Taboos in America 美国人的禁忌

　　每种文化都有自己忌讳的话题。美国虽然是一个融入了各种文化的大熔炉，但她也有自己的禁忌——

　　Age Yes, age is a very sensitive subject to many Americans, especially to women over age 30. In this youth-upheld culture, the thought of growing older is a painful one and most of us, if possible, would like to have nothing to do with it. So many Americans work hard to maintain a youthful appearance. The last thing they want to be asked is the unthinkable, “How old are you exactly?”

　　This question may result in replies like: “How old do you think I am?”“I'm in my thirties. Let's just leave it at that.”“I cannot remember.” “Oh, don't ask me that.”“I stopped keeping track after I turned 30.”“A lot older than what I would like to be.”

　　Anyhow, if you are dying to know someone's age, this is how you could go about finding out. First you estimate (估计) their age by their appearance and special habit. Then you take ten years away from that estimation. I'm sure you will get a big smile from that person who will also get red and say,“Wow. You are my best friend. I'm 38 already. Can you believe it?” You, of course, reply, “No. I really can't. You're kidding. You don't look like over 28. This is amazing.” Now that's one certain way to meet someone's ego (虚荣心)!

　　Weight This is one of the touchiest(最敏感的) subjects. In America, it is okay, even desirable, to be thin but it is a sin (犯罪) and a huge embarrassment (尴尬) to be overweight. In fact, the thinner you are, the prettier you are considered. Looking through any American fashion magazines, you'll notice that most models are nothing more than skin and bones. Believe it or not, the tall and thin look was the hottest look of the 1990s.

　　Americans mind very much their weight and rarely disclose (透露) how much they weigh is—even if they are thin and in great shape. Therefore, you had better not ask. But if you absolutely have to comment on this subject, it's always safe to say, “Oh, you look like you have lost weight.” than “Oh, you look like you put on a few pounds.”However, if you would like to be honest but not hurtful, I suggest you choose your words carefully, perhaps by saying, “Hey, you look great. Very healthy looking.” And always remember, it's not fat. It's muscular (强壮的).

　　Income You should never ever ask how much someone's salary is. There's no way around this one. However, it's perfectly suitable to ask about their job title and what they do for a living. This information should give you some ideas how much they make a year.

　　Matters of the Heart This is a tricky (难处理的) one. Sometimes you'll run into people who cannot wait to pour their hearts out to you. Then there are those who make sure their personal business stays behind closed doors. The general rule is not to get too personal, too fast. You don't want others to think that you are looking into their lives. Therefore, try not to ask too many questions about someone's love life, marriage and family until you have a friendship with this person. Even then, you'd better wait for your friend to come to you with the matters of their heart.

　　Is It Real? Many Americans stand for the all-natural look. But how many truly obey this principle? With plastic surgery (整形手术) and products like colored contact lens(有色隐形眼境), hair coloring, acrylic nails(丙烯酸指甲), etc, the answer would be: not many.

　　Although the artificial (人造的) appears to be real, they are done to imitate (模仿) nature. At the end of the day, people want others to believe they're simply born beautiful. So, don't ruin it for them by saying, “Hey, I love your eye color. Is it real?”

　　Anyhow, it's difficult to always avoid conversation landmines (地雷). So, be sensible, watch your steps and try not to open a can of worms (虫子).

　　(文/孙淑敏； 英语辅导报高二版 04~05学年度第26期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)