Americans feel that physical contact can be important in breaking down barriers between people．
美國人認爲身體接觸對於打破人與人之間的障礙很重要。
Such physical acts as hugging， shaking hands and kissing in public are seen as displays of affection．
這些諸如擁抱、握手及在公衆場合親吻等身體接觸都被看作是友好的表現。
In China， on the other hand， this is not common because physical contact is not the custom．
然而，在中國，身體接觸就不那麼普遍了，因爲沒有這樣的習俗。
Interestingly enough， most Chinese who spend some time in America come to like hugging；they learn that Americans use body language to express feelings．
有趣的是，大多數在美國度過了一段時間的中國人開始喜歡擁抱，他們知道美國人通過肢體語言來表達感情。
It is a way of saying “I like you and I care about you．”
這是一種表達“我喜歡你，我在意你”的方法。
Shaking hands is another traditional way of greeting someone in America．
在美國，握手是另一種傳統的問候方式。
Shaking hands is a more formal way of greeting than hugging．
握手比擁抱更加正式。
Whereas hugging shows closeness， shaking hands means that there is a little more formality in the relationship．
擁抱表示親密，而握手意味着兩人關係中更多了一些拘謹與禮節。
Western people usually shake hands when meeting someone for the first time， or when they see someone again after a certain amount of time has passed．
當第一次見面或隔了一段時間未見後再次見面時，西方人通常都是握手。
In Japan， people traditionally bow as a form of greeting． Other countries have different customs， like patting someone on the back or kissing．
在日本，人們通常以鞠躬表示問候。其他國家也有不同的習俗，比如拍某人的背或親吻。