It is common for Eastern and Western cultures to communicate differently in everyday settings.

在日常生活中,东西方文化的交流方式不同是很常见的。

Between these two cultures, there are different patterns in speech, languages used, articulation techniques and emotional cues expressed.

在这两种文化之间,有不同的说话模式,使用的语言,发音技巧和情感的表达方式。

At times stereotypical Eastern societies and Western societies express themselves in conflicting ways. Sometimes this can make doing business or socialising together challenging.

有时,东方社会和西方社会会刻板地以相互冲突的方式表达自己的想法。有时这会让一起做生意或社交变得困难。

When I lived in Malaysia and Singapore, I got along with many of Asian background there. When I moved back to Australia, I realised people here have different mindsets and cultural values.

当我在马来西亚和新加坡生活时,我在那里与许多亚洲背景的人相处。当我搬回澳大利亚时,我意识到这里的人有不同的心态和文化价值观。

There’s much to be observed and learned from Eastern vs Western communication styles. That way you can understand cultural differences and minimise miscommunication, improving cross-cultural relationships.

东方和西方的沟通方式有很多值得观察和学习的地方。这样你就可以更好地理解文化差异,尽量减少误解,更好地处理跨文化关系。

Here are some key differences between Eastern and Western communication styles.

以下是东西方沟通方式的一些主要差异。

1. High context vs low context

1. 高语境vs低语境
原创翻译:龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


In high context cultures (a term coined by anthropologist Edward T. Hall), communication is often indirect and some things aren’t openly said. Low context cultures involves direct communication and thoughts are clearly articulated.

在高语境文化(人类学家爱德华.t.霍尔创造的一个术语)中,交流通常是间接的,有些事情不会公开说出来。而低语境文化包括直接交流和清晰地表达。

Eastern cultures are often high context cultures. Collectivism and ‘saving face’ is a big part of Asian cultures. Before speaking some Asians might choose their words carefully to avoid pointing out flaws, upsetting or offending others – protecting their image at the same time.

东方文化通常是高语境文化。集体主义和“留面子”是亚洲文化的重要组成部分。一些亚洲人在说话之前可能会小心措辞,以避免指出别人的缺点、惹恼或冒犯他人——同时维护自己的形象。

On the other hand Western cultures are low context cultures. Westerners tend to be more individualistic, say things upfront and want to succinctly get their point across.

另一方面,西方文化是低语境文化。西方人更倾向于个人主义,直言不讳,想要简洁明晰地表达自己的观点。

This can explain why some Asians are stereotypically seen as quiet and submissive while Westerners loud and assertive.

这可以解释为什么有些亚洲人被认为是安静和服从的,而西方人则是大声和独断的。

At times there is hidden meaning behind words. For instance in some Asian workplaces, employees usually say ‘Yes’ to tasks they are unsure of and keep quiet, which can lead to miscommunication down the line.

有时候,话语背后隐藏着其他含义。例如,在亚洲的一些工作场所,员工通常会对他们不确定的任务说“是”,然后保持沉默,这可能会导致后续地沟通不畅。

Personally I like to say ‘Yes’ to any challenge, then right away ask and annoy others how to get things done – learn as I go along and get things done.

就我个人而言,我喜欢对任何挑战说“是”,然后马上问别人如何把事情做完——边做边学,把事情做完。

2. Speaking up

2. 说出来
原创翻译:龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


Westerners are more likely to speak up and say their mind. On the other hand, those in Asian countries are instinctively listen more.

西方人更愿意畅所欲言,说出自己的想法。另一方面,亚洲国家的人则本能地更愿意倾听。

When there are people in a team who exhibit both these traits, that can get in the way of teamwork.

当一个团队中有这两种特征的人同时存在时,这可能会妨碍团队合作。
原创翻译:龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


A study by the University of New South Wales on a class of Singapore university students found the class was mainly silent. It also found the students feared being wrong when asking questions but ask targeted questions. Often East-Asian international students often adopt the silent-strategy to deal with the English language barrier in classes, and are eager to learn just like European students.

新南威尔士大学对新加坡一个班级的学生进行的一项研究发现,这个班级的学生们基本上是沉默的。研究还发现,学生们在提问时害怕犯错,但会提出有针对性的问题。东亚留学生往往在课堂上采取沉默策略来应对英语的语言障碍,但和欧洲学生一样渴望学习。

Again, this communicating behaviour can be attributed to ‘saving face’. In Asian cultures listening and letting others speak is a sign of respect.

同样,这种交流行为可以归结为“留面子”。在亚洲文化中,倾听和让别人说话是尊重别人的表现。

As I wrote in Why are some Asians so quiet all the time, generally Asians listen to learn from others. Westerners speak up to generate discussion among everyone and therefore learn through discussing ideas.

正如我在《为什么有些亚洲人总是那么安静》一文中所写的那样,一般来说,亚洲人会通过倾听来获得别人的想法。西方人大声说话是为了引起大家的讨论,通过讨论来获得别人的想法。

3. Non-verbal communication

3.非语言交流

Eastern and Western cultures interpret non-verbal communication differently. Not all emotions are expressed universally across both cultures.

东西方文化对非语言交际的理解不同。并不是所有的情绪都能在两种文化中以相同的非语言行为来表达。
原创翻译:龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


Maintaining eye contact means confidence and paying attention in Western cultures. In Asian cultures that is a sign of aggression and rudeness.

在西方文化中,保持眼神交流意味着自信和专注。而在亚洲文化中,这是具有侵略性和粗鲁的标志。

Beckoning with hands is considered friendly in the West. Gesturing with the left hand is considered dirty and offensive in Middle Eastern cultures. Pointing is seen as rude in Malaysia.

在西方,用手打招呼被认为是友好的。在中东文化中,用左手打招呼被认为是肮脏和无礼的。在马来西亚,用手指着别人被视为是粗鲁的行为。

Smiling at strangers in public is seen as friendly in Australia and the UK. In Asia, it’s strange to smile at strangers and a smile could be a cover-up for negative emotions.

在澳大利亚和英国,在公共场合对陌生人微笑被视为友好。在亚洲,对陌生人微笑是一件很奇怪的事,微笑可能是对负面情绪的掩饰。

Emotions are nuanced. Sometimes silence is consent, but other times silence is also not consent.

情绪是很微妙的。有时沉默是表示同意,但有时沉默也不是表示同意。

Spending part of my life in high-crime country Malaysia taught me being silent and sour-faced at strangers is for your own safety. You never know what attention you might invite being friendly with a stranger. I might be seen as impolite avoiding friendly Aussie strangers safety always comes first.

我在高犯罪率国家马来西亚生活的一段时间教会了我,对陌生人保持沉默和冷漠是为了你自己的安全。你永远不知道与陌生人友好相处会发生什么。我可能会被视为不礼貌,他们会想要避开我这个友好的澳大利亚陌生人,安全永远是第一位的。

4. Leadership

4. 领导

Hierarchical structures in Asian workplaces are common and obeying authority is key. In China, guanxi is important for developing good business relationships within various industries.

亚洲职场的等级结构很普遍,服从权威是关键。在中国,人际关系对于在各行各业建立良好的业务关系非常重要。
原创翻译:龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


On the other hand there is more of a flatter level-playing field in the western corporate world. Sharing ideas openly is encouraged. Friday after-work drinks with colleagues and bosses is pretty common in Australia.

另一方面,西方职场的竞争环境更为公平,鼓励大家公开分享自己的想法。在澳大利亚,周五下班后与同事和老板一起喝酒是很常见的。

An academic review of Western and Chinese leadership models found over time there is a convergence of workplace styles in both cultures. Education and efficiency is valued across both cultures.

对西方和中国领导模式的研究发现,随着时间的推移,两种文化的职场风格趋于一致。两种文化都重视教育和效率。

Having worked in many different roles and sectors over the years, I find most white Australian managers and executives like planning things out – drawn out months of consulting before projects get started.

多年来,我在许多不同的职场和部门工作过,我发现大多数澳大利亚白人经理和高管都喜欢把事情计划好——在项目开始之前,他们会花几个月的时间进行咨询。

Working with freelance clients from Asia is mostly an opposite experience. Their approach was to pay me right away before I did any work. That was nice but it made drawing up contracts at the start and gauging workload challenging – and later having to put up with changing project priorities.

与来自亚洲的自由客户合作大多是一种相反的体验。他们的做法是在我做任何工作之前先付钱给我。这很好,但它使得在开始工作前签订合同和衡量工作量变得很困难——而且后来也不得不忍受不断变化的项目优先级。

5. Time

5. 时间

Both Eastern and Western cultures tend to regard punctuality with respect to different degrees.

东西方文化都倾向于在不同程度上重视守时。

Asian cultures have more of a stickler for things being on time. Showing up on time to work or an appointment is expected in Asia. In 2018 a Japanese railway company made a public apology when a train left its station 25 seconds early.

亚洲文化更注重守时。在亚洲,准时上班或赴约是被鼓励的。2018年,日本一家铁路公司因一列火车提前25秒离开车站而公开道歉。

While in Germany things run on clockwork, Spain and France are more relaxed about time where deadlines are more flexible and there is time for nice wine and dine.

在德国,一切都像时钟一样井然有序,而西班牙和法国对时间的要求更宽松,工作的截止日期更灵活,人们有时间享用美酒和美食。

* * *
Not all of us will always get along. Sometimes it can be hard to see past our cultural values and see things from another’s point of view.

不是所有人都能和睦相处。有时候,我们很难改变自己的文化价值观,站在别人的角度看问题。

Sometimes someone’s communication style might rub off you all the time, making you annoyed.

有时候,某些人的沟通方式可能会一直让你反感,让你感到恼火。

While you might not always agree with someone’s cultural values, you can respect these values and different communication styles. You can always try to listen, let others speak and genuinely ask questions. You can avoid raising your voice, attacking opinions and asserting your opinion over others.

虽然你可能不总是同意别人的文化价值观,但你可以尊重这些价值观和不同的沟通方式。你可以试着倾听,让别人说话,真诚地问问题。你可以避免自己的声音太大,避免攻击别人的观点和表达你对他人的看法。

As Plato said, ‘Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.’

正如柏拉图所说,“智者说话是因为他们有话要说;傻瓜说话是因为他们总得说点什么。”
原创翻译:龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


How you communicate leaves an impression on others. More importantly how you communicate is a reflection of yourself.

你的沟通方式会给别人留下对你的印象。更重要的是,你的沟通方式反映了你自己的个性。

Notably being civil to each other’s views might be easier face-to-face in person compared to online interactions. Research has shown online racial discrimination is increasing and online hate is constantly being directed at Asians on social media especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

值得注意的是,与在线互动相比,在面对面交流彼此的观点时表现得彬彬有礼可能会让交流变得更容易。研究表明,网络种族歧视正在增加,尤其是在新冠疫情期间,社交媒体上不断有针对亚洲人的网络仇恨。

It can be easy to hide behind a screen and express opinionated thoughts anonymously. When someone gives honest criticism face-to-face, they probably are really honest.

躲在屏幕后面,匿名地表达自己的观点是很容易的。但当有人当面给出诚实的批评时,这说明他们可能真的很诚实。

One time I was walking in the city and a white guy randomly yelled ‘Hey chink!’ in my face. He looked young, rugged and didn’t look sorry. As he walked away looking at me, I walked away looking ahead. I didn’t see the point in confrontation.

有一次我走在城市里,一个白人冲到我面前喊:“嘿,中国佬!”。他看上去很年轻,粗犷,一点也不觉得自己的行为很失礼。他望着我走开了,我也望着前方走开了。我不觉得对抗有什么意义。

Almost all of the time there is no point in engaging with hate speech. Sometimes even the most opinionated people just want to get on with their day. And so do you. And so do I.

几乎所有时候,参与仇恨言论都是没有意义的。有时候,即使是最固执己见的人也只是想继续他们的生活。你是这样,我也是。

When you make genuine effort to communicate with someone of a different cultural background, there’s always a chance you’ll both get along.

当你真诚地努力与来自不同文化背景的人交流时,你们总是有机会融洽地相处。

Have you encountered different communication styles?

你遇到过不同的沟通方式吗?