In our jobs, we may have occasions to communicate with people in other countries or from other cultures.Whether we are buying, selling, consulting, or simply trying to obtain informatoin, we will need to get across ideas to an audience we are not used to dealing with. Just as we need to understand the characteristics of our audience when we communicate with others from our own country, we need to understand something about the culture, business customs, and communication styles of foreign audiences.

    在我們的工作中,我們可能有機會同來自其他文化國度的外國人打交道. 無論是做買賣、協商，還是僅僅獲得信息，我們都需要使那些我們從未與之打過交道的人弄明白我們的意思。正如當我們同本國同胞打交道時需要懂得他們的特點一樣，我們也需要了解外國交往對象的文化背景、商業習俗以及交談風格。

    Here, then, are some tips to assist you in your intercultural communications. 這里有一些建議能幫助你在國際交往中成功。

    1. Be Clear And Simple.簡明清楚。

    Whether communicating orally or in writting, avoid long, complex sentences, highly technical language, jargon, and colloquialisms. Don't be condescending, but do use simpler words when they are available.

    無論用口頭或書面形式交往，要避免長句和復合句、高新的技術詞語、行話以及俚語。不要顯得屈尊俯就，但要盡量用簡明的詞語。

    2. Don't Assume That Someone You Hear Speaking English Will Understand You.不要以為講英語的人都能聽懂你的話。

    If you talk too fast, slur your words or have an accent, ever a foreigner who seems to speak perfect English will have a hard time following you. An added problem is that many English-speaking foreigners are too polite to let you know they haven't understood.

    如果你講話太快，吞音或有口音，即使講一口流利英語的外國人也很難聽懂你的話。再者，問題是許多計英語的外國人很有禮貌，他們不會告訴你他們沒有聽懂你的話。

    3. Learn The business Customs And Terminology Of Those You Will Be Communicating With.了解你交往對象的商業習俗和術語。
For exaple, we use the metric system of measurement, the US uses a different system of measurement. And many coutries use the day/month/year/ system for dating as opposed to the US system of month/day/year. A meeting arranged in one of these countries on 7.5.89 is scheduled for May, not July.
    
    例如：我們使用公制計量法而美國卻使用一種不同的計量法。還有，許多國家寫日期的順序是日、月、年，而美國的順序卻是月、日、年。如果在前者某一國家開會，會議時間定為“7。5。89”，這是指在5月開會，而不是在7月。

    4.Use Written Messsages Whenever Possible. 盡可能用書面形式交往。

    You read English more easily than you understand spoken English. If you communicate by phone, follow up with a confirmation in writting to guard against miscommunication.

    閱讀英語比聽懂英語要容易。如果你打電話進行交往，打完后要寫下一份書面實錄，以防止誤解。

    5.Don't Be In A Hurry To Get To The Point.不要匆忙作出判斷。

    Europeans, Africans, and Arabs in particular, are put off by the straight-to-the -point style of North American business communication. They prefer a more round-about approach.

    歐洲人、非洲人，尤其是阿拉伯人，對北美洲商人在交往中的直率作風感到不快。他們喜歡比較迂回的交際方式。

    6. Don't Ask Questions That Require A Yes Or No Answer. 不要提那些答案是“是”或“不是”的問題。

    Whereas North Americans tend to say yes when they mean yes and no when they mean no, that's simple not the case in most other cultures. In Asian countries, for example, it is considered impolite to say no, so Asians may answer affirmatively if only to mean "yes, I heard you." Europeans, on the other hand, may initially react negtively to any question, but they actually mean "maybe" or "it depends." In many countries, the answer you get is what the person thinks you want to hear.

    北美洲人心里想說“是”就說“是”，心里想說“不是”就說“不是”，而在其他許多國家，情況就根本不是這樣。例如：在亞洲國家，說“不”被認為是不禮貌的，因此亞洲人的肯定回答可能只是說“是的，我聽到你說的了。”另一方面，歐洲人對任何問題開始都可能作出否定的反應，但是，實際上他們的意思是“可能（或許）”或“看情況再說（視情況再定）”。在許多國家，你所得下馬看花回答是同你交往的人認為你想聽到的話。

    7. Earn About The Country's Body Language.懂得外國的身體動作語言。

    Gestures have various meanings in different places. In Yugoslavia turning the head from side to side means yes; in Japan, looking someone in the eye is considered judgmental or hostile; and in Ghana, thumbs up is a rude gestures. To avoid giving offense, keep your hands quiet.

    在不是地方姿勢有著不同的意思。在南斯拉夫，搖頭意味著“是”；在日本，正視某人的眼睛被認為是指責或有敵意；在加納，翹大姆指是粗魯手勢。為了避免得罪他人，雙手最好是別亂動。

    8. control Your Style Of Expression.表達方式要克制。

    The North American style of expressing emotions is considered impulsive and wild by Asians but restrained and cold by Latin Americans. You need to be aware of how your habits of emotional expression will affect peoplei n a particular culture.

    亞洲人認為，北美洲人表達情感的方式是沖動和狂熱的，而拉丁美洲人卻認為他們是克制的和冷靜的。你必須明白你表達情感的習慣在某一特定文化背景下會對人們產生何種影響。

    9. Don't Interrupt Periods Of Silence.不要在沉默時插話。

    Many foreigners are offended by the North American penchant for jumping in to fill any gaps in a conversation. Speakers in many cultures enjoy periods of silence and use them to gather their thoughts. Be patient. Allow the person to formulate what he or she wants to say, and try not to be "helpful" by putting words into the other person's mouth.

    北美洲人愛在交談間隙中插話許多外國人對此感到不愉快。許多國家的人喜歡在談話中間有沉默的間隙，以便進行思考。此時，要耐心。讓人家琢磨好自己想要說的話，落要試圖插話”幫助“人家把話講出來。