#109. Follow the customs of the new country you are in, or keep your own customs?
When one is settling in a new country, one has a choice of whether to assimilate into the new culture, or keep the customs of one's home. I think that the wisest decision is to try to integrate some of the new culture into one's own existing customs and beliefs. To understand this reasoning, we must first look at the advantages of both methods.
If one moves to a new country, there are many advantages of following the set customs of the new place. By assimilating into the culture, one can break the cultural barriers much quicker. For example, if one were to move to Canada from China, one could easily live in one of the "Little China" areas, and to all intents and purposes, ignore the Canadian culture. This, however, would be a mistake, as it would close off all of the positive things that Canada has to offer. If one does not assimilate into the new culture, one cannot get a Western job. The person would also be missing out on a multitude of experiences, such as different food.
Nevertheless, there are also many advantages of keeping one's own customs if one moves to a new country. Some people find it very difficult to leave their home and go to a new country. Keeping up old, familiar customs is very comforting. In addition to this, when one keeps their own customs, one finds it easier to meet others of the same nationality, which can also be a relief. When everything around you has changed, keeping your culture intact can be a very soothing way.
By and large, I think it is best to assimilate to the new culture while retaining key elements of one's own culture. For example, one can make an effort to learn the language of the new country, while still speaking one's own language at home. This can actually be an excellent strategy, as speaking two languages is better than speaking one, no matter where you are in the world. When one takes on some of the new culture while keeping some of his/her own, one gets the excitement and opportunity of the new culture, while keeping the familiarity and ease of his/her own culture.
109. 入乡随俗还是保留自己国家的习俗？
当一个人在新的国家定居下来，他面临着一个选择：是吸收新的文化，还是保留自己国家的习俗。我认为，最明智的抉择是尽量将新的文化因素与自己原有的习俗和信仰整合在一起。为了更好的理解这一点，我们必须首先看看这两种方法各自的优点。
如果一个人移民到一个新的国家，遵从这个国家的习俗会有许多优势。他或她可以通过吸收新的文化而尽快打破文化屏障。比如，一个人要从中国移民到加拿大，他或她可以很容易地生活在一个中国人自己的小圈子里，完全忽视加拿大文化的存在。但这样是个错误，因为这样的话就与加拿大提供的一些先进事物产生了隔离。如果一个人没有吸收新的文化，那他将不会找到西方国家的工作，这个人也就会错过很多经历，包括错过尝试不同的食物。
然而，对于一个移民到新的国家的人来说，保留自己的风俗习惯也会有很多优势。许多人觉得离开家乡，移民到新的国家非常困难，而保持原来熟悉的风俗会令人感到安慰。除此之外，当一个人保留着他或她原有的风俗，就会发现更容易与本国的老乡相处，这也算是一种慰藉。当你周围的一切事情都发生改变时，保留你原有的文化，这也是一件令人宽心的事情。
基本看来，我认为最好的方法是吸收新文化的同时，也不忘保留自己文化中的关键因素。比如，人们可以在新的国家学习新的语言，但在家里就用本国的语言。这实际上是一种不错的方法，因为不管在世界的哪个国家，掌握两种语言总比一种要好得多。如果一个人保留了一部分自己的文化习俗，同时又吸收了一些新东西，那他或她就既能获得新文化所带来的兴奋和机遇，又能保持自己文化所固有的熟悉和安逸。
- assimilate ［əˈsiməˌleit］ v. 吸收；彻底了解
- barrier ［ˈbæriə］ n. 障碍物，屏障
- close off 隔离，封锁
- multitude ［ˈmʌltiˌtu:d］ n. 大量，众多
- intact ［inˈtækt］ adj. 完整无缺的
- soothe ［su:ð］ v. 使平静，安慰，使缓和
- retain ［riˈtein］ v. 保持，保留
- by and large 大体上，基本上