The meaning of silence varies among cultural groups. Silences may be thoughtful, or they may be empty when a person has nothing to say. A silence in a conversation may also show stubbornness, or worry. Silence may be viewed by some cultural groups as extremely uncomfortable; therefore attempts may be made to fill every gap(间隙)with conversation. Persons in other cultural groups value silence and view it as necessary for understanding a person’s needs.
沉默在不同文化群体中的含义各不相同。沉默可能是深思熟虑的，或者当一个人无话可说时，沉默可能是空洞的。在对话中的沉默也可能表现出固执或担忧。某些文化群体可能认为沉默极其不舒服，因此可能会试图用对话填补每一个间隙。其他文化群体的人珍视沉默，并认为它是理解一个人需求的必要条件。

Many Native Americans value silence and feel it is a basic part of communicating among people, just as some traditional Chinese and Thai persons do. Therefore, when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops, what maybe implied(暗示) is that the person wants the listener to consider what has been said before continuing. In these cultures, silence is a call for reflection.
许多美洲原住民珍视沉默，并认为它是人们交流的基本部分，就像一些传统的中国人和泰国人一样。因此，当这些文化背景的人在讲话时突然停下来，可能暗示的是这个人希望听者在继续之前考虑已经说过的内容。在这些文化中，沉默是对反思的呼唤。

Other cultures may use silence in other ways, particularly when dealing with conflicts among people or in relationships of people with different amounts of power. For example, Russian, French, and Spanish persons may use silence to show agreement between parties about the topic udner discussion. However, Mexicans may use silence when instructions are given by a person in authority rather than be rude to that person by arguing with him or her. In still another use, persons in Asian cultures may view silence as a sign of respect, particularly to an elder or a person in authority.
其他文化可能以不同的方式使用沉默，特别是在处理人与人之间的冲突或权力不等的人际关系时。例如，俄罗斯人、法国人和西班牙人可能使用沉默来表示双方对正在讨论的话题达成一致。然而，墨西哥人可能在权威人士给出指示时使用沉默，而不是通过与他或她争论来表现出无礼。在另一种情况下，亚洲文化中的人可能将沉默视为尊重的标志，特别是对长者或权威人士。

Nurses and other care-geivers need to be aware of the possible meanings of silence when they come across the personal anxiety their patients may be expericencing. Nurses should recognize their own personal and cultural construction of silence so that a patient’s silence is not interrupted too early or allowed to go on unnecessarily. A nurse who understands the healing(治愈) value of silence can use this understanding to assist in the care of patients from their own and from other cultures.
护士和其他护理人员在遇到患者可能经历的个人焦虑时，需要意识到沉默可能的含义。护士应该认识到自己对沉默的个人和文化构建，以便不会过早地打断患者的沉默，也不会让沉默不必要地持续下去。理解沉默的治疗价值的护士可以利用这种理解来协助照顾来自自己文化和其他文化的患者。

1. What does the author say about silence in conversations?
   A.It implies anger.
   B.It promotes friendship.
   C.It is culture-specific.
   D.It is content-based.
   答案：C

2. Which of the following people might regard silence as a call for careful thought?
   A.The Chinese.
   B.The French.
   C.The Mexicans.
   D.The Russians.
   答案：A

3. What does the author advise nurses to do about silence?
   A.Let it continue as the patient pleases.
   B.Break it while treating patients.
   C.Evaluate its harm to patients.
   D.Make use of its healing effects.
   答案：D

4. What may be the best title for the text?
   A.Sound and Silence
   B.What It Means to Be Silent
   C.Silence to Native Americans
   D.Speech Is Silver; Silence Is Gold
   答案：B