It’sreallytruewhatpeoplesayaboutEnglishpoliteness:it’severywhere.Whensqueezing(挤过去)pastsomeoneinanarrowpassage,peoplesay“sorry”.Whengettingoffabus,Englishpassengerssay“thankyou”ratherthanthedriver.InGermany,peoplewouldneverdreamofdoingthesethings.Afterall,squeezingpastothersissometimesunavoidable,andthebusdriverisonlydoinghisjob.Iusedtothinkthesameway,withoutquestioningit,untilIstartedtravelingtotheBritishIsles,andherearesomemorepolitewaysofinteracting(交往)withpeopleinUK.
PeoplethankeachothereverywhereinEngland,allthetime.Whenpeoplebuysomethinginashop,customerandshopassistantinmostcasesthankeachothertwiceormore.InGermany,itwouldbeexceptionaltohearmorethanonethankyouinsuchaconversation.Britishstudentsthanktheirlecturerswhenleavingtheroom.Englishemployersthanktheiremployeesfordoingtheirjobs,asoppositetoGermans,whowouldnormallythinkthatpayingtheirworkersmoneyisalreadyenough.
AnotherthingIobservedduringmystaywasthatEnglishpeoplerarelycriticize(批评)others.EvenwhenIwasworkingandmistakeswerepointedouttome,myemployersemphasizedseveraltimesbutnoneoftheirexplanationswereintendedascriticism.Ithasbeenmyimpressionthatbyavoidingcriticism,Englishpeoplearemakinganefforttomakeothersfeelcomfortable.Thisalsoisshowedinotherways.Britishmenstillopendoorsforwomen,andBritishmenaremorelikelytotreatwomentoamealthanGermanmen.However,IdoneedtopointoutherethatthisappliestoEnglishmenabitmorethanitwouldtoScottishmen!Yes,thelatterareabittightfisted.
小题1:Whatistheauthor’sattitudetowardsEnglishpoliteness?