中西饮食文化差异.doc

武汉纺织大学高等教育自学考试毕 业 论 文论文题目: The Differences Between Chinese and Western Food Cultures 指导老师: 罗阳 专 业: 外贸英语 准考证号： 017707200842 作者姓名: 熊姗姗 答辩时间： 2011年5月25日 2011 年 3 月 5 日Contents1.Introduction12.Main Differences Between Chinese and Western Food Cultures22.1Conceptual Differences22.2Different Manners32.3Different Characteristics62.3.1 Different Dinner Service72.3.2 Different Cookbooks and Reasons73.The Unity of Food Cultures as Two Opposites94.Conclusion115.Bibliography126.Acknowledgements13学位论文作者声明本人郑重声明：所呈交的学位论文是本人在导师的指导下独立进行研究所取得的研究成果。除了文中特别加以标注引用的内容外，本论文不包含任何其他个人或集体已经发表或撰写的成果作品。本人完全了解有关保障、使用学位论文的规定，同意学校保留并向有关学位论文管理机构送交论文的复印件和电子版，同意本论文被编入有关数据库进行检索和查阅。本学位论文内容不涉及国家机密。论文题目：The Differences Between Chinese and Western Food Cultures作者单位： 美的冰箱荆州事业部作者签名： 2011 年 3 月 5 日Abstract Food culture is the key part of the human culture, which is directly related to human beings physical and mental health. Cultural differences between China and western countries create the differences of food cultures, which come from the different cultural values, ways of thinking and philosophy. By comparing the different cultural values between China and western countries, the paper mainly makes a research on the differences of Western and Chinese food cultures from the aspects of food conception, structure and table manners. It also states the food cultures opposites in unity between these two kinds of countries and inevitability of their blending together. Understanding their differences and rectifying the attitudes towards the individual culture will enhance our communicative awareness and competence and avoid the contradictions and conflicts brought forth by different food cultures and values, and thus promoting culture exchange and development.Key words：cross - cultural communication; cultural value; food cultures; opposites in unity摘要 饮食文化是人类文化的重要组成部分，它直接关系到人类的身心健康。中西文化之间的差异导致了中西饮食文化的差异,而这种差异来自中西不同的价值观、思维方式和处世方式。本文对饮食观念、饮食结构和餐桌礼仪三方面的饮食文化内涵进行了研究,并分析了中西饮食文化的对立统一性,以及二者相互融合的趋势。了解中西饮食文化, 可以提高我们的跨文化交际意识和能力，可以避免跨文化交际过程中由于不同的饮食文化和观念而产生的矛盾和冲突,增进双方的了解和沟通。关键词：跨文化交际；文化价值；饮食文化；对立统一iv武汉纺织大学外贸英语专业毕业论文设计The Differences Between Chinese and Western Food Cultures1. IntroductionCulture has a long history, and it still is being studied nowadays. Culture is something that originated with the emergence of man. Sir Edward, the British anthropologist, says that culture is that complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, and moral, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. (Harris, 1987, 2) Different regions, different races and different countries all form their own culture. Different regions and different living environments make them have different backgrounds. Different backgrounds affect different appearance of cultures. Food culture is the basic culture for a nation. Food cultures can show differences and characteristics of different nations or countries.As an important aspect of culture，Food culture can be defined as the sum of material and spiritual phenomena in the catering activities. With the emphasis on a healthy food, many Chinese and foreign scholars are studying the nutritional food in order to find a more reasonable food. Differences of food cultures in different countries are a phenomenon of cross-cultural communication. Studying these differences can train people adaptability in cross-cultural communication. Cross-cultural communication in the situation of globalization makes the different food cultures complementary and integrated.2. Main Differences Between Chinese and Western Food Cultures2.1 Conceptual Differences Differences between American and Chinese food culture reflects two different food concepts and values. Chinese people are always upholding “People regard food as their heave, taste is the essence of food” .the eight major cuisines of china reflect the rich connotations of Chinese food culture. From this, we can know that the food is in a very important position in minds of Chinese people. Chinese food culture concerns the meaning of material and has a trend of achieving a mental need. Chinese food cultures great sentiment is well established, so it has the very high prestige in the world. The Chinese people think that it is reasonable to eat three meals a day. Eating can relieve thirst and appease hunger, but it has some meanings. For example, when a child comes into the world, the relatives often eat the red-painted eggs. These kinds of eggs contain their wishes and their expectations. Life can be continued and the great expectations can be passed down from generation to generation. When a child is one year old, their family will hold a party to celebrate it and to eat many kinds of food. When people want to have a marriage, they also want to have a lively banquet to celebrate it. Seen from the surface, these kinds of eating are only satisfy physical needs. In fact, they have ulterior motivations. They want to take advantage of this kind of form to express one kind of psychological connotation. Eating has a very profound and significant position in the society. Through the Chinese and the Western association, our food culture has merged into some new characteristics. Besides the quality, fragrance and flavor, food should concern the nutrition. This is a progressive expression of the Chinese food. The basic connotation and inspection of the Chinese food culture not only can be helpful to deepen the food cultural theory, but can occupy the world market. It can make the Chinese food culture have the profound and positive sense. It may has four characteristics: refinement, beauty, feeling, courtesy. The four characters have reflected the food activities, and have processed the food quality, the esthetic experience, the emotional activity, the social function and so on. They also contain unique cultural implication. They reflect close relation between the food culture and the outstanding traditional culture.Chinese food culture attacks great importance to the foods fine beauty and making devices.First, “refinement” can be used to summarize the intrinsic quality. Confucius said that the good food can be shown from the beautiful appearance, and we consider the minced meat to be good because of its thin. This reflects that the ancients have begun to concern high-quality food. Certainly this is possibly limited to certain aristocrat. But this kind of high-quality food can show one kind of cultural spirit. More and more cultural spirit has permeated the entire food activity. Choosing the material, the cooking, and the food atmosphere all manifest this characteristic of refinement.Second, “beauty” manifests the food cultures esthetical characteristic. One important reason why Chinese food can conquer the world lies in its beauty. This kind of beauty refers to the Chinese food can unite the form of action and the perfect content. People can enjoy this kind of happy spirit. The first reason for making people to taste the food is the beauty of the food, anther criterion for judging food is the technique of cooking which can make people have an esthetical feeling.Third, “feeling” can be used to summarize the function of satisfying psychological need of Chinese food culture. Eating and drinking cannot simply reflect it. In fact, feeling is a medium that can make people exchange the emotion. It is one kind of entirely new social activity. At the same time, while eating a meal, people also can chat with each other. They may do business, exchange information and have the interview. The friends meeting and parting and seeing off the departing people are the sentimental disturbance.Fourth, the Chinese food can show the courtesy of Chinese people. The “refinement”, “beauty”, “feeling” and “courtesy”, can be used to summarize the basic conations of Chinese food culture. In the other words, these four aspects are the organic constitution of Chinese food culture. The refinement and beauty stress on the food image and the quality. The feeling and courtesy can lay emphasis on the view of food. These four characteristics can show the prevailing customs. They are the special characteristics and can make the Chinese food culture be different from Western food culture. Western food cannot have these characteristics like Chinese food. It concerns more nutrition of food rather than other aspects. The Western people have a very scientific view of food, but they may have less attention to the flavor of food. The Western people just consider the food as a fuel of bodies. They just want to live by eating the food, and eating the food is to live and to keep healthy. 2.2 Different Manners First, there are different arrangements of seats.Chinese and western all concern the arrangement of seats at a formal banquet. In China, etiquette on food has a very long history. It is recorded that in Chou Dynasty, had formed a set of perfect systems. Especially, since Confucius praised the etiquette, the etiquette has become an important part for every dynasty to show its mightiness, kindness and civilization. As a traditional etiquette, it has its process. Traditionally, Chinese people often use the old fashioned square table or round table for eight people. The host invites people to have the dinner. When some guests come, the host often let them have a rest in the drawing room and drink some tea. The host could let all the guests take their seats in the dining room when all the guests arrive. The left place is the respectful and is considered the first place. Then the seat near to the first seat is the second. They usually let the guest who is in the high rank take the left seat and then arrange the others seats one by one. After the guests all took their seats, the host should toast and let the guests eat more foods. In China, it is a good and polite way for the host to treat the guests in this way. The host should let the guests feel at ease. Sometimes he or she can pick up the food and put in to the guests plates. However, this action cannot be done excessively, and it will let the guests feel embarrassed. The reason is that sometimes it is very hard for the guests to deal with their excessive foods. Until Qing Dynasty, the Western food was brought into China. Some Western countries etiquette also went into our country. Some changes have taken place in our traditional etiquettes. Nowadays, etiquette on Chinese food has developed on the basis of keeping traditions and consulting Western countries etiquettes. The order of seat is that the right is considered as the first place and respectful position. The main host takes the seat facing to the door. The first and second important guest should sit on both sides of the host. The second guest also can seat near the first important guest. When the Western people have the dinner, they often use the long and square table. The host and hostess take both sides of the table, and then arrange the guests of honor. Second, table manners differ greatly from country to country. Traditionally, at the Chinese dining table, everyone has his or her own bowl of stable food, while the dishes are placed in the middle of the table to be shared by all. This age-old custom is one manifestation of the importance of food in Chinese civilization. It is the cooked dishes, rather than flowers, that serve as center pieces on a Chinese table; food is frequently the main topic of dinner time and food is the medium of communicating the hosts good wishes and the joy of the celebration. Enjoyment of the food offered is much more important than conversation. When we have a dinner, we cannot think only of ourselves. If we have a meal with others, we must examine whether our hands are clean. Do not put the left food to the pot, and do not hold the food by yourself. In the dinner, the drink is the necessary thing. It plays an important role at banquets. It can make people feel excited and make the atmosphere high. At the same time, in order to express the respect for others, they often drink the bear one cup by one cup. The host takes the first piece of the most valued food and put it on their guest of honors plate after leading the first drink. This will signify the beginning of the eating and is considered as a friendly gesture. At the banquet, some things need to be considered. Some seeds and bones of the food should be placed on the table or in a reserved dish. Do not place these in your bowl. If you want to break the dinner for a while, you can vertically put chopstick on the dishes. If you put chopsticks horizontally on the dishes or place your chopsticks on the table, it shows that you are full and do not eat anymore. Do not place your chopsticks parallel on the top of your bowl. It is believed to bring bad luck. Do not stick your chopsticks straight up in your rice bowl. Do not put the end of the chopsticks in your mouth. Sometimes, try not to drop your chopsticks on some formal occasions. This is also considered a sign of bad luck. After finishing the dinner, guests should help hosts clear away bowls and chopsticks and give them to the hosts. The hosts should rise and let the guests not work and sit down. These customs are also necessary in the modern times. At the banquet of the Western countries, they should sit bolt upright, and they think it is impolite to stoop down and to lower their heads. At the same time, they should keep a distance between their bodies and the table. It is appropriate for people to be able to use forks, knives and spoons. It is not allowed to put their arms on the table or to stretch out their arms to stand in others way. They also should use the table napkin. The napkin only can be used to clean mouth and hands. Do not use it to clean utensils and even sweat. When finishing the dinner, you should put the napkin on the right of the dish. It is considered bad manners to make any noise while eating soup in Western countries, while it is not considered impolite to drink soup noisily in Asian countries. If the soup is hot, we can drink it when it becomes a bit cold. Do not blow it to make it cold. When drinking the soup, people should use soup spoons from the inner to outer. After the soup is finished, they should leave the spoon in the bowl. Do not make the knife fork and spoon make a sound when you are eating the meal. If you do not use them, you just put them on the right places and do not play with them. In Western society, anyone who lifts their plate or bowl from the table is criticized. There are also correct and incorrect ways of using your cutlery at the dining table. Good etiquettes require a person to put food on the back of their fork; that is, not to use their forks as spoons. However, most people do sometimes use their fork as a spoon when they eat some food, like rice, it is an impolite way to wave knives and forks when you are speaking. There is a different way to show finishing the dinner in the Western countries. At a Western banquet, if you want to have a break during the dinner, you should put the knife and fork in the middle of plate by the splay shape. If you put the knife and fork outside of the plate, it will be not safe and also it cannot have a good looking. In the Western countries, the hostess often is the master of the whole party. The guests often need to behave properly, and they begin to eat the food when the hostess begins to eat. When finishing the dinner, it is common that the hostess leaves the table first and then the guests begin to leave. At this point, we can see that at the dinner, the ladies are in the important places. It can show their kindness of the gentlemen. “Lady first” often can be said by them and the gentlemen often can show their polite actions to the ladies. This is a good action for people and we should learn it. In the formal feast, there are many things that should be known and considered. Especially at Western countries feast, people should know about those manners and customs. If not, people will make many mistakes, what is worse; their impolite ways can disturb and influence others. Sometimes, the action of people will be a joke for people to absorb into the big environment and to communicate with others well. As for foreigners, if they can learn about them well, it can make them adapt to the life of others.Third, there are also differences in the order of dishes. In China, the first dish is soup, and then the main food, such as rice. The last of the dinner is fruit that is used to expedite the assimilation. In the Western countries, the order is vegetable, soup, fruit, drink and rice. The sweetmeat and coffee often are the last.Fourth, we have different requests for dressing. In China, people can be informally dressed, even T-shirts and jeans when they are in the restaurant. Only when they attend some formal feast, they will be grandly dressed. In the Western countries, if people go to the deluxe restaurant, the men should wear the clean coat and leather shoes, and the ladies should wear skirts and shoes with heels. If they are asked to wear the formal clothes, the men need to wear ties. They cannot be dressed in casual wear to go to the restaurant to have the dinner. If they just do so, they will be considered to be impolite by others. If we have the chance to have formal dinners, we should remember to wear formal clothes. It can show your kindness and courtesy.2.3 Different CharacteristicsFood culture is not only related to eating, It is the culture that includes beliefs, views, philosophies, regions, art and other things that are related to food, and many new things have swarmed into