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1、SocialTime:TheHeartbeatofCulture1“Ifamandoesnotkeeppacewithhiscompanions,perhapsitisbecausehehearsadifferentdrummer.”ThisthoughtbyThoreaustrikesachordinsomanypeoplethatithasbecomepartofourlanguage.Weusethephrase“thebeatofadifferentdrummer”toexplainanypaceoflifeunlikeourown.Suchco
2、lorfulvaguenessrevealshowinformalourrulesoftimereallyare.Theworldover,childrensimply“pickup”theirsociety’stimeconceptsastheymature.Nodictionaryclearlydefinesthemeaningof“early”or“late”forthemorforstrangerswhostumbleovertheannoyingdifferencesbetweenthetimesensetheybringwiththemand
3、theonetheyfaceinanewland.2Ilearnedthisafewyearsago,andtheresultingcultureshock1forcedmetosearchforanswers.Itseemedclearthattime“talks”.Butwhatisittellingus?3MyjourneystartedshortlyafterIacceptedanappointmentasvisitingprofessorofpsychologyatthefederaluniversityinNiteroi,Brazil,asm
4、allcityacrossthebayfromRiodeJaneiro.AsIlefthomeformyfirstdayofclass,Iaskedsomeonethetime.Itwas9:05a.m.,whichallowedmetimetorelaxandlookaroundthecampusbeforemy10o’clocklecture.AfterwhatIjudgedtobehalfanhour,IglancedataclockIwaspassing.Itsaid10:20!Inpanic2,Ibrokefortheclassroom,fol
5、lowedbygentlecallsof“Hola3,professor”and“Tudobem4,professor?”fromunhurriedstudents,manyofwhom,Ilaterrealized,weremyown.Iarrivedbreathlesstofindanemptyroom.4Frantically,Iaskedapasserbythetime.“Nineforty-five”wastheanswer.No,thatcouldn’tbe.Iaskedsomeoneelse.“Ninefifty-five.”Another
6、said:“Exactly9:43.”Theclockinanearbyofficeread3:15.IhadlearnedmyfirstlessonaboutBrazilians:Theirtimepiecesareconsistentlyinaccurate.Andnobodyminds.5Myclasswasscheduledfrom10untilnoon.Manystudentscamelate,someverylate.Severalarrivedafter10:30.Afewshowedupcloserto11.Twocameaftertha
7、t.AllofthelatecomersworetherelaxedsmilesthatIcame,later,toenjoy.Eachonesaidhello,andalthoughafewapologizedbriefly,noneseemedterriblyconcernedaboutlateness.TheyassumedthatIunderstood.6TheideaofBraziliansarrivinglatewasnotagreatshock.Ihadlearnedabout“mãnha”,thePortugueseequivalento
8、f“manana”inSpanish.Thisterm,meaning“tomo
