有關美國文化的英語文章

　　21世紀的美國文化是相容性和進取性很強的文化,同時又是開放性和寬容性很強的文化。它相容並收,各種文化現象都可以產生並存在。下面是小編帶來的，歡迎閱讀!

　　篇一

　　Marriage of American Style美式婚姻

　　"I do." To Americans those two words carry great meaning. They can even change your life. Especially if you say them at your own wedding. Making wedding vows is like signing a contract. Now Americans don't really think marriage is a business deal. But marriage is serious business.

　　「我願意」這句話對美國人而言具有重大意義，它甚至可以改變你的生命，特別是當你在自己的婚禮上說出這句話時，在婚禮中所發的誓言就如同簽訂契約一樣，美國人並不是真把婚姻當作商業交易，但是，結婚確實是件嚴肅的事情。

　　It all begins with engagement. Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his sweetheart for permission to marry her. If the father agrees, the man later proposes to her. Often he tries to surprise her by "popping the question" in a romantic way.

　　結婚是從訂婚開始，在傳統上，年輕人會請求他的女朋友的父親允許他娶她，如果女方的父親答應，之後方可向女方求婚。通常男方會試著以羅曼蒂克的方式「提出這個問題」以帶給女方驚喜。

　　Sometimes the couple just decides together that the time is right to get married. The man usually gives his fiancee a diamond ring as a symbol of their engagement. They may be engaged for weeks, months or even years. As the big day approaches, bridal showers and bachelor's parties provide many useful gifts. Today many couples also receive counseling during engagement. This prepares them for the challenges of married life.

　　有時候雙方會覺得現在結婚正是時候，於是男方通常會送女方鑽戒做為互訂終身的象徵。他們可能訂婚幾個星期、幾個月，甚至幾年，當大喜的日子接近時，賀禮贈送會和單身漢俱樂部都會贈送許多實用的禮物。今天有許多訂婚的男女在訂婚期間接受諮詢服務，這是為了讓他們有準備接受婚姻生活的挑戰。

　　At last it's time for the wedding. Although most weddings follow long-held traditions, there's still room for American individualism. For example, the usual place for a wedding is in a church. But some people get married outdoors in a scenic spot. A few even have the ceremony while skydiving or riding on horseback! The couple may invite hundreds of people or just a few close friends. They choose their own style of colors, decorations and music during the ceremony. But some things rarely change. The bride usually wears a beautiful, long white wedding dress. She traditionally wears "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue." The groom wears a formal suit or tuxedo. Several close friends participate in the ceremony as attendants, including the best man and the maid of honor.

　　最後就是婚禮了，雖然大多的婚禮仍沿襲長久以來的傳統，但是美國人的個人主義仍有其空間，例如，通常婚禮的地點是在教堂，但是有些人卻是到戶外的風景區結婚，有些人甚至是跳傘或騎馬結婚!雙方可能邀請上百人或者只是一些熟朋友，婚禮的顏色風格，佈置和音樂都由他們自己決定，但有些事是不太會變的;新娘通常都穿著美麗的白色結婚禮服，按照傳統她必須穿的衣服上包括了：一些舊的，一些新的，一些借來的，及一些藍色的東西。新郎則穿著正式的西裝或燕尾晚禮服，幾位熟朋友參加婚禮並協助幫忙，包括了伴郎和伴娘。

　　As the ceremony begins, the groom and his attendants stand with the minister, facing the audience. Music signals the entrance of the bride's attendants, followed by the beautiful bride. Nervously, the young couple repeats their vows. Traditionally, they promise to love each other "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." But sometimes the couple has composed their own vows. They give each other a gold ring to symbolize their marriage commitment. Finally the minister announces the big moment: "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride!"

　　當典禮開始時，新郎和伴郎和牧師站在一起，面對觀眾，音樂一起，表示伴娘入場，後面就跟著美麗的新娘。年輕的男女雙方緊張地跟著說出他們的誓言，傳統上而言，他們會承諾要彼此相愛，「不論好、壞、貧、富、生病時或健康時」，但是有時候，他們也可能自己編一套自己的誓言，他們互贈金戒指以此表示結婚的承諾，最後牧師宣佈這重大的時刻：「我現在宣佈你們成為夫妻，你可以親吻你的新娘!」

　　At the wedding reception, the bride and groom greet their guests. Then they cut the wedding cake and feed each other a bite. Guests mingle while enjoying cake, punch and other treats. Later the bride throws her bouquet of flowers to a group of single girls. Tradition says that the one who catches the bouquet will be the next to marry. During the reception, playful friends "decorate" the couple's car with tissue paper, tin cans and a "Just Married" sign. When the reception is over, the newlyweds run to their "decorated" car and speed off. Many couples take a honeymoon, a one- to two-week vacation trip, to celebrate their new marriage.

　　在結婚宴會上，新娘新郎向賓客問候.然後切結婚蛋糕並互相喂對方一口。賓客們在享受蛋糕、飲料及其他的食物時就混在一起交談。之後新娘將捧花投向一群單身女孩，傳統說接到捧花的女孩會成為下一位新娘。在婚宴上，愛鬧的朋友用面紙、鋁罐和「新婚」標誌「裝飾」禮車，宴會結束後，新婚的小倆口就跑向他們「裝飾完成」的禮車，迅速地離開，許多夫妻會去渡蜜月，就是一至二星期的假期以慶祝他們的新婚。

　　Almost every culture has rituals to signal a change in one's life. Marriage is one of the most basic life changes for people of all cultures. So it's no surprise to find many traditions about getting married . . . even in America. Yet each couple follows the traditions in a way that is uniquely their own.

　　幾乎每一種文化都有儀式來表示一個人生命中的改變。結婚對於所有文化的人而言是一生中最重要的大事之一，所以會有這麼多婚禮的習俗就不足為奇了，美國也不例外。然而每對新人都以自己認為獨特的方式來跟隨傳統。

　　篇二

　　Pets 美國寵物

　　mericans love pets. And it's not just puppy love, either. Many pet owners treat their furryfriends as part of the family. Sometimes they spice up their pets' lives with entertaining videosand amusing toys. If they have an eye for fashion, pet owners can dress their pets in stylishclothes. For special occasions, they can use canine perfume to make their dogs smell, well, lessbeastly. You might say Americans treat their pets like they treat their children-sometimes evenbetter.

　　美國人很愛寵物，而且這不只是一種不成熟、短暫的愛。很多寵物的主人把這些毛茸茸的朋友當作家庭的一部分，有時候還為寵物準備娛樂用的錄影帶和玩具來增添牠們生活的樂趣，如果寵物的主人具有流行的眼光，還會讓他們的寵物穿上時髦的衣服，在特殊的場合裡，甚至為寵物噴上狗兒專用的香水，讓牠們味道好聞一點，減少一些動物身上的味道。你也可以說，美國人待他們的寵物如同待他們的孩子一樣——有時甚至更好。

　　In America, there are more households with pets than those with children. At least 43percent of U.S. homes have pets of some sort. Exotic creatures, such as monkeys, snakes andeven wolves, find a home with some Americans. More common pets include tropical fish, miceand birds. But the all-time favorites are cats and dogs, even at the White House. The Clintons'cat, Socks, has replaced the Bushes' dog, Millie, as reigning First Pet. Americans sometimeshave strong feelings about whether dogs or cats make better pets. "Dog people" and "catpeople" often enjoy friendly rivalries.

　　在美國，有寵物的家庭比有孩子的家庭還多。至少百分之四十三的美國家庭有寵物，有些美國家庭養一些外國品種的動物，例如猴子、蛇、甚至狼;比較常見的寵物有熱帶魚、老鼠、和鳥。不過，一直廣受歡迎的是貓和狗，連白宮也不例外。柯林頓總統的貓——襪子，已經取代了布什的狗——米利，成為神氣的「第一寵物」。美國人有時候很在乎到底最好的寵物是貓還是狗，「愛狗的人」和「愛貓的人」喜歡開玩笑地彼此爭辯。

　　Leading a dog's life in America isn't such a bad thing. Many grocery stores sell gourmet petfoods to owners eager to please their pets. In Houston, Texas, dogs can have their dinnerdelivered to their homes, just like pizza. Well-to-do canines can attend doggy daycare centerswhile their owners work. Pets can even accompany their owners on vacation. Fancy hotels arebeginning to accommodate both man and beast. Furry guests at Four Seasons Hotels canenjoy gourmet meals served on fine china and sleep in soft beds.

　　在美國，狗所過的生活並不壞，很多雜貨店都賣有寵物美食，讓主人可以討好他們的寵物。在德州的休斯敦市，狗兒還能享用專程送到家的晚餐，就跟披薩一樣。家境富裕的狗兒在主人上班的時候可以去狗兒托育中心。寵物甚至可以和牠們的主人一同去度假，高階飯店已經開始可以同時留宿人和寵物，這些毛茸茸的客人在四季飯店可以享用以精緻瓷器盛裝的美食，並在柔軟的床上睡覺。

　　Beneath the fluffy luxuries, there lies a basic American belief: Pets have a right to be treatedwell. At least 75 animal welfare organizations exist in America. These provide care and adoptionservices for homeless and abused animals. Veterinarians can give animals an incredible level ofmedical careNfor an incredible price. To pay for the high-tech health care, people can buyhealth insurance for their pets. And when it's time to say good-bye, owners can bury theirpets in a respectable pet cemetery.

　　在舒適奢華的享受之下，其實存在著美國人的一種基本信念：寵物有受到妥善對待的權利。美國至少有七十五個動物福利組織，他們為流浪動物及被虐待動物提供照顧與領養的服務。獸醫能提供給動物極好的醫療照顧——價格也極昂貴，若為了負擔更先進的健康醫療照顧，人們可以為他們的寵物買健康保險。如果和寵物道別的時機到了，主人們可以為寵物買一塊體面的墓地。

　　The average American enjoys having pets around, and for good reason. Researchers havediscovered that interacting with animals lowers a person's blood pressure. Dogs can offerprotection from burglars and unwelcome visitors. Cats can help rid the home of unwantedpests. Little creatures of all shapes and sizes can provide companionship and love. In manycases, having a pet prepares a young couple for the responsibilities of parenthood. Pets evenencourage social relationships: They give their owners an appearance of friendliness, andthey provide a good topic of conversation.

　　美國人一般都喜歡有寵物為伴，這是有原因的。研?a href='//' target='_blank'>咳嗽狽⑾鄭?攵?鏤?檳芄喚檔腿說?a href='//' target='_blank'>血壓。狗能防止小偷及不受歡迎的訪客。貓能幫忙清除家裡討人厭的害蟲和有害的小動物。任何種類及大小的小寵物都能帶給人們相伴與愛的感覺。很多時候，擁有一隻寵物能幫助年輕夫妻做為人父母責任的準備。寵物甚至有助於人際關係：它們使主人們看起來更友善，並且也帶給人們一個交談的好話題。

　　Pets are as basic to American culture as hot dogs or apple pie. To Americans, pets are notjust property, but a part of the family. After all, pets are people, too.

　　寵物是美國文化中很基本的一部分，就如熱狗和蘋果派一樣。對美國人而言，寵物不僅僅是他們所擁有的一樣東西而已，它是家庭的一部分。畢竟，寵物也是「人」啊!

　　篇三

　　Friendship 美式友誼

　　Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was aninter-national student from Jordan. He was excited to get to know an American. He wanted tolearn more about American culture. Yaser hoped that he and Steve would become good friends.

　　At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class.Sometimes he offered to study with Yaser. He even invited Yaser to eat lunch with him. Butafter the semester was over, Steve seemed more distant. The two former classmates didn't seeeach other very much at school. One day Yaser decided to call Steve. Steve didn't seem veryinterested in talking to him. Yaser was hurt by Steve's change of attitude. "Steve said we werefriends," Yaser complained. "And I thought friends were friends forever."

　　Yaser is a little confused. He is an outsider to American culture. He doesn't understandthe way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word friend in a very general way. Theymay call both casual acquaintances and close companions "friends". Americans have schoolfriends, work friends, sports friends and neighborhood friends. These friendships are based oncommon interests. When the shared activity ends, the friendship may fade. Now Steve andYaser are no longer classmates. Their friendship has changed.

　　In some cultures friendship means a strong life-long bond between two people. In thesecultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to last. American society is one of rapidchange. Studies show that one out of five American families moves every year. Americanfriendships develop quickly, and they may change just as quickly.

　　People from the United States may at first seem friendly. Americans often chat easily withstrangers. They exchange information about their families, hobbies and work. They may smilewarmly and say, "Have a nice day" or "See you later." Schoolmates may say, "Let's get togethersometime." But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship.

　　After an experience like Yaser's, outsiders may consider Americans to be fickle. Learninghow Americans view friendship can help non-Americans avoid misunderstandings. It can alsohelp them make friends the American way.

　　Here are a few tips on making friends with Americans:

　　1. Visit places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, Western restaurants, parks, sportsclubs.

　　2. Be willing to take the first step. Don't wait for them to approach you. Americans inChina may not know you speak English. They may be embarrassed if they can't speak yourlanguage.

　　3. Use small talk to open the conversation. Ask them where they're from, why they cameto China, etc. Remember: Be careful to avoid personal questions about age, salary, maritalstatus and appearance.

　　4. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. ***Americans like to talk aboutthemselves!***

　　5. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific time.Americans sometimes make general invitations like "Let's get together sometime." Often this isjust a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation.

　　6. Don't expect too much at first. Maybe they're just being friendly. But maybe they dowant to be your good friends. It will take time to tell.

　　People like Yaser shouldn't give up trying to make American friends. Americans do valuestrong, life-long friendships, even with non-Americans. When making friends, it helps to have agood dose of cultural understanding.

　　史帝夫和亞瑟最初是在一所美國大學的化學課上認識的。亞瑟是從約旦來的國際學生。他很興奮能夠認識美國人，他要更多學習美國文化;亞瑟希望他和史帝夫會成為好朋友。

　　剛開始史帝夫似乎非常友善，上課前他總是熱情地和亞瑟打招呼，有時他和亞瑟一起讀書;他甚至邀請亞瑟一起共進午餐。但是學期結束後，史帝夫似乎較冷淡了，這兩個以前的同學在學校不常碰面了。有一天，亞瑟決定打電話給史帝夫，史帝夫似乎沒有興趣和他講話，對於史帝夫態度的改變，亞瑟感到受傷害。「史帝夫曾說我們是朋友，」亞瑟抱怨，「而且我認為一朝是朋友就永遠是朋友。」

　　亞瑟有點困惑了，對於美國文化，他是個局外人***外行***。他不瞭解美國人對友誼的看法。美國人把「朋友」這個字用得非常廣泛，一般的泛泛之交和親密夥伴都算是朋友。美國人的朋友包含有學校的朋友、工作的朋友、運動的朋友或是街坊鄰居。這些友誼都是建立在共同的興趣上，當共同從事的活動結束時，友誼也可能跟著消失了。現在，史帝夫和亞瑟不再是同學，他們的「友誼」也就改變了。

　　在一些文化裡，友誼意即兩人之間一種強烈的，一世之久的情感。在這些文化裡，友誼發展得慢，因為要持久。但美國是個急速變化的社會，有些研究發現每年每五個美國家庭之中，就有一個家庭搬家。美國人的友誼建立得快，但也可能改變得快。

　　從美國來的人可能剛開始看起來很親切。美國人常能很容易地和陌生人聊天，他們交換關於自己的家庭、興趣和工作的個人資料，他們可能熱情地微笑說「祝你有愉快的一天」或是「待會兒見」，而同學也許會說「我們找一天聚聚」，但是美國人的友善並不意謂真正的友誼。

　　經過像亞瑟的經歷之後，局外人也許會視美國人為善變的。瞭解美國人如何看待友誼，能夠幫助非美國人士避免誤會，也能幫助他們以美國人的方式交朋友。

　　以下是一些和美國人交朋友的祕訣：

　　1.到一些美國人喜歡去的地方：宴會、教會、西餐廳、公園和健身房。

　　2.樂意跨出第一步，不要等他們來接近你。在中國的美國人不知道你會不會講英語。如果他們不會講你的語言，他們可能覺得不好意思。

　　3.以閒聊來展開話題，問他們來自哪裡，為什麼到中國等等。切記：注意避免非常私人的問題，例如年齡、薪水、婚姻狀況和長相。

　　4.對他們的文化、國家或者工作表示興趣。***美國人喜歡談論自己***

　　5.邀請他們和你一起吃飯或喝茶。要講定時間，否則，美國人有時會用一些一般性的邀請，像「找個時間聚聚吧!」，但這只是表示友善的方法而非真正的邀請。

　　6.不要一開始就對你們的友誼期待太多，也許他們只是表示友善，但也可能他們真的要做你的好朋友，這需要時間證明。

　　像亞瑟一樣的人不應放棄交朋友，美國人還是看重強烈，一生之久的友誼，即使是和非美國人士。交朋友時，對於文化有某種程度的瞭解將會有所幫助。