双语：英国人沉稳保守美国人乐观浪漫

2013-07-12 00:00:00来源：可可英语

　　With our shared interests and notorious "special relationship', it is often thought that Britons and Americans are cut from the same cloth.

　　由于我们的共同利益和出了名的“特殊关系”，人们通常认为英国人和美国人如出一辙。

　　However, a new survey has revealed that people from both sides of the Atlantic have wildly different personalities.

　　然而，一项最新调查表明，位于大西洋两岸的两国人民在性格上有着巨大差异。

　　Up to 20,000 Britons and Americans took part in a visual personality test which involved selecting which image they most identified with in certain categories.

　　有共两万英国人和美国人参加了一项图像性格测试，测试内容包括在一个特定分类里选择一张与自己最匹配的图片。

　　And, as well as confirming some long-held stereotypes, it also appears to confirm that the famous British stiff upper lip still exists.

　　另外，在验证一些老观念时，测试也表明英国人典型的沉稳内敛性格依然存在。

　　As reported by The Times, Americans are more likely to be 'caring' or 'energetic optimists' while Britons are twice as likely to be described as 'downhearted'.

　　根据《泰晤士报》的报道，美国人更“具有同情心”或“充满活力且乐观”，而英国人“消沉沮丧”的可能性是美国人的两倍。

　　However, Britons also emerged as more likely to be chilled out.

　　不过，英国人也更容易冷静下来。

　　Some of the more revealing insights from the survey, by Visual DNA, came when Britons and Americans were asked about romance.

　　这项由Visual DNA主持的调查也揭示了一些英国人和美国人在被问及情感时的不同点。

　　Briton's are more reserved and less likely to share romantic secrets with friends, family and colleagues. Americans, however, are four times more likely to be called a 'true romantic'. They are more flirtatious and much more likely to take a sexual attitude towards love.

　　英国人更矜持，不太和朋友、家人及同事分享自己的情感故事，美国人则相反，他们被称为“浪漫实际派”的可能性是英国人的四倍。他们更轻浮，对爱情的态度更倾向于性方面。

　　British people, on the other hand, are five times more likely to be called 'more reserved'.

　　而另一方面，英国人被称为“保守更甚者”的可能性是美国人的五倍。

　　The survey results appear to confirm what actor Michael Caine once famously said.

　　这个调查结果正好验证了演员迈克尔·肯恩曾说过的著名的话。

　　'I think what is British about me is my feelings and awareness of others and their situations.

　　“我想我性格中英国人的方面在于我顾及他人及他们所处的环境。”

　　'English people are always known to be well mannered and cold but we are not cold - we don't interfere in your situation.

　　“英国人一向被认为是礼貌而又冷漠的，但我们并不冷漠，我们只是不介入你的处境中。”

　　'If we are heartbroken, we don't scream in your face with tears - we go home and cry on our own.'

　　“如果我们心碎了，我们并不会满脸悲苦现于人前，我们会回到家默默哭泣。”

　　Another intriguing insight into attitudes came when people were asked about money.