For many tourists, communication with the local people is an important part of their trip. It allows them to really feel the atmosphere of the country or the city they are visiting. When talking to people around us, we make new friends, dive into the local culture, learn about the local traditions, and get more useful information than any guidebook can give us.

对于许多游客来说，与当地人交流是旅行的重要一环，能够真正感受到所访问国家或城市的氛围。与周围的人交谈时，我们结识了新朋友，深入了解当地文化和传统，并获得许多有用的信息，这些是任何一本指南手册都无法提供的。

But sometimes, despite our sincere interest and kindness, the conversation just doesn't work out. We are sure we didn't talk about religion or politics and we know we didn't laugh about the local traditions. But we made a mistake somewhere. Today, we are going to give you the wrong advice on how to repel¹ the local people in the most popular countries to visit.

但有时候，尽管我们怀着真诚的兴趣和善意，对话还是无法进行。我们确定没有谈论宗教或政治，没有嘲笑当地的传统，但我们在某个点上犯了错误。今天，我们将为您提供反面教材，看看在旅游热门国家中游客是如何惹恼当地人的。

Italy

意大利

Asking where the nearest Starbucks is. The only coffee they respect in Italy is espresso that they drink while standing², usually, in a small coffee shop.

询问最近的星巴克在哪里。在意大利唯一受尊重的咖啡是意式浓缩咖啡，通常是在小咖啡店里站着喝。

Telling an Italian about your experiment with Italian foods. Maybe like when you added ketchup³ to your pasta, instead of a classic Italian tomato sauce.

向意大利人介绍你开发的意大利食物新做法。比如在意大利面中添加番茄酱，而非经典的意大利番茄沙司。

Complaining about them not following the driving rules. It is completely pointless to try and explain to an Italian that driving under the speed limit and following other driving rules is important.

抱怨当地人不遵守驾驶规则。如果你试图向意大利人解释，在限速内驾驶并遵守其他驾驶规则非常重要，无异对牛弹琴。

Refusing to kiss when you meet someone. Italians always kiss twice when they meet each other. It is just as necessary as a handshake in other countries.

遇见当地人时拒绝亲吻。意大利人见面时总是亲吻两次，这和在其他国家握手一样必要。

Greece

希腊

Asking for gluten-free food. Or a vegan menu. Or something like that. You got it. The Greeks think that their cuisine⁴ is perfectly⁵ balanced and suitable for anyone. And they have their reasons. If you ask a Greek taverna owner about gluten-free, vegan options, that's probably the first time he's heard those words.

要求不含麸质的食物，或纯素食菜单，或类似的东西。没错，希腊人认为自己的菜肴非常均衡，适合任何人，并且他们有自己的理由。如果你向希腊小餐馆老板要求无麸质或纯素食，那可能是他第一次听到这些词。

Talking about the economic crisis, for example, asking someone how it influenced their family. They won't be happy to remember how they lost their store or their cafe.

谈论经济危机，例如，询问当地人经济危机如何影响其家庭。没有人愿意回忆自己是如何失去商店或咖啡馆的。

Laughing at the long Greek names. For example, "Papaspirodopolopoulos or whatever." Asking Greeks, "How can you even say it?!"嘲笑长长的希腊名字，如Papaspirodopolopoulos之类的。并且问希腊人：“你是怎么念出来的？！”

France

法国

Asking if they like frog legs or clams⁶. This is the most popular stereotype⁷ about France, and the French people that see a lot of tourists are really tired of these questions.

问当地人是否喜欢青蛙腿或蛤蜊。这是关于法国最流行的刻板印象，和不少游客打过交道的法国人早已厌倦了这些问题。

Reminding them about the Nazi⁸ occupation. The occupation of France is a huge hit on their pride and something that the French prefer not to talk about to foreign people.

提及纳粹占领。被纳粹占领极大地打击了法国人的自尊心，他们不愿与外国人谈论这件事情。

Saying it was the British that invented champagne⁹. This might be true, but it was the French that perfected the drink and made it as we know it today.

说英国人发明了香槟。这也许是对的，但法国人将它加以改进，今天我们所品尝到的香槟味道正是法国人调制出来的。

Japan

日本

Asking how long someone has been divorced. The Japanese, especially the elderly, think that divorce is a great shame.

询问当地人离婚多久。日本人，尤其是老年人，认为离婚是巨大的耻辱。

Talking about adoption¹⁰. Adoption is a very intimate process in Japan and it is one of the topics that is not discussed outside of the family.

谈论收养问题。在日本，收养过程非常私密，不在家庭之外讨论。

Boasting about your salary and asking how much someone makes. This is a very rude question in many countries, but in Japan, it is considered taboo¹¹ to talk about finances.

夸耀自己的薪水并询问当地人的收入。在许多国家，这都是一个极其不礼貌的问题，而在日本，谈论财务被视为禁忌。

Talking about yakuza. For us, it is something exotic, but for a regular Japanese person, they are criminals that cause a lot of trouble in society.

谈论日本帮派yakuza。对游客来说，这是异国情调，但对于一个普通的日本人来说，他们是制造社会问题的罪犯。

Coughing and sneezing without a special medical mask, and also blowing your nose in public. The Japanese are very scared of viral infections.

咳嗽或打喷嚏时没有戴专门的医用口罩，并在公共场合擤鼻涕。日本人惧怕病毒感染。

Tipping someone. In Japan, it is not appropriate and may offend someone.

给小费。在日本，这种做法不合适，可能会冒犯他人。

Britain

英国

Starting a conversation about the Royal Family. The British just don't like talking about it. They all have different reasons.

谈论王室。英国人不喜欢谈论这个话题，并且有各种各样的原因。

Giving a detailed¹² answer to "How are you?". You don't even have to answer this question.

认真地回答“你好吗”这个问题。你甚至不必回答。

Talking about their British accent. There is no such thing as a "British accent." If you want to talk about the accent, be more specific — cockney, Scottish, northern, southern, and so on.

谈论英国口音。并没有所谓的“英国口音”。如果你想谈论口音，请更具体些——考尼，苏格兰，北部，南部等等。

Calling all British people English. There are Scottish people, the Welsh, the Irish, and they don't like to be confused with the English.

称呼所有英国人为英格兰人。英国有苏格兰人，威尔士人和爱尔兰人，他们不喜欢和英格兰人混为一谈。

Using a lot of smart words. A person that loves talking about science and someone who talks about their degrees is thought of as an arrogant¹³ and boring person.

使用很多高级词汇。一个热爱谈论科学和自己学位的人在别人眼里既傲慢又无聊。

Germany

德国

Asking them what their grandfather did in 1941. Talking about the Nazi regime is only going to irritate or bore a German person.

询问他们祖父在1941年做了什么。谈论纳粹政权只会使德国人感到气愤或厌烦。

Talking about all of Germany as if you are talking about Bavaria. Some tourists think that all Germans eat sausages, drink beer, and have short leather pants in their wardrobes. These are typical stereotypes¹⁴ about Bavaria, which is only one of the 16 regions in Germany. Other regions also have their own traditions and the inhabitants are really irritated that nobody knows anything about them.

用巴伐利亚代表整个德国。有些游客认为，所有德国人都吃香肠，喝啤酒，衣柜里放着皮短裤，这都是关于巴伐利亚的典型刻板印象。巴伐利亚只是德国16个地区之一，其他地区也有自己的传统，而游客却一无所知，这点让当地人很气恼。

Interrupting. You have to let Germans finish what they want to say or they will never talk to you again.

打断别人说话。必须让德国人说完他们想说的话，否则他们将再也不会和你说话。

Netherlands

荷兰

Calling someone a Hollander or calling the Netherlands, Holland. Just don't do this.

称呼当地人为荷兰佬之类的。千万不要这样做。

Asking about Zwarte Piet. He is a folklore¹⁵ character, a black assistant to Santa Claus. In the 21st century, people have very mixed feelings about Piet. Some people think it is just a tradition and others say it's racism¹⁶. Anyway, it is better to not discuss this character at all, because there are a lot of protests for and against Piet.

谈论黑彼得。他是一位民间传说人物，圣诞老人的黑人助手。在21世纪，人们对彼得的感受非常复杂。有些人认为这只是一种传统，而有些人则说这是种族主义。无论如何，最好不要讨论这个角色，因为支持者和反对者都很多。

Comparing the Netherlands to Belgium. Despite the fact that they speak almost the same language and they used to be a single country, now they are different countries and different people.

把荷兰和比利时相提并论。尽管这两个国家的语言几乎相同，并且曾经是一个国家，但现在它们是不同的国家，不同的人民。

Saying that their king looks like a young Donald Trump¹⁷ and the Queen is not even Dutch.

说他们的国王看起来像年轻的唐纳德·特朗普，或者说女王甚至都不是荷兰人。

Finland

芬兰

Saying that Santa Claus lives in the North Pole. The Finns are very careful about the fact that Santa lives in Finland.

说圣诞老人生活在北极。芬兰人对圣诞老人住在芬兰这一说非常认真。

Speaking loudly and emotionally. Finns are very cautious with people who behave like this.

大声而感性地讲话。芬兰人非常警惕这种举止的人。

Pouring some alcohol from someone else's bottle. The Finns are a generous nationality, they are happy to share their food or something else, but not their alcohol.

从别人的瓶子里倒酒。芬兰人很慷慨，乐于分享食物或其他东西，但不喜欢分享酒。