

identify   指辨别、确定人的身份或物品的归属等。

recognize   指所辨认的人或物多是以前所熟悉的。

make out   通常指通过人的感觉器官来辨别事物。

likewise ad.

1. fml also; inaddition 〖正式〗也，另外

e.g. Her speechand her manner likewise upset me.

她的言谈使我心烦意乱，她的举止也一样。

2.  In the sameway; similarly 同样地

e.g. Watch him anddo likewise.

留心看着他并且照样做。

CF: also, too, aswell, either, likewise

这些词均含“也”之意。

also  比too正式一些，语气较重，只用于肯定句，一般紧靠动词。

too  语气较轻，多用于口语，在肯定句中使用，通常位于句末。

as well  一般不用否定句，通常放在句末，强调时可放在句中。

either  用于否定句，放在句末，之前加逗号。

likewise  是书面语用词。

Expressions:

at birth	in contrast (to / with)
take turns	belong to
depend on	be concerned with

at birth at the time when one is born 出生时

e.g. At birth, most babies weigh between 6 and 8pounds.

大多数婴儿出生时的体重在6磅到8磅之间。

Killthe cases at birth.

防微杜渐。

in contrast (to / with)  used whenyou are comparing objects or situations and saying that they are completelydifferent from each other 与之相反，与之相比

e.g. His actions were in stark contrast to hiswords.

他的行动同他说的话形成鲜明的对照。

Incontrast with most politicians, he was invariably polite.

与大多数政治家相比，他始终彬彬有礼。

take turns do it one after another 轮流做

e.g. The students took turns to clean up theirclassroom.

学生们轮流打扫教室。

Susanand her brother take turns (at) doing the dishes.

苏珊和她的兄弟轮流洗盘子。

belong to  [no pass] be a member of, or beconnected with [无被动态]是…的一员；与…有关联

e.g. We belong to the new club.

我们是这个新俱乐部的成员。

Britainbelongs to the EEC.

英国是欧洲经济共同体的一个成员国。

depend on [not inprogressive forms] vary according to; be decided by [不用进行时]视…而定

e.g. Whether the game will be played depends on theweather.

比赛是否举行要看天气而定。

Thatdepends (on) how to tackle the problem.

全看怎样处理这个问题了。

be concerned with giveattention to sth. because it is believedimportant 关注,关切

e.g. A party in power must be concerned with theinterest of the masses.

执政党必须关心群众的利益。

Youonly need to be concerned with the inner aspect.

你只需要关心内在方面。

好听英文歌推荐