The Differences Between Chinese and Western.docx
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The Differences Between Chinese and Western.docx
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TheDifferencesBetweenChineseandWestern
TheDifferencesBetweenChineseandWestern
DietCultures
Introduction
WesternandEasternculturesarethetwobigculturalsystemsintheworld,andthedietculturetakesaveryimportantplaceinbothcultures.ThereforeinthisthesistheauthorwilldoadeepstudyabouttheworldculturebythemeansofcomparingthedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesterndietculturesfromthefollowingthreeaspects,namely,thedifferencesindietconcepts,thedifferencesinbanquetetiquetteandthedifferencesinthecontentofdiet.
Mover,theauthorisalsogoingtodiscussaboutthedevelopingtendencyofthedietcultureinWesternandEasterncountriesinthefuture,foreatingisthebasicneedofmankindandreflectsacountry’seconomicandculturalstandard.Besides,thisthesiswillfindoutmoreinformationaboutthedietculturebroadandhomeandtherootedcausesinChineseandWesterndietculturesfromtheperspectiveofoutlook,etiquetteandcontent.
Withthedevelopmentoftheeconomyandculture,thisstudywillbeadvantageoustoimprovecross-culturalcommunicationanddecreasetheculturalbarriersintheinternationalcommunicationintheworld.
1.ThedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesterndietcultures
Itiswellknownthat,Chinaisoneofthemostancientnationsintheworldbecauseithasaglorioushistoryofmorethan5000years.Duringthelongtime,ithasformedabroadandprofoundculture.Withthepassageoftime,China’sfourmajorstylesofcookinghavegraduallyformed,allofwhichhavetheirowncharacteristics,buttheyalsosharesomefeaturesincommon,suchastherawmaterialisparticular,themanufacturemethodiscomplexandthetasteisvaried.
IntheWest,takingEuropeandAmericaasrepresentatives,theirculturesaresimilarlywellestablishedasthatofChina.TracingbacktotheMiddleAges,whentheEuropeanculturewaswellconsummated,theWesterndietculturehadbeenalreadyformed.Themaincharactersofitinclude:
thestaplefoodsareverysimple,primarilywheatflower,buttherawmaterialsarecomparativelyvarious,andthemanufacturemethodcomparedwithChinaseemsrelativelysimple,moreover,theycarelessaboutthetasteofthefood.
1.1Thedifferencesintheconceptsofdiet
Undertheinfluenceofthedifferentsocialculturalsystemandcustomaryculturalsystem,peopleindifferentcountriesholddifferentconceptsofthedietculture.
1.1.1SocialneedsVSbodyneeds
OneofthemostfamousphilosophersintheworldnamedConfuciusbelievedthatpeoplecouldn’tlivewithouttwothings:
foodandlove.Sodietcultureplaysadecisiveroleinpeople’sdailylifeinChina,anditsfunctioncanfindexpressioninallaspectsofpeople’slife.Forexample,thefirstthingtheChinesewilldowhentheymeetanacquaintanceisgreetingtoeachotherlikethis:
“Haveyoueaten?
”andthefirstthingthattheChineseneedtodoisalwayseatingorpreparingforeating.Theyentertainguestsontheoccasionofbirth,ababy’scompletionofitsfirstmonthoflife,fullyearold,marriageandmanyotherthingsandevenofdeath.Itseemsthateatingcanhelpthemcommunicateandexpresswelcomeorreluctancetopart.Eventhesentimentaldisturbanceoftendrawssupporttothefoodandwine,andonekindofpsychologicalandculturalsignificanceaswellastherealizationandunderstandingaboutthingsthatpeopleownedareallcontainedintheformofeating.Thereforeeatinggainsmoreprofoundsocialsignificance,notonlyremainsattheoriginalfunctionoflivingorcommunicating,butalsohasbeenchangedintothefunctionofadjustingthesocialpsychology.
ButintheWesterncountries,eatingisjustusedasameansforlivingandawayforcommunicating.Thusitcanbeseenthatinthemindofthewesterners,eatingonlyplaysaroleforkeepinglife.
1.2Thedifferencesinbanquetetiquette
BanquetsareheldtocelebratetheNewYear,theMoonFestival,weddings,andotherspecialoccasions.Eacheventisassociatedwithparticulartreats,forinstance,filledmooncakesfortheMoonFestivalorNewYear'spudding,andtherearealsomanycommoncharacteristicsandceremoniesinvolved.ButthebanquetetiquetteseemsdifferentbetweenChineseandWesterncountries.
1.2.1ChopstickVSknifeandfork
InChina,peopleuseChopstickstoeat,whileinthewest,peopleuseknifeandforkinstead.Thewesternerseatalmosteverythingwithafork,anditisseeminglyconsideredasabadmannertoholdaknifeinone’srighthandlongerthanafewseconds,butifitisabsolutelynecessarytouseaknife,theywilltaketheforkintheirlefthand,andcutoffapieceofmeatorwhateveritisinthenormalmanner.Thentheyputtheknifedown,transfertheforktotheirrighthand,andonlythendotheytransportthefoodtotheirmouth.Thisisclearlytroublesomeandludicrous,butitisconsideredgoodmanners.
1.2.2SouthandnorthinChinaVSleftandrightinWesterncountries
Seatsarrangementisakindofimportantformusedtoshowthepeople’sstatusandrelationshipamongthem.
AtthebanquetinChina,turninginthedirectionofsouthisaseatofhonor.Thedirectionofsouthhasgraduallychangesintoasymbolofsupremacy,standingfortheauthority,positionandstatus.Comparedwiththeseatofsouth,thedirectionofnorthindicatesalowerpower.
IntheancientWesternsociety,themosthonoredguestwouldsittotheleftofthehost,becausepeopleusedtoholdthedaggerinhisrighthand.Therefore,itisdifficultfortheassassintoassassinatethepersonsittingtotheleftsideofthehost.However,withthedevelopmentofthesociety,thephenomenonofassassinationisnearlydisappeared.Asaresult,whenmodernpeopleinthewesterncountriesarrangetheseatsatpresent,thefirstpriorityisnottofixeyesuponthesafetyprotection,butupontheneedofpsychologicalprotection.
1.2.3GoinginforostentationandextravaganceVSsimpleandatwill
TherearealsosomerooteddifferencesatdietbanquetsbetweenChineseandWesterncountries.InChina,peoplelaystressonthemealitself,andgoinforostentationandextravagance.Thereareusuallymorethansevenoreightcoursesataformalbanquet,notincludingthecolddish,refreshments,sweetandthestaplefoods(noodle,riceandsoon).Andthemoresumptuousandvaluablethecookedfoodis,themorehospitabilityisshowedbythehosts.Andthequantitiesofthecookedfoodpreparedbeforehandsaremuchmorethantheguestcaneat,whichisaccordingtothetraditionalorientationofvaluelike“持家有道,待客要丰”.Sobytheinfluenceofthistraditionalconcept,Chinesepaymoreattentiontoostentationandextravagance,andparticularaboutthequantityandthequalityofthecookedfood.Themosttypicalexampleisthe“满汉全席”,whichisappearedintheQingDynasty.
ComparedwiththeChinese,agrandWesternbanquetusuallyprovidesonlysixcourses,andjusttwoofthemcanberegardedascookedfood,othersjustserveasacontrastorfoil.Consequently,acommonbanquetissimplerandatwill.InAmerica,everypeoplewillbringakindofdishwiththemwhentheyhaveadinnerparty,theysharetheirdisheswitheachother.Andtherealsohaveanotherkindofparty,inwhichthehostsjustonlypreparethedrinkingandafewsimplefoodlikecheese,chips,sandwichandsoon.However,thehostdoesnotsupplythemealeither,sowecanseenfromthisthatwesternersjustregardeatingastheopportunityforgathering,communicating,thechanceforrevivingtheoldfriendshipandassociatingwithnewfriends.Theydonotcaretheeatingitself,thehostonlytriestocreateahappyandrelaxedatmospherefortheguestsbyeverypossiblemeansandenablethemenjoythemselves.
Nomatterwhatthegoalis,banquetsinChinaallonlycanhaveonekindofformthatiseverybodyhastositinacircle.Theymustusetheroundtableatthebanquet,becausetheythinkonlybythiscancreateakindofunityandpolitenessatmosphere.Thedelicacydelicaciesshouldputonthecenteroftheroundtable,forthefoodisnotonlytheobjectwhichpeopleappreciates,tastes,butalsoamediumforpeopletoexchangetheiremotions.Atthebanquetpeopleexchangetoastsandurgeotherpeopletoeat,fortheyfeelonlybythisactioncantheymanifestedthetraditionalvirtueofrespectandcomitytoeachother.Althoughwecanfindalotofshortageobviouslyfromthehygiene’sangle,thiskindofdieteticmethodisstillinkeepingwiththenationalpsychologyofgreatreunion.
FortheWesterners,althoughthefoodanddrinkingalsoseemveryimportantatthebanquet,infacttheyarejustservedasacontrastorfoil.Makingfriendswitheachotheristherealcoreatthebanquet,bycommunicatingwithanadjacentseat,theyreachedthepurposeofexchangefeelings.
1.2.4“Groupdancing”VS“ballroomdancing”
Ifwecomparethedieteticmethodtothedancing,Ithinkwe’dbetterregardtheChinesebanquetasgroupdancingwhiletheWesternbanquetastheballroomdancing.Fromthispointofview,wecanseethatthepurposeofcommunicationinbothcountriesisveryobvious.OnlywouldtheChinesepeopleliketoenjoytogetherwhiletheWesternersprefertotalkwiththepeopleastheylike.Sothebuffet,whichispopularintheWesterncountry,showedanobviousdifferenceinthedieteticmethodwiththatinChina.Inthebuffetthewesternerssetoutthefoodpreparedbeforehand,sotheguestscantakethefoodontheirownplease,andtheguestsdonotneedtosetinastationaryposition.ThiskindofbanquetisquiteconvenientfortheWesternerstoexchangetheiremotionsinpersonalfortheydon’tneedtoexpresstheirownfeelingstoallthepeople.Ithinkitisno
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