完形填空
Every Chinese-language textbook starts out with the standard phrases for greeting people; but as an American, I always found myself 1 to speak freely when it came to seeing guests off at the door.Just a good-bye would not do, yet that was all I had ever learned from the 2 books.So I would smile and nod, bowing like a Japanese and searching madly for words that would 3 over the visitor's leaving and make them feel they would be 4 to come again.In my unease, I often hid behind the skirts of my Chinese husband's kindness.
Then finally, listening to others, I began to pick up the phrases that 5 relationships and sent people off not only successfully but also skillfully.
6 for the Chinese includes a lot of necessary habitual practice.Although as a 7 , I'm not expected to observe or even know all the rules, I've had to learn the expressions of politeness and 8 at a leaving-taking.
The Chinese feel they 9 see a guest off to the farthest possible point-down the flight of stairs to the street below or perhaps all the way to the 10 bus stop.I've sometimes waited half an hour or more for my husband to return from seeing a guest off, 11 he's gone to the bus stop and waited for the 12 bus to arrive.
That's very well, but when I'm the guest being seen off, my protests are always 13 .My hostess or host, or both, insists on 14 me down the stairs and well on my way, with my repeating the “Don't 15 to see me off at the every landing.”If I try to go fast to 16 them from following, they are simply out to the discomfort of having to run after me.Better to accept the inevitable(不可避免的).
Besides, that's going against Chinese 17 , because haste(doing things quickly)is to be avoided.What do you say when you 18 someone?Not “farewell or Godspeed(祝福)”, 19 “Go slowly”.To the Chinese it means “Take care” or “Watch your 20 ”, or some such caution(谨慎), but translated literally(字面意思)it means “Go slowly”.
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