Every Chinese-language textbook starts out with the standard phrases (短语)for greeting peo-ple;but as an American, I always found myself unable to speak freely when it came to seeing guestsoff at the door. Just a good-bye would not do, yet that was all I had ever learned from the terriblebooks. So I would smile and nod, bowing(鞠躬) like a Japanese and searching madly for words thatwould smooth over the visitor" s leaving and make them feel they would be welcome to come again. Inmy 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~eaased relationships and sent people off not only successfully but also skillfully.
Partings for the Chinese include a lot of necessary habitual practice. Although I" m not expectedto observe or even know all the rules, as a foreigner, I" ve had to learn the expressions of politenessand protest( 抗议,反对 ) at a leaving-taking.
The Chinese feel they must see a guest off to the farthest possible point-down the flight of stairsto the street below or perhaps all the way to the nearest bus stop. I" ve sometimes waited half an houror more for my husband to return from seeing a guest off, since he" s gone to the bus stop and waitedfor the next bus to arrive.
That"s very well,but when I"m the guest being seen off, my protests are always useless. Myhostess or host, or both, insists on seeing me down the stairs and well on my way, with my repeatingthe "Don" t bother( give the trouble) to see me off" at every landing. If I try to go fast to discouragethem from following, they are simply out to the discomfort of having to run after me. Better to acceptthe inevitable( 不可避免的).
Besides,that"s going against Chinese custom, because haste(doing things quickly)is to beavoided. What do you say when you part from someone ? "Go slowly. " Not farewell or Godspeed (祝福).but "Go slowly". To the Chinese it means "Take care" or "Watch your step", or some such cau-tion, but translated literally ( 照字面地) it means "Go slowly".
It is stated clearly that the writer 查看材料
A.is interested in the Chinese-language textbooks
B.is proud of being able to greet people at the door
C.is unsatisfied with the Chinese-language textbooks
D.is afraid of the standard phrases from the textbooks