中西方文化差异.docx

中西方文化差异.docx

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中西方文化差异

OnDifferencesBetweenChineseandWesternDietaryCultures

Abstract

Dietisabsolutelynecessaryinthelifeofmankind,andevenintheexistenceordevelopment.BecauseofthedifferencesbetweenChineseandwesternculturaltraditions,theChineseandwesterndietaryculturesaredifferentinconcept,target,pattern,attributionandnature.Westudythesedifferencesandthenfindoutthepointsthatcanbedigested,inordertofacilitatethecommunicationaboutculturesbetweenChinaandthewest.TaiwanProfessorZhangQijunsaid,“Theoldsaying,'Eat,drink,man,womanwhowishesgreatly'.Forsuchastandardfair,westernculture（inparticular,modernAmericanculture）canbesaidtobemaleandfemaleculture.ButtheChineseculturecanbesaidtobeadietaryculture."Asthereasonoftheculturaltraditions,thewesternlivestendtomenandwomen,butbecauseofthenarrowgenderrelations,Chinesepeoplearedumpingguidanceonlifeintherestaurants.Thusthedietisrichinculture.Foodcultureinthewestisnotdevelopedenough,butthisunderdevelopmentitselfistheresultofthedevelopmentofaculture,soitisstillsignificanttostudythedietaryculturesofChineseandWesterndiet.BytheanalysisofthedifferencesbetweenChineseandwesterndietarycultures,wecancomprehendtherespectiveculturaltraditionsofChinaandthewest.AndwecanalsoimproveandcreatethecultureofChina.   

KeyWords

dietaryculture;culturaltradition;differences

摘　要

饮食是人类生活、生存与发展的必需，可是由于中西方文化传统的差异，导致了中西方饮食文化在观念、对象、方式、归属与性质方面产生了差异，研究这些差异，找出可以融会贯通的地方，促进中西文化交流。

台湾张起钧教授说过“古语说‘饮食男女人之大欲存焉’。

就这样的标准而论，西方文化（特别是近代美国式的文化）可说是男女文化，而中国可说是一种饮食文化。

”由于文化传统的缘故，西方人的人生倾向男女关系，而中国人由于对男女关系的褊狭，把人生精力倾泄导向于饮食。

由此赋予饮食以丰富的文化内涵，虽然饮食文化在西方不够发达，但这种不发达本身也是一种文化发展的结果，所以对中西饮食文化的比较仍有意义。

通过对中西饮食文化差异的分析，我们可以了解中西方各自的文化传统；同时能对中国文化进行改善与创新。

关键词

饮食文化;文化传统;差异

Introduction

Oncethereisasayingthat"Foodiseatingwell-deservedforhumanlife”,sofoodisanindispensableconditionforthesurvivalanddevelopmentofhumanbeings.Therearetwodesiresinlife:

oneisfeastingthemtosurvive;andanotheristhelustofmenandwomen,whichcanhelpthemankindtocarryonthefamilyline.Facingthetwodesires,Chinapaysmoreattentiontotheformer,whilethewesttendstothelatter.Suchphenomenonaffectstheculturaltrend.Dietisactuallythecontentsofourdailylives,butwhywecallitculture?

ThatisbecausethediethasspecialstatusintheChineseculture,anditalsohasagreatdistinctionbetweenChinaandthewest.

Asoneoftheworldancientnations,China’sdiethasahistoryalmostaslongasthatofChinesecivilization.Butinwesterncountries,ancientthinkersdevotedlessattentiontothefoodproblemthantheChinesephilosophersdid,andthereisevennotawareofittothe"heaven"degree.Withtheopposite,theyrecognizedandinterpretedtheworldintheperspectiveofthelustorloveofmenandwomenmore.WhethertheawarenessoforiginalsinofChristianity,AdamandEvelegend,orancientGreekphilosophy（suchasPlato'sdialogue）whoconsideredthepersonalrelationships“love”astheloveofontologyofbeauty,andregardeditasarealitythinkingofphilosophy,alltheseideasbecomethebasisofwesternphilosophers’culturalthoughts.Allthesehadpotentialeffectsonthedevelopmentofwesterncultureandwesterners’characters.

Receivingtheinfluenceofrespectiveculturaltradition,theChineseandwesterndietaryculturehashaddifferentcharacteristic.Thedifferencesinconcepts,targets,patterns,attributionandnaturehadreflectedthedifferentdietarycultureinthedifferentstatecharacteristic;suchcharacteristichasenrichedtheresearchvalueofdietaryculture.Studyingtheseculturaldifferences,wecanfindoutajointenhancingthecommunicationbetweenChinaandthewestthroughacomprehensivestudyofthesubject.ItmaybeagreathelptothecommunicationoftheChineseandwesterncultures.

I.DifferencesinConceptsFirst,theChineseandwesterndiethavethedifferencesthatcannotbeignoredinconcepts.NobodywilldenythattheWesterndietisarationalconcept,regardlessofthecoloroffood,incense,flavorandshape,butnutritionmustbeassured.Itcaresabouttheintakeofcalories,vitamins,proteinandsoonduringaday.ComparingwiththeChinesediet,westerndiettastesstereotyped,assimpleaschewingthecandle,butthesensetellsthem:

Wemusteatthemallbecauseofthenutrition.Andthentheyputitbluntly,justlikerefuelingmachine.

Theconceptofwesterndietiscompatiblewiththewholewesternphilosophy.Metaphysicsisthemainfeatureofwesternphilosophy.Suchkindofphilosophybringsvitalitytowesternculture,sothenaturalsciences,psychologyandmethodologyachievearapiddevelopment.Insomeotheraspects,suchphilosophypropositionisasignificantlyobstacle,suchasthedietaryculture,whichistheinevitablethingtodropbehind,andjustthemetaphysicsofmethodologymarkseverywhere.Incelebration,itstressestableware,stressesthestaple,stressestheservings,andstressesthecolorandshapemixofrawmaterials.Butnomatterhowluxuriousthegradeis;fromLosAngelestoNewYork,onlyonetasteofsteak,itisnoarttospeakof.Andasdishes,thechickenischicken;steakissteak,eveningroups,whicharealsoconductedinashallowdish.Inadishof"FrenchMuttonchops",onesideispotatomud,andmuttonchopssitsnexttoit,anothersideisallocationofcookingbeans,andplusafewtabletsoftomato.Colorisonclear,butthetastesofthevariousmaterialsareseparated,nottoreconcile,andtheentireflavorisalsosimpleandclear.

Chinesedietisasenseofbeautydiet.Whenpeoplesampledishes,theyoftensaythisdishis"delicious",andthatdishis"notdelicious".Butifyouaskwhatismeantby"delicious",why"tasty"andwhataretheaspectsof"delicious",Iamafraidthatitwillbedifficulttoanswer.ThisshowsthatwhichChinesepeoplehankeronadietisjustthe“mood”thatisdifficultforonetosayanything.Evenusingthe"color,flavor,shapeandimplement"whichpeopleoftensaidtomakethe"realm"reification,Iamafraiditisstilldifficulttocrownall.

ThebeautypursuitofChinesecuisineisclearlyoverridingtherationalpursuit.ThisconceptofdietisalsocoincidingwiththetraditionalChinesephilosophy.Chinesephilosophyasarepresentativeoforientalphilosophy,itsdistinguishingfeaturesisthemacro,visual,vagueandevasive.Chinesecookingmethodistoreconcile,andtheultimategoalistoreconcileoutofabeautifultaste.Themainstressismeasureandtheoverallco-ordination.ItcontainsawealthofdialecticsofChinesephilosophy,andallthesedependonthedegreeofthewonderfulflavorandharmonyofdish.Theever-changingwithindegreesdecidesthechangeableofChinesefood,anditalsodecidesthecharacteristicsofChinesefoodaswellasthecharacteristicsoneachofthechefs.

II.Differencesintargets

Alldietcannotbedonewithoutvegetables.Theword"dish"isforthesoundinChina,anditalwayshassomethingtodowiththeplants.Accordingtoasurveyofwesternplantsscholar,thereare600varietiesofvegetables,sixtimesmorethaninthewest.Infact,theChinesedishes,vegetabledishisusualfood.Meatdishenteredthenormaldietonlyonholidaysorhigherlivingstandards,sosinceancienttimes,andtherewasasayingof"freshvegetables".Chu?

Mandarinlanguage:

"Commonpeopleeatfreshvegetables,fishonlyofferedintheworship."Itissaidthatfreshvegetablesaremainlytothecivilianingeneral,onlybeingabletoeatmeatonlyinworship.Vegetariandiettakesthedominantpositioninthenormalstructure.

Chinesepeopleconsiderthevegetablesasthemaindish;ithasinextricablylinkedwiththeadvocacyofBuddhists.Theydeemanimalsas"people"andplantshave"nosoul."So,theyadvocatevegetarianism. 

Westernersdonotseemtohavesuchagoodhabit.Theyupholdaculturaloriginofnomadic,seafaringnation.Livingmainlybyfishingandhunting,collectionandplantingarejustthecomplement.Therearemoremeatdishesintheirlives.Feeding,clothing,andusingaretakenfromtheanimals,andevenWesternmedicineisderivedfromanimals.Whenthewesternersintroducethedietcharacteristicsoftheircountries,theyalwaysfeelthattheirdietismorereasonableonthemixofnutritionthanChina.Thefoodindustryismoredeveloped,suchascans,fastfood,althoughthetasteismonotonous,butitsavestime,anditalsohasgoodnutrition.Therefore,intheircountries:

peoplearegenerallyhealthierandtallerthanChinese,andthepeoplehavestrongshouldersanddevelopedmuscles;butChinesepeoplelookshort,theirshouldersnarrowandlegsthin,theirskinyellowandtheirbodyweak.ThedifferencesbetweenChineseandwesternfoodforWesternerstojudgethemeritsofthetwodietisnotjustified.Mr.SunYat-senhadprofoundstudyofthecultureoffoodandincisiveexposition.InhiscomposingTheSchemeforNationalReconstruction,detailingthedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesterndietphenomenon,heconcludes:

"Chineseordinarypeopledrinkgreentea,andeatsimplefoodsuchasvegetablesandtofuformeal.Suchkindsoffoodarethemosthealthyandbeneficialaccordingtotheresearchofhygienist.Therefore,theremotepeopleinchina,whosedietarefarfrommeatandwine,alwayslivealonglife.AlsoChinahasabigpopulation,andChinesepeoplehaveenormouspowertoresistdisease,buttheynevertrythenon-diet.“Headded:

"TheChinesevegetariansalleattofu.Tofuisexpectedastherealmeatinplants,asithasthenutritionthatmeathas.Itisthemeatwithouttoxicmateria