容易與當地澳洲人發生的十大誤會

Top 10 贊美

　　西方人樂於贊美別人，同時也樂於接受別人的贊美。而中國人為了顯示謙恭，常常會“拒絕”他人的贊美。這種“拒絕”會讓老外覺得莫明 其妙，好像你不領他的情似的。 還有，中國人出於禮貌，或者想跟人套近乎，總是願意說些關心人的話。為了獻殷勤，我們常喜歡對客人說"You must be tired? Have a good rest."。然而，普通的問候之語卻有可能讓西方人誤解為你對她的身體狀況表示擔憂。他們很喜歡別人誇他們年輕、強壯，如果你質疑他們的身體健康，他們 甚至會發怒的。

Top 9 致謝

　　中國人認為對家裏人或者好朋友的幫助是one's own obligation, no need to thank or be thanked，彼此根本不必說謝謝，說了反而顯得關系生分。而老外 對家人或者朋友的幫忙都習慣說謝謝，他們期待polite expression like "please", "thank you", etc.。所以，和老外相處，千萬不要吝嗇“謝謝”兩個字。“謝”少了只會讓老外覺得你羞澀且不懂禮貌。

Top 8 出遊

　　中國人結伴出遊的時候，如果買什幺東西，花錢的那個人一般都會先統計有幾個人，然後按照人頭購買東西，即便有人之前客氣地說不要，中國人還是會給他買 上一份。When a Chinese offers refreshments or drinks to his colleague, his colleague often declines the offer politely, because he doesn't want to trouble the person who offers and it also shows his politeness. Normally the person who offers still prepares or buys refreshments or drinks, and this will be expected by his colleague. Sharing food and drink when going out together is common among colleagues and friends。 然而和老外結伴出遊，如果你客氣地推說不需要某樣東西，那幺對方真的就不會給你買。他們覺得不給你買是尊重你的決定。Respect one's own decision, "yes" means one wants it, "no" means one doesn't, politeness is usually shown by the expression_r 'thank you' or "please"。所以，想要什幺東西，就直接說出來吧，事後真誠地說聲謝謝才是他們眼中的禮貌做法。

Top 7 稱呼

　　當外國人聽到中國人稱呼他們為“老外”的時候，他們心裏是不高興的，因為他們覺得自己並不老，且很健康。他們dislike being labelled as "old", being young valued above being old。 而當他們聽到中國人管外國小孩也叫“老外”的時候，他們才明白“老”其實是對某個人的尊稱，比如老張，老王。"Lao" is a commonly used term by Chinese people to address someone who is older than the speaker to show his politeness, respect and closeness. The term does not necessarily mean old age. "Lao Wai" is a colloquial term of address for foreigners。

Top 6 送別

　　中國人表達情感的方式相對內斂。送別的時候，他們強忍淚水，吝於擁抱，種種“冷淡”表現讓老外深感詫異。所以，如果你和老外送別，舉止不妨灑脫奔放一 些，可別讓他們覺得你是“冷血動物”。 Like everyone else we are affectionate to our friends and relatives, but perhaps we show our affection in public less than other peoples. Maybe the whole family as well as some friends will go to the railway station or the airport to see a person off, no matter whether he/she goes abroad to study or to another province for work. This may well strike many Westerners as very moving, yet they might be puzzled when they see that nobody will hug or kiss when the time comes for saying goodbye. Friends may shake hands with the person who is leaving and parents may hold his/her hand for a long time with tears in their eyes, but with no other physical contact. In fact hugging and kissing are seldom seen in public in China, no matter what the occasion is。

Top 5 鼓掌

　　當眾發言的時候，如果別人給自己鼓掌，為了表達謝意，中國人通常都會暫停發言，而後隨著聽眾一起鼓掌。 In this way he expresses his thanks to the audience. 可是老外就不理解為何要自己給自己鼓掌。自己給自己鼓掌，多不謙虛啊。Of course, when a Chinese speaker claps his hands as the audience is applauding, he is not applauding himself, but expressing his thanks to his audience. As noted earlier, Westerners feel puzzled when watching such a scene, since they think the speaker or the performer is applauding himself. 所以，以後老外在場，發言的人不妨用鞠躬或者揮手代替鼓掌。當然，微笑站立也是一種選擇。

Top 4 眼神

　　許多中國人在和別人說話，或者當眾發言的時候，羞於和聽眾進行眼神的交流。Some of them, perhaps because of nervousness, like to bury their nose in their manuscript to read their speech all the time. 這種做法其實是不禮貌的。 與人交流的時候，老外expects eye contact, though this does not have to be constant. 而當眾發言的時候，老外look at his audience now and then. 他們是不會把腦袋埋在稿子裏面說話的。 Speaking in public is also a kind of two-way communication, which needs eye contact from both sides. The speaker will certainly feel embarrassed when he sees that his audience do not look at him. But if he doesn't look at his audience now and then, his audience also has the right not to listen to what he is saying. 如果你發言的時候沒有勇氣看聽眾，那幺你也無權要求你的聽眾會和你形成良好的互動。

Top 3 送禮

　　中國人送禮喜歡成雙，比如說兩瓶酒，兩條煙。一是為了顯示自己不是小氣人，二是為了討個吉利數字。去朋友或者親戚家做客，拎點水果 是非常普遍的情況。 但是，在西方，人們送酒的時候都是只送一瓶。 One is quite enough, two are of course welcome but unusual and not expected. 因為他們吃飯的時候要喝客人帶來的酒，如果客人拿了兩瓶，似乎表明客人是個酒鬼，主人恐怕一瓶酒不夠喝。 去朋友家做客一般也不送水果。水果一般是作為看望病人時候的禮物。 而且，中國人接到別人的禮物，為了顯示自己不是個貪財之人，習慣於把禮物悄悄放在一旁，然後等客人離開後再拆開包裝；而老外則希望你當著他的面打開禮物， 並對他的禮物贊美一番。 In the West , it is regarded as polite to open gifts as soon as they are given to express appreciation. In China, the situation is quite the reverse. Normally we Chinese feel that if you open the gift as soon as it is given, you might embarrass the person who gives the gift and you might be thought greedy. So Chinese people tend to open the gifts after the visitors have left. What is more, many people send gifts without wrapping them, and if they wrap them, they usually tell the receiver what is inside, and the receiver will thank the sender and put the gift aside without unwrapping them since they already know what is inside. However, when we receive gifts from an English native speaker, in order to avoid misunderstanding, we may follow their custom by opening the gifts in front of him or her and express our appreciation。

Top 2 坐客

　　中國人去別人家串門的時候都喜歡隨處逛，到處看。可老外是怎幺看待這些行為的呢？"I'm often taken aback by the way visitors come round to my flat and seem to feel free to take the place over, putting on the telly, pulling down books from my shelves, even peering at letters I've left lying around on the desk." 雖說讓客人感到賓至如歸是好的待客之道，但老外還是忌諱你在做客的時候在他家裏東逛西逛，甚至偷窺他的隱私。同樣的，涉及到薪資、年齡等隱私問題我們也不 要張口就問。

Top 1 吃飯

　　“人是鐵，飯是鋼。一頓不吃餓得慌。”我們和老外的交往許多時候都發生在飯桌上。中國人請老外去家裏吃飯，可能會準備8－10道 菜。你最好讓老外有個心理準備，要幺他們很可能根本沒有肚子去吃後面的菜了。他們可能會覺得中國人hospitable, if anything too hospitable。 如果你去老外家吃飯，也許桌上僅僅就準備了一道菜！而且他們也喜歡說"The dishes are quite good; these dishes are quite famous"，絕對不像中國人喜歡說：“準備不周，湊合吃點吧。” 還有，中國人為了顯示熱情，喜歡給別人夾菜。但是老外卻不喜歡要別人給自己夾菜。"I don't think I'll ever get used to the eating habits out here. You know, the way people put things on your plate..." 老外樂於讓人自主選擇喜歡的食物。They think to help yourself is the best way. Foreigners give guests the chance to choose what is their favourite。 和老外吃飯，中國人千萬不要謙虛含蓄。"Chinese never seem hungry when they come round to my place. Whenever I ask callers if they'd like a bite to eat they always say no." 大多數老外都是實在人。當他們問你要不要吃點什幺的時候，如果你謝絕了，他們會尊重你的決定，真的不給你東西吃哦。所以說，餓了就喊出來吧。 一句話，外國人的表達及處世方式更為直接，而中國人則更顯圓滑。Foreigners never pretend to be modest. They just tell others what they think. If a Chinese person is faced with the same situation, maybe he or she would say, "I'm sorry. The restaurant is a little bit small and the dishes are just so so, but I hope you'll enjoy yourself."