Comparison of dietary culture between Chinese and English.docx

Comparison of dietary culture between Chinese and English.docx

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ComparisonofdietaryculturebetweenChineseandEnglish

ComparisonofDietaryCultureBetweenChineseandEnglish

Abstract

Dietisabsolutelynecessaryinthemankind’slife,andevenintheexistenceordevelopment.BecauseofthedifferencesbetweenChineseandEnglishculturaltraditions,theChineseandEnglishdietaryculturesaredifferentinconcept,target,pattern,attributionandnature.Theauthorstudiesthesedifferencesandthenfindsoutthepointsthatcanbedigested,inordertofacilitatethecommunicationinculturesbetweenChina.

TaiwanProfessorZhangQijun（2000）said,“Theoldsaying,'Eating,drinking,manandwomanwhowishesgreatly'.Forsuchastandardfair,Englishculturecanbesaidtobemale-centeredandfemale-centeredculture.ButtheChineseculturecanbesaidtobeadietaryculture."Asthereasonoftheculturaltraditions,theEnglishlivesfocusedonmenandwomen,butbecauseoftheobscuresexrelationsingender,Chinesepeopleareshiftingattentiontothebitingandsuppinginlife.Thusthedietisrichinculture.FoodcultureinEnglandisnotdevelopedenough,butthisunderdevelopmentitselfistheresultofthedevelopmentofaculture,soitisstillsignificanttostudythedietaryculturesofChineseandEnglish.BytheanalysisofthedifferencesbetweenChineseandEnglishdietarycultures,peoplecancomprehendtherespectiveculturaltraditionsofChinaandEngland.AndtheycanalsoimproveandcreatethecultureofChina.    

KeyWords:

dietaryculture;culturaltradition;differences

Contents

摘要I

AbstractII

Chapter1Introduction1

Chapter2DifferencesinConcepts2

2.1Sensibilityvs.Practicality2

2.2Complexityvs.Simplicity2

Chapter3DifferencesinTargets4

3.1Vegetablesvs.Meat4

3.2DifferentDietaryTargetsFormDifferentCharacteristics5

Chapter4DifferencesinDietaryPatterns6

4.1DifferentTable-wares:

Chopsticksvs.Forks6

4.1DifferentConceptsRegardingtheTimeofAttendance6

4.3DifferencesintheArrangementsofSeats7

Chapter5DifferencesinDietAttribution8

5.1Nutrientsvs.Flavor8

5.2Artistryvs.Rationality9

Chapter6DifferencesintheNature11

Chapter7Conclusion12

Bibliography13

Chapter1Introduction

Oncethereisasayingthat"Foodiseatingwell-deservedforhumanlife”,sofoodisanindispensableconditionforthesurvivalanddevelopmentofhumanbeings.Therearetwodesiresinlife:

oneisfeastingthemtosurvive;andanotheristhelustofmenandwomen,whichcanhelpthemankindtocarryonthefamilylines.Facingthetwodesires,Chinesepaymoreattentiontotheformer,whiletheEnglishtendstothelatter.Suchphenomenonaffectstheculturaltrend.Dietisactuallythecontentsofourdailylives,butwhywecallitculture?

ThatisbecausethediethasspecialstatusintheChineseculture,anditalsohasagreatdistinctionbetweenChinaandU.K.Asoneoftheworldancientnations,ChinesediethasahistoryalmostaslongasthatofChinesecivilization.ButinEngland,ancientthinkersdevotedlessattentiontothefoodissuethantheChinesephilosophersdid,andthereisevennotawareofittothe"heaven"degree.Withtheopposite,theyrecognizedandinterpretedtheworldintheperspectiveofthelustorloveofmenandwomenmore.WhethertheawarenessoforiginalsinofChristianity,AdamandEvelegend,orancientGreekphilosophy（suchasPlato'sdialogue）whoconsideredthepersonalrelationships“love”astheloveofontologyofbeauty,andregardeditasarealitythinkingofphilosophy,alltheseideasbecomethebasisofEnglishphilosophers’culturalthoughts.AllthesehadpotentialeffectsonthedevelopmentofEnglishcultureandEnglishpeople’scharacters.

Receivingtheinfluenceofrespectiveculturaltradition,theChineseandEnglishdietaryculturehashaddifferentcharacteristic.Thedifferencesinconcepts,targets,patterns,attributionandnaturehadreflectedthedifferentdietarycultureinthedifferentstatecharacteristic;suchcharacteristichasenrichedtheresearchvalueofdietaryculture.Studyingtheseculturaldifferences,wecanfindoutajointenhancingthecommunicationbetweenChinaandEnglandthroughacomprehensivestudyofthesubject.ItmaybeagreathelptothecommunicationoftheChineseandEnglishcultures.

Chapter2DifferencesinConcepts

2.1Sensibilityvs.Practicality

InChina,diethasdevelopedtoaveryimportantpartinpeople’slife.Itisalmostbeyondanyothermaterialandspiritualforms,andthishasbeenapparentlyreflectedinpeople’sdailylife.Thesevenso-calledbasicdailyneeds:

firewood,rice,oil,salt,sauces,vinegar,tea,allhavedeeprelationstodiet.Eatinggoesthroughaman’swholelife.Whenonewasborn,hisparentswouldholdabirthcelebration.Laterwhenhewasonemontholdoroneyearold,thefamilywouldgettogetherandhaveapartyagain.Whengrowingup,hewouldhavebirthdayparties,weddingpartyandevenfuneraldinnerheldforhimbyhisdescendantswhenhepassesaway.Whenavisitorcomes,hewouldpreparefortheguestaformaldinner,whichiscalledwelcomedinner.Hewouldinvitefriendstohavedinnertogetherwhenhemovesintoanewhouse,ispromotedinhiscompanyorhassolvedaseriousproblem.AlltheseshowthatpeopleinChinalikeeatingwithmuchemotions,fordinnershaveprovidedthemlotsofchancestoshowtheirloveforfriends,andexchangeinformation.Evensomeemotionalturmoilwouldbecalmeddownduringthedinnertime.Behindtheformofeating,thereareaprofusepsychologicalandculturalsignificance,aswellaspeople’srecognitionandunderstandingofsociety,whichembodyamoreprofoundsocialmeaning.Eatingnotonlyhassomeoriginalcommunicationfunction,buthasalreadytransformedintoanadjustmentofsociallifeandpsychology.

InBritain,U.S.A.andotherEnglishcountries,eatingisregardedasawayofcommunicationandanecessarysurvivalmeans.AmericanpsychologistAbrahamMaslowdivideshuman’sneedsintofivelevelsinhisfamoustheoryLawofDemand.Eatingisclassifiedintothefirstlayer,whichisthelowestlevelofhumanrequirements.LinYutang（1999）,afamousChineseanthropologicalscholar,oncesaid,“ThedietconceptsofpeoplefromEnglishcountriesaredifferentfromthoseoftheChinese.Theythinkthateatingisjustanactgivingyourbodynutrients,likeinjectingfueltoamachine,toensureitsnormaloperation.Aslongastheyarehealthyenoughtoresistdiseases,theycarelittleaboutotherproblems.”Therefore,inthemindsoftheEnglishpeople,eatingjustplaysalife-sustainingroleintheirlife.WecanseeclearlythattheEnglishpeoplewouldnotassignmoreimportantmissionstoeating,whichhasbeendonebytheChinesepeopleforalongtime.

2.2Complexityvs.Simplicity

ThereisafundamentaldifferencebetweenChineseandEnglishcountries’banquetconcepts.Chinesepeoplepaymuchattentiontothedinneritselfanditsarrangement.Theyprovideprofusewineandcourses,includingtenmaincoursesataformalbanquet,notincludingsnacks,desserts,riceornoodlesinthewholeprocedureofadinner.Themoresumptuousdishesthehostprepares,thebetterthehost’shospitalityandguests’socialstatusarereflected.

InEnglishcountries,grandbanquetisusuallynomorethansixdishesandmuchsimplerwhenitisonlyakindofcommondinner.SometimesfriendsintheUnitedStateswouldallcontributetoadinner,whichiscalledpotluck,andmeansthateachpersonhastakenadishforsharing.Itisevidentthatitcreatesopportunitiesforfriendstogettogetherandexchangeideas.Itisreminiscentoffriendshipsandprovidesaccessforthemtogetinformation.ItissubjecttotheconceptofEnglishcountries’banquetthatthemostimportantthingofabanquetliesnotinthedishesthemselves,butinthediversifyingformofliberalization.Theownershouldtrytocreatearelaxing,harmoniousandcheerfulatmosphere,lettheguestsenjoythefreedomofawonderfultime.Generally,thatisthefirstpurposeofabanquetinEnglishcountries.

Chapter3DifferencesinTargets

3.1Vegetablesvs.Meat

Alldietcannotbedonewithoutvegetables.Theword"dish"isforthesoundinChina,anditalwayshassomethingtodowiththeplants.Accordingtoasurveyofwesternplantsscholar,thereare600varietiesofvegetables,sixtimesmorethaninthewest.Infact,theChinesedishes,vegetabledishisusualfood.Meatdishenteredthenormaldietonlyonholidaysorhigherlivingstandards,sosinceancienttimes,therewasasayingof"freshvegetables".Chu•Mandarinlanguage:

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

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

Englishpeopledonotseemtohavesuchagoodhabit.Theyupholdaculturaloriginofnomadic,seafaringnation.Livingmainlybyfishingandhunting,collectionandplantingarejustthecomplement.Therearemoremeatdishesintheirlives.Feeding,clothing,andusingaretakenfromtheanimals,andevenEnglishmedicineisderivedfromanimals.WhentheEnglishintroducethedietcharacteristicsoftheircountries,theyalwaysfeelthattheirdietismorereasonableonthemixofnutritionthanChina.Thefoodindustryismoredeveloped,suchascans,fastfood,althoughthetasteismonotonous,butitsavestime,anditalsohasgoodnutrition.Therefore,intheircoun