从跨文化交际角度浅析中美餐桌礼差异.doc

Acknowledgements I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to a host of people，without whose assistance the accomplishment of this thesis would have been impossible.First and foremost, I am deeply indebted to my supervisor Miss Wei, for his patient guidance and constant encouragement during the writing of this thesis as well as in the course of my undergraduate studies.I would also like to acknowledge my indebtedness to many others who have contributed their time, thoughts, skills and encouragement to this thesis.I am also grateful to all the classmates and friends who have given me generous support and helpful advice in the past few years. Finally, I wish to devote this paper to my beloved family, who have given me life and love, and have been supporting me since 23 years ago. Responsibility for any remaining errors is mine.Abstract With the development of Chinas opening-up policy, the communications between China and Western countries have become much more frequent and the foreign etiquettes enter our daily life day by day. The cultural conflicts in the communications happen inevitably, because Chinese have different thinking mod, life style and behavioral pattern with Hesperian. It prevents the diplomatic activities from implementing smoothly. Table manners are in a vital position in the communication between China and Western countries. People usually show the best images and avoid cultural conflicts during inter-culture communication. Learning and using the right culture etiquette will not only step up our own impression, but also promote the benefit and strife of the business between two countries. As various kinds of differences exist in the cultural background between China and Western countries, people with different culture background have entirely different table manners. This thesis focuses on the differences of table manners between the United States and China, and analyzes the reasons that caused the differences. This thesis attempts to compare the similarities and differences of table manners from the perspective of cross-culture communication between the United States and China. Therefore learners can understand the American and Chinese culture better to avoid the cultural conflicts and promot the cross-cultural communication. Keywords: Table Manners, Cross-cultural communication, Cultural difference摘 要随着我国对外开放的深入和世界经济全球化的推进，中美之间在各个领域的交流合作日益频繁。但由于我们所面对的人往往来自陌生的文化和国家，他们有着完全不同的思维模式、生活习惯和行为方式，文化冲突的现象在与之交往的过程中不可避免，这严重妨碍了两国之间交流合作的顺利进行。餐桌礼仪在跨文化交际中已经占据了重要的地位，了解两国餐桌礼仪差异，学习和运用正确的餐桌礼仪，不仅仅能够更好地提升自身的形象，更能够提高双方效益、提升彼此的竞争力。因此找出餐桌礼仪差异背后深层次的原因非常必要，并通过对文化背景，餐桌礼仪差异的分析，提出一定的措施来培养文化交际能力，避免文化冲突。本文从跨文化交际的角度对中美之间餐桌礼仪的差异进行分析。通过探究、对比中美两国餐桌礼仪差异促进对中美两国文化的深入了解及分析中美餐桌礼仪的禁忌和注意事项从而有助于两国之间的跨文化交际活动顺利开展。关键词：餐桌礼仪，跨文化交际，文化差异ivTHE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHINESE AND AMERICAN TABLE MANNERS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CROSS-CULTURE COMMUNICATION. Introduction 1.1BackgroundWith the degree of Chinas opening-up going deeper and the development of globalization, the communication between China and America whose cultural backgrounds are entirely different becomes much more frequent. This falls into the domain of cross-culture communication. Nowadays cross-culture communication has become an indispensable content in peoples lives. More and more American culture and etiquette enter our daily lives, they are changing our life style day by day. At the same time, because of the different cultural background and barrier, misunderstanding and cultural conflicts appear in both verbal communication and non-verbal communication frequently. Sometime those misunderstanding in the intercultural communication could lead to inappropriate words and deeds. That might make people embarrassed. So, studying the differences between different cultures and studying the right actions of cross-culture communication are necessary.1.2 PurposeCatering culture is an important part of the non-verbal communication. Learning the differences and similarities of table manners is a method to know the present situation of cross-culture communication and to have a better idea of peoples relationships by avoiding unnecessary misunderstanding and cultural conflict. During communication we should show our best image and know much about the foreign culture. Learning and using the appropriate table manners will not only help improve impression, but also let the companies get benefit and develop in the international compete.1.3 Significance Dining is more than basic physical need of human being. Instead, dining is an vital part of social activities. As the differences in life styles and the mod of thinking between Chinese and American, culture and table manners of two countries are totally different. The history of Chinese table manners is glorious, whose origin can be traced to Zhou Dynasty. At that time, the table manners have a quite integrated system. Those table manners come to be mature and excellent. Furthermore, they play an very important role in the ancient times and the influence of the system is still impactful in the Contemporary Civilization. America has been in existence for more than 200 years, she was a colonial village at the very beginning, now she developed into the center of the capitalist world and the most powerful country in the world. The culture of social etiquette and its value are important motives force for America to go to modernization. And the table manner is an important part of social etiquette. American social etiquette and table manners have their distinctive features. To learn the social etiquette and table manners of America make perfect sense in the cross culture communication between China and America.This thesis is a comparative study of Chinese and American table manner. So, first of all, it introduces the Chinese table manners, its features and some taboos that learners must pay attention to. Second, there is the introduction of American table manners, its distinctive features and some taboos. Then it compares the two types of table manners to learn the similarities and differences. Literature Review There are a lot of articles and books are closely linked to catering culture. Scores of scholars contribute themselves to the catering culture research, because the food culture has an important position in inter-culture communication in the modern civilization. The following section is a preliminary study of previous research from many famous researchers on the food culture both domestic and abroad.2.1 Studies AbroadThe best publication we have to extend the scope a comparative research on the cultures of different countries from Ruth Benedicts Patterns of Culture (1934), through which people can see our own socially transmitted customary behaviors liken to that of other and strangely different people. Her studies of primitive societies encourage the doctrine of cultural relativity, too. Then during 1960s to 1970s, with rapid expansion on the cross-cultural research, a lot of articles and books in this field were published, such as A Selected Reader by David Hoopes, Intercultural Communication: A Reader by Larry Samovar Richard Porter and Au Introduction to Intercultural Communication by John Condon. It was a period of ummarizing and constituting in the 1970s.Food and Culture in America told us dining etiquette and food culture in Americans are the same as those immigrants coming from the mother land all over the world, including China. In this book, it described a variety of eating habits, food etiquette and different foods, and make reference to the important position of the food in each countries, and contra positive from the standpoint of fitness, culture, nutrition, etc. Chinese catering culture and the significant role in the society are mentioned in the Chapter9.Edward T. Hall, whose contributions as mentioned above are so tremendous that his influence, go without saying, it also can never be ignored. Edward T. Hall wrote a series of books, such as The Silent Language (1959), The Hidden Dimension (1966), Beyond Culture (1976).The Dance of Life (1983) and so on, in which lots of unique concept and conceive on culture and communication are expressed. Most of his theories, such as M-Time and P-Time, is closely linked to the study, which deserve the attention from all over the world.Food in Chinese Culture (Chang, 1977) is discussed by the foreign scholars about the history of Chinese dining etiquette are the same as the development of Chinese culture from the anthropological angle of vision. Many view points and ideas are meaningful and inspiring.In Intercultural Communication: A Discourse Method the two authors debate the communication between the Asians (particularly the Chinese people) and the Westerners and within the framework of discourse. Although it seemed less linguistic than cultural of the whole work. In the discussion on interpersonal politeness and power in Chapter Three offers a good interpretation to the difference of the face system between the East and the West, which will be mentioned in the research.The culture history school, led by Franz Boas (1852-1942) proposed relativism that each culture has its own original development and there are some differences of different cultures, So we cannot say which culture is good or which is bad. According to Bryjak and Soroka(l 997:57), “Cultural relativism is the belief that there is no universal standard of good and bad or right and wrong and that an aspect of any given culture can be judged only within its own context”. Cultural relativists begin to suggest that all cultures or institutions are equally valid or fitting and tend to assume that mere presence of a cultural trait warrants our valuing it (Hatch, 1983,cited in Lin; 1999:84).2.2Studies at HomeThe Chinese food culture has a long history, and enjoys a high reputation in the world. Chinese people value eating, not only just the three meals a day, quench his thirst and allay his hungry, but also contains the philosophy of understanding things. When a child was born, the relatives and friends eat red eggs to express festive.Egg expressively that the continuation of life.“To eat eggs” means the great expectations that Chinese people inhabit child-bearing. When children was one year old, people need to eat , at age of 18 people need to eat”. And then people got married, they also need to “eat”. This way of eating is a physiology satisfies in the surface, but in fact, it borrows this form eating to express an abundant psychological connotation. Food culture has surpassed“eating”itself, and won more profound social significance. Through the communication between Chinese and western, our food culture has appeared the new characteristics of the era. For example, because of the color, the smell, the taste, the shape and to pay attention to the nutrition, it is a kind of ages progress. The practice of ten big bowl got reform, it is also very gratifying. But there should be a strong supporting point in the crash of the other countiy food culture, so that it can improve and develop in the process of learn widely from others strong point, maintain its vitality. People thought, this supporting point is excellent traditional culture characteristics that is the basic connotation needs to explore for Chinese food culture. So, for the investigation of the basic connotation from Chinese food culture, is not only helps to the deepening of food culture theory, but also has profound positive meaning for the Chinese food culture occupies in the world marke. People thought the Chinese food culture as its deep connotation to be summarized into four words: fine, beautiful, the sentiment, the ritual. These four words, reflect the food process in food quality, aesthetic experience, emotional activities, social function contains unique cultural connotation, and reflect the food culture and traditional culture closely related.In the 1930s, there are two famous books My Country and The Importance of Living (1937)were written by Lin Yutang, a world-famous author. In both books, Lin debates the position of the food culture in the society and the perceptions of dining culture in peoples mind separately. W.L. Langer wrote the comments in Foreign Affairs that the books were the most important and satisfactory books yet written in English on the character, Life and philosophy of the Chinese people.In the 1990s,a series of books has published by the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, there including An Introduction to Intercultural Communication(跨文化交际学概论, In Professor Hus book, he made reference to the different etiquette of banquets between Western countries and China in one chapter. The comparison of cultural Customs between China and English-Speaking Countries, In Professor Dus book, Chapter Twelve is devoted to the social functions, the various customs of banquets and the forms in both China and other western countries. Nonverbal Communication in Intercultural Communication跨文化非语言交际,毕继万, 1999)and so on. And Professor Bi, in his book, he discussed some related aspects of food culture in nonverbal communication.Some contributions to the food culture are made by lots of Chinese scholars. It is also developed in China. Some Chinese scholars also give expression to their points of view on this issue. Professor Wang Zongyan, his point of view on cultural evaluation is so close to cultural relativism that he impulses us to pick up what is good in another culture(Wang, 1991:30). Profession Liu Runqing also indicate to the preface of Gus book Intercultural Communication; Covert Culture in Foreign Languages and Literature(跨文化交际一一外国语言文学中的隐蔽文化)that There is no superior or inferior when two cultures encounter, they are just different. What we should do is trying to understand, tolerate and accept, so we should not repel, hate or slander one another(顾,2000:2).From the aforementioned, there have been few books written or researches done on dining culture. Even though some scholars are made, they are sporadic somewhere and havent build up a integrated system, and between Chinese and the western countries it is not to mention the comparative study of food cultures. Consequently, the study has been finished need to expanding the scope, research different dining etiquette, food culture and table manners specifically.2.3 American and Chinese table mannersThe United States is a country of immigrants. The majority of residents are descendants of the immigrants in the United Kingdom, so American food essentially developed on the basis of food in United Kingdom. Also in combination with other European countries and local native American cooking, forming unique food culture in the United States. Americans are not particular on dietary requirements. As long as the diet is fast and convenient, it is good. For breakfast they usually have bread, milk, eggs, cereal, and so on. For lunch Americans have fast-food at the workplace in General. Dinner is usually formal and sumptuous. Fruit juices or soup come first, and then is the main course. The main courses usually have a steak, pork, roast meat, fried chicken, and so on. Foods go with the main course is are vegetables, bread, butter, rice, noodles, and so on.In the Chinese diet, the most important foods were and still are the staple or starch foods, which they call fan. Examples include rice and rice products, wheat and wheat products, and foods of other grains and seeds. Sauces and other fermented foods and spices flavor staple foods, as do vegetable foods, animal food, fruits, fats, and others. Foods that flavor staple or fan foods are called cai foods. The Chinese think that vegetables are second in importance when flavoring fan or staple foods; vegetables follow what Westerners consider seasoning items that come after fan foods. Animal foods follow them, including fish, poultry, and meats from four-legged animals. Then are some fruits, and last among ingredient groups are alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. .Compare between Chinese and American table mannersThere are lots of differences between Chinese and American table manners, and they have their own features.3.1 Severing order In China, the severing order keeps the tradition all the time. Usually the first course is cold dish, beverage and wine. Cold dish help to whet the appetite, the second is hot soup. Hot soup can help body and stomach to get warmer, then the hot dishes and staple food. At last, the pastry and fruit. When there are several tables on the banquet, every same dish should serve at the same time. The hot dish should be served from the right side opposite the seat of the guest of honor. Single dish or its side dishes and snacks should be served to the guests first, then the host. Heads and tails of the dishes like whole chicken, whole duck and whole fish cannot toward the host seatThere are several ways of serving: First, dish is put on the table, the guests serve themselves. Second, the waiter holds dishes on the tray to serve the guests one by one. Third, set the dishes into some saucers and sever them to every guest. On the formal banquet, eating dishes just like a slide show, one dish a time.American serving order usually like this: bread and butter, cold dish, soup, seafood, main course, dessert, coffee and fruit. The cold dish is also known as appetizer which is served as first course with aperitif. They eat the cold dish, bread and soup at the same time. Soup is usually divided into consomme and potage. Americans use fish, pork, beef, chicken and turkey etc. to cook the main courses. Desserts have ice-cream, pudding and so on. Then coffee or black tea can be chosen.3.2 TablewareChinese tableware include chopsticks, spoon, glasses, small plates, bowls