Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Cultural Differences

How would the Brits, Germans, Americans interpret this gesture? Imagine a scenario where you are looking at a house and are likely to buy it.During a house inspection, you open the bathroom door to find a woman sitting in the tub, naked.What do you think the frightened woman's first reaction would be?If the woman is British or American, she might cover her breasts with one hand and her private parts with the other; but if she's Swedish, her first instinct is to cover her private parts.In the same situation, Muslim women will cover their faces in the first place.Perhaps the strangest responses, though, were the Sumatrans, who would immediately cover their knees, and the Samoans, who would only cover their navels.

As we write this chapter, we are in Venice, Italy, attending a conference on cultural differences.If we had never been to Italy before, we would most likely be amazed by what we saw.Almost all western countries drive in the same direction, which means no matter where you are from - the UK, Australia, South Africa, or even New Zealand - you walk or drive in the same direction, always on the left .However, in Italy, when you are walking on the street, Italians will always come out from your right suddenly.In foreign countries, wearing sunglasses is usually the culprit of collisions between pedestrians from different countries, because no one can see where the eyes under the dark lenses are looking, and it is natural for him to go in which direction he wants to go. No way of knowing.However, looking at it from another perspective, this is a good way to meet new foreign friends!

When you shake hands and say goodbye to an Italian, their actions will also surprise you. Before you know it, you have left two goodbye kisses on the cheek. As I was leaving, the Italian man kissed me on both cheeks involuntarily while I was tying my shoes. —Woody Allen When you talk to Italians, they will stand very close to you, even within a safe distance that belongs to you, and they will keep holding certain parts of your body with their hands while talking , and yell at you from time to time. In fact, the calls sounded as if they were venting their anger at the world.But all of this is just a normal part of how friendly and welcoming Italians interact with each other in their daily lives.After all, for the same thing, different cultures have their own interpretations.

Wondering how much you know about cultural differences in body language?Then take this little test! Raise your hand and count on your fingers, from one to five.Do it now.Then, you replace the number represented by 2.If you're Anglo-Saxon, there's a 96 percent chance you'll show it by pointing your index and middle fingers up.If you are European, there is a 94% chance that you will use your thumb and forefinger to signify 2.When counting, Europeans are used to starting with the thumb, then the index finger, then the middle finger, and so on.However, the Anglo-Saxons used their fingers in a different order than most Europeans. They usually started with the index finger, then the middle finger, and finally the thumb.

Now, just look at the gestures below and write down everything you know about each gesture.One point is awarded for each correct entry, and one point is deducted for each incorrect entry.The reference answer is just behind all gestures. Give yourself a point for each correct answer. A: Europe and North America - yes, no problem! Mediterranean, Russia, Brazil, and Turkey – denoting having holes or holes; sexual insults; gay men. Tunisia, France and Belgium - represents "0"; worthless or of no benefit. Japan - money; coins. B: Western countries - on behalf of the number 1; sorry, or disturbed!God be my witness; no! (for children only)

C: Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Malta - hands up!or heads up! (Screw you) United States - represents the number 2. Germany - Victory. Ancient Rome - Julius Caesar ordered five beers. D: Europe - represents the number 3. Catholic Nation - Blessings. E: Europe - represents the number 2. United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand - represents the number 1. United States - waiter. Japan - an insult. F: Western countries - represents the number 4. Japan - an insult. G: Western countries - represents the number 5. All over the world - STOP! Greece and Turkey - to hell!

H: Mediterranean area - smaller penis. Bali - not good. Japan - woman. South America - Thin, sparse. France - you can't fool me! I: Mediterranean - Your wife cheated on you! Malta and Italy - (when pointed at by others) to avoid the evil stare. South America - Protect yourself from bad luck (while spinning your body). USA - Logo of Texas State University; Texas Longhorn football team. J: Greece - go to hell! West - represents the number 2. K: Ancient Rome—raise your hands! America - sit here!miser! L: Europe - represents the number 1. Australia - sit here! (pitch rises)

A widely circulated meaning - hitchhiking; yes, fine; no problem. Greece - fuck you! (forward push) Japan - man; number 5. M: Hawaii - "relax". Holland - Want a drink? N: America - I love you! O: West - Number 10; I surrender. Greece - fuck you!Stay away! A widely circulated meaning - and I'm telling the truth. Over 30: Presumably you must have visited many places, be well-informed, and be a person with an open mind.Therefore, no matter where the other party is from, you can get along with him harmoniously.All people like you. 15-30 points: You have a basic understanding of the differences in people's behavior. As long as you practice purposefully, you will be able to improve your knowledge in this area.

15 or less: You think everyone thinks the way you do.Therefore, the visa officer should not issue visas to people like you at all, or in other words, people like you are only suitable for living a life of staying at home.You are almost completely ignorant of people and the world outside of you, and have no idea that they are different.You always face everything in the world with an attitude of taking it for granted.You are most likely an American. Due to the widespread dissemination of American TV and movies, body language in North America is gradually becoming the common language of the younger generation who grew up in different countries and cultures.Take the British two-finger gesture, which is considered an insult by Australians in their sixties.To Australian teens, this represents nothing more than the number 2, and the real insult is the solo middle finger gesture commonly used by Americans.Today, regardless of its original traditional meaning, people in most countries take the thumb and forefinger circle to mean "OK," which means "okay, no problem."Now, any child who watches TV will wear their baseball cap inside out and yell "Hasta la vista, baby" whether they know Spanish or not.

With the wide spread of American television, cultural differences in body language are gradually disappearing. In addition, due to the uneven level of education of North Americans in the early days, they were worried that using the word "toilet" would expose their lack of cultural quality, so they simply avoided using it as much as possible.Over time, this language habit has extended to other English-speaking countries, so that the word "toilet" is slowly disappearing from English, replaced by other words.When asking where the toilet is, Americans often use "bathroom" (bathroom) instead, which in Europe usually refers to a bathroom with a bathtub.In addition, Americans will use "rest room" (lounge) instead of the original "toilet", but the result is often taken to a room with benches for people to relax.In England, a 'powder room' (powder room/toilet) usually has a mirror and a washbasin, and a toilet in a nursery is labeled 'little girls' room'.On European highways, "comfort stations" are signs of public toilets.If a guy from North America tells you he wants to "wash up" (wash the dishes), it would be wise to take him into the kitchen, give him a dishcloth, and let him do the dishes.

As we mentioned in Chapter 3, people's facial expressions and smiles mean almost the same things all over the world.Paul Ekman at the University of California, San Francisco, showed people in 21 different cultures photographs of people's facial expressions (happiness, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, and surprise) and found that most People were in complete agreement about the meaning of the three expressions of happiness, sadness and disgust in the photos.People in 20 of the 21 countries agreed on the meaning of the surprised emoji, and people in 19 countries agreed on the meaning of the emoji of fear.As for the meaning of angry emoji, the number of countries that reached an agreement was slightly lower than the previous emojis, but there were still 18 countries.In this survey, the biggest cultural difference was found in Japanese perceptions of the expression of fear, which they interpreted in photographs as surprise. Ekman also traveled to New Guinea to study the local South Fore culture and the Dani people.The Dani people live on the island of West Irian.For a long time in the past, they have lived in isolation from the world.However, the local people's understanding of the expression pictures provided by Ekman is almost the same as that of people living in other cultures in other parts of the world. The only difference is that they, like the Japanese, cannot distinguish between fear and surprise. expression. Ekman filmed this group of people who still maintain the human life of the Stone Age performing according to the expressions on the photos, and then played the video to the Americans. As a result, the latter accurately identified what each expression represented. meaning.This all confirms the global prevalence of smiles and facial expressions. Dr. Linda Camras of DePaul University in Chicago has also confirmed the idea that human expressions are innate.Using the facial expression coding system (Oster & Rosenstein, 1991), she measured and recorded various facial responses of Japanese and American infants.With the help of this system, the researchers were able to record, separate and classify the infants' facial expressions, and found that the emotional expressions of Japanese and American infants were exactly the same. So far, we've been talking about body language that is common in most parts of the world, and the biggest cultural differences are people's perceptions of geographical space, eye contact, physical contact frequency, and insulting nature. Awareness of gestures, etc.So far, we've been talking about body language that is common in most parts of the world, and the biggest cultural differences are people's perceptions of geographical space, eye contact, physical contact frequency, and insulting nature. Awareness of gestures, etc.Arab countries, parts of Asia, and Japan have distinctive body movements and expressions that far exceed those of other countries and regions, and are the regions with the most prominent cultural differences. Knowing all the knowledge and information about cultural differences is really a huge project, so we can't cover all the relevant content in one chapter.Therefore, the method we adopt is to focus on solving the most basic cultural problems that you may encounter abroad, so that you can draw inferences from one instance and acquire more comprehensive cultural knowledge through continuous accumulation and learning in the future. If a Saudi man grabs another man's hand in public, it's a sign of mutual respect.But don't do this if you're in Australia, Texas, or Liverpool, England The difference in handshake style can sometimes lead to awkward scenes for both parties, and sometimes it can create some funny scenes.Britons, Australians, New Zealanders, Germans and Americans shake hands usually when two people meet and say goodbye.Unlike most Europeans, who shake hands with the same person several times on the same day, the French shake hands more often.Britons, Australians, New Zealanders, Germans and Americans shake hands usually when two people meet and say goodbye.Unlike most Europeans, who shake hands with the same person several times on the same day, the French shake hands more often. According to records, in a day, the French handshake time has reached as much as 30 minutes.Unlike Westerners, Indians, Asians, and Arabs will hold each other's hand after the handshake is over, maintaining the handshake posture.During the handshake, the Germans and the French will grab each other's hand, shake it vigorously once or twice, and then let it go quickly; while the British shake hands slightly more than the former, about three to two times. Five times; Americans have more, with an average of five to seven times.In various international conferences, because people from different countries shake their hands differently, we often see representatives from various countries who are surprised by the strange handshake of the other party.Frankly, that scene was pretty hilarious.Take the Germans and Americans, for example, a brief handshake with only one wave by the Germans can make Americans feel unfamiliar.However, in the eyes of the Germans, Americans who are constantly shaking hands when shaking hands do not seem to be shaking hands at all. Instead, they seem to be pumping up an air mattress. Next, we turn to the etiquette of kissing on the cheek.People from Scandinavia usually only kiss once, the French prefer one on each cheek, and the Dutch, Belgians and Arabs kiss up to three times when they meet.As a result, the "unpredictable" number of kisses has confused Australians, New Zealanders and Americans.Many times, they simply let their noses touch each other's face for a little intimate touch because they can't figure out how many times to kiss.In contrast, the British seem to be much more decisive. They either take a step back and refuse each other's kisses with clear actions, or they kiss you dumbfounded with the two kisses commonly used by Europeans when they meet. In his book A View from the Summit, Sir Edmund Hillary describes how, after he ascended Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, he gave his guide (a man named Tenkin ·Nogai’s Sherpa) a congratulatory handshake commonly used by British people, but Nogai jumped on him, hugged him tightly and then kissed him heavily, this is life in The way people in the Tibetan area of ​​China express their congratulations. When Italians speak, they usually keep their hands in an elevated position, thus ensuring that they always have the initiative in the conversation.When talking to Italians, they will often grab your arm with seeming enthusiasm and make you feel warm.In fact, it's just a tactic they use to keep listeners from raising their hands and taking the floor of the conversation.If you want to interrupt an Italian, just grab his hand and put it down gently.Then, you will be surprised to find that at the same time his hand is put down, the Italian's mouth is also closed! In comparison, the Germans and the British are much more disciplined when speaking.However, they are too disciplined, except for the mouth, the rest of the body is motionless, it seems that the whole body is numb.Germans and Brits often appear frustrated when they find no chance to intervene when it comes to Italians and French. The scene of their conversation is often like this: the Frenchman makes various movements and gestures with his forearm and hand while speaking, while the Italian simply involves every muscle in his body in the conversation, so, poor The British and Germans could only stand there motionless, watching the eloquent and dancing speeches on the opposite side, while they could only listen helplessly. In the process of negotiating international business, even a small gesture or the most inadvertent action will make all the preparations you have made before, such as well-dressed, sufficient reference materials and good proposals, instantly go to waste .In the process of negotiating international business, even a small gesture or the most inadvertent action will make all the preparations you have made before, such as well-dressed, sufficient reference materials and good proposals, instantly go to waste .Our research across 43 countries shows that North Americans are the least sensitive to cultural differences, with the British not far behind.Since 86% of North Americans do not have passports, which means they have never set foot outside the country, it seems reasonable that they lack knowledge of international body language. Even the current President of the United States, George W. Bush, applied for a passport in order to go abroad for a state visit.However, unlike North Americans, the number and frequency of British people going abroad are not low, but why do they make the same mistakes as North Americans?The reason is that the British prefer to maintain the original British life after going abroad: use British body language, speak English, and enjoy British-style three meals; while turning a blind eye to the culture, life and customs of other countries.In fact, the vast majority of foreigners do not require you to use their native language when communicating with them.However, if you do not speak a foreign language, but are willing to spend a little time learning the local culture and mastering some basic living habits and common sense of the local people, it will leave a good and deep impression on them.If you can’t speak a foreign language, but are willing to spend a little time learning the local culture and mastering some basic living habits and common sense of the local people, you will leave a good and deep impression on them instead.Because your behavior has told them: you respect their culture. The action of pursing the upper lip is very common among the British.They do this to be able to better control the facial muscles, so as to reduce the occurrence of facial expressions, and try not to write all the emotions on the face as much as possible.This facial movement of the British can easily give the impression of being calm and emotionally restrained. In 1997, during the funeral ceremony of Princess Diana, the four princes Philip, Charles, Harry and William who followed the coffin of the princess all chose this expression of pursing their upper lips.However, in those countries outside the Commonwealth of Nations, people would think that such an expression does not show any emotion for the death of the princess, and it seems that they don't have much concern for the death of the princess. Because of Henry VIII, this expression in the picture became a symbol of noble status at that time, and today, many British and Americans are still using it. Henry VIII is also one of the representatives of this expression.This king has a small mouth.When the court painters painted him, he liked to make this expression, which made his mouth appear even smaller.However, in Britain in the sixteenth century, the king's habit made the small mouth a symbol of noble status at that time.To this day, Brits still express their disapproval by pursing their lips when they feel intimidated by someone below them, often while blinking their eyes. So far, there is still a place on this earth where people neither shake hands nor use kisses when they meet, and do not advocate hugging greetings.This place is Japan.There, all of the above actions involving physical contact will be considered impolite behavior.The Japanese greet each other with a bow when they meet for the first time, and the extent of the bow depends on the level of status.The higher the status, the smaller the bending range; the lower the status, the larger the bending range.When meeting for the first time, people usually exchange business cards with each other first, then assess each other's identity, and then bow at an appropriate angle according to their respective identities. In Japan, make sure your shoes are in good shape and spotless.You know, every time the Japanese bow, the first thing they see is your shoes. When Japanese people listen to each other, they usually maintain a stylized smile and nod frequently, and at the same time make some voices that do not violate etiquette, all of which cannot be directly found in other countries and regions. equivalent.The Japanese have only one purpose in doing this, which is to encourage you to continue speaking.But Americans and Europeans usually misunderstand this, mistakenly thinking that their views have been agreed with by the other party. When people express "affirmation and approval", the most common way of expression is to nod.However, this is not a universal truth.When people express "affirmation and approval", the most common way of expression is to nod.However, this is not a universal truth.The Bulgarian understanding of the meaning of nodding is exactly the opposite of ours, while the Japanese regard it as a polite habitual action.Even if a Japanese person doesn't agree with what you've said, he'll still answer you with an "yes" ("hi" in Japanese) so you can keep talking.When Japanese people say "OK, no problem", they often mean to tell you "Yes, I heard what you said", not the usual understanding of "Yes, I agree with you".For example, if you ask a Japanese person, "You disagree with me, don't you?" Even if he disagrees with you, he will usually nod first and then say "Hi".In fact, according to Japanese culture, what he meant was "Yes, you are right, I disagree with you." Also, the Japanese place a high value on saving face, so they have come up with a set of rules for speaking so that they don't lose face by saying "no", or try not to ask questions that the answer is likely to be no .Instead of saying "no," the Japanese say "it's really difficult," or "we'll do some research on this."So when you hear them say that, you know what he's really saying is, "Forget it, don't talk about it. You'd better go home." Europeans and Americans blow their noses with handkerchiefs or tissues, while Asians and Japanese blow their noses on the ground like spitting without any cover.In any case, in the eyes of others, this is an "indecent" action.You must not underestimate the cultural differences in this action.Centuries ago, a direct result of this was the spread of the tuberculosis virus.In Europe at that time, tuberculosis was like AIDS today, a disease with almost zero chance of survival after infection.Therefore, the government instructs people to spit and blow their noses in a more civilized and hygienic manner to avoid further spread of the disease.This is why people in the West react so strongly to spitting, and while spitting or blowing their nose, one person is likely to spread the tuberculosis virus around.Therefore, once they find that you have signs of doing this, people will stay away from you like the plague, as if you will infect them with AIDS when you spit. Today's behavior of blowing your nose is the result of past tuberculosis epidemics. If the Eastern countries have experienced the nightmares brought about by tuberculosis, I think the modern Orientals will show the same violent reaction to the act of spitting as the Westerners.But just because the history of the East has not experienced this catastrophe, when the Japanese saw someone blowing their nose in their handkerchief, and then put the handkerchief back in their pocket, they were a little bit shocked. It's no less than the expression of Westerners when they see Easterners spitting everywhere!The Japanese habit of carrying handkerchiefs with them and keeping them in the top pocket of their jackets is not at all appreciated, if not dismissed, by British men.In their view, this behavior of the British is extremely weird, as if someone proudly carried a roll of toilet paper in his pocket and told everyone that he could blow his nose or go to the toilet at any time. Asians believe that the correct way to blow their nose is to throw it directly on the ground, and they think this method is healthier than the Western handkerchief method, but this habit of Asians is extremely repulsive to Westerners and Europeans .This also explains why business negotiations between Asians and Europeans or Westerners often end in failure because of a small cold of the former.So, what I want to tell western readers is, don't bother yourself with Asians' habit of blowing their noses, and also, don't blow your nose in front of Japanese people! Next, we will make a small discussion on the different interpretations of body language in various cultures, and introduce the use methods and inner meanings of three common gestures.The three gestures are: the ring gesture, the thumbs up, and the V-sign. 1. Ring gesture - "OK" At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a wave of American newspapers using capital letters to represent the entire phrase. It was precisely because of this trend that Americans began to use this gesture, and this gesture quickly became popular in other industries and fields. It spread and became the most popular body language at that time.Opinions vary as to what word the word "OK" represented by the gesture originally represented.Some believe it stands for "all correct" which is often misspelled as "oll korrect" (totally correct), but others believe it should be "KO" spelled the other way around - "knock-out" ( knock down the opponent). For Westerners, the ring gesture "OK" means "everything is fine, okay"; the Japanese regard it as a sign of "money"; the French believe that this gesture represents "zero"; People take it as an insulting gesture Another theory about the origin of the word OK is that OK is actually an abbreviation for "Old Kinderhook". In an American presidential election in the 19th century, one of the candidates was Martin Van Buren, who was born in Kinderhoek, New York.As a result, his supporters called him "Old Kinderhook" and formed a club in this name to support him.Later, the title became one of his campaign slogans. Obviously, from the shape point of view, the ring formed by the thumb and index finger in the ring gesture represents the letter O in the word "OK".In all English-speaking countries, the meaning of the word "OK" is mostly consistent.Thanks to the popularization of American television and movies, this gesture and its meaning quickly spread to other countries and regions in the world.However, in some places, this gesture still has some unique origins and meanings.In all English-speaking countries, the meaning of the word "OK" is mostly consistent.Thanks to the popularization of American television and movies, this gesture and its meaning quickly spread to other countries and regions in the world.However, in some places, this gesture still has some unique origins and meanings.For example, in France and Belgium, OK can also mean "zero" or "nothing."One night in Paris, after the waiter ushered us to the table, he asked us, "Is the table OK?" ("Are you satisfied with this table?") and we gave him an "OK" gesture.When I was about to sit down, he suddenly replied, "Well, if you are not satisfied, you can change another one..." Obviously, he misunderstood our "OK" gesture and took it as an "OK" gesture. Zero" or "worthless, worthless".In other words, he thought we were giving him the gesture to tell him we didn't like the table. If you use the "OK" hand gesture to praise the French chef's superb cooking, he is likely to fly into a rage and throw you out of the restaurant without mercy. In Japan, the ring gesture means "money".If you make an "OK" gesture to a Japanese when you are doing business in Japan, he is likely to take your gesture as a sign that you are asking him for a bribe.In some Mediterranean countries, the gesture is used to mean "hole or hole" and is often used to imply that a man is gay.If you make an "OK" sign to a Greek man, he will think that you are trying to tell him you are gay, or that you are taking him for gay.In the eyes of Turks, this gesture is strongly insulting, because it means "anus".In Arab countries, this gesture is also rare, because the locals understand it as "threat" or "obscene". In the 1950s, before Richard Nixon was elected president of the United States, he visited Latin American countries with good intentions. He hoped to ease the tension between the United States and Latin American countries through this visit.As he stepped out of the plane, Nixon made an American "OK" gesture to the local waiting crowd.As a result, what he never expected was that the people below booed him.Nixon didn't know that Latin American body language differed dramatically from that of the United States in some places.In the eyes of the locals, the "OK" gesture means "you are a pile of shit." If you travel internationally a lot, the safest thing to do is to ask the locals about insulting gestures wherever you go to avoid any potentially embarrassing situations.If you travel internationally a lot, the safest thing to do is to ask the locals about insulting gestures wherever you go to avoid any potentially embarrassing situations. 2. Thumbs up In countries and regions heavily influenced by Britain, such as Australia, the United States, South Africa, Singapore and New Zealand, the thumbs-up gesture has three meanings: Make this gesture to inform the driver in the car that I want to hitchhike; secondly, to express "OK, yes, no problem", which is similar to the "OK" gesture; finally, if people suddenly put their thumbs up, then such a gesture It has an insulting nature, meaning "hands up" or "just like that".In some countries, such as Greece, the thumbs forward mostly means that the other person is "overfed"! Never give a thumbs up to hitchhikers in Greece. As we have mentioned before, when Europeans count with their fingers, a raised thumb means "1" and an index finger means "2"; "1", the middle finger means "2", under this premise, when they give their thumbs up, they want to mean "5". Such gestures can mean "okay," "1," "hands up," or "that's it."Different regions have different interpretations of this gesture 3. V-shaped gesture The gesture is common in Australia, New Zealand, and the Commonwealth of Nations, meaning "hands up or head up".During World War II, thanks to Winston Churchill, using this gesture to represent victory gradually became popular in countries around the world.However, when Churchill held up two fingers, his palm was facing outward.If the speaker makes this gesture with his palm facing himself, the meaning of the gesture is completely changed and becomes an obscene and insulting gesture. Americans will take this gesture as a "2", Germans will see it as a "victory" sign, and the British will take it as "fuck you". The origin of this gesture can be traced back centuries to England Archer.When archers shoot and attack, it is with their index and middle fingers that they hold the bow and arrow.At that time, for a skilled archer, the biggest failure was not to be killed by the opponent, but to be captured by the opponent, thus losing the opportunity to shoot arrows with the index and middle fingers.于是，用食指和中指所形成的V字型手势很快便在英国战士当中流传开来，成为他们在战斗中用来刺激敌人的一种标志，意为“你并没有打败我，瞧！我仍然可以用我的两个手指来发箭！” 然而，在欧洲的部分地区，手掌向内的V型手势仍然可以表示“胜利”的意思。然而，在欧洲的部分地区，手掌向内的V型手势仍然可以表示“胜利”的意思。因此，当一个英国人用这样的手势命令一名德国人“举起双手或抬起头”的时候，德国人很有可能会认为是他在比赛中获了奖。除此之外，V型手势在欧洲的某些地方也可以表示“数字2”，所以，当英国人、美国人或澳大利亚人想用这样的手势来辱骂一名来自欧洲的酒吧男招待时，他们可能会有些失望。不过，值得庆幸的是，他们至少可以得到两杯新鲜的啤酒。 人们在谈话的过程中，是否会因为对方与其发生了身体接触而生气，这完全取决于此人的文化背景。例如，法国人和意大利人就很热衷于在说话的时候，不断与对方发生身体接触。而英国人却宁愿选择退避三舍，尽量不与对方发生身体接触，除非他是在众多观众面前进行体育比赛。南美及欧洲运动员在赢球或得分之后，都会与队友来一个亲密的拥抱，或是用互相亲吻脸颊的方式来庆祝自己的得分。这样的动作在更衣室里还会重复多次。受此影响，许多来自英国、澳大利亚以及新西兰的运动员也会在类似的情况下做出同样的举措。不过，一旦他们离开了比赛场地，一切便都恢复了原状，这些澳大利亚人、英国人和新西兰人便又会重新奉行自己的“誓死不接触”原则。 只有在运动场上，英国人才会因为队友的进球或得分而与他人发生亲密接触。他们采取的方式可能是热情的拥抱，亲吻面颊，也可能会是最古老的轻拍对方。不过，假如背景换成了酒吧，你尝试一下同样的动作，你马上就会知道有什么样的后果。 肯·库伯博士也曾经在许多国家开展过关于人们之间接触频率的研究，并且记录下了一个小时内不同国家的人们身体接触的次数：波多黎各180次，巴黎110次，佛罗里达2次，伦敦0次。 通过研究以及自己的亲身体会，我们总结出了这样一张表格，表格中罗列出了适宜发生身体接触的国家名称以及那些交往中不适合发生身体接触的国家名称： 不接触接触 德国印度 日本土耳其 英国法国 美国和加拿大意大利 澳大利亚希腊 新西兰西班牙 爱沙尼亚中东 葡萄牙亚洲的部分国家和地区 北欧俄罗斯 斯堪的纳维亚 在制造文化冲突这项技能上，美国人是当之无愧的第一名。正如我之前曾经提到过的，绝大多数美国人都没有护照，而且他们大都认为这个世界上其他国家人们的思维方式和喜好也全都和美国人一模一样。下图中的乔治·W·布什就做出了他所喜爱的得州长角美式（Longhorn）足球队的标志性手势以示支持。布什竖起的食指和小拇指分别代表两支牛角。大多数美国人都明白这一手势的含义。 在意大利人眼中，图中所展示的美国足球队的标志性手势带有鲜明的侮辱性意味 在意大利，这一手势背后的含义是“戴绿帽子的男人”，所以，人们通常借此来告诫某位男子，他的妻子与其他男人有染。1985年，5名美国人在罗马被当地警察逮捕，其罪名就是他们公然在罗马教廷外载歌载舞，并且使用了这一不敬的手势。事实上，这5名美国人不过是在得到了足球队在美国取得比赛胜利的消息之后，迫不及待地以他们认为最合适的方式为球队庆祝胜利而已。显然，他们的兴奋和热情丝毫没有打动坐在教廷里的教皇。 我们在与他人从事贸易或工作往来的时候，假如对方举止得体，并且充分表现出了对自己的尊重，这不仅会让我们备感舒适，而且会让双方的交往也变得更加真诚和顺利。所以，我给大家的忠告就是，当你来到一个陌生的国度之后，切记要尽量减少肢体语言的使用，直到你能有机会观察到当地人如何使用这一无声的语言，并借此掌握个中奥妙。此外，还有一个方法能够帮助你学习和理解不同国家肢体语言中所存在的文化差异。你可以收集一些外国电影，然后在关闭声音之后反复观看。不过，提醒你一点，观看时尽量不要看字幕。在没有任何声音和文字提示的前提下，你可以尝试着仅通过人物的表情和动作来推敲和揣测剧情的发展。然后，再打开声音或观看字幕，检查你的猜测是否正确，从中体会肢体语言中的文化差异及其使用技巧。 当你来到一个陌生的国度之后，切记要尽量减少肢体语言的使用，直到你能有机会观察到当地人如何使用这一无声的语言，并借此掌握个中的奥妙。假如你身处陌生的文化之中，不能确定当地的礼节，那就干脆请教当地人，请他们为你做示范。 由于文化差异的缘故，对肢体语言的误解很可能会让你陷入尴尬的境地。所以，明智的做法就是你应该在对他人的肢体语言和动作下结论之前，首先考虑对方的文化背景，从而避免产生不必要的误会。 如果你经常进行跨国旅行，我向你推荐罗杰·阿克斯特尔的《身势语：可行与禁忌的身体语言》（Gestwres:Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the world， John Wiley&Sons 出版）一书。在书中，阿克斯特尔介绍了超过七万种不同的肢体动作和各地的文化习俗。借助于这本书，你大可以轻松自如地穿梭于世界各国，而不必担心肢体语言和文化差异会给你带来的种种麻烦。