中南大学中西文化答案.doc

711中西文化专题课程复习材料 一、 定义题 （20）4小题1. Concepts of culture, individualism, and collectivism1) cultureCulture is the way of life of a group of people. Tylor conceived culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”. 2) individualism, An individualist culture tends to emphasize the needs of individuals. In general, Western culture tends to be individualist3) collectivismA collectivist is one in which people tend to view themselves as members of groups and consider the needs of the group to be more important. Most Asian cultures, including Chinas, tend to be collectivist2. Confucianism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, and social effects of religions1) Confucianism, Confucianism takes the teachings of Confucius as its core of thought and regards the words and deeds of Confucius as its highest code (准则) of behavior. It advocates the benevolence、 justice and rituals, allegiance and forbearance (仁、义、礼、忠、恕), the doctrine of the golden mean (中庸) and values the ethical relations of men.Ren (仁) and li (礼) are the two core concepts of Confucius doctrine about people2) ChristianityChristianity is the worlds largest religion, with approximately 2.2 billion adherents, known as Christians.Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and oral teachings of Jesus as presented in the New Testament (新约全书). 3) Buddhism Buddhism originated in India in the 6th century B.C. Sakyamuni is said to be the founder of BuddhismBuddhism was first introduced into China in the first century. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Buddhism entered its golden age. During its development in China, it has a profound influence on traditional Chinese culture and thoughts, and has become one of the most important religions in China.The theory of Buddhism is based on the theory of samsara (轮回)，meaning that living beings orbit around the six spheres of heaven, hell and earth, just like an ever-turning wheel. 4) IslamIslam was founded by the Arabic prophet (先知) Mohammed with a history of more than 1000 years and in the seventh century it was introduced into China. For people of Islamic faith, there is only one God, Allah(阿拉真主). (monotheistic religion)The Arabic word Islam“ means “submission and obedience”. Alternatively, it can mean peace, which signifies that one can achieve real peace of body and mind only through submission and obedience to Allah. Such a life of obedience brings peace of the heart and establishes real peace in society at large. 5) social effects of religionsThe development of religion has taken different forms in different cultures. Some religions place an emphasis on belief, while others emphasize practice. Some religions focus on the subjective experience of the religious individual, while others consider the activities of the religious community to be most important. Some religions claim to be universal, believing their laws and cosmology to be binding for everyone, while others are intended to be practiced only by a closely defined or localized group. In many places religion has been associated with public institutions such as education, hospitals, the family, government, and political hierarchies.二、翻译题 （10分) 10个中国文化符号翻译 猜灯谜Guessing Riddles 节日Spring Festival ; Lantern Festival ; Qingming Festival ; Dragon Boat Festival ; Mid-Autumn Festival ; Double Ninth Festival.阴历 lunar calendar阳历 solar calendar闰月 intercalary month刺绣 embroider书法 calligraphy武术a martial art功夫kung fu舞狮 Lion Dance中国结Chinese knot春联 spring couplets剪纸 paper-cut红包 lucky money in red envelops压岁钱 money given to children as a lunar New Year gift灯谜 lantern riddles重阳节 double ninth festival赏菊 enjoying the flourishing chrysanthemum太极 Tai Chi易经 the book of changes论语 The Analects of Confucius 孙子兵法Sun Zi Warcraft 史记 Shih Chi川菜 Sichuan cuisine 粽子 glutinous rice dumplings蛋炒饭 fried rice with egg;二、 简答/论述题 （70分）7小题，每题10分。3. Features of one Chinese festival, Lantern festival, Qingming festival, Dragon boat festival, OR mid-autumn festivalThe Qingming Festival is a day for mourning the dead. It is one of the 24 seasonal division points in the lunar calendar, falling on April 4th-6th each year. After the festival, the temperature rises and rainfall increases in readiness for spring plowing and sowing. So people like to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime on that day.4. Major differences between Chinese education and Western education OR suggestions for China higher education reform Education is culture, and different educations show different societies culture. In a word, western education is guiding while Chinese education is teaching. Western education focuses on improve students assuredness, self-determination and independence, and Chinese education focuses on strictness and preciseness. The assuredness can improve creation; it also can develop students thinking. The preciseness can improve comprehensive thinking; it also could be an enemy to thinking.5. Key features of Chinese tea culture, OR major differences between Chinese food and western foodChinese food:Colour, Aroma, and Taste Colour refers not only to the beautiful color of the food, but also to the layout and design. Aroma refers to the fragrant and appetizing smell of the dishes.Taste is not only associated with tasting the food itself, but also with the appreciation of seasonings and textureWestern food:Nutrition first the intake of calories, vitamins, proteintastes stereotypeda means of survival6. Features of one clothing style you like Blue jeans are probably the single most representative article of American clothing. They were originally invented by tailor Jacob Davis, who together with dry-goods salesman Levi Strauss patented the idea in 1873 as durable clothing for miners. Blue jeans (also known as dungarees) spread among workers of all kinds in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially among cowboys, farmers, loggers, and railroad workers7. What are the differences between Chinese language and English language, for example, idioms, color words, OR numbers?. In the West, Red is a hot color. It symbolizes a brutal（残忍）, such as a red battle.In China, red is a symbol of good luck and happiness, such as red packets.Westerners think white is elegant and pure. It is a symbol of innocence（纯真无邪）, such as a white soul. In Chinese culture, white and red contrast, white is the symbol of death, such as white mourning dress（白色孝服）.In the West, Yellow is a symbol of mean, such as yellow dog(卑鄙的人). In China Yellow is a symbol of power, such as yellow jacket（黄马褂）.8. Your advice about how to build a good relationship with peopleFirst you should be honest to othersThen try your best to help othersOn the other hand，you need to be a good listener and show your respect to others9. Features of one famous tourist site you like in China Mount Tai is in central Shandong Province to the south of the Yellow River, the second longest river in China. Its highest peak(山峰), Yuhuangding, is 1,545 meters above sea level, but absolute altitude and relative altitude are the highest within a circumference(周围) of several thousand kilometers. Since the Qin Dynasty，many Chinese emperors held various sacrifices（献祭） and religious rites（典礼） on Mount Tai, making the mountain a holy（神圣的） site. The Dai Temple at the foot of the mountain and steles（石碑） on the mountain itself reflect the ancient culture of the area. 10. Business etiquettes, greeting etiquette, OR wedding ceremonygreeting etiquettebe graciousSmileMake eye contactOffer a firm handshakePay attention to names when you meet peopleKnow who is the most important person11. Major differences between Chinese love poetry and Western love poetry(1)Difference on Theme，in China，the roles tend to love each other after they get married. Or once the lover passes away, the other inclines to miss the dead one deeply. However, the theme of western poetry is involved in “extramarital love” and “premarital love”(2)Difference on Emotion. The Chinese poetry often depicts the feeling of hidden bitterness of love, On the contrary, western love poets often express the lively and happy aspect of love. (3)Different Goals of Description. The western poets are good at delineating the lovers lovely voice and happy countenance with details to show the beautiful shape of ones body. Chinese love poets devout themselves to pursuing the harmony of human, scenery and emotion.12. One Chinese mythology or Greek mythology story and the influence of the story on Chinese or western life/culture