Characters:Japanese-host, German,Hindu,Arabian-guests
Setting: The characters of the play are colleagues from a multinational corporation. And the Japanese is going to receive his colleagues at home.
Narration: Customs are varied among different cultures. When a group of people from different cultural background gathered without mindfully adapting to each other’s cultural norms, it can result in conflict. In this short play, we will have a direct view on the sharp conflict caused by the cultural ignorance of these characters from different countries in cross-cultural communication.
Substance:This play reminds us that cultural differences are universally existed in cross-cultural communications, we need to learn more cultural backgroud knowledge before our cross-cultural practices, which can not only make our communication more smooth-going, but also show our respects and concerns to others.
Table Conflict
日本人:今晚会有很多客人来吃饭,我们需要好好准备一下
Japanese: Tonight, some of my colleagues with different nationalities will come to my apartment to have dinner, I must make a good preparation of it.
德国人:客人应该快来了吧
German: Will other guests come soon?
印度人:对不起,来的有点晚了,大家好啊(双手合十,举过头顶)
Hindu: Sorry, I am a bit late, how do you do?
印度人与日本人握手,日本人却鞠躬,场景较为尴尬
Hindu want to shake hands with the host, while the Japanese bow to him.(Embarassing)
印度人直接走进了房屋
The Hindu proceeding to the room directly.
日本人:进门需要脱鞋呀
Japanese: You need to take off your shoes!
印度人:在别人家门口脱鞋好尴尬呀(有点不解且不情愿地脱下了鞋)
Hindu: It’s embarassing to take off my shoes at other’s door.
(印度人脱完鞋子,走了进去)
阿拉伯人:(对日本人说)可以给我准备个毯子和空房间么,我过会需要做礼拜
Arabian:Can you offer me a blanket and an empty room, I need to pray before the dinner.
日本人:啊。。。好的。。。
J:Oh....ok....
(阿拉伯人行完昏礼,拜完后回来了)
日本人:人都到齐了,大家吃饭之前先干杯
J:So we get everyone here, cheers!
阿拉伯人:哦,不,我不喝酒的
A: Oh,no, I can’t drink.
德国人:来吧,就一点点没事的,意思意思也好
G:Come on,it’s fine,just a little.
(日本人和阿拉伯人互相推搡,酒洒在德国人身上)
德国人:你们干嘛呀!
G:OH,what are you doing!
(用酒精擦拭西装,表示不悦)
日本人:oh,真是不小心,算了算了,你就以茶代酒吧
J:Oh,sorry, never mind, a cup of tea for it.
(印度人一把抛开左手递过来的杯子)
印度人:肮脏!!!我不喝这个酒
I:Filthy,I would’t drink that.
日本人:这又怎么了啊?
J:What’s up?
印度人:怎么能用左手递东西?!这太脏了
I:Why did you pass the bottle with your left hand?It’s so dirty.
日本人:好吧好吧,来(右手又倒了一杯),好了,大家干杯!(Cheer!)
J:OkOK,Bottom up.
阿拉伯人不和大家碰杯,所有人看向阿拉伯人
阿拉伯人:我们不习惯和别人碰杯,这样不礼貌的
A:we’re not used to toasting, it’s so rude.
其他人表示不解,接着碰杯
日本人:开吃吧
J:Let’s dig in.
德国人:没有刀叉,请问。。。有没有刀叉。。。我们不习惯用筷子
G:no forks and knives, we are probably not good at using chopsticks.
日本人:给(你们不用么)
J:here
印度人:吃饭用不用餐具无所谓啊,入乡随俗,啥都应该试一试(筷子使用不熟练,掉在了德国人的身上)
I:Without tableware, we can also use our hands. Well, Do in Rome as Rome does. We can have a try.
德国人:Oh,你们!你们没有一个人是在认真吃饭的,你们慢慢玩吧,我没空和你们耗了(站起,夺门而出)
G:oh, none of you is really for the meal. I am not going to stay with any of you idiot.
日本人出去追,其他人无心再吃。。。
1.本剧设计中可能存在着某种程度上的stereotype,比如几位跨国公司职员的冲突基本上来自于他们对各自本国文化的偏执,尤其表现在阿拉伯人这一角色上,这一点可能是本剧设计的不妥之处。
2.还有本剧场景发生有一定的可能性,比如参与会话各方对其他文化风俗和背景缺少必要的认知,这样的情况很有可能出现。但如果我们以一个较高的跨文化交际者的角度看,这样的情况似乎又很难发生,因为里面涉及到的文化冲突十分尖锐,现实情况下,人们在面对不同的文化冲突的时候也不一定会表现的那么激烈,可能会对其进行一定程度上的容忍。
3.本剧中,其他三位角色对于印度人迟到的容忍,日本人最终让印度人穿鞋进入房间的容忍,日本人不厌其烦的调节气氛,满足其他客人的各种要求,比如阿拉伯人做礼拜的要求,还有印度人基于自己认知,想要去调节气氛的做法,亲自用手给德国人传递食物,这些都体现了会话者的goodwill想要更好地促进交流交际,但是往往好心办了坏事,追根到底还是基于文化中根深蒂固的认知差异和文化差异