为什么问我的年龄

王芳，今天我认识了一个新同事，她问了我很多问题，我觉得有点儿不好意思。

Wang Fang, I met a new coworker today. She asked me a lot of questions, and I felt a little embarrassed.

她问你什么问题了？

What did she ask you?

她先问我的年龄，然后问我的工资，最后还问我结婚了没有。在美国，很少有人对一个刚认识的人问年龄，也很少有人问工资。

She first asked my age, then asked my salary, and finally even asked whether I was married. In America, very few people ask someone they just met about their age, and very few ask about salary either.

在中国，这些问题大家都会问，我们不觉得奇怪。

In China, everyone asks these questions. We don't think it's strange.

但是年龄和工资不是我自己的事吗？为什么大家都想知道？

But aren't age and salary my own business? Why does everyone want to know?

你说得对，这是你自己的事。但是我们问，是想更了解你，也是想让我们的关系更好。

You're right, it is your own business. But when we ask, it's because we want to understand you better, and we want our relationship to be closer.

那在中国，有没有不应该问的问题？

So in China, are there questions people shouldn't ask?

有。问女人的年龄，有的女人不喜欢，觉得别人不应该问。工资也是一样，有的人不喜欢别人知道自己的工资。

Yes. Asking a woman's age, some women don't like that, they feel other people shouldn't ask. Salary is the same. Some people don't like other people knowing their salary.

那我明白了，问题不是问了不好，是要看问谁，也要看怎么问。

Then I understand. It's not that asking is bad, it depends who you ask, and it depends how you ask.

对，你说得很好。你觉得，在美国，什么问题是不应该问的？

Right, well said. What do you think, in America, what questions shouldn't be asked?

在美国，第一次见面就问工资，大家都会觉得很奇怪，也不会问结婚了没有。

In America, asking about salary the first time you meet someone, everyone would find that strange, and people wouldn't ask if you're married either.

所以在中国和美国，大家都觉得有的问题不应该问，只是问题不一样。

So in both China and America, everyone feels some questions shouldn't be asked. It's just that the questions are different.

是的，每个国家关心的事都不一样，但是大家都想更了解别人。

Yes, every country cares about different things, but everyone wants to understand others better.