Lesson 73 Is It a Blind Worship of Western Culture?
第73課 盲目崇拜西方文化？
A:Some MNC employees in Shanghai prefer speaking English than Chinese. Many people disapprove of this phenomenon as a blind worship of Western culture.
A：在上海的一些跨國公司里，中國職員幾乎不說中文而只說英文。許多人不認同這種現(xiàn)象，認為是在盲目崇拜西方文化。
B:I'm not surprised that this could happen in Shanghai. As a port city, Shanghai was heavily influenced by Western culture, beginning in the 1920s and 1930s. It was called "a paradise of the adventurers." A lot of Western companies opened offices there as trade and commerce began to develop. New ideas were brought in, together with the arrival of businessmen and foreigners. Shanghai residents were overwhelmed with imported merchandise, foreign languages, and jobs at foreign companies. As a result, Shanghai people are very open-minded and receptive to new things.
B：這種事情發(fā)生在上海是再自然不過的了。作為一個港口城市，上海在上世紀二三十年代就深受西方文化的影響，被稱為“冒險家的樂園”。隨著商業(yè)的發(fā)展，大量外國公司在此落戶。新的觀念也隨著商人和洋人的到來而傳入。上海人用洋貨，講洋文，在洋行做事。這一切造就了上海人觀念開放、敢于嘗試新鮮事物的特點。
A:I know many Westerners like Shanghai because of its cosmopolitan atmosphere. Shanghai people are both smart and pragmatic. They are business-minded and have a high standard of ethics. For example, you seldom hear people accuse Shanghai taxi drivers of cheating. If you ask a Shanghai person for directions,he or she will show you the most efficient routes to your destination.
A：我知道很多西方人喜歡上海，因為它有現(xiàn)代都市的氛圍。上海人精明、務實。他們看重金錢，也重誠信。比如，上海的出租車司機很少欺騙外來客。向上海人問路，他們會告訴你省錢的乘車路線。
B:Many new things were initially introduced to China through Shanghai. In the 1920s, some Shanghai art schools were the first in the country to use human models. Shanghai was also the first city to have movies. In the late 1970s, Shanghai was again among the first cities to send students to study abroad. Shanghai-made products. such as watches, bicycles and sewing machines, enjoyed a very favorable reputation throughout the country even during the years of central economic planning. This reputation still benefits Shanghai today.
B：很多的新生事物被引進中國都是從上海開始的。上世紀20年代，這里的美術(shù)學校率先使用人體模特；上海也是第一個放映電影的城市。上世紀70年代末的出國留學熱源于上海。在計劃經(jīng)濟時期，上海的產(chǎn)品就在全國擁有良好的口碑，包括手表、自行車、縫紉機等。這種信譽一直延續(xù)至今。
A:People from other cities always feel that Shanghai people are biased against them.
A：其他城市的人認為上海人看不起他們。
B:This is indeed very perplexing. A city as open and developed as Shanghai doesn't have the capacity to accommodate others. In the past, an outsider who didn't speak the Shanghai dialect was always ignored by the shop assistants. Now as more and more MNC employees prefer speaking English, will non-English speakers fee! disadvantaged?
B：這個確實令人費解，一個開放很早、發(fā)展很快的城市?反而缺少大都市應有的包容。在過去，一個不會講上海話的外來者會遭到售貨員的白眼。在大公司職員們熱中于講英語的今天，不會英文的人是不是會被人看不起呢？
A:Some people say Shanghai doesn't look like a Chinese city. It is more like New York.
A：有人說上海不像中國的城市，而像紐約。
B:People used to make that comment in the 1930s. In many ways, Shanghai does look like New York but it's not New York. It is a Chinese city, no matter what.
B：這種話在上世紀30年代就有人說過。的確，上海在很多方面像紐約，但它不是紐約。它依然是中國的一個都市。
第73課 盲目崇拜西方文化？
A:Some MNC employees in Shanghai prefer speaking English than Chinese. Many people disapprove of this phenomenon as a blind worship of Western culture.
A：在上海的一些跨國公司里，中國職員幾乎不說中文而只說英文。許多人不認同這種現(xiàn)象，認為是在盲目崇拜西方文化。
B:I'm not surprised that this could happen in Shanghai. As a port city, Shanghai was heavily influenced by Western culture, beginning in the 1920s and 1930s. It was called "a paradise of the adventurers." A lot of Western companies opened offices there as trade and commerce began to develop. New ideas were brought in, together with the arrival of businessmen and foreigners. Shanghai residents were overwhelmed with imported merchandise, foreign languages, and jobs at foreign companies. As a result, Shanghai people are very open-minded and receptive to new things.
B：這種事情發(fā)生在上海是再自然不過的了。作為一個港口城市，上海在上世紀二三十年代就深受西方文化的影響，被稱為“冒險家的樂園”。隨著商業(yè)的發(fā)展，大量外國公司在此落戶。新的觀念也隨著商人和洋人的到來而傳入。上海人用洋貨，講洋文，在洋行做事。這一切造就了上海人觀念開放、敢于嘗試新鮮事物的特點。
A:I know many Westerners like Shanghai because of its cosmopolitan atmosphere. Shanghai people are both smart and pragmatic. They are business-minded and have a high standard of ethics. For example, you seldom hear people accuse Shanghai taxi drivers of cheating. If you ask a Shanghai person for directions,he or she will show you the most efficient routes to your destination.
A：我知道很多西方人喜歡上海，因為它有現(xiàn)代都市的氛圍。上海人精明、務實。他們看重金錢，也重誠信。比如，上海的出租車司機很少欺騙外來客。向上海人問路，他們會告訴你省錢的乘車路線。
B:Many new things were initially introduced to China through Shanghai. In the 1920s, some Shanghai art schools were the first in the country to use human models. Shanghai was also the first city to have movies. In the late 1970s, Shanghai was again among the first cities to send students to study abroad. Shanghai-made products. such as watches, bicycles and sewing machines, enjoyed a very favorable reputation throughout the country even during the years of central economic planning. This reputation still benefits Shanghai today.
B：很多的新生事物被引進中國都是從上海開始的。上世紀20年代，這里的美術(shù)學校率先使用人體模特；上海也是第一個放映電影的城市。上世紀70年代末的出國留學熱源于上海。在計劃經(jīng)濟時期，上海的產(chǎn)品就在全國擁有良好的口碑，包括手表、自行車、縫紉機等。這種信譽一直延續(xù)至今。
A:People from other cities always feel that Shanghai people are biased against them.
A：其他城市的人認為上海人看不起他們。
B:This is indeed very perplexing. A city as open and developed as Shanghai doesn't have the capacity to accommodate others. In the past, an outsider who didn't speak the Shanghai dialect was always ignored by the shop assistants. Now as more and more MNC employees prefer speaking English, will non-English speakers fee! disadvantaged?
B：這個確實令人費解，一個開放很早、發(fā)展很快的城市?反而缺少大都市應有的包容。在過去，一個不會講上海話的外來者會遭到售貨員的白眼。在大公司職員們熱中于講英語的今天，不會英文的人是不是會被人看不起呢？
A:Some people say Shanghai doesn't look like a Chinese city. It is more like New York.
A：有人說上海不像中國的城市，而像紐約。
B:People used to make that comment in the 1930s. In many ways, Shanghai does look like New York but it's not New York. It is a Chinese city, no matter what.
B：這種話在上世紀30年代就有人說過。的確，上海在很多方面像紐約，但它不是紐約。它依然是中國的一個都市。