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编者注:同学们,新年好!欢迎大家走进我们的中西文化差异栏目。本期我们将来重点看看中西两种不同文化的父母和子女之间的关系问题。虽然这是个很老的话题,但是通过我们细致地对比阅读,相信同学们会有所启示。
As is known to all, the concept of family in China is very deep. Whenever and wherever you are, you are closely connected with your mother and father. Even if you have get married or have your own children, you still live with your parents, because looking after parents is a responsibility in China.
众所周知,中国人的家庭观念强。不管你在何时何地,你都和你的父母密切相连。父母和子女始终是一家人。哪怕你成家立业了,另立门户了,和父母仍不分彼此,把赡养和侍奉父母作为自己应尽的责任。
Well, things are totally different in the USA. When children become adults, parents will no longer bring them up; when children become independent, they will not care about their parents’ things, let alone look after their parents.
美国人却不同。子女一成年,就会离巢而飞,父母不再抚养他们;子女一旦独立了,对父母的事情也不再理会了,更别提赡养父母了。
In shopping, this difference can be reflected obviously. If a Chinese family go shopping in a store, parents may think they should buy the goods for their children. Meanwhile, the independent children also regard it as their duty to buy things and pay for the money for their old parents. Thus, in most of the situations, children and parents always want to pay the money themselves.
中西文化之间的这种差异在购物方面表现得尤为明显。中国人如果是一大家子去购物,父母认为给小孩买东西是天经地义的,而且已独立的孩子认为为父母付钱是理所当然的。我们常常会碰到这种情形,已成年的子女抢着为年迈的父母付钱,双方抢来抢去,争个半天。
However, the westerners will perform differently when they are going to buy something. That is to say, parents and children manage their own money. Even some little children have to pay by themselves when they are shopping. The money of the little children may be the gift money their parents give them when they help to do the housework.
但西方人却不同,父母和子女各自理财,互不搭界。甚至有些小孩买东西,也得自掏腰包,用他们帮助父母做家务时挣得的零用钱来支付。
A Chinese shopkeeper once expressed his experience abroad, “Every time when I reach my arms and get the money from the small child who is shorter than the counter, I am a bit sad, I want to accuse the child’s parents beside him. Why don’t you pay for the money?” From this, we can see how the foreigners train their children’s independent spirit.
曾有一位在国外的中国店主曾这样说过,“每当我伸出手臂,接过比柜台还矮的小孩从口袋的钱包里取出钱币时,心中总有一种难以名状的难过,真想责问站在一旁的家长,为何不掏钱?”由此可见,外国人是如何培养子女的自立精神的。
As for those children who become adults, they will not pay for their parents, either. When they see their old and weak parents take money out of their pockets, they say nothing and feel very calm.
那些已成年的子女,在金钱上,和年迈的父母,同样经济分明,年迈父母从干瘪的钱囊中抖抖索索掏钱时,他们却心安理得,丝毫不为所动。
Maybe, some of you will feel surprised when you are reading this, but this is the true in western countries. The son can be a millionaire but his father is a beggar. Such is totally different from what we know in the Chinese culture. In China, children and parents are related closely.
也许,有的同学读到这时,会感到非常惊讶。但是,在西方国家,这是真实的。儿子可以是百万富翁,父母却照旧穷困潦倒。和中国人的“母以子贵”,“一人得道,合家升天”的中国传统有天差地别。
As is known to all, the concept of family in China is very deep. Whenever and wherever you are, you are closely connected with your mother and father. Even if you have get married or have your own children, you still live with your parents, because looking after parents is a responsibility in China.
众所周知,中国人的家庭观念强。不管你在何时何地,你都和你的父母密切相连。父母和子女始终是一家人。哪怕你成家立业了,另立门户了,和父母仍不分彼此,把赡养和侍奉父母作为自己应尽的责任。
Well, things are totally different in the USA. When children become adults, parents will no longer bring them up; when children become independent, they will not care about their parents’ things, let alone look after their parents.
美国人却不同。子女一成年,就会离巢而飞,父母不再抚养他们;子女一旦独立了,对父母的事情也不再理会了,更别提赡养父母了。
In shopping, this difference can be reflected obviously. If a Chinese family go shopping in a store, parents may think they should buy the goods for their children. Meanwhile, the independent children also regard it as their duty to buy things and pay for the money for their old parents. Thus, in most of the situations, children and parents always want to pay the money themselves.
中西文化之间的这种差异在购物方面表现得尤为明显。中国人如果是一大家子去购物,父母认为给小孩买东西是天经地义的,而且已独立的孩子认为为父母付钱是理所当然的。我们常常会碰到这种情形,已成年的子女抢着为年迈的父母付钱,双方抢来抢去,争个半天。
However, the westerners will perform differently when they are going to buy something. That is to say, parents and children manage their own money. Even some little children have to pay by themselves when they are shopping. The money of the little children may be the gift money their parents give them when they help to do the housework.
但西方人却不同,父母和子女各自理财,互不搭界。甚至有些小孩买东西,也得自掏腰包,用他们帮助父母做家务时挣得的零用钱来支付。
A Chinese shopkeeper once expressed his experience abroad, “Every time when I reach my arms and get the money from the small child who is shorter than the counter, I am a bit sad, I want to accuse the child’s parents beside him. Why don’t you pay for the money?” From this, we can see how the foreigners train their children’s independent spirit.
曾有一位在国外的中国店主曾这样说过,“每当我伸出手臂,接过比柜台还矮的小孩从口袋的钱包里取出钱币时,心中总有一种难以名状的难过,真想责问站在一旁的家长,为何不掏钱?”由此可见,外国人是如何培养子女的自立精神的。
As for those children who become adults, they will not pay for their parents, either. When they see their old and weak parents take money out of their pockets, they say nothing and feel very calm.
那些已成年的子女,在金钱上,和年迈的父母,同样经济分明,年迈父母从干瘪的钱囊中抖抖索索掏钱时,他们却心安理得,丝毫不为所动。
Maybe, some of you will feel surprised when you are reading this, but this is the true in western countries. The son can be a millionaire but his father is a beggar. Such is totally different from what we know in the Chinese culture. In China, children and parents are related closely.
也许,有的同学读到这时,会感到非常惊讶。但是,在西方国家,这是真实的。儿子可以是百万富翁,父母却照旧穷困潦倒。和中国人的“母以子贵”,“一人得道,合家升天”的中国传统有天差地别。