Frequent travelers must be great at charades. When you need to communicate and you don’t have the luxury of a shared language, body language is invaluable.
經常旅遊的人必須學會看懂手勢語。當你需要和別人交流、卻又不懂對方當地語言時，肢體語言就顯得非常重要了。
A skilled traveler can negotiate a taxi, buy food in a market, and get directions from a stranger through hand motions alone.
一位經驗豐富的旅者只憑打手勢就能順利搭乘出租、在市場採買食物以及向陌生人問路。
Things can get lost in translation, though, when a typical gesture from your country means something completely different in other parts of the world.
然而有時候在你們國家是某種含義的手勢，在世界其他地方可能完全不同，所以在不同國家的同一個手勢就可能讓你感到迷惑了。
Below are ten common North American gestures that often cause offense abroad.
下面10種常見的北美手勢國外容易導致冒犯。
1. V in Australia and England
澳大利亞和英國-“V”字手勢
In 1992, George Bush visited Australia and, from the window of his limousine, held up his index and middle fingers in the “V” shape, a la Winston Churchill. With the palm facing outward, this V means victory in England, or peace in North America. Too bad Bush gestured with his palm facing inward, the nonverbal equivalent of “up yours.”
1992年，喬治·布什拜訪澳大利的時候，效仿溫斯頓·丘吉爾，從豪華的轎車裡伸出食指和中指作出“V”字形的手勢。手掌朝外擺出“V”字形在英國意味著勝利，在北美意味著和平。然而糟糕的是，布什的手掌朝內，這一手勢意味著“見你的鬼去吧”。
2. Displaying your palms in Greece
希臘-手掌外翻
We use this gesture in North America to say “stop,” or, if you’re a child of the Jerry Springer era, “talk to the hand.” In Greece, keep your palms to yourself. Holding your palms out towards a person is a highly insulting gesture. This gesture is said to be a remnant of Byzantine times, when people could taunt shackled criminals by smearing their faces with excrement.
這個手勢在北美的意思是“停止”，或者，如果你是傑裡·斯普林格那個時代的孩子，你就知道這個手勢就意味著“懶得理你”。 在希臘，最好保持手掌對著自己，因為對著別人伸出手掌是一種非常侮辱人的手勢。這個手勢要追溯到拜占庭時期，當時人們可以通過在臉上抹屎嘲諷獄中的罪犯。
3. Thumbs-up in Thailand
泰國-翹拇指
This gesture of agreement or approval is an easy reflex when language barriers are at play. Try to avoid it in Thailand, though, where it’s a sign of condemnation. It’s typically a child’s gesture, the Thai equivalent of sticking out your tongue. People will likely be more bemused than hurt if you slip up. Still, it’s a good one to avoid.
這個手勢表示同意和認可，然而在有語言障礙時卻可能起到反作用。在泰國儘量不要用這個手勢，因為它表示譴責。這個手勢是典型的孩子專用手勢，在泰語中等同於吐舌頭。如果你弄錯了這個手勢，雖然人們不會感到受傷而只是迷惑不解，但最好還是要儘量避免。
4.Beckoning in the Philippines
菲律賓-勾手指
Curling your index finger to say “come here” is a no-no in many Asian countries. In the Philippines, this gesture is only used for dogs. To use it with a person is derogatory; suggesting that you see them as a subservient inferior. Hardly a good way to make a first impression when signaling a waiter or shop clerk.
在許多亞洲國家，勾食指讓別人“過來”是一種禁忌。在菲律賓，這個手勢只用在狗身上。把它用在人身上是非常不敬的，表示你把他們看得低人一等。 招呼服務員或者店員時，這個手勢絕不是留下第一印象的好辦法。
5. Patting on the head in Sri Lanka
斯里蘭卡-摸摸頭
An open-palmed pat on the head of a child is a gesture of fondness in North America. If you need to get a child’s attention, it’s also the easiest place to tap them. In the Buddhist faith, though, the top of the head is the highest point of the body, and its where the spirit exists. To touch the top of a person’s head is highly invasive, for children and adults alike. Avoid this in any country with a predominant Buddhist population.
在北美，手掌輕拍小孩的頭部是一種表示喜歡的手勢。如果你需要引起小孩子的注意，最簡單的方法就是輕拍他們的頭部。不過，在佛教信仰中，頭頂是身體的最高點，也是靈魂的所在之處。 觸摸一個人的頭頂，無論他是小孩還是成人，都是非常不敬的。在以佛教為主的國家儘量避免這個動作。
6. OK in France
法國-“ok”
Making a circle with your thumb and forefinger means “great” or “fine” in North America. It’s also used by scuba divers to communicate that there are no problems. In France, however, this gesture means “zero.” Unless you’re motioning to a French scuba diver, you might be accidentally communicating that something (or someone) is worthless. A bad idea when trying to compliment a chef on your meal.
拇指和食指構成環形在北美意味著“很好的”或“好的”。帶水肺的潛水員們也用這個手勢交流，表示沒有問題。不過，這個手勢在法國表示“0”。除非你是在向一個法國帶水肺潛水員示意，否則你會不小心傳達出某個東西或某個人毫無價值的意思。 用餐時，最好不要用這個手勢去向廚師表示你對他的稱讚。
7. “Got your Nose!” in Turkey
土耳其-“指向你的鼻子”
A first with the thumb tucked under the index finger doesn’t have a set North American meaning, except when playing “got your nose” with a child. It also means the letter “T” in American Sign Language. In Turkey, this gesture is aggressively rude; the middle-finger equivalent.
把拇指放在食指之下指向自己的鼻子這一動作在北美沒有固定的意義，除非你在跟小孩玩“摸鼻子”遊戲。這個手勢在美國的手勢語中也代表字母“T”。然而在土耳其做這個手勢是非常粗魯的，相當於豎中指。
8. One-handed giving in Japan
日本-單手遞送東西
In the West, people aren’t especially mindful of their hands when they offer objects to others. In Japan, though, it is polite and expected for people to make offerings with both hands. If you give someone a business card, or hand them your camera to take a photo, be sure to pass on the item with both hands. This shows that you are fully attentive and sincere in the offering. A one-handed presentation might be taken as dismissive.
在西方，人們在遞給別人東西的時候，通常不會特別注意自己的手。但是，在日本，雙手遞送東西是對別人的一種禮貌和尊重。如果你要給某人一張商務名片，或遞給某人相機幫你拍照，要確保是雙手遞東西。這樣才能顯示你在遞送過程中的誠意。單手遞送會被理解為輕視。
9. Crossing your Fingers in Vietnam
越南-交叉手指
Many western cultures make this gesture when wishing for good luck. A hand with the index and middle fingers crossed is even the logo for the UK’s National Lottery. In Vietnam, however, this is an obscene gesture, especially when done while looking at or addressing another person. The crossed fingers are said to resemble female genitals.
很多西方國家用這個手勢來禱告祈福，一隻手的食指和中指交叉甚至是英國國家彩票的標誌。不過在越南，尤其是在看著別人或者對別人說話時，做這個手勢是很猥瑣的。據說交疊的手指象徵著女性的隱私部位。
10. Bull Horns in Italy
意大利-牛角手勢
North Americans raise their index and pinkie fingers like bull horns when they want to rock and roll all night… or cheer on a sports team with a name like “Cowboys” or “Longhorns.” In Italy, think twice before making this motion, especially when standing right behind a man. There, this “cuckold” gesture means that a man’s wife is being unfaithful, and he is a fool because of it. Incidentally, this gesture is quite common at Italian sports matches too, though its usually put to use after a referee’s bad call.
當北美人想要徹夜搖滾、或為帶有“牛仔”或“德克薩斯州”字樣的體育隊伍歡呼喝彩的時候，他們通常會伸出食指和小手指，形狀像牛角一樣。但是，在意大利要三思後再做出這個動作，特別是當你站在一個男人身後的時候。這個手勢說明那個男人的老婆不貞，而他就是一個戴著綠帽子的傻瓜。巧合的是，這個手勢在意大利的體育比賽中也很常見，然而它表示對裁判員誤判的不滿。