时间

Time is tangible. One can gain time, spend time, waste time, save time, or even kill time. Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. “Do you have any time?”, “Can you get some time for this?”, “How much free time do you have?” The treatment of time as a possession influences the way that time is carefully divided. Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses, the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-, 30-, and 60-minute time slots. The idea that “there is a time and place for everything” extends to American social life. Visitors who drop by without prior notice may interrupt their host’s personal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone before visiting them is generally preferred to visitors’ dropping by.

时间并不是无形的。我们可以挤出时间，花费时间，浪费时间，节约时间，甚至消磨时光。“你有时间吗？”“你能花时间做这件事吗？”“你有多少空闲时间？”这些问句揭示了在美式英语中，时间对他们来说占有一席之地。怎样影响时间的分配，在于时间对你的重要性。 总体上来说，美国人从小被教导一次只做一件事，如果被中途打断，则会让他们感到不舒服。在商界，认真的做好时间安排，区别活动日程是他们的习惯作法，并把安排分成15分钟、30分钟以及60分钟。“说话看场合, 做事看时机。”这句话延伸到了美国人的社会生活中。一个没有事先通知的访客，会打扰主人的私人生活。因此，相比作为访客顺便拜访，朋友们通常更喜欢提前电话通知主人。