Law and Order
　　What does it mean to obey the law? That depends on where you are. Different cultures have very different views of obeying the law. In some cultures, law-abiding citizens try to keep the letter of the law. That is, whatever the law says, they do. In other cultures, good citizens live by the spirit of the law. They see the law only as a general guideline. Often they obey the law only when someone official is looking. The situation in America fits into the first category. That doesn't mean all Americans keep the law. But American culture teaches people to respect the law--even to the smallest detail.
　　守法的定义是什么? 那要视你身处何地而定, 不同的文化对守法有不同的看法. 在一些文化中, 守法的公民会试着完全遵守法律的字面规定, 也就是说, 不管法律怎么规定, 他们都会照着去做. 而在其它文化中, 好公民则按着法律的精神来做, 他们视法律为一般的准则, 通常只有在执法人员会看到的情况下才守法. 美国的情况是属于第一种, 但这并不表示所有的美国人守法. 但是美国的文化教导人民要尊重法律--即使是在很小的细节上.
　　Driving habits illustrate American respect for the law. A driver will usually stop for a red light, even when there are no other cars around. People treat the lines marking streets and roads as definite boundaries, not just decora-tions. Vehicles yield to those with the right of way-particularly pedestrians. Actually, though, drivers don't always keep traffic rules. For example, many drivers ignore freeway speed limits. But Americans generally drive with careful attention to the rules.
　　美国人的开车习惯说明了他们对法律的尊重态度. 开车的人通常会在红灯前停下来, 即使四周没有其它的车也是如此. 人们视街道上的标线为绝对的界线, 而不只是装饰而已. 车辆会让路给有权先行者 - 尤其是行人. 然而, 事实上, 开车的人并没有遵守所有的交通规则, 举例来说, 很多开车的人根本不理会高速公路上的速限. 但是美国人在开车时通常会小心地留意交通规则.