全通翻譯/翻譯社

　　You're out with a group of friends just having a good time. All of a sudden, a simple question regarding one's favorite movie turns into a heated discussion. _(1)_ Perhaps you stay silent because you don't know how to add anythingrelevant to the conversation, or you don't think anyone cares about what you have to say. _(2)_ However, this is not the case in Finland.
　　As a positive cultural trait, Finnish silence is the act of actively listening but not immediately and thoughtlessly chiming in. Furthermore, opinions are expressed only when they have relevancy to the topic at hand and not to fill in any uncomfortable silences. For Finns, silent observation is a sign of respect, whereas speaking profusely and interrupting others is rude and offensive. _(3)_ This is not to say that Finns don't know how to make small talk, though, because they do that when the need arises.
　　Finnish silence has been around since before the industrial era, when it was more essential to find food than to have mindless conversations. _(4)_ Finns learn from an early age that silence is quite acceptable and nothing to be looked down upon. The challenge now is for them to break their silence in order to explain this aspect of their culture to people who haven't been raised in a similar fashion. _(5)_

(A) This silence is uncomfortable for cultures that stress keeping conversations going at any cost.
(B) Everyone puts in his or her two cents' worth, except you.
(C) They also see it as a way to preserve harmony with others, themselves, and nature.
(D) In Taiwan and most Western countries, your quietness would be negatively seen as shyness, a reflection of low self-esteem, and a lack of social skills.
(E) That way, they can share all the positives of living in Finnish silence.

芬蘭式的沉默之聲
安靜並不總是與害羞劃上等號。
　　你正和一群朋友在外面玩得很開心。突然，一個與某人最愛的電影相關的簡單問題成了熱烈討論的話題。除了你之外，每個人都各自發表其意見。可能你保持沉默是因為你不知道要如何在對話中加入相關的東西，或是你不認為有任何人會在意你說些什麼。在臺灣以及大多數西方國家，你的安靜會被負面解讀為害羞、反映出自信心不足以及缺乏社交技巧。然而，在芬蘭卻不是這麼一回事。
　　以一種積極的文化特質來看，芬蘭式的沉默是一種主動聆聽的行為，但不會立即而不加思索地插話。此外，只有在有適切話題的時候他們才會表達自己的意見，而不是以令人不自在的沉默來回應。對於芬蘭人來說，沉默的觀察象徵一種尊重，而說很多話又打斷別人談話是很無禮而會得罪人的。他們也把沉默視為一種和他人、自己與大自然保持和諧的方式。然而，這不是說芬蘭人不知道如何閒話家常，因為他們在有必要時也會這麼做。
　　芬蘭式的沉默從工業時代之前到現在都一直存在，當時找尋食物比起沒意義的對話來得更重要。這種沉默對於強調不論如何都要把對話持續下去的眾多文化來說很不自在。芬蘭人從小就知道沉默是普遍能被接受的，且完全不會被人看不起。現前的挑戰就是要讓他們打破沉默，目的是要向那些不曾在類似環境中長大的人解釋他們的文化觀點。那樣一來，他們就可以以芬蘭式的沉默來分享所有生活中的積極面了。
答案：1. B　2. D　3. C　4. A　5. E