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1、SocialTime:TheHeartbeatofCulture1“Ifamandoesnotkeeppacewithhiscompanions,perhapsitisbecausehehearsadifferentdrummer.”ThisthoughtbyThoreaustrikesachordinsomanypeoplethatithasbecomepartofourlanguage.Weusethephrase“thebeatofadifferentdrummer”toexplainanypaceoflifeunlikeourown.Suchcolorfulvague
2、nessrevealshowinformalourrulesoftimereallyare.Theworldover,childrensimply“pickup”theirsociety’stimeconceptsastheymature.Nodictionaryclearlydefinesthemeaningof“early”or“late”forthemorforstrangerswhostumbleovertheannoyingdifferencesbetweenthetimesensetheybringwiththemandtheonetheyfaceinanewla
3、nd.2Ilearnedthisafewyearsago,andtheresultingcultureshock1forcedmetosearchforanswers.Itseemedclearthattime“talks”.Butwhatisittellingus?3MyjourneystartedshortlyafterIacceptedanappointmentasvisitingprofessorofpsychologyatthefederaluniversityinNiteroi,Brazil,asmallcityacrossthebayfromRiodeJanei
4、ro.AsIlefthomeformyfirstdayofclass,Iaskedsomeonethetime.Itwas9:05a.m.,whichallowedmetimetorelaxandlookaroundthecampusbeforemy10o’clocklecture.AfterwhatIjudgedtobehalfanhour,IglancedataclockIwaspassing.Itsaid10:20!Inpanic2,Ibrokefortheclassroom,followedbygentlecallsof“Hola3,professor”and“Tud
5、obem4,professor?”fromunhurriedstudents,manyofwhom,Ilaterrealized,weremyown.Iarrivedbreathlesstofindanemptyroom.4Frantically,Iaskedapasserbythetime.“Nineforty-five”wastheanswer.No,thatcouldn’tbe.Iaskedsomeoneelse.“Ninefifty-five.”Anothersaid:“Exactly9:43.”Theclockinanearbyofficeread3:15.Ihad
6、learnedmyfirstlessonaboutBrazilians:Theirtimepiecesareconsistentlyinaccurate.Andnobodyminds.5Myclasswasscheduledfrom10untilnoon.Manystudentscamelate,someverylate.Severalarrivedafter10:30.Afewshowedupcloserto11.Twocameafterthat.AllofthelatecomersworetherelaxedsmilesthatIcame,later,toenjoy.Ea
7、chonesaidhello,andalthoughafewapologizedbriefly,noneseemedterriblyconcernedaboutlateness.TheyassumedthatIunderstood.6TheideaofBraziliansarrivinglatewasnotagreatshock.Ihadlearnedabout“mãnha”,thePortugueseequivalentof“manana”inSpanish.Thisterm,meaning“tomo
