A Comparison Study on Chinese and Western Banquet Cultures.docx

A Comparison Study on Chinese and Western Banquet Cultures.docx

《A Comparison Study on Chinese and Western Banquet Cultures.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《A Comparison Study on Chinese and Western Banquet Cultures.docx（23页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

AComparisonStudyonChineseandWesternBanquetCultures

B.A.Thesis

AComparisonStudyonChineseandWesternBanquetCultures

B.A.Candidate:

MoJinyu

Advisor:

YangYingchun

ForeignLanguageDepartment

JiayingUniversity

June5,2008

Acknowledgements

Iwouldliketoexpressmygratitudetoallthosewhoofferedmeallkindsofhelpduringthewritingofthisthesis.

MydeepestgratitudegoesfirstandforemosttoMs.YangYingchun,mysupervisor,forherconstantencouragementandpatientguidance.Shehaswalkedmethroughallthestagesofthewritingofthisthesis.Withoutherconsistentandilluminatinginstruction,thisthesiscouldnothavereacheditspresentform.Second,aspecialacknowledgementshouldbeshowntoDr.TianMinggang,fromwhoselecturesIbenefitedgreatly.IamalsogreatlyindebtedtotheprofessorsandteachersattheForeignLanguageDepartmentwhohaveinstructedandhelpedmealotinthepastfouryears.Finally,Iowemysinceregratitudetomyfriendsandmyfellowclassmateswhogavemetheirhelpandtimeinlisteningtomeandhelpingmeworkoutmyproblemsduringthedifficultcourseofthethesis.

Abstract

Sharingfoodisabasicwaythathumanbeingsshowtheirfriendshiptoothersduringtheintercourses.Naturally,banquetbecomesanetiquettetoentertaintheguests.Withtherapiddevelopmentofeconomy,theworldhasgrownsosmallthatwealldependoneachothernow.Whathappensinoneplaceoftheworldaffectsotherplaces.Andfrequentcontactsareshowingtheimportanceofbanquetculture.Differentcultureshavedifferentconventions,thesamewithbanquet.WemustgraspthedisparitiesbetweenChinaandWesterncountriesinbanquetcultureinordertoworkandliveproperlyduringtheinternationalcommunication.

ChineseandWesternbanquetcultureandtheirdifferencesarethecoreofthispaper.Intheinternationalcontact,banquetisnotonlyjusttoeatasothersexpected,butalsoitplaysanessentialroleinthedevelopmentofsocietyandintheprogressofhumanbeings.Banquetsarealwaysheldonmanyoccasionsforcelebration,appreciation,orothermatters.Thispaperfocusesonthedifferentformsandcustoms,especiallyonthecomparisonamongthediet,tablewareandetiquetteinthebanquet.Italsotriestofindoutthesocialoriginofthedifferentconceptionanddifferentbanquetetiquette.

RealizingthedifferencescultureofbanquetbetweenChinaandtheWestistotheadvantageofallthenearly6billionofpeoplewhosharetheplanettoimprovetheirinterpersonalandinterculturalcommunicationabilities.Whenpeopledeepentheunderstandingoftheirownculturesandprevailthecultures,theycanlearnpositivelyaboutsomespecialculturesfromothercountries.Inaddition,peoplewhohaveabilitiesofdealingwithmultipleculturescanbeskillfulatdevelopinginterculturalcommunication.

KeyWords:

banquetcultureChinaandwesterncountriesdifferencesconcept

摘要

共享食物历来是人类在各种交往活动中用以表示友谊的基本方式之一。

宴会自然就成为接待宾客的一种礼节。

随着经济全球化的日益发展紧密，世界变得越来越小，并相互依存相互影响。

国际间人与人之间的交往日趋频繁,也就突显了宴请活动在国际交往中的重要性。

不同的文化背景有着不同的习俗。

宴请也不例外。

从而，使得越来越多的人们需要了解在中西方国家在宴请习俗上的差异，以便能更好地交流，给生活和工作带来更大的便利。

本文主要介绍中西方宴请习俗的差异。

因为在国际交往中，宴请活动绝不像一般人所想象的那样，仅仅是吃吃饭这般简单，在社会进步和人类进程中有着无可替代的作用，包含了很多社会功能。

通过对中西方国家宴请形式以及宴请习俗的论述，尤其着重于在宴会中饮食、餐具、礼仪等方面的对比，并力图寻求其根源，使人们了解到中西方宴请习俗的差异之处。

认识到中西宴请文化的差异，有利于60亿地球人提高其在人际和跨文化交往的能力。

在加深对自己国家文化的理解和发扬光大的同时，人们积极地去学习对方的文化特性，使自己成為具有多重文化能力，善于开展文化交际的人。

关键词:

宴请习俗差异中西方观念

Contents

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………..………….….i

Abstract（English）………………………………………………………………...…...ii

Abstract（Chinese）……………………………………………………..……….……iii

1.Introduction…………………………………………………………………..…….1

2.Differentbanquetforms……………………………………………..….…………..2

2.1TheWesternformsofbanquet………….………………………………….…..2

2.2ThemainformsinChina………………………….………………………...…6

2.3ThedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternform……………………….......7

2.3.1ThesinglenessofChinesebanquet...…………………...………………...8

2.3.2ThediversificationofWesternbanquet…..………………………………8

2.4Thecausesofthedifferences….…………………………….…………………9

2.4.1CollectivisminChina……………………………………….…………...10

2.4.2IndividualismintheWest...……………………………….………….….11

3.ThebanquetcustomsandhabitsinChinaandtheWest……………………..........12

3.1TheconceptofChineseandWesterndiet……………………………………..12

3.1.1SumptuouscuisineinChinesebanquet……………………..…………...12

3.1.2Westernrationalconceptofdiet…………………………...……….……16

3.2DifferentetiquettesofbanquetinChinaandtheWest……………………..….18

3.2.1Seatsarrangement………….……………………………………………18

3.2.2Servingthecourses……………………………………………………....19

3.2.3Tablemanners..…………………………………………………………..21

3.2.3.1ThedifferenttablewareinChinaandtheWest.………………..22

3.2.3.2Eatingbehavior..………………………………………………..23

4.Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...24

References………………………………………………….......................................26

AComparativeStudyofChineseandWesternBanquetCultures

1.Introduction

Everycountryintheworld,WestorEast,hasbanquetcustoms.Ifitisneededinsocialintercourse,fromofficialstocivilians,banquetsareregularoccasionswherepeopleoftenattend.

TheOldFrenchwordbanquet,thelikelysourceofourword,whichisderivedfromOldFrenchseemstohavechangedfrom“littlebench”to“amealtakenonthefamilyworkbench”to“feast”.

Itplaysanirreplaceableroleinthedevelopmentofsocietyandintheprogressofhumanbeings.Banquetsareusuallyheldtocelebratethefestivals,weddings,farewellorotherspecialoccasions.Concerningthemeansofsocialintercourse,thebookEmilyPost’sEtiquettemakesasummaryofthepurposeofdinnerasfollow,“toexpressgratitudetosomeoneprovidings;tocelebrateforanewbargain;towinthecustomer’strusts;toaskforhelp;tointroduceonetoothers;togivesuggestionordiscusssomeideas…”（2004:

106）.Andeacheventisassociatedwithparticulartreats.Nowadays,peoplesittogetheraroundadinnertableorjustgatheraroundaroombecauseeatingtogetherenhancecommunication,understandingandfriendship.Thiscanbeadequatelyreflectedbyvariousbanquetsintheworld.

Furthermore,withtherapiddevelopmentofglobaleconomy,wesaytheworldiscomingsmallerandsmaller.Andofficialorbusinessfrequentcontactsareshowingthesignificantimportanceofbanquet.TherearegreatdisparitiesbetweenChinaandWesterncountriesinbanquetcultures.SothecomparativestudyofChineseandWesternbanquetculturewillhelpusincreasecross-culturalawareness.Moreover,appreciatingandrespectingculturaldifferenceisessentialifwearetoavoidtheculturalcollisionduringtheinteraction.

2.Differentbanquetforms

Becauseofdifferenthistory,geography,ideology,culture,lifestyle,socialcustoms,etc.,peopleindifferentpartsoftheworld,especiallythoseintheEastandthoseintheWestdodifferintheirbanquetpatterns.

2.1TheWesternformsofbanquet

Thoughbanquetmeanstogiveadinnertopeople,therearedifferentforms.ThisphenomenonpresentsdistinctlyinWesterncountries.TheWesternbanquetforms,fromformaltoinformal,aremuchmorethanChinesebanquetforms.Generalspeaking,thereareeightforms:

Seateddinners;

Buffetdinners;

Luncheons;

Receptions;

Cocktailparties;

BYOBandBYOF（=Bringyourownbottlesandbringyourownfood）;

Picnics;

Teaparties.

（1）Almostanydinnerwhereguestsareseatedatatableandareservedbysomeoneotherthanthemselvesisconsidereda“formal”dinnertoday.Naturally,thereareseveraldegreesofformality,fromlarge,“official”formaldinnertosmall,at-homedinners.

（2）Therearebasicallytwotypesofbuffets–realbuffetsandseatedorsemi-buffets.Atarealbuffet,guestsservethemselvesinthediningroomandcarrytheirplatestoanotherroom,usuallythelivingroom,wheretheyholdtheirfoodontheirplatesintheirlapsandsettheirglassesonthenearesttable,onacoaster.

Ataseatedorsemi-buffet,guestareseatedatthediningtableoratsmalltablesinthelivingroom,hallorlibrarywhereplacesarealreadyset.Theguestsservethemselvesfromthebuffetandthensitatthetableratherthanonthecouch,etc.

“Ifthepartyislarge,putthetableinthecenteroftheroom,sothattwolinesofguestsmayservethemselvesatonce.Inthiscase,themaindishisdividedintotwopartsandoneplatterorcasseroleplacedateachendofthetable.Theplatesareintwostacksbesidethem,withnapkinsandsilverarrangednexttotheplates.

Dishesofvegetables,salads,breadandbutlerandsaucesandcondimentsareoneachofthetablesoguestsneedtopassdownonlyoneside.”（Post,1997:

69）.

Beveragesandglassesarearrangedonasideboardortableandseparatedfromthebuffettable.Ifitisaseatedbuffet,waterglassesareonthetablesandarefilledbeforetheguestssitdown.Wineglassesshouldalsobeattheguests’placesbutareneverfilledinadvance.Coffeemayalsobeplacedonthesideboard,orthehostessmayserveitfromatrayinthelivingroomafterdinner.

（3）Invitationsmaybetelephonedorandengravedcardmaybeusedforanelaborateluncheon,especiallyforonegiveninhonorofanotedperson.

Oftenplacematsorplacematsplusarunnerinthecenterofthetableareusedinsteadofatablecloth.Flowersoradecorativeornamentmaybeusedasacenterpiece,andtwoorfourdishesoffruitorcandymaybeplacedwheretheylookbest.Twoorthreecoursesaresufficientatanybutthemostformalluncheon.Nevertheless,thereareneverexceedingsixcoursesintheformalluncheon.

（4）Sincereceptionsarealwaysgiveninsomeone’shonor,thereisgenerallyareceivingline,consistingofthehostand/orhostess,