We Do Not Mean To Be Rude

来源: 或许是老虎 2013-07-09 17:58:56 [] [博客] [旧帖] [给我悄悄话] 本文已被阅读: 次 (3290 bytes)
本文内容已被 [ 或许是老虎 ] 在 2013-07-09 18:11:54 编辑过。如有问题,请报告版主或论坛管理删除.
If we talk in Chinese among ourselves in front of foreigners in a foreign country, it may be considered rude. But really that's NOT what we mean to be. So I told the boyfriend of my friend Laura, Leo, recently when he complained that my friend talked with me in Chinese which he, as a second generation of Australian with an Italian family background, couldn't understand a signle word.

People like Leo have no idea how much effort we first generation immigrants have to take talking in English, especially if you are like me who migrated in my 30s or if you are like Laura who's only a few months new in a foreign country.

For many of us, very often we have to go through the process of translation in our head first before we can speak something out in English. It's exciting but it can get tedious sometimes. We can even struggle to express ourselves accurately and thoroughly when we speak a second language. We may want to take a break from it when we meet someone who speaks the same mother language as us. People like Leo don't understand this since they have never experienced it themselves. Although Leo speaks both English and Italian, he never has to go through the translation part. Being born in Australia into an Italian family, It seems that both languages are his first language. Lucky him! They just flood out when he speaks, in either English or Italian. So he needs to be reassured that we are not trying to hide some secrets or conspire something evil or bad mouthing others when we are not speaking their language.

We are SIMPLY taking a break so please relax dear foreign friends! :)

Leo no longer complains now. He simply turns around sometimes and pretends that he's responding to what Laura and I are talking about in Chinese by going blablabla...


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明白:) -青柏- 给 青柏 发送悄悄话 青柏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/09/2013 postreply 19:23:45

回复:明白:) -或许是老虎- 给 或许是老虎 发送悄悄话 或许是老虎 的博客首页 (27 bytes) () 07/11/2013 postreply 02:53:21

老虎好,多时不见,小老虎们该长大了。 -废话多多- 给 废话多多 发送悄悄话 废话多多 的博客首页 (774 bytes) () 07/10/2013 postreply 06:53:31

回复:老虎好,多时不见,小老虎们该长大了。 -或许是老虎- 给 或许是老虎 发送悄悄话 或许是老虎 的博客首页 (14 bytes) () 07/11/2013 postreply 02:46:52

问好老虎。意大利人跟中国人有的地方挺像的。 -吉庆有余- 给 吉庆有余 发送悄悄话 吉庆有余 的博客首页 (151 bytes) () 07/10/2013 postreply 09:34:37

回复:问好老虎。意大利人跟中国人有的地方挺像的。 -或许是老虎- 给 或许是老虎 发送悄悄话 或许是老虎 的博客首页 (81 bytes) () 07/11/2013 postreply 02:50:33

抱抱老虎。看见孩子们好,我也乐开花。 -吉庆有余- 给 吉庆有余 发送悄悄话 吉庆有余 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/11/2013 postreply 07:44:54

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