Passage 2:

People from different cultures sometimes do things that make each other uncomfortable, without meaning to or sometimes without even realizing it. //

不同文化背景的人在一起有时会做出一些令对方感到不舒服的事，他们并非故意要这样做，有时甚至连自己也未察觉。

Most Americans are usually spontaneous, friendly and open, and enjoy meeting new people, having guests and ringing people together formally or informally. //

大多数美国人通常天真、率直，友好坦率，喜欢结识人，欢迎客人来访，愿意召集正式的或非正式的聚会。

They tend to be informal and speak freely. So if your American hosts do something that makes you uncomfortable, try to let them know how you feel. They will appreciate your honesty and try not to make you uncomfortable again. //

美国人往往不拘礼节，说话毫无拘束。所以要是你的美国主人做出了使你感到不舒服的事，你应该设法让他们知道你的感受。他们会喜欢你的诚实态度，尽量不再做你不喜欢的事。

Sometimes Americans are said to be superficially friendly. Perhaps it seems so. Just like anywhere else, it takes time to become real friends with people in the United States.

有时美国人的友善会被视为一种表面现象。或许看上去确实是这么一回事。同其他地方一样，与美国人结成真正的朋友是需要一段时间的。

补充：文化差异方面的口译练习

Much business in the United States is conducted on the telephone. The average businessman spends much of his time on the telephone making business contacts.

在美国许多生意都是通过电话谈的。一般的生意人都花很多时间打电话，接洽生意。

However, it usually will not be convenient to make initial contracts between Chinese and U.S. businesses by telephone.

但是，中国公司和美国公司通过电话商讨初步协议通常很不方便。

There is no particular style to American negotiations. The way the negotiations are conducted will vary from one business to another and will depend upon the individuals involved.

与美国人谈判并无特别的样式。谈判的方式视业务不同而不同，取决于参与谈判的人员。

Although Americans have a reputation for making quick decisions, this is not always true when a corporation is involved in a major venture or a large project. Therefore, you should also be prepared for lengthy negotiations.

虽然美国人享有决策果断的声誉，但是，在公司着手进行主要或重大项目时，决策并非总是果断的。因此，你也要做好准备进行冗长的谈判。