日常英文对话-Is Making Global Friends Tricky?
时间：2010-03-02 03:19:17
（单词翻译:单击）
Chen: Hi Mark. I haven't seen you since we finished the seminar. How have you been?
Mark: I just got married recently. Let me introduce you to my wife, Esin.
Chen: Hi Azen? Am I pronouncing it correctly?
Esin: Yeah. You're doing fine.
Chen: Oh. Please say it again.
Esin: Esin. It's a little hard. Just don't worry about it.
Chen: Azin? Ezin?
Mark: Chen, Esin means it. It's alright with her if you call her name little bit differently. In the U.S. we try hard to pronounce names correctly. But, the problem is we're not familiar with all the languages spoken in this country. So, we don't always do a good job at pronouncing people's names correctly.
Esin: Chen, Mark's right. I am Turkish. It's not a big deal for us.
Chen: Well. I've lived in the U.S. for the last five years. So I know how important it's here to do it right.
Esin: Where are you from, Chen?
Chen: I am from Shanghai, China.
Esin: I've never been to China. How interesting it's to meet you, Chen.
Chen: Thank you, Azen. I feel the same.
Mark: Esin, I met Chen in a seminar on software engineering in Silicon1 Valley.
Esin: When was it?
Mark: I think it was in September of 2004. We clicked well. I was thrilled about his expertise2 on web-based software development.
Chen: Thank you, Mark. It's flattering to hear it. But, I was having a hard time to catch up with your English.
Mark: I understood you well, though. Since then the improvement you've made with your English is just incredible. I hardly hear an accent now.
Esen: Wow! You speak so well, Chen. I also don't hear an accent. I hope I will catch up that fast, too.
Chen: You already speak English so well, Azen. But, don't worry about it so much. Americans are not picky. They appreciate the improvement new comers make with their English.
Mark: Thanks, Mark. I feel differently about it, though. We, Americans, are not worried over all that because we are so much into our own business. But, I believe speaking English well for a new comer is number one necessity for a new comer to get ahead in this country.
Chen: Yeah. You're absolutely right. It's been a challenge for me to understand the American culture, to be accepted by natives. Because my culture is so different. So is the Chinese language.
Esen: Chen, in your early days was it hard for you to make new friends? Did you feel isolated3?
Chen: Of course it was hard. I was isolated in some ways, but I had my family with me.
Esen: So what'd you think of Americans? Are they easy to make friends with?
Mark: Don't you know the answer, yourself? I'm an American. Did I give you any hard time?
Esen: Oh, please be quiet. I want to hear it from Chen?
Mark: Ok. I'll shut up.
Chen: Americans tend to be friendly. But, to be honest with you, they make friends with new comers if there's a mutual4 interest and if you are in the right place. For example, if you meet with Americans in the business world, you could perhaps develop friendship with them outside their business. But this is not the case all the time.
Esen: You mean a mutual business interest makes it easy. So, what'd you mean by not all the time?
Chen: You must have a strong common interest. Perhaps it will be easy for you, Esen.
Mark: Can I just say this? It all depends on the person. If you are positive, sociable5, and have interests, then it's not hard. Was it hard for you to approach me, Esen?
Esen: No, it wasn't
Chen: Well, Esen is an attractive female, speaks English so well, and she is an engineer like yourself, Mark.
Mark: It's true. Her beauty attracted me to her in the first place, and then our common interest. But, I have friends with different interests than mine. Not necessarily it's all business.
Esen: I see.
Chen: I have to go now. Let's keep in touch.
Mark: Sure, we'll do that. You have my telephone number. Let's go out together for dinner sometime next week. I've met Sue already.
Esen: It willl be fun to get together and meet with your wife, Sue, and children.
Chen: Sure, let's do it. I'll call you next week, Mark. It's very nice to meet you, Azen.
Esen: It's very nice to meet you, too, Chen. We'll see you soon.
Questions:
1. What is the topic of this conversation?
2. What is the main idea of the conversation?
3. What do the characters have in common?
4. What are the apperent cultural differences among the three characters?
5. Do you identify yourself with any of the characters?
a) If so, explain what you find commons between the character and yourself?
b) If not, explain why you are different in terms of the culture you represent. Is your cultural identity different than this person?
Vocabulary:
approach: transitive verb. to contact or get to a person
global: adj. in the world, world wide
tricky6: adj. difficult
make friends:
idiomatic7 verb: to meet new people and develop friendship
make friends with someone: idiomatic verb. to develop friendship with someone or people. For example, I have made friends with many Americans
make it easy: idiomatic phrase: to ease out
seminar: n. a meeting that addresses an issue; a meeting of people with the same interest on a subject
got married: past participle of get marry. It suggest a person has just been through with his or her wedding,
introduce: v. to present someone to another person
pronounce: v. to make the sounds of a word, phrase. To utter a word, phrase
do fine: idiomatic verbal phrase. to perform within the normal standards
do a good job: idiomatic verb. to do something well. to perform well
to be good at something: to have the ability, skills, expertise to perform well in certain areas, subjects, tasks. Example: I am good at mathematics (I permorm well in mathematical work, tasks.) I am good at tennis (I play tennis well.)
do a good job with something: to do a certain task well. For example: Example: You have done a good job with your homework.
little: adj. not much
hard: adj. difficult
worry about: idiom verb: to think about with worry
careful: adj. paying attention
familiar: adj.
big deal: adj. important
do it right: idiomatic verbal phrase. to perform just the way it is expected
feel the same: idiomatic verbal phrase. to think the same
software: n. singular and
plural8. a computer program or computer programs
software engineering: compound n. computer program development
click v. like each other (in this conversation)
thrilled: verbal adj with the passive voice. to excite, surprise
web-based: verbal adj with the participle form. related to the web
flattering: verbal adj.with ing.
complimentary9
catch up to: idiomatic verb. to come up to someone's level for an expected standard; to close the gap
improvement: n. of the verb improve: performing better after trying and working on something for a while
new comer: compound n. an immigrant who has been in the U.S. for a short while already
incredible: adj. unbelievable
accent: n. to make incorrect sounds when speaking a foreign language
fast: adj. quickly
picky: adj. critical; selective; hard to please
appreciate: v. to understand the challenge and show high regard for the hard work (in this conversation)
feel differently: adverbial idiom. to think differently
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