晨讀美文
The Germans generally adore England and have suffered in the past from unrequited love.England used to be the ultimate role model with its amazingly advanced political,social, industrial and technological achievements. The Germans regard the English as being very nice and mostly harmless,almost German. They admire Americans for the (un-German) easygoing pragmatism and dislike them for their superficiality.For the Germans,the United States is the headmaster in the school of nations, and accord due respect if not always affection.Germans are strong believers in authority.If you know how to obey, then you can also be a master runs the refrain. With the Italian Germans have a close understanding because they have so much history in common.Through wars, invasion and other forms of tourism, a deep and lasting friendship has been established.Italian art treasures, food and beaches are thoroughly appreciated.There is also a connection arising from the fact that Italy and Germany both achieved nationhood in the last century, and are still not entirely sure that this was a good thing. The French are admired for their sophisticated civilization, and pitied for their inferior culture. The French may have higher spirits, but the Germans have deeper souls. Despite this, Francophilia is widespread among Germans, especially those living close to the French border. Like a wistful child looking over the garden fence, Germans envy Mediterranean people for more relaxed attitudes, cultural heritage and warm climate. But only when they are on holiday. The only people to whom the Germans readily concede unquestioned superiority of Teutonic virtues are the Swiss. No German would argue their supremacy in the fields of order, punctuality,diligence, cleanliness and thoroughness. They have never been to war with the Swiss. If experience has taught them one thing, it is that there is not future outside the community of nations. No other nation has a stronger sense of the importance of getting along with others. Tolerance is not only a virtue, It’s a duty.
德國人普遍對英格蘭人懷有好感，而且過去曾受過這份“單相思”的煎熬。英格蘭曾是世界頂級角色的典范，有著令人驚嘆的先進(jìn)的政治，社會，工業(yè)和技術(shù)的成就。 德國人認(rèn)為英國人很友好，基本上沒有惡意，幾乎和德國人一樣。 他們欣賞美國人那種（非德國式的）悠閑隨和的實用主義，同時又討厭美國人那種（非德國式的）膚淺。對德國人來說，美國是國際學(xué)校的校長，那么對校長即使不熱愛的話，也要給予相應(yīng)的尊重。德國人是忠實的信徒。他們時常重復(fù)的一句話就是：如果你懂得如何服從的話，你也就可以成為成功之路的主人。 德國人對意大利人的了解頗深，因為兩國有如此相似的歷史。通過戰(zhàn)爭，侵略，以及各種形式的旅游，兩國間建立了深厚而持久的友誼。意大利的藝術(shù)家，食物及海濱深得德國人的贊賞。兩國間還有一種聯(lián)系，即意大利和德國都是在上個世紀(jì)（19世紀(jì)）取得了主權(quán)地位，而且至今都不很肯定這究竟是不是一件好事。 德國人欣賞法國人精妙深奧的文明，同時又惋惜其文化的低劣。相比之下，法國人可能精神層次較高，而德國人則有更深邃的靈魂。除此之外，有親法情緒的德國人還是很普遍的，特別是那些住在法國邊界的人。 德國人就像一群不知足的孩子，喜歡眺望花園籬笆外的世界。他們嫉妒地中海地區(qū)的人們所有輕松的生活態(tài)度，文化遺產(chǎn)和溫暖的氣候，但那只是在他們度假時才有的心態(tài)。 德國人只肯承認(rèn)瑞士毫無疑問地比他們自己更具有日耳曼民族的美德。瑞士人講究條理，守時，勤奮，清潔又嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)，沒有一個德國人會對他們在這些領(lǐng)域的至高地位持有異議。而且，他們從來沒有和瑞士人發(fā)生過戰(zhàn)爭。 如果以往的經(jīng)驗曾經(jīng)教會他們一件事，那就是：脫離國際社會就沒有前途。沒有一個國家比德國更深刻地認(rèn)識到與人友好相處的重要性。寬容不僅是一種美德，它也是一種責(zé)任。