英語專業(yè)畢業(yè)論文-中西方餐桌文化對比

1、<p>　　A Contrastive Analysis of Table Culture Between China and Western Countries</p><p><b>　　By</b></p><p>　　Huang xiang </p><p>　　A 2012 Undergraduate of the Scho

2、ol of Foreign Languages of Teachers College</p><p>　　Supervisor: Han Rong</p><p>　　May 7th, 2012</p><p>　　A Contrastive Analysis of Table Culture Between China and Western Countries

3、</p><p>　　Thesis statement: There are differences of table culture between China</p><p>　　and western countries.</p><p><b>　　Outline</b></p><p>　　I. Introd

4、uction: a brief account of table culture</p><p>　　II. The major differences of table culture between China and western</p><p><b>　　countries</b></p><p>　　A. Seats arrang

5、ement</p><p>　　B. The use of tableware</p><p>　　1. The use of tableware in China</p><p>　　2. The use of tableware in western countries</p><p>　　C. The content of dietin

6、g</p><p>　　D. Drinking style</p><p>　　E. The concept of time</p><p>　?、? Reasons for the differences of table culture between China and western countries</p><p>　　A. Cu

7、ltural background</p><p>　　B. Economic background</p><p>　　IV. The attitudes that we should hold to the differences of table culture between China and western countries</p><p>　　V.

8、 Conclusion</p><p>　　A Contrastive Analysis of Table Culture Between China</p><p>　　and Western Countries</p><p>　　Author: Xu Haiyan Supervisor: Han Rong</p>

9、;<p>　　I. Introduction: a brief account of table culture</p><p>　　It is well known that culture plays an important role in our daily life and also in our society. We can’t imagine what our life would

10、be like without culture. In all kinds of cultures, table culture is one of the most influential parts.</p><p>　　China has a long history of table culture. According to the recorded document, China has formed

11、 its way of table culture in Zhou dynasty. These rituals has matured and improved, and they played an important role in ancient society, even in modern society. They are the fundamental culture of personal relationships,

12、 which promote the development of human society. In the 20th century, the Italian culture was taken into France, thus table manners and menu terms have become more refined and elegant. </p><p>　　As the econo

13、my develops, more and more businesses are settled on the table. So it is quite important for us to get a good knowledge of the table cultures. Now, China and western countries have more and more exchanges. Comparing Sino

14、-Western table cultures and exploring the differences between Sino-Western cultures play an important role in improving our self-cultivation, as well as enhancing further cooperation between China and western countries.

15、</p><p>　　II. The major differences of table culture between China and western countries</p><p>　　From what we have discussed above, we can move naturally to the second part of the thesis. In th

16、e following analysis, emphasis will be put on the detailed differences of table culture between China and western countries. After analysis, we would get a deeper understanding of table culture. </p><p>　　A.

17、 Seats arrangement</p><p>　　In Chinese table culture, the guests are seated in good order. The arrangement of seats embodies respect for guests.</p><p>　　Where a guest is seated depends on his a

18、ge, social status and so on. “Taking the left for upper” is the traditional custom in China. It means that the left seats are higher than the right ones. The guest of honor should be arranged on the left of the host. In

19、the past, Chinese advocated south, east and the left. When entering, the elders and the guests are required to sit from left side of the chair. It is important to note that the master should not let guests sit in a seat

20、near the serving, wh</p><p>　　However, in western countries, after the hostess announces that dinner is ready, the host should lead guests to sit in turn. The principle of general seating arrangement is to s

21、it according to the segregation of the sexes. The main male guests sit down firstly at the right side of the hostess. However, the main female guests are seated on the right of the main male guests. The other couples are

22、 in the diagonal seats.</p><p>　　B. The use of tableware</p><p>　　Chopsticks, fork and knife are the basic differences between China and western table cultures.</p><p>　　1. The use

23、of tableware in China</p><p>　　Firstly, let’s talk about the use of tableware in China.</p><p>　　a. Chopsticks. </p><p>　　Chopsticks are considered as an extension of one's fing

24、ers. They are traditionally held in the right hand, even by left-handed people. Although chopsticks may now be deployed by either hand, left-handed chopstick use is considered improper. This practice prevents a left-hand

25、ed chopstick user from accidentally elbowing a right-handed user seated nearby.</p><p>　　Attention should be paid to the use of chopsticks. Firstly, if there are remnants on the chopsticks, don’t lick. Using

26、 the licked chopsticks to take food upsets other peoples’ appetite. Secondly, we should put aside the chopsticks while talking to others. Thirdly, do not insert chopsticks vertically on the food, because it is only used

27、when we are in memory of someone dead. At last, chopsticks are only used for picking up food. It is rude to use chopsticks to pick your teeth. Chopsticks, when no</p><p>　　b. Spoons </p><p>　　S

28、poons are used primarily for eating liquid or semi-liquid foods, such as soup, stew or ice cream, and very small or powdery solid items which cannot be easily lifted with chopsticks, such as sugar, cereals and green peas

29、. </p><p>　　c. Toothpick</p><p>　　Follow these steps to use a toothpick in Chinese table culture. </p><p>　　(a) Grasp the toothpick firmly near one end and between your thumb and in

30、dex finger. Place the pointed end of the toothpick near the gum between the teeth which contains the bit of food you wish to remove.</p><p>　　(b) Push the toothpick slightly in underneath the bit of food you

31、 wish to dislodge and push up if it's between the lower teeth or down if it's between the upper teeth. The food should dislodge either onto your toothpick or in your mouth. If it's in your mouth, you can swal

32、low it. If it's on the toothpick, wipe it off with a tissue or napkin before you continue.</p><p>　　2. The use of tableware in western countries</p><p>　　However, foreign table culture is mu

33、ch stricter than Chinese one. </p><p><b>　　a. Spoon</b></p><p>　　In western countries, dinner usually begins with soup. The largest spoon at your place is the soup spoon. It will be

34、beside your plate at the right-hand side. If there is a fish course, it will probably follow the soup.</p><p>　　b. Knife and fork</p><p>　　There may be a special fork for the fish, or it may be

35、similar to the meat fork. Often it is smaller. For the main or meat course, the English keep the fork in the left hand, and bring the food to the mouth either by sticking the points onto it or in the case of soft vegetab

36、les, by placing it firmly on the fork with the knife. Americans carve the meat in the same position, then lay down the knife and take the fork in the right hand with the point turned up, push it under a small piece of fo

37、od wi</p><p><b>　　c. Napkin</b></p><p>　　Using napkin properly is more than just swiping at your mouth while eating spaghetti or some other messy food. After you're seated, wait

38、for your host or guest of honor to pick up the napkin and place it on his lap. Use this signal as an indicator for you, the guest, to do the same. You can find the napkin either to the left of the forks, beneath the fork

39、s, or on the main plate. In a restaurant, the napkin may be folded in a fancy way and placed on the plate or in a glass. </p><p>　　It's not necessary to fully open a large napkin; just fold it in half. H

40、owever, you can completely open a smaller napkin. The napkin remains on your lap throughout the entire meal and should be used to gently blot your mouth. If you need to leave the table during the meal, place your napkin

41、on your chair and quietly excuse yourself from the table.</p><p>　　After the meal is over, the host signals the end of the meal by placing his napkin on the table. You should follow by placing your napkin ne

42、atly on the table to the left of your dinner plate.</p><p>　　C. The content of dieting</p><p>　　Chinese food is served in courses. A typical Chinese meal consists of rice, one to four meat or fi

43、sh main courses, two vegetable dishes and one soup. The courses are often eaten up at a time. Soup is usually served after the main course instead of before it. Sometimes drinks aren't served. The Chinese are not fon

44、d of desserts. Meals are often full of fruits but without any cake, pie or ice cream. </p><p>　　In America, before the coming of guests, the host never serves more than 6 dishes. Sometimes, the dishes prepar

45、ed for guests are extremely simple. The Americans hope their guests are joyful. Meanwhile, they think that invitation is just an occasion for intercourse, a chance of the maintenance of friendship. And the most important

46、 is to get much useful information by entertainment. Influenced by this idea, entertainments in America hardly attach importance to food. They create a relaxing, comfort</p><p>　　D. Drinking style </p>

47、<p>　　Chinese usually don't start drinking until someone offers the toast "gan bei". Koreans and Japanese use the same word for their toasts. The word originated in Japan. </p><p>　　When

48、 drinking, one should not drink from the bottle. It is considered impolite to pour a drink for yourself. When pouring a drink for an older person, please make sure to use two hands (a sign of respect). If you want a drin

49、k, the polite thing to do is fill someone else's glass and they in turn will fill yours. In some situations, it is rude to turn down a drink that is being offered to you. Some Chinese are fond of playing the "fi

50、nger game" (a kind of popular game in China) with the loser takin</p><p>　　Compared with westerners, the Chinese are quite outstanding in toasts. “Gan bei” is heard after every course and guests are oft

51、en asked to have a drink with the person who is considered as the host or an honorable guest. In China, people usually suppose that you have not truly enjoyed yourself if you leave a social meal sober. A host usually beg

52、ins the toast after the first course by welcoming all of his guests. Toasts can be offered to the whole table or people sitting around you and they are u</p><p>　　The first toast is frequently a general one,

53、 with everyone drinking together, usually as soon as the first dish is presented. After that it is a general practice for all at the table to toast others, starting with host/hostess toasting the guest of honor. It is no

54、t necessary to give a short speech when making a toast but is common to specify the kind of toast. The most usual toast is “gan bei”. Other toasts include “sui bian” (drink as you please), “sui yi” (drink a little), or “

55、ban bei” (drink </p><p>　　Ritualized drinking is a big part of conducting business and getting things accomplished in China. Banquet is a standard welcoming gesture and prerequisite to getting down to busine

56、ss. Restaurants often have special banquet rooms with private bathrooms and tables with place set with two glasses: one for beer, one for wine.</p><p>　　Hosts will lose face if their guests are perceived as

57、not having a good time and the key to making sure they do is making sure they get enough to drink. Of course, it’s like a form of communication between people. It would be disrespectful to have no drink with a guest.<

58、/p><p>　　Alcohol certainly greases the wheels of business in the west, but people can usually stop after one or two glasses. In China, however, the opposite is often true: it is much easier to refuse an initial

59、 drink than to stop once you have started. Drinking to develop and cement relationships has a long history in China. "When one drinks with a friend, a thousand cups are not enough" is a traditional saying. That

60、 does not mean bingeing has been the norm. In the 1980s, a study of Chinese classical poe</p><p>　　However, Americans do not force other people to drink too much. They hold different views from our Chinese p

61、eople. They advocate freedom and liberation. They do not like to force other people to do things they don’t like. So drinking is in the same way. </p><p>　　To some extent, we Chinese people sometimes pay mor

62、e attention to the atmosphere of the drinking than the drinking itself. That is to say, Chinese people are willing to create a good feeling with each other at the table and they would like to do some business while they

63、are drinking. However, westerners are in the opposite way. They value the drinking more than anything else. They hold the view that people who are not good at enjoying drinking surely don’t know how to live life to the f

64、ullest. </p><p>　　Westerners usually divide drinking into three sections: the first one is liquor, including brandy, whiskey, vodka and tequila. The second one is beer and the last one is wine. Other kinds o

65、f drinking such as cocktail, mixed drink and liqueur are also quite popular. In western countries, people often have a drink with each other especially with the host before they eat anything else at a dinner. You will fe

66、el surprised because “cheers” is resounding all the time through the dinner. And they persi</p><p>　　It is well known that every culture has different traditions when it comes to drinking etiquette. For exam

67、ple, to refill your own wine glass in France without offering more to the rest of the table would be considered impolite. In England, women can pour only men's drinks (not other women's) and if you want a refill,

68、 you need to drain your glass. And if you're in Latin America, never pour with your left hand. </p><p>　　E. The concepts of time</p><p>　　As there are different cultures and customs between

69、China and Western countries, our education is different, too. So westerners and Chinese have the different view on time. The westerners always combine time and money together; they think time is as important as money. In

70、 their mind, time is limited. They value their time very much. In their daily lives, they always arranged and planed their time carefully. They are often filled with a sense of urgency of time. They have a good habit tha

71、t they g</p><p>　　Meanwhile, China accepts the free time rule. In our mind, sometimes we need not have to obey the timetable. In China, we do not pay more attention on time. The different time concepts are r

72、eflected on the dinner. In China, we do not have certain standards about arrival time. Arrive earlier, on time or a little late are all allowed. We will not be similar with a western person who is so strict of carrying o

73、n according to the planned timetable. In fact, in western countries, when they want to go t</p><p>　　Ⅲ. Reasons for the differences of table culture between China and western countries</p><p>　　

74、A. Cultural background</p><p>　　Wang Li (1900-1986), a respected Chinese linguistic and social observer, wrote in 1943, “Mealtime in China is the best demonstration of our cooperative spirit. Ten or twelve p

75、eople can share a dish and a soup. At banquets, we emphasize a synchronous use of chopsticks.” (1996:21) “Besides demonstrating our cooperative spirit, meals in China also conform to economical principles. In the West, e

76、ach person has his own plate of food, and so uneaten food becomes trash. What a waste! We Chinese often h</p><p>　　Even today polite Chinese don't start eating until the eldest person at the table picks

77、up his chopsticks or spoon and no one is excused from the table until the eldest person has finished eating. When offering a plate, dish, glass or bottle to someone who is older than you, you show respect by using two ha

78、nds to present the object. The Chinese eat very fast. After finishing a meal, Chinese often get up, thank each other, say goodbye and leave abruptly. Chinese consider it somewhat rude to eat i</p><p>　　An ol

79、d joke goes like this: once upon a time, a foreigner asked a Chinese person, “It is said that you Chinese have banquets where 24 people share food around a table. Is this true?” The Chinese person replied,“It is true.” A

80、stounded, the foreigner exclaimed, “But many of the dishes would be too far away. How can the chopsticks ever reach?” To this, the Chinese person replied, “We just use three-foot-long chopsticks.” “But doesn’t that cause

81、 any problems?” The foreigner asked, “How can you bend </p><p>　　Chinese people are quite satisfied with these two advantages. One is the demonstration of cooperative spirit, and the other one is that food i

82、s rarely left over at Chinese banquets. The sages, however, are not satisfied. In their opinion, eating without first offering food to others makes them abnormal and impolite. We must constantly offer food to our guests.

83、 At first, we can offer food passively making guests be the first to try a dish, and telling them to eat more of the best food. After that</p><p>　　Mealtime hospitality is no doubt a virtuous custom, but wit

84、hin it, there does exist a problem. The meaning is simple: Taste in food and clothing varies from person to person. There is no fixed standard for what is good and what is bad. From this we see that what is tasty to a ho

85、st may not necessarily be tasty to his guest. Because people have different opinions about various ingredients and cooking methods (especially among people from different parts of the country), it is rather easy to misju

86、d</p><p>　　We learn from the American literature that the theme of “American Dream” is an important indication in the American literature history. It means that Americans wish to succeed through their self-d

87、ependence and self-reliance. They believe that they are created by God and that they are endowed with special traits which will help them to become the kind of people they wish to be. So this culture connotation can also

88、 be reflected in the table cultures. They respect freedom. So there are not so many </p><p>　　B. Economic background </p><p>　　Diet is based on the agricultural economy. Different agricultural p

89、atterns bring about the differences in the diet style and customs between countries. Chinese traditional agriculture has been transferred from the ancient peoples’ collection and hunting. The ancient Chinese people lived

90、 in a settled way. They depend largely on farming, whose staple food is grain and vegetables, by-product meat. The Chinese people are good at cooking, but they don’t like cheese and milk. However, in western count</p&

91、gt;<p>　　It is well known that China is a country full of bamboo, which is the raw material for chopsticks. That’s why Chinese people are so obsessed with using chopsticks. It not only makes our life more convenie

92、nt but also carries economic and cultural connotations. On the contrary, in most western countries, people enjoy eating something like bread, meat. So it’s natural for them to use knife and fork as their main tableware.&

93、lt;/p><p>　　IV. The attitudes that we should hold to the differences of table culture between China and western countries</p><p>　　In cross-cultural tradition, the parties involved should respect t

94、he culture and traditions of other parties. On table manners, the main party should give full play to their own cultural expertise on the basis of respect for the guests and their cultural traditions.</p><p>

95、;　　With the development of Sino-US relations and frequent exchanges between the two countries, they begin to have some common characteristics. According to Marxist philosophy, the struggle is in the contradiction between

96、 the two sides. So it is important for us to keep a rational attitude to this trend. On one hand, we should put our own culture in the first place. On the other hand, we should pay attention to the integration of the dif

97、ferent culture and take active part in absorbing the fine cultu</p><p>　　V. Conclusion</p><p>　　In summary, through the analysis of the differences of Sino-western table culture, understanding

98、the different cultural traditions between the two is very helpful to improve our own cultural identity. Meanwhile, it also promotes Chinese civilization and put Chinese people at ease in the process of exchanging with ot

99、her people. Besides, it can help us to enhance the awareness of cross-cultural communication and make us realize that respect for cultural differences is essential on improving cross-</p><p>　　Therefore, in

100、the process of cross-cultural communication, we should establish a value of unity to try to understand each other and to achieve mutual adaptation. It must be noted that we should never completely abandon our own table c