最近我和一位美国友人闲聊,给她讲了中国人家喻户晓的“铁杵磨成针”的故事。她听后很不以为然地说:“多奇怪的故事呀!需要针的话,为什么要找铁杵来磨呢?用别的办法,不是更快、更容易吗?”她的回应出乎我的意料,但仔细想想,说的也不无道理。在中国或者其他华人社会,老师和家长教育学生说,只要努力,铁杵也能磨成针;而美国学校则会鼓励学生,想出最有效的办法去制造针,或者想出最有效的方法把铁杵用于其他目的。 Recently, I chatted with an American friend and told her the well-known Chinese story of “iron pestle grinding into needles.” After she listened displeasingly, she said: “What a strange story! Why do you need an iron needle to grind it when it is needed? Is it faster and easier to do it by other means?” Her response was beyond my expectations , But think about it, that is not unreasonable. In China or other Chinese communities, teachers and parents educate their students that with hard work, iron pestles can be ground into needles, while American schools encourage students to come up with the most effective ways to make needles or come up with the most effective method Use iron pestles for other purposes.