Germany
Dating customs are so unique to a particular country that it pays to have a good understanding of the cultural background of the person you are trying to woo. Although, on the surface, dating trends may seem the same throughout Europe, in fact, people from different European countries have very different communication styles. Communication is a key factor in successful dating. So how would one ②chat up a German, for example?
In many countries politeness is equated with friendliness. People pay compliments to each other even if they don't mean it and they discuss unimportant matters to break the ice. These types of customs exist in every country, but the degree may be very different. In Germany the degree is much lower than elsewhere.
Germans consider 'respect' to be the best form of politeness and 'respect' assumes that other people want honesty and not white lies. If you want your ego stroked, you had best not ask a German. The answer you receive to the question, 'do you like my new dress?' might not be the one you want to hear. Likewise, it's best not to say things you don't mean to a German. He or she is likely to take you literally and this could lead to misunderstandings.
Most Germans know nothing of the art of small talk or chitchat. They do not like to spend too much time discussing superficial or banal topics. They don't ③go in for light conversation in the same way as other nationalities, such as Americans, do. The topic of conversation is not important as long as it's discussed in a serious way.
Don't be afraid to voice opinions that are different to your listener. A German will be more likely to respect you for having your own mind than be offended by you for seeing things differently to him or her.
德国
每个国家的约会习俗不尽相同，所以深入了解你要追求的人的文化背景对你来说是非常有利的。虽然，表面上看来，欧洲的约会习俗好像是大致相同的，但实际情况却是，不同欧洲国家的人在交际方式上也是有很大不同的。交流是成功约会的一个重要因素。那么，举例来说，如何与德国人聊下去呢？
在很多国家，礼貌等同于友好。即使言非本意，人们还是会相互恭维，谈论一些无关紧要的事情来打破沉默。这类习俗各国都有，只是在程度上存在巨大差别而已。在德国，这一程度要远远低于其它地方。
德国人将“尊重”作为礼待他人的最好方式，而“尊重”的意味就是，他人想要的是诚实的态度而不是善意的谎言。如果你不想让自己的自尊心备受打击的话，你最好不要向德国人征询意见。如果你问他“你喜欢我这件新裙子吗？”答案可能不会令你满意。同样，如果你言非本意，最好不要向德国人违心进言。因为他/她有可能从字面上理解你的话，从而造成误解。
大多数德国人对如何谈天闲聊是一窍不通。他们不喜欢花很长时间来谈论一些肤浅庸俗的话题。他们也不像美国等国家的人那样热衷于轻松闲聊。只要态度是认真严肃的，聊天的话题并不重要。
要敢于向对方发表不同意见。如果你坦诚相告，德国人很有可能是对你尊重有加，而不会因为你们意见相左而把你的话当作对他/她的冒犯。
sophisticated /s9`fistikeitid/ adj.精密复杂的
sensitive /`sensitiv/ adj.敏感的；易感受的
customary /`k7st9m9ri/ adj.习惯的；惯例的
purchase /`p8tH9s/ v.购买
hiking /haikiM/ n.徒步旅行
barbecue /`b3bikj6/ n.吃烤烧肉的野餐
equate /i`kweit/ v.使相等
white lie 善意的谎言
ego /`1G9u/ n.自负
literally /`lit9r9li/ adv.照字面意义
banal /b9`n3l/ adj.老一套的
① vary with 变化（尤指伴随某种因素而产生）
② chat up 搭讪
③ go in for追求
来源：[双语是]
