When Chinese student Du Juan brought her American boyfriend home two years ago to use the toilet, her Japanese roommate became so upset that she shouted in English: "I hate you."
Du, then 21 and an undergraduate at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, was shocked. So was her boyfriend.
"Later I realized that she didn't literally mean what she said and that she was not aware of the full meaning of the word 'hate' in English," said Du. "It was more a problem with translation," she added.
Cultural differences can cause confusion about what words or even actions mean, an issue that has come to the forefront recently following the arrest of a Chinese doctoral degree student in New Jersey.
Zhai Tiantian, who studied at the Stevens Institute of Technology, has been accused of trying to set fire to a campus building and of making threats to a professor who gave him a low mark. No physical altercation took place but Zhai reportedly said something along the lines of "at worst, I will risk anything on the line." The professor called the campus police.
According to the indictment sheet（起诉书）, Zhai is facing the serious charge of making a terroristic threat.
For a few days, Chinese media mistranslated, or misunderstood, the charges and reported that Zhai was being charged with terrorism.
Some language experts have speculated（推测） that the disagreement between Zhai and the professor can also be chalked up to cultural and linguistic differences. "What Chinese people regard as acceptable speech may be regarded by Americans as threats," said Luo Gang, the Chinese Consulate's Overseas Chinese Affairs consul. "This is an unfortunate incident. Even though Zhai intended no harm, he has done himself a great deal of harm."
Du, now 23, said she supports Zhai's actions in fighting to save his academic career, but added he needs to learn more about communication in a foreign language.
"Chinese students in a foreign country must prepare more in terms of languages and conversation skills to avoid misunderstandings," she said.
小题1:What does the underlined word “altercation” mean？
A．fight
B．check
C．education
D．experiment小题2:By saying “It was more a problem with translation”, what does Du Juan mean?
A．Translation was not the real problem, as Du Juan and her roommate can both speak English.
B．Du Juan can not understand what her roommate meant at all.
C．Her roommate didn’t know what “hate” really meant in daily conservation.
D．Her roommate spoke such poor English that she felt angry.小题3:Which of the following statements about Zhai Tiantian is true?
A．He set fire to a campus building.
B．He argued with a professor because he received a low mark.
C．He has received a doctor’s degree at the Stevens Institute of Technology.
D．He is facing a serious charge because he murdered the professor.小题4:What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Du Juan’s unpleasant experience abroad.
B．Confusion caused by translation.
C．Conservational skills in a foreign country.
D．Cultural differences between China and America.
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