Introduction: Standard American English Tips

　　标准英语小贴士

　　Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar. To use English effectively, you need to understand the culture in which it is spoken. Here are a number of important tips to remember when speaking English in the United States.

　　说英语不仅仅要语法正确。想要有效的使用英语，你需要了解语言使用国的文化。如果你在美国说英语，那么下面这些注意事项是你应该了解的。

　　General Points to Remember

　　你需要记住的是：

　　* Most Americans only speak English: While it is true that more and more Americans speak Spanish, most Americans only speak English. Don't expect them to understand your native language.

　　大部分美国人只说英语：现在越来越多的美国人能说西班牙语是事实，但是大部分的美国人只说英语，所以别指望他们能听懂你的母语。

　　* Americans have difficulties understanding foreign accents: Many Americans are not used to foreign accents. This requires patience from both of you!

　　美国人理解外国口音有困难：很多美国人不习惯外国口音，所以你们交谈双方都需要有耐心。

　　Conversation Tips

　　交谈沟通秘籍

　　* Speak about location: Americans love to talk about location. When speaking to a stranger, ask them where they are from and then make a connection with that place. For example: "Oh, I have a friend who studied in Los Angeles. He says it's a beautiful place to live." Most Americans will then willingly talk about their experiences living or visiting that particular city or area.

　　谈论地点：美国人喜欢谈论地点。和陌生人说话的时候，可以问问他们从哪里来然后找到自己跟那个地方的联系。比如可以说：“啊，我有个朋友在洛杉矶学习，他说那地方很漂亮。”这时大部分美国人就会很愿意谈起他们居住或者到过那个特殊的地方或地区的经历。

　　* Talk about work: Americans commonly ask "What do you do?". It's not considered impolite (as in some countries) and is a popular topic of discussion between strangers.

　　谈论工作：美国人通常会问“What do you do?”在某些国家会被认为这是不礼貌的，但美国不是的，这只是陌生人之间聊天的一个流行话题。

　　* Talk about sports: Americans love sports! However, they love American sports. When speaking about football, most Americans understand "American Football", not soccer.

　　谈论运动：美国人超爱运动！不过，他们喜欢美国的运动。如果说到football，大部分美国人会理解成橄榄球而不是足球。

　　* Be careful when expressing ideas about race, religion or other sensitive topics: The United States is a multi-cultural society. Especially in the last few years, Americans are trying very hard to be sensitive to other cultures and ideas. Talking about sensitive topics like religion or beliefs, is often avoided in order to be sure not to offend someone of a different belief system. This is often referred to as being "politically correct".

　　说到种族、宗教或者其他敏感话题要小心：美国是一个多文化的社会。特别是近几年，美国人对其他文化和观点非常特别的敏感。像宗教或者信仰之类的敏感话题通常都不会在谈话中提及，以免冒犯别人。这就是经常被提到的“政治正确”。