原文标题：Language and Culture 有一次，几个中国人到一位比较富裕的美国人家去做客。Once, some Chinese
were visiting the home of a relatively rich American. 主人引他们参观自己的住所，中国客人说：“你们的房子多好啊。非常漂亮。”When the hostess was showing them around, the Chinese guests said, “How nice your house is! It is so beautiful.” 主人听了十分高兴，按美国习惯笑着回答说：“谢谢。”Pleased to hear that, the hostess replied in an American fashion with a smile, “Thank you”, which surprised some of the Chinese guests. 有些中国客人对她的回答感到意外。后来，在餐桌上谈话时！ Later, when they were talking at the dining table, 主人对大学毕业不久的中国女翻译说：“你的英语很好，很流利。”the hostess regarded to the Chinese interpreter, a lady who had just graduated from university, “Your English is excellent. So fluent.”女翻译谦虚地说：“不！不！我的英语说得很不好。” “No, no, my English is so poor.” The young lady replied modestly, which was out of the hostess’s expectation, thus making her a bit confused.主人没想到她会这样回答，感到有些迷惑不解。
那位美国主妇的回答是否像有些中国人认为的那样“不够谦虚”呢？那位年轻的中国女翻译的回答是否像美国主人听起来那样“不够诚恳”呢？ Was the
American hostess’s reply immodest, as it seemed to some of the Chinese? Was the young Chinese interpreter's response insincere, as it sounded to the American hostess?
其实，美国主妇的回答并非谦虚，中国女翻译的回答也不是不诚恳。 Actually, both answers are “no”.讲英语的人听到别人的赞扬，一般说“谢谢”，表示接受，说明自己认为对方的赞扬是诚心诚意的，所赞扬的事是值得赞扬的。 When hearing others’ appreciation, people speaking English generally accept by remarking “thank you”, meaning that they consider the praise sincere and it is worthy, so they shouldn’t pretend to be self-abased or modest. 因此不应“假装自卑”或“故作谦虚”。但是，对中国人来说，听到别人赞扬时，通常要表示受之有愧，做得很不够；But, for Chinese, if praised, they usually indicate that they haven’t done enough for the glory or mean that the achievement is by luck, or it is made by objective conditions, etc.或者说自己的成就不过是由于侥幸，或者说是客观条件造成的，等等，而接受赞扬则意味着有骄傲自满情绪或缺乏教养。 What’s more, acceptance of the praise will imply conceit and self-satisfaction or lack of manners.因此，上述两种回答引起不同反应是由于双方语言习惯不同。他们都根据各自的风俗去理解别人所说的话。So, the two different reactions above are caused by their different codes of language. They both interpreted what the other said according to their own custom.