Greetings 美国人的问候方式 （ 2 ）

After the initial "hello," what kind of comments are appropriate to kick off a conversation? You might engage in small talk and make a remark about the weather, your job or current events. Or you could ask your American friend about his recent activities or his upcoming plans. If you know that he's been under the weather, you might ask him how he's feeling. But don't make use of personal comments or questions like "Boy, you've put on weight!" or "What are all those bumps on your face?" or "How much money did that necklace cost?" Americans might take offense at questions or comments about money or their appearance.

说了开场的「Hello」之后，用什么话来适当地打开话闸子呢？你可能与对方闲聊，提及天气、你的工作或是时事。或者，你可以问你的美国朋友他最近做了什么，或是再来的计划有哪些。如果你知道他一直身体不适，你或许可以问他感觉如何。但千万不要用牵涉个人的评语或问题，像是：「唷！你体重又增加了！」或是「你脸上一粒一粒的是怎么来的？」或是「那条项练你花了多少钱？」美国人可能会对于有关金钱以及个人外表的问题或批评，感到反感。

One other caution: In some social contexts, particularly in an office or a professional setting, greetings between the sexes should be very conservative. If you're a man, greeting a woman with a statement like "Wow! You look beautiful today!" may be construed as a come--on. So when you're giving a compliment, the key is to use discretion.

另一项值得注意的：在某种社交场合，尤其是在办公室或专业场合里，两性之间的问候应该非常保守。如果你是男性，而问候女性时你说：「哇！你今天真漂亮！」这可能会被误解为一种挑逗行为。因此，赞美他人时，仔细斟酌非常重要。

What about overt displays of affection, like hugging and kissing? Contrary to some stereotypes, Americans don't go around hugging and kissing everyone they meet. Of course, girls might give each other a squeeze as a friendly gesture, and in some high society circles, a little peck on the cheek is a common courtesy. But except with family members and close friends, Americans usually don't give out wholesale hugs. Besides that, not all Americans are inveterate huggers anyway. So don't wrap your arms around the next American you see. He or she might be just as uncomfortable as you are.

那么，公开地表示感情，例如拥抱以及亲吻，又该如何呢？美国人与一般人所认定的典型不同，他们并不会到处拥抱、亲吻遇见的每一个人。当然，女性们可能会在见面时彼此紧抱一下以示友好；而且在某些上流社交圈里，轻吻对方的面颊是很普遍的礼节。但除了对家人与好友外，美国人通常不会经常随便拥抱他人。此外，并不是每一位美国人都习惯拥抱他人。因此，不要随便把手臂环住下一个你碰到的美国人。他可能会跟你一样地不自在。