body language

Although we may not realize it, when we talk with others we make ourselves understood not just by words.当我们和别人谈话时，我们并不仅仅靠语言来表达自己的意思，尽管我们可能意识不到这一点。

In Arab countries, you eat using the fingers of your right hand; the left hand is not used at all.在阿拉伯国家，吃饭用右手的手指；根本不用左手。In parts of Asia you must not sit with your feet pointing at another person.在亚洲的某些地区，你不可能坐着把脚跷起对着别人。

Using body language in a correct way will help communicate with people and make the stay in a foreign country easy and comfortable.正确地运用身势语有助于同人们进行交际，并使你在外国逗留时会感到轻松而愉快。

Forms of Greeting

Handshakes:

? United States and Canada: Firm handshake.

? France: Soft, quick handshake.

? Japan: Handshake with arm fully extended, accompanied by a bow.

? Germany: Firm handshake. Men traditionally accompany the handshake with a slight bow.

? Middle East: Handshake with the free hand placed on the forearm of the other person.

Bowing: Many people from Asian cultures bow in greeting. In Japan, people bow with their hands at their sides, and the depth of the bow is related to the level of respect due to the other person. Thais bow with their palms together and fingers outstretched, while people from Cambodia and Laos bow with their hands in front of their chests. Pakistanis use the salaam, and bow with the palm of the right hand on their foreheads.

Hugging and Kissing: Native Hawaiians hug and exchange breaths in a custom called "aha." Mexicans will usually hug upon greeting (the abrazo). Men in many parts of the world exchange kisses on the cheek, and places where this is a common practice include Cuba, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

For the Maori of New Zealand, a traditional greeting includes the pressing together the noses (the hongi), and a cry of welcome (the karanga).

Other Body Language

Eye Contact: In Western cultures, people make intermittent eye contact while speaking to demonstrate interest and trustworthiness. People in the Middle East use very intense and prolonged eye contact to gauge someone else's intentions, and will move in very close to see the other person's eyes better. However, in Japan direct eye contact is interpreted as an invasion of a person's privacy and an act of rudeness.

Smiling: North Americans usually smile automatically when greeting others, while people from other cultures may interpret this as insincere. Asian people smile less than Westerners, and in Korea it is considered inappropriate for adults to smile in public. For Koreans, a smile usually indicates embarrassment, and not pleasure.

Head Shaking: Although usually shaking one's head from side to side is used to indicate "no," even this simple gesture doesn't have a universal meaning! Bulgarians shake their head to indicate agreement, and people from southern India and Pakistan move their head from side to side to express a variety of meanings. Depending on context, this headshake could mean "you're welcome," "goodbye," enjoyment, the equivalent of a shrug, or that the person acknowledges what another person has said.

Posture: In the Middle East, it is extremely offensive to point the bottom of one's foot in another person's direction – so sitting cross-legged might be a bad idea!

Personal Space: The amount of personal space North Americans require is about the length of an arm. The French, Latin Americans, and Arabs need less personal space, while Germans and Japanese need more. The size of one's personal space may also be influenced by social status, gender, age, and other factors

——中国人用手指头连续从“1”数到“5”，是先张开手掌，然后手指头往掌心弯曲；英美人与此相反，是先握拳，然后手指头一个个伸出去。

——英美人用拇指和食指合成一个圆圈，表示“OK”(好)，而中国人的“0”型手势常用来表示“零”，所以有位

中国学生问美国教师考试结果时，美国教师以“OK”手势来回答，使这位中国学生吃惊不小：得零分？！

——中国人用食指刮刮脸皮，表示没羞，真丢脸；而英美人表达这一意思是对着讥笑的对象，用石手食指

在左手食指上一下一下平削过去(to whittle)：

英美人要求搭车时，是面对开过来的车辆，右手握拳，拇指跷起向右肩方向晃动（注意：在澳大利亚和新

西兰，这是一种淫荡的动作）；中国人搭车是面向车辆，一只胳膊向一侧平伸，掌心向前，作出“停”的手势，

或是高举右手或双手，向司机打招呼。

中国人向人招手示意向其靠近，是掌心朝下；英美人是掌心朝上。有位中国教授去一个美国人家里，要将一件礼物送给这家小孩，当他向小孩招手时，这小孩却往后退。原来中国人掌心朝下的招手方式类似于美国人让人走开的动作。

——两臂在腰部交叉，然后沿身体两侧向下伸去，表示“完了”，“没救了”。

——双臂在身前上下挪动，勾划出女子的身体轮廓，表示“美人”。

——用手拍打自己后肩，表示“自我庆幸”。

——英美人不习惯“正襟危坐”。将一只脚踝压在另一条大腿上，是美国人的典型架腿法，名曰“4字腿”。第二次大战中，德国纳粹曾凭某人架“4字腿”而判定他是美国间谍，加以逮捕。

——英美人在家里喜欢坐在铺有地毯的地上；在美国大街旁或公共场合，我也见有不少人随地而坐。到中国后，有些英美人也随地而坐，中国人见了觉得不卫生。中国人不得不坐地下时，往往找一张报纸或用手帕铺在地下，英美人见了觉得这才是不卫生，因为在他们看来，手帕怎么能放地下？乱丢纸屑本身就不卫生，而且违反公德。

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