Book 3   Unit 5

    The USA only became a world power in the 20th century, but has achieved a status unlike any other nation. How did the United States come to mean so much so fast? Strength is not the whole story, nor can wealth explain everything; for better or worse, America has somehow captured the attention of the whole world. At once naive and sophisticated, vulgar and brilliant, noble and terrifying, the USA is seen around the world as both a joke and a dream, a promise and a threat. The three texts in this unit attempt to explain different aspects of this controversial culture. Text A takes a light-hearted approach to some of the strange details of life in the USA, while Texts B and C discuss some puzzling features of the American national character.

Text A      The ABCs of the U.S.A.:
America Seen with European Eyes

Michael Dobbs

    I should explain at the outset that I am from Britain, but my Florida-born wife Lisa is as American as apple pie. In our list, however, A doesn't stand for apple pie. It stands for:

    Ambition. In the Old World, people are taught to hide it. Here it's quite proper to announce that you're after the boss's job or want to make a million dollars by the age of 30.

    Breakfast. The American habit of conducting business at breakfast has reached Europe, but I doubt it will ever really catch on. In France and Britain, breakfast is a family affair. Here, it's become part of the power game.

    Credit Cards. You really can't leave home without them. It's interesting, and somewhat frustrating, to discover that bad credit is better than no credit at all: I was refused a VISA card on the grounds that I didn't have a credit profile.

    Dreams. The American Dream is still very much alive. Dreaming great dreams is what keeps American society going -- from the waitress who wants to become a car dealer to the street kid who wants to become a basketball star. Europeans dream dreams too, but don't seem to believe in them so much.

    Exercise. A couple of years ago I came to Washington with some French journalists. As our bus passed a health club on the way to the hotel, the French visitors cheered at the sight of body-conscious Americans bending, stretching and leaping around. America's obsession with physical fitness really amuses -- and puzzles -- Europeans.

    First names. In Europe, people progress in a natural and orderly way from the use of last names to the use of first names. Here, it's first names at first sight. This can cause confusion for Europeans. With everyone on a first-name basis, how can you tell your acquaintances from your friends?

    Gadgets. These can be addictive. It's difficult to imagine now how we survived for so long without automatic ice machines and microwave ovens.

    Hardware Stores. If I were in charge of arranging the programs of visiting delegations from less-developed countries, I'd include a compulsory visit to a hardware store. These temples of American capitalism reveal a whole range of American values, from the do-it-yourself pioneer spirit through a love of comfort that absolutely astonishes most foreigners.

    Insurance. Americans have policies to cover every possible risk, no matter how remote. So far, we've refused supplementary insurance for our car radio, death insurance for our mortgage and accident insurance for our cat. It gives us a feeling of living dangerously.

    Junk food. Anyone who wants to understand why Americans suffer from higher rates of cancer and heart disease only has to look at what they eat.

    Ketchup. I had to come to America to discover that it can be eaten with anything -- from French fries to French cheese.

    Lines. American lines -- beginning with the yellow line at immigration control -- are the most orderly in the world. The British queue, once internationally renowned, has begun to decay in recent years. The French queue was never very impressive, and the Italian line is simply a mob.

    Money. In Europe, everybody likes money, but no one shows it off. Unless it's been in the family for several generations, there's often an assumption that it was acquired dishonestly. In America, no one cares how you got it.

    No smoking. No longer just a polite request in America, this phrase has become the law. Nobody would dare ask a Frenchman to put out his Galoise in a restaurant.

    Oliver North. What other major Western democracy lets army officers take over foreign policy? A hero for some, a traitor for others, Ollie (see First Names) is an example of an American recklessness that awes and alarms Europeans.

    Patriots. They exist everywhere, of course, but the American version is louder and more self-conscious than the European. In Britain, it's taken for granted that politicians love their country. Here, they're expected to prove it.

    Quiet. American cities are quieter than European cities -- thanks to noise controls on automobiles and to recent environmental legislation. This was a major surprise for someone brought up to assume that America was a noisy place.

    Religion. The idea of putting preachers on TV is alarming to Europeans. It's even more alarming to see them in action.

    Sales. Ever since arriving in Washington, we've been hurrying to take advantage of this week's unrepeatable offer, only to discover that it's usually repeated next week. We're just catching on that there's always an excuse for a sale.

    Television. That grown-ups can watch game shows and sitcoms at 11 AM amazes me -- but the national habit, day or night, is contagious. I recently found myself nodding in agreement with a professor who was saying that American kids watch too much television. Then I realized that I was watching him say this on television.

    Ulcers. See Work.

    Visas. Americans don't need visas to visit Britain (or most European countries, for that matter). To enter the United States, I had to sign a document promising that I would not overthrow the government by force and had no criminal record. One wonders if many terrorists and criminals answer “yes” on these questionnaires.

    Work. People in less developed countries often imagine that they can become rich simply by emigrating to America. But America became a wealthy society through work, work and more work. It's still true.

    X-rated movies. We have them in Europe too, but not on motel-room TVs.

    Yuppies. The European counterpart remains a pale shadow of the all-American original. The animal seems more ambitious, and more common, on this side of the Atlantic.

    Zillion. What other nation would invent a number that's infinitely more than a billion? America may not always be the best, but it certainly thinks big.

迈克尔· 多布斯

    对一个外国人来说，身在美国可能是一次奇特的经历。在国外七年以后----四年在法国，三年在波兰，我和妻子于一月份到达美国。从杂乱的初步印象中，我们编了一套从A到Z的解释，来说明为什么对那些从欧洲到这里的人来说，美国会是这样陌生的一个国家。

   首先我得说明我是英国人，但我的妻子莉萨出生在弗罗里达州，是个地道的美国人，就跟苹果馅饼一样地道。不过，在我们列出的清单中，A不代表苹果馅饼，而是代表：

      雄心（Ambition）。在欧洲，人们受的教育是要掩饰雄心。在这儿，你宣称要谋取上司的职位或者想在30岁前赚到一百万美元也十分正当。

    早餐(Breakfast)。美国人边吃早餐饭边做生意的习惯已经传到了欧洲，但我想这种习惯不会真正风行起来。在法国和英国，早餐是一种天伦之乐。在这儿，它已成为权力游戏的一部分。

        信用卡(Credit cards)。没有信用卡你真的没法出门。真叫人又好笑又气恼，竟然发现信用不佳还比没有信用要好：我申请威世信用卡时遭到了拒绝，理由是我没有信用记录。

        梦想(Dreams)。美国梦仍然十分活跃。做美梦正是使美国社会发展的动力----从想成为汽车商的女侍者到想成为篮球明星的街头小孩。欧洲人也梦想，但似乎并不那么相信。

    运动(Exercise)。几年前，我同几位法国记者来到华盛顿。在我们的大客车去宾馆路上经过一个健身俱乐部时，一看到注重健康的美国人在曲背弯腰，舒展肢体，四处跳跃，法国游客们都欢叫起来。美国人对身体健康的着迷程度确实令欧洲人感到有趣----感到费解。

        名字(First names)。在欧洲，人们从称姓道名到直呼其名有个自然而然循序渐进的过程。在这儿却是初次见面就直呼其名。这可能会给欧洲人造成混乱。如果人人都被直呼其名，那又如何来区分熟人和朋友呢？

       小玩意儿(Gadgets)。这些小玩意儿可以使人上瘾。现在很难想象我们以前那么长时间没有自动制冰机和微波炉是怎么熬过来的。

       五金商店(Hardware stores)。如果由我负责安排来自不发达国家的代表团的参观计划，我一定会让他们去参观一个五金商店。这些美国资本主义的殿堂显示了全部的美国价值观，从自己动手的开拓者精神到令多数外国人瞠目结舌的钟爱享乐。

   保险(Insurance)。美国人对每一种可能的风险都买保险，无论那种风险多么微小。到目前为止，我们没有为汽车收音机买附加保险，没有为抵押贷款买死亡保险，没有为家里的猫买意外保险。它给我们一种危机四伏的感觉。

     不健康食品(Junk food)。谁要是想了解为什么美国人患癌症和心脏病的比例更高，只要看一看他们吃的东西就行了。

      番茄酱(Ketchup)。我来到美国后才发现什么东西都可以和番茄酱一起吃----从法式炸薯条到法式奶酪。

      排队(Lines)。美国人排队----从移民管理局的黄线开始----是世界上排得最有秩序的。英国人的队伍曾一度享誉全球，但近年来已开始退步了。法国人的队伍从未给人留下过好印象，而意大利人的队伍简直就是乌合之众。

   金钱(Money)。在欧洲人人都喜欢钱，但是没有人炫耀钱。除非这钱在这个家族中已经传了几代，否则人们常常会认为这是不义之财。在美国，根本就没有人在乎这钱你是怎么弄到的。

      禁止吸烟(No smoking)。这句话在美国已不再是一个客气的请求，而已变成了法律。而在法国，没有人敢在饭店里要求某人掐灭他的高卢牌香烟。

      奥利弗· 诺斯(Oliver North)。除了美国，有哪个主要的西方民主国家会让军官接管外交政策？奥利（见名字(First names)项）在一些人看来是英雄，在另一些人看来是叛徒，他是美国人做事不顾死活的一个典范。这种做法令欧洲人既敬畏又诧异。

     爱国者(Patriots)。当然，爱国者到处都有，但是美国的爱国者比欧洲的爱国者更加自命爱国，招摇过市。在英国，人们认为政治家爱祖国是理所当然的。在这儿，人们则期望他们去证明他们爱国。

   安静(Quiet)。美国城市比欧洲城市更安静----这是由于车辆噪音的控制和最近出台的环境法。对于从小就认为美国是个喧闹地方的人来说，这大大出乎意料之外。

     宗教(Religion)。让传道士上电视的想法令欧洲人惊恐。看到他们真的上了电视就更加让人惊恐。

     削价销售(Sales)。自从到达华盛顿以后，我们一直急匆匆地赶去享受本周的一次性削价优惠，结果却发现下周又会出现这种优惠。我们渐渐明白打折优惠总是有借口的。

     电视(Television)。我很惊讶，成年人竟会在上午11点看电视比赛和情景喜剧----但这个白天或晚上都看电视的全国性习惯具有传染性。最近当一位教授说美国孩子电视看得太多时，我发觉自己也在点头表示同意。接着我意识到我正是看着他在电视上说这番话的。

  溃疡(Ulcers)。见工作(Work)项。

    签证(Visas)。美国人不需要签证就能去英国（或大多数欧洲国家）。而要进入美国，我却非得签署一个文件保证不会用武力推翻政府，保证没有犯罪前科。我心里想，许多恐怖主义分子和罪犯对这些问题回答说“是”。

    工作(Work)。在一些不发达的国家里，人们经常以为只要移居美国就能够发财致富。但美国成为富有社会靠的是工作，工作，再工作。现在依然如此。

    X级电影(X-rated movies)。在欧洲我们也有这种电影，但在汽车旅馆的电视上不会放。

    雅皮士(Yuppies)。欧洲的雅皮士比起全美式的原版雅皮士来就相形见绌。在大西洋的这一边，这种人似乎更有野心，也更为普通。

    无限大的数目（Zillions）。还有哪个国家能发明一个比十亿还要大无穷无尽的数字呢？美国也许不总是最好的，但它确实野心勃勃。

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