Culture shock is a condition that affects people who travel to a country different from their own. The term describes a travelers feelings of bewilderment1 when the environment and culture change from the one that he or she is familiar with. The unfamiliar surroundings, foreign language and strange habits of a new country can all contribute to culture shock.

Culture shock is not just suffered by those who travel and live abroad. Any change in surroundings can bring about the feeling of culture shock. If a person leaves home for the first time and goes to college, then the new environment and new experiences may be a shock to the system2.

Actually it is a malady which afflicts most of us to some degree.3 We might almost call culture shock an occupational disease of many people who have been suddenly transplanted abroad.4 Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse.5 These signs are the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life: when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people, when and how to give tips, how to make purchases, when to accept and when to refuse invitations, when to take statements seriously and when not.

These cues, which may be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, or norms are acquired by all of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept.6 When an individual enters a strange culture, all or most of these familiar cues are removed. He or she is like a fish out of water; no matter how broad-minded or full of good will he may be.

This is followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety. People react to the frustration in much the same way. First they reject the environment which causes the discomfort: “the ways of the host country7 are bad because they make us feel bad.”

For example Americans who are in a strange land get together to grouse about8 the host country and its people, you can be sure they are suffering from culture shock. The “dollar grasping American” and the “indolent Latin American” are samples of mild forms of stereotypes.9 The use of stereotypes may salve the ego of someone with a severe case of culture shock but it certainly does not lead to any genuine understanding of the host country and its people.10

In the course of time, an individual makes this adjustment. You do what is essential about water, food, and the other minutiae11 of daily life. In short, the environment does not change. What has changed is your attitude towards it. Somehow it no longer troubles you; you no longer project12 your discomforts onto the people of the host country and their ways. You get along under a new set of living conditions.

In an effort to get over culture shock, there is value in knowing something about the nature of culture and its relationship to the individual. In addition to living in a physical environment, an individual lives in a cultural environment consisting of manmade physical objects, social institutions, and ideas and beliefs.

An individual is not born with culture but only with the capacity to learn it and use it. There is nothing in a new born child which dictates13 that it should eventually speak Portuguese, English, or French, nor that he eat with a fork in his left hand rather than in the right, or use chop sticks. All these things the child has to learn. The culture of any people is the product of history and is built up over time largely through processes which are, as far as the individual is concerned, beyond his awareness. It is by means of

culture that the young learn to adapt themselves to the physical environment and to the people with whom they associate.

But once learned, culture becomes a way of life, the sure, familiar, largely automatic way of getting what you want from your environment and as such it also becomes a value.

People have a way of accepting their culture as both the best and the only way of doing things. This is perfectly normal and understandable. To this attitude we give the name ethnocentrism14, a belief that not only the culture but the race and nation form the center of the world.

Individuals identify themselves with their own group and its ways to the extent that any critical comment is taken as an affront15 to the individual as well as to the group. If you criticize my country, you are criticizing me. If you criticize me, you are criticizing my country.

Along with this attitude goes the tendency to attribute all individual peculiarities as national characteristics. For instance, if an American does something odd or anti-social in a foreign country which back home would be considered a purely individual act, it is now considered a national trait. Instead of being censured16 as an individual, his country is censured. It is best to recognize that ethnocentrism is a characteristic of national groups. If a national criticizes some aspect of his own culture, the foreigner should listen but not enter into the criticism.

Another important point worth considering is the attitude of others to a person suffering from culture shock. If you are frustrated and have an aggressive attitude to the people of the host country, they will sense this hostility and in many cases respond in either a hostile manner or try to avoid you.

Culture shock is lessened as the visitor succeeds in getting some knowledge of the language and begins to get around by himself. This is the beginning of his adjustment to the new cultural environment. The visitor still has difficulties but he takes a “this is my cross17 and I have to bear it” attitude. Usually in this stage the visitor takes a superior attitude toward people of the host country. His sense of humor begins to exert itself.18 Instead of criticizing he makes jokes about the people and even cracks jokes19 about his or her own difficulties. He or she is now on the way to recovery. And there is still the poor devil who is worse off than yourself whom you can help, which in turn gives you confidence in your ability to speak and get around.

Once you realize that your trouble is due to your own lack of understanding of other peoples cultural background and your own lack of the means of communication rather than the hostility of an alien20 environment, you also realize that you yourself can gain this understanding and these means of communication. And the sooner you do this; the sooner culture shock will disappear.

1. bewilderment: 困惑。

2. system:此處指人的身心。

3. malady: 病，疾病（尤指慢性?。?，此處喻指“社會(huì)或心理層面的頑疾”；afflict:使苦惱，折磨。

4. occupational: 職業(yè)引起的；transplant: 使遷移，使移居。

5. precipitate:（突如其來地）使發(fā)生，促成；social intercourse: 社交。

6. cue: 暗示，信號(hào)；norm: 規(guī)范，準(zhǔn)則。

7. host country: 東道國，這里指與祖國相對(duì)的你所去的國家。

8. grouse about:〈口〉抱怨，發(fā)牢騷。

9.“緊抓著美元不放的老美”和“懶洋洋的拉美人”這類說法都是表達(dá)偏見的溫和實(shí)例。

10. salve: 寬慰，安慰；ego: 自我。

11. minutiae: 為minutia的復(fù)數(shù)形式，指“瑣事，小事”。

12. project: 【心】把（自己的感情等）投射給（別人）。

13. dictate: 發(fā)號(hào)施令地規(guī)定，專橫地強(qiáng)加（規(guī)則、條款等）。

14. ethnocentrism: 種族（或民族）中心主義。

15. affront: 公開侮辱，有意冒犯。

16. censure: 指摘，責(zé)備。

17. cross: 磨難，苦難。

18. 他的幽默感開始發(fā)揮作用。

19. crack joke: 說笑話。

20. alien: 陌生的。

閱讀感評(píng)

一位曾在香港工作和生活了多年的加拿大心理學(xué)家Michael Bond在其著作《難以捉摸的中國人》（1993）中說：“我來香港已過第15個(gè)年頭了，但我仍然感到像一個(gè)初來乍到、被中國人所包圍的外國人。日常社交活動(dòng)中，有許多出乎我意料的事，就連在此的老年同行也還時(shí)而吃驚，時(shí)而高興，時(shí)而憤怒，時(shí)而感到困惑?！毕愀圩曾f片戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)［1840—1842］后逐步被英國侵占，受其殖民統(tǒng)治達(dá)一個(gè)半世紀(jì)，其實(shí)還算是比較西化的，在此生活的西方人尚且有如此感受，內(nèi)地對(duì)他們的沖擊就更可想而知了。其實(shí)，在香港感覺不適應(yīng)的不僅是西方人，有時(shí)即便是內(nèi)地人去了也未必就能感覺自在。筆者曾在香港與臺(tái)灣因訪學(xué)各呆過一兩個(gè)月，發(fā)現(xiàn)兩地確有一些方面是我們剛開始時(shí)很難適應(yīng)的。例如，在那邊乘公交地鐵，即便候車的僅兩三人，也總要排隊(duì)上車。另外，公車與地鐵上明令禁止飲食，而且也絕少有人一味地與同伴聊天、打電話，倒是常見他們看書讀報(bào)或閉目養(yǎng)神，而我們?cè)趦?nèi)地總是把坐車當(dāng)作神聊或打電話的良機(jī)，到了港臺(tái)還是我行我素，旁若無人，結(jié)果不是招來鄙視就是引發(fā)與當(dāng)?shù)厝说臎_突。在那邊，我也曾參加他們組織的聚會(huì)，包括老師召集的，但如果是下館子，總是采取AA制，席間很少勸酒、喧嘩，但氣氛也不差。所謂的文化休克（culture shock）指的是種種在異文化環(huán)境中不適應(yīng)的癥狀（美國人類學(xué)家Oberg于1954年首次提出），而這異文化應(yīng)該包括異族文化與同族異地的文化兩方面。香港之于西方人以及我們大陸客，可算是比較典型的例證。

由于異族文化在語言、環(huán)境、習(xí)俗乃至價(jià)值觀上差別更大，文化休克一般也更明顯、更嚴(yán)重。筆者大約十年前赴美參加學(xué)術(shù)活動(dòng)，訪問了一位在中國認(rèn)識(shí)的美國朋友。這位美國朋友更早的時(shí)候曾來訪我家，并住了幾宿，當(dāng)時(shí)我是按中國的待客傳統(tǒng)，把家里最好的房間讓給了他，自己搬到了一間較簡(jiǎn)陋的房間。這次他很熱情地邀請(qǐng)我到他家去，卻把我安置在了客廳的沙發(fā)上過夜，即便他女兒不在家，那房間是空著的。中國人往往以客為先，要面子，注重禮尚往來，而美國人有較強(qiáng)的個(gè)人主義意識(shí)，你我分得比較清楚，自家臥榻，怎容他人酣睡？我學(xué)英文出身，算是對(duì)西方文化有所了解，但心里還是有點(diǎn)失落。類似的情況在國內(nèi)也有。聽長(zhǎng)輩講，上世紀(jì)70年代我們有位鄰居到上海辦事，準(zhǔn)備住親友家，于是帶了不少土特產(chǎn)作為見面禮。但出乎他們意料的是，這家上海親友雖然曾在回鄉(xiāng)探親時(shí)住過他家，可這次接到他們后卻把他們安置在了旅館里，這讓他們很不爽，氣得連土特產(chǎn)都不送了。上海人當(dāng)時(shí)住房極為擁擠，把客人安置在旅館實(shí)屬無奈，但小地方來客卻認(rèn)為即便有一寸地板也應(yīng)該讓他們睡，否則即為怠慢。我們往往期望別人和我們的想法、做法一樣，但別人畢竟是別人，與我們是并不相同的，這樣文化沖突就出現(xiàn)了。如果對(duì)他人的習(xí)俗、文化、價(jià)值觀有一定的了解，雖然失落感也未必能完全避免，但還可能會(huì)設(shè)身處地地予以理解；否則，就可能引起憤怒、恐懼或其他極端反應(yīng)。

17、18世紀(jì)的英國旅華游記中，有一部英國海軍準(zhǔn)將安遜的《環(huán)球航海記》，以強(qiáng)烈抨擊中國著稱，這在我看來也與安遜本人在廣州遭遇的文化休克有關(guān)。在其歷數(shù)的關(guān)于中國的弊端中，排外、愛欺詐、缺乏好奇心、辦事拖拉不守時(shí)等是他最為痛恨的。皇權(quán)時(shí)期的中國政府一貫執(zhí)行華夷之辯、內(nèi)外有別的政策，對(duì)西方人尤其顧忌，對(duì)其在中國境內(nèi)的行動(dòng)有嚴(yán)格的限制，與中國人的交往更是禁忌。中國政府對(duì)于外貿(mào)持與西方人完全不同的看法。當(dāng)時(shí)的中國基本上是個(gè)自給自足的國家，對(duì)于外部的貨物幾無需求，而西方卻需要我們的茶葉、瓷器、絲綢等特產(chǎn)。因此，我們把外貿(mào)看作是給予他們的恩賜，至于在外貿(mào)中以誠信樹立品牌的觀念是沒有的。至于說中國人缺乏好奇心、辦事拖拉不守時(shí)更是不難理解了。按啟蒙時(shí)代歐洲的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，現(xiàn)代人應(yīng)該具有較強(qiáng)的求知欲及對(duì)未知世界的好奇心，然而，康乾盛世時(shí)期的中國人有著文化優(yōu)越感，比較保守，對(duì)于外來的“雕蟲小技”無動(dòng)于衷也就在情理之中了。中國官僚主義嚴(yán)重，在這里要辦成事首先要忍耐，放下架子，心急吃不了熱豆腐，但安遜以在英國的習(xí)慣，認(rèn)為約好的時(shí)間就得遵守，期望中國人辦事同樣高效率，稍有等待拖拉就極度不耐煩甚至要?jiǎng)哟?。難怪他在廣州區(qū)區(qū)數(shù)月處處不如意，心情越來越糟糕，嚴(yán)重的“文化休克”直接導(dǎo)致了他在旅行記中對(duì)中國的態(tài)度。其實(shí)，啟蒙時(shí)代的西方人對(duì)中國官僚作風(fēng)的不適應(yīng)，就如同19世紀(jì)下半葉旅歐的中國使節(jié)對(duì)于西方世界女性的穿著以及參與社交的不認(rèn)同，都說明了民族中心主義（ethnocentrism）是多么的普遍，而入鄉(xiāng)隨俗說著容易做起來又是多么艱難！

來到異域感覺不適應(yīng)，應(yīng)該有三個(gè)層面的問題。有像氣候、環(huán)境、飲食等物質(zhì)方面的因素，所謂的“水土不服”即是；也有像語言、習(xí)俗及社交規(guī)則方面的，如中國人往往喜歡熟人扎堆，送禮偏向于重禮，請(qǐng)客講究豐盛，而西方人往往是反其道而行之。對(duì)此，要克服文化休克，就必須花時(shí)間學(xué)習(xí)與適應(yīng)。相比之下，要真正了解、接受乃至獲得另一種文化的價(jià)值觀，是極為困難的。錢鐘書先生說：“東海西海，心理悠同?！比欢?，在跨文化交際中，以為對(duì)方與自己沒有什么兩樣是一大忌諱，因?yàn)橐@得成功的跨文化對(duì)話，就必須不斷提醒自己，人家有著不同的文化、迥異的習(xí)俗以及可能與自己沖突的價(jià)值觀。本文開頭提到的那位加拿大心理學(xué)家，在香港生活的時(shí)間不可謂不長(zhǎng)，對(duì)其語言、習(xí)俗應(yīng)該較為熟悉了，但還是感覺像“初來乍到”一樣，說明他可能仍然不理解或不認(rèn)同香港人價(jià)值觀中的某些部分。然而，要克服“文化休克”，真正做到“賓至如歸”，物質(zhì)、語言、習(xí)俗、價(jià)值觀的適應(yīng)或獲得恐怕是缺一不可的。