文/克里斯蒂娜·本頓 譯/曾敏月

By Christine Benton

We’ve all heard that it’s a small world, but is it really? People have such different lifestyles that what feels like a customary practice to some may seem bizarre to others. People have a propensityto develop traditions and customs around everything from beauty rituals to eating habits. This has led to a world enriched with thousands of different cultures since the dawn of civilization. Cultural differences abound,and the following are eight surprising examples.

1. People in Malaysia use their thumb to point

我們都聽說過“這世界很小”這句話，但是，世界真的很小嗎？人們的生活方式千差萬別，一些人覺得習以為常的做法，另一些人卻直叫稀奇古怪。從護膚程序到飲食習慣，人們在生活的方方面面都容易形成傳統(tǒng)和習俗。這就是為什么自文明誕生之日起，世界就有著千千萬萬、多姿多彩的文化。文化差異比比皆是。下面，一起來看看世界上的八個奇風異俗吧！

1. 馬來西亞人用大拇指示意

在一些國家，人們認為用食指指指點點是非常粗魯無禮的。在許多文化中，無論從字面義（用手指指）還是比喻義（指責）上看，這一行為可能都不太文雅；而在某些國家，比如印度尼西亞和馬來西亞，這種手勢會被視為極大的冒犯。如果是要指東西，用拇指更禮貌些，也更能讓人接受。在許多非洲國家，手指只能指向無生命的物體，不能指人。

Some countries regard pointing with the index finger as rude and abrasive.While members of many cultures probably think that pointing a finger, both literally and figuratively, isn’t very nice,in some countries, e.g., Indonesia and Malaysia, this gesture is seen as incredibly offensive. Instead, it is considered more polite and acceptable to gesture towards things with the thumb. In many African countries, pointing is reserved for inanimateobjects only, not people.

2. Nicaraguans point with their lips

While hand gestures vary with cultural differences, few countries can lay claim to gestures made by contortions of the mouth. However, in Nicaragua, it is common to point with the lips instead of the thumb or index finger. Wondering how exactly this is done? It all starts by puckering upin a kind of duck face.The lips can then be directed forward or side-to-side to indicate what the person is trying to point out. The lip-point gesture is accompanied by a directional head movement and is typically used when conversing to indicate something happening nearby.

3. The French really go in for5go in for對……感興趣或喜歡。 kissing

Pretty much every culture has specific greeting rituals. Romance and Latin American cultures share the common custom of kissing on the cheek as a form of salutation. However, the French have taken this to a whole new level. For instance:

● Kissing rules vary for men and women.

● The number of kisses required to complete the greeting varies from region to region.

2. 尼加拉瓜人用嘴示意

雖說由于文化差異，各個國家的手勢五花八門，但是，幾乎沒有哪個國家會說他們是靠扭動嘴巴示意。然而，在尼加拉瓜，人們還真就習慣用嘴唇而不是拇指或者食指來指東西。想知道尼加拉瓜人到底是怎么做出“嘴勢”的嗎？首先要噘起“鴨子嘴”。之后就可以將嘴唇向前努或向兩側(cè)扭，以表明想要指的是什么。尼加拉瓜人在做這種“嘴勢”時，頭也會跟著同向移動。通常該動作用來在交談中指示附近的事物。

3. 法國人真的很喜歡親吻

幾乎每種文化都有特定的問候禮儀。羅曼語文化和拉美文化有一個共同的習俗，那就是將親吻臉頰作為一種問候方式。然而，法國人可謂把親吻禮貫徹到了一個全新的高度。例如：

·男性和女性有不同的親吻規(guī)則。

● The French people are expected to kiss-greet each person arriving at a gathering, whether they know them or not.

4. Nigerians kneel or prostrate themselves when greeting

Members of the Yorubatribe, an ethnic group in Nigeria, take greeting rituals seriously, especially regarding greeting elders. When an adult is approaching, it is customary for young people to greet them by dropping to their knees. To be more specific, women kneel, and men prostrate themselves.These traditional gestures are signs of deference and respect for the elders in the community. Other ethnic groups in Nigeria do not engage in this custom.

5. People spit on the bride at Greek weddings

Spitting in Greek cultures is regarded as a good luck charm to ward offthe devil. Spitting is also done as a way to ward off evil when engaging in regular conversations. Today, the custom doesn’t involve wedding guests actually spitting on the bride. Instead of inflicting damage on the bridal gown, it has evolved into the more hygienicand symbolic act of guests forcefully uttering verbal spitting “ftou ftou ftou.”Greeks also do this on other special occasions such as baptisms to acknowledge the baby’s good health and beauty.

·完成問候儀式所需親吻的次數(shù)因地區(qū)而異。

·要親吻問候聚會上的每一個人，不管認不認識。

4. 尼日利亞人打招呼行跪拜禮

約魯巴族是尼日利亞的一個民族，非常重視問候禮儀，問候長輩時尤其如此。按照習俗，在有年長者走近時，年輕人要跪拜。說得再具體點，是女子下跪，而男子拜倒。這些傳統(tǒng)姿勢表達了對族內(nèi)長者的尊重。尼日利亞的其他民族沒有這種習俗。

5. 希臘婚禮上新娘要被吐口水

在希臘文化中，人們認為吐口水是護身符，能夠驅(qū)魔辟邪。日常交流中，希臘人也會吐口水，以驅(qū)逐厄運?，F(xiàn)如今，婚禮賓客不會真的往新娘身上吐口水。這個習俗已經(jīng)演變?yōu)楦有l(wèi)生的行為，賓客象征性用力發(fā)出吐口水的聲音“ftou ftou ftou”，這樣就不會把新娘的禮服弄臟。在很多其他特殊場合，希臘人都會這么做。例如在洗禮儀式中，人們會以此來表示寶寶健康又漂亮。

6. In Russia, September 12 is known as the day of conception

Cultures typically approach marriage, sex, and reproduction in unique ways. Russia may take first prize in terms of institutionalized acceptance of a custom. This came about because of serious concerns over Russian society. Russia has declining birth rates, an unequal proportion of women to men,and alarmingly short male lifespans.To help solve this issue, the Russian government instituted a public holiday on September 12 to give couples time offfrom work to have sex, which will hopefully result in a pregnancy. Prizes are given out to those successful parents whose babies are born approximately nine months later.

7. The Danes hang out in cemeteries

6. 俄羅斯的“懷孕日”9月12日

在對待婚姻、性和生育的問題上，各文化有其獨特的方式。說到習俗制度化，可以說沒有哪個國家能比得上俄羅斯。這是出于對俄羅斯社會問題的擔憂。俄羅斯的出生率正在下降，男女比例不平衡，且男性壽命短得驚人。為解決這一問題，俄羅斯政府將 9 月12 日設(shè)為法定節(jié)假日，讓已婚男女放假，回家“造娃”。大概九個月過后，如果有寶寶降生，這些“造娃”成功的父母就可以獲得獎勵。

7. 丹麥人在墓地流連

墓地在許多國家的民間故事中都是令人毛骨悚然的場所，但在丹麥并非如此。作為一個務(wù)實的民族，丹麥人不在公園里扎推，而是將墓地變成了社交場所。墓園里的一草一木都經(jīng)過精心修剪。當冬天過去，天氣回暖時，當?shù)厝吮慵娂妬淼侥沟?。在丹麥首都哥本哈根，閑逛時會遇到很多名人，因為這里的墓地安葬著不少丹麥名人，包括童話作家安徒生。

Cemeteries are spookyfolklore sites in many countries, but this is not the case in Denmark. Instead of gathering in parks, the Danes (a pragmatic people) have converted their cemeteries into socializing areas. Danish cemeteries are well manicuredand thronged withlocals when the weather begins to warm up after winter. In Copenhagen,the country’s capital, you’ll be hanging out in great companyas many famous Danes are buried there, including Hans Christian Andersen.

8. The Japanese enjoy slurping

Most cultures have rules about table etiquette. In western societies, noisily consuming food is considered rude.However, in Japan, making slurping sounds while eating is acceptable. This probably has something to do with the way noodles are eaten. In western countries, you twirl your noodles on a spoon or fork before putting them in the mouth. The Japanese simply slurp up their noodles without winding them around a utensil. This way of noodle eating is naturally noisier. Making slurping sounds when eating noodles in Japan indicates that you’re really enjoying them. Some people even state that slurping lets air into the palate and enhances the noodles’ flavor. ■

8. 日本人吃面喜歡嗦著吃

大多數(shù)文化中都有餐桌禮節(jié)。在西方國家，用餐時發(fā)出聲音是很粗魯?shù)男袨椤Ｈ欢?，在日本，吃面時是可以發(fā)出“嗞溜嗞溜”聲的。這可能與他們吃面條的方式有關(guān)。西方人吃面時把面條繞在勺子或叉子上再送入口中。但日本人不會把面繞在餐具上，他們是直接將面吸入口中。這種吃面的方式自然會制造出比較大的聲響。在日本，如果吃面時發(fā)出嗞溜聲，就表示你真的很享受其中的美味。有些人甚至說，嗦面能把空氣吸進嘴里，讓面條更具風味。 □