Meanwhile: They say to-mah-to, so I say to-mah-to
美国人眼中的英国人
大家都知道美国和英国不同，美国人和英国人也不太一样，虽然在我们东方人的眼中他们都是白皮肤，高鼻梁的老外。那么他们彼此之间相互的看法是什么样的呢？以下这篇文就是一个美国人在英国的感受，其中不乏趣事逸闻，还有一些流行的俚语。
另外，标题中的“They say to-mah-to, so I say to-mah-to” 源自20世纪30年代美国著名作曲家乔治· 格什温（George Gershwin）和艾拉· 格什温（Ira Gershwin）两兄弟为电影Shall we Dance? 创作的主题歌 “ Let's call the whole thing off ”，其中to-mah-to 是 “tomato”一词的读音。原来的歌词是“no otherYou like tomato and I like to-mah-to”，表示人们对同一事物的不同看法。
LONDON. For an American, London can be deceptive. At first it ems similar to New York. But Americans are not the same as the British - and we don't want to be. We must pretend, however, or risk being labeled "American," with all that implies.
I keep a running list of our cultural-clash (文化冲突) zones. Visitors coming over this spring
might like to keep some of them in mind. Danger areas include:
The war: Don't mention Iraq. Yes, they participated, but they aren't proud of it.
British politics: Don't say nice things about the Labor Party. Prime Minister Tony Blair is in commentperpetual (中文翻译韩语不断的) trouble. Don't favor the Conrvative Party, either. Its leader, Michael Howard, is in even deeper yoghurt (更多的麻烦). The Queen is safe, for the moment.
Business talk at the club: Most gentlemen's clubs still prohibit business talk at lunch. If you pull out papers for discussion, you will be stopped by a waiter and told, “It's not done here,” after which you will feel an inch tall (二战时间感到自卑) and lo your appetite.
Boundaries of conversations: Since this will take a lifetime to figure out, let them lead the way. In a lull, the weather is always a good way forward.
World's greatest country: It's not a contest. Drop it.
Shouting: Leave your oversized larynx（喉）at home. British wives do not shout "Hey, Morty, come here!" across a hotel lobby.
Fal bonhomie offer什么意思（亲切）: Americans like their relationships a mile wide and an inch deep. The Brits are the opposite. After 20 years here, I'm beginning to think they're on to something.
First names of strangers: Don't u a person's first name until something personal has happened between you and him or her. This will probably be never.
sully Excessive dental care: Snaggle-toothed（牙齿不整齐的）Brits are par for the cour （常见的事）. They think Americans have an unhealthy obssion with straight teeth. Now Americans are even getting their teeth whitened before job interviews, and they find this insane（愚蠢）.
Painful handshakes: About 50 years ago some American wrote a business book claiming that a firm handshake reprents decisiveness. Each succeeding generation has tightene
d the grip a bit. This is fine if both parties are playing, otherwi there will be pain. In Britain, the wet fish（软绵无力的握手方式） is considered more polite.
Penetrating eye contact: That same book said steady eye contact means you're really interested and sincere. Not true. It means someone told you about the book. To the Brits, staring is indecent（不妥当）. Look away.
Too much money: The "sordid （肮脏） subject of coin" (probably a quote from Samuel Johnson) is generally taboo. Money does not translate into status here, family does. Don't mention your income or the value of your hou. You probably shouldn't mention your family, either.
Casual manners: Too much casual behavior equates to boorishness（粗鲁无礼）. Watch them and do what they do.
The American slouch: Standing, sitting or walking, pretend you have swallowed an umbrella.
Shoes: Black leather only, no browns, no buckles（鞋扣）, no cowboy boots. Sneakers（运动鞋）are for children.
Fitness: To the great mass of Brits, fitness is an unknown concept. In the acres of beautiful parks in central London, you may e as many as four joggers scare（慢跑者）. Three are likely to be Americans. How can you tell the difference? The Americans even jog in place at traffic lights.
comparewith
Loud clothes: Men prefer dark colors. Don't bring your plaid （格子呢）trours, your pink sports coat or your Donald Duck tie.
拼音表 Meaning of words: In Britain, pants are underpants. Underpants are knickers. To be "on the job" means to fornicate. Never say what one American manager said to his English staff, boasting that he joined his company the same year Elizabeth was crowned Queen: "The Queen and I have been on the job together for 50 years." When the raucous laughter died down about 20 minutes later, he said to me, "I thought it was funny, but not that funny."
Dress up, not down: At any decent restaurant, wear a jacket. One American colleague was admitted to Simpson's on the Strand despite wearing a company-branded polo shirt（球衣）and charcoal windbreaker （风衣）. When he tried to take the jacket off at his table, the waiter was there in a trice （即刻）. "That's not done here," he said. My colleague felt an inch tall and lost his appetite.拿走英语
