unit2communicationproblems新编大学英语第二版第二册课文翻译.docx

Unit?2?Communication?Problems Speaking Different Languages John Gray When Martians and Venusians first got together, they encountered many of the problems with relationships we have today. Because they recognized that they were different, they were able to solve these problems. One of the secrets of their success was good communication. [2] Ironically, they communicated well because they spoke different languages. When they had problems, they would just go to a translator for assistance. Everyone knew that people from Mars and people from Venus spoke different languages, so when there was a conflict they didnt start judging or fighting but instead pulled out their phrase dictionaries to understand each other more fully. If that didnt work they went to a translator for help. [3] You see, the Martian and Venusian languages had the same words but different meanings depending on the way they were used. Their expressions were similar, but they had different connotations or emotional emphasis. Misinterpreting each other was very easy. So when communication problems emerged, they assumed it was just one of those expected misunderstandings and that with a little assistance they would surely understand each other. They experienced a trust and acceptance that we rarely experience today. [4] Even today we still need translators. Men and women seldom mean the same things even when they use the same words. For example, when a woman says, “I feel like you never listen, ” she does not expect the word “never ” to be tak en literally. Using the word “never ” is just a way of expressing the frustration she is feeling at the moment. It is not to be taken as if it were factual information. [5] To fully express their feelings, women would tend to exaggerate the facts a little bit for effect and use various superlatives, metaphors, and generalizations. Men mistakenly take these expressions literally. Because they misunderstand the intended meaning, they commonly react in