世界各地的人们往往因风俗习惯的不同而在人际交往中产生误解，而我们那些生意场上的“精英”们又该注意些什么呢？欢迎走进本文。
There are different customs in different parts of the world. For example, how would you say the date 2-1-1999? Many South Americans give the answer as the second of January, 1999. They put the day before the month. But North Americans give the answer as February the first. They put the month before the day. When they're in another country, business people sometimes miss meetings because they confuse① the various ways of writing dates.
If someone nods their head up and down, what does it mean to you? “No” or “yes”? Nodding the head up and down means “yes” in Europe and the United States, but “no” in GREece and Turkey. The difference only confuses the tourist, but to business people it sometimes means losing a contract②. To prevent misunderstandings, some business people attend classes or read books to learn about the different manners and customs of other countries.
Both classes and books show that what are good manners in one country are sometimes bad manners in another. Even simple gestures③ can have different meanings. The “thumbs-up” sign means “excellent” in the United States, but it's an insult④ in parts of Africa. Tapping the head with the forefinger in parts of South America means “I'm thinking hard,” but in Holland it means “that's crazy”. To point a finger at someone is okay in Canada, but it's rude in Japan.
GREeting customers correctly makes a good first impression. European men and women generally shake hands when meeting for the first time, but in Arab countries men never shake hands with women they're not related to. In Japan, people bow to each other. People from India place their hands together as if praying, then bow the head.
It's a good idea to invite a customer to eat. However, unless the host is careful, dining out can be a problem. Some people are vegetarian; others don't drink alcohol. In the West, people eat with knives and forks; in the East, they eat with chopsticks.
Sometimes business executives⑤ are invited into the homes of their customers. It's the custom in most countries for the guest to take a small gift to the host. Even here there are rules. In England giving a knife is bad luck. The Chinese refuse a gift three times before accepting it, because they do not want to appear GREedy. Some people in southeast Asia don't give handkerchiefs because it makes them think of crying.
If you ever see a worried-looking foreigner in a gift shop, he or she is probably a business executive wondering what to buy.
Notes:①confuse/k
n`fju:z/ v. 把（某人）弄糊涂；使迷惑；使为难
②contract/`k
ntr
kt/ n. 合同；契约
③gesture/`d
est
/ n. 姿势；手势
④insult/`ins
lt/ n. 侮辱；辱骂
⑤executive/ig`zekjutiv/ n. 经理，董事
by Patricia Ackert, Linda Lee and Barbara Bushby
