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Abstract Sino-US relationship is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world. It connects the world’s most populous country with the only Superpower. The mutual understanding is related to the quality of two countries’ relation. Therefore, it is urgent to increase the understanding of the United States. Understanding the United States includes the understanding of American culture. Automobile is an important traffic tool and an essential element in Americans’ life. It is also an American culture carrier. It is an aspect for Chinese people to understand the United States. This thesis introduces the definition of culture and the significance of studying American culture, and then analyses, in American culture, the individualism, humor, materialism and Americans’ pursuit of change in their life. At last the author draws a conclusion that from the perspective of automobile, Americans are individualistic, humorous, and good at pursuit of materials and change in their life. 摘要中美关系是全球最重要的双边关系之一，它联系着中国这一个世界上人口最多的国家和世界上唯一的超级大国。两国的相互理解直接影响着两国的关系。因此，增加对美国的了解已经迫在眉睫。了解美国包括了了解美国文化。汽车是重要的交通工具，也是美国人生活的基本要素，同时也是美国文化的一种载体。它是中国人了解美国文化的一个方面。本文首先介绍文化的定义和研究美国文化的意义，然后再从汽车这个角度，对美国文化中的个人主义，美国人的幽默感，物质主义和美国人追求变化方面进行分析。从而得出了这样一个结论：从美国汽车方面可以知道美国人富有个性，幽默感，追求物质财富和生活变化。 Introduction China is a nation with the history of 5000 years, and is playing a more and more important role in the world. Along with the Sino-American relation increasingly closing, the Chinese traditional culture is faced with the challenges from the culture of the United States. In order to avoid it, it is urgent for Chinese people to know the United States very well. To know a country and its people, it is necessary know its culture first. America is the initiator of motor society. Chinese people might learn the American culture from a new perspective-- American automobile. In the 21st century, motor has become the essential thing to Americans. It is not only a kind of traffic tool, but also the symbolization of American culture. The whole life of American cannot get rid of a car. When they are children, they go to school, go shopping and so on by car; when they are old, they go to hospital, go visiting and so on by car. This country, designed for motor, expresses its culture in many cases in automobile. We might know American culture better through researching and analyzing American automobile. This research might make cross-culture communications more easily. Many scholars have researched American culture through many other areas, but there are few people who study it from the perspective of automobile. The thesis plans to study American culture from cars, and attempts to let readers understand the culture more clearly. I. The Importance of Studying American Culture A. The Definition of Culture All material products and the spiritual products create human culture. Culture also is language, literature, arts, and many other spiritual products of ideologies. Culture in the West comes from the Latin “cultura”, original meaning refers to farming and the cultivation of plants. Since the 15th century, it is extended the use gradually, and put on the character and ability of the train, also known as culture. People are fundamentally different from animals, because people have culture. Animals do not have culture. Lin Dajing (1996) states that culture is a human’s awareness of life, nature and society and the content of the relationship