The other day I heard an American say to a Chinese student of English "You speak very good
English." But the student answered, "No, no. My English is very poor." the foreigner was quite surprised at the answer. Thinking he had not made himself understood or the student had not heard him clearly, he said, "Yes indeed, you speak English very well." But the Chinese student still kept saying "No. "In the end the foreigner gave up and was at a loss what to say. What's wrong with the student's answer？ It is because he did not accept a compliment＜赞美的话＞as the English people do. He should have said "Thank you" instead of "no". He actually understood what the American had said. But he thought he should be modest. If he said "Thank you", that would mean he was too proud. According to the western culture, if someone says the dishes you have cooked are very delicious, you should say "Thank you". If someone says to a woman "You look so beautiful with the new clothes on", she should be very happy and answer "Thank you". In our country we think being modest is a virtue and showing off a bad thing. But in the west, if you are modest and say" No, I'm afraid I can't do it well", then the others will take it for granted that you really cannot do it. If you often say "no", you will certainly be looked down upon by others. If asking for a job, one says something like "Let me have a try on the job" instead of "Yes, I can certainly do it," he or she will never expect to get it. So in the west one should always be confident. Without self-confidence, he cannot go anywhere. Confidence is of great importance to one in a country where competition is quite keen.
Why was the American surprised at the Chinese student's answer？
A．Because he wondered whether the student could really speak good English.
B．Because he could hardly hear what the student had said.
C．Because he wouldn't like others to say "No".
D．Because the way to accept a compliment in China is not the same as that in the western countries.
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