关于中美文化的不同英语作文.doc

关于中美文化的不同英语作文 文化差异即是指因地区异同各地区人们所特有的文化异同而产生的差异霍夫斯坦特认为:文化是在一个环境中的人们共同的心理程序不是一种个体特征而是具有相同的教育和生活经验的许多人所共有的心理程序下面就由小编给大家带来关于中美文化的不同英语作文希望能够对大家有所帮助！ 文化差异何其大美国为何难以理解中国 DotheeventsthatledtotheoutbreakofthefirstworldwarcarrylessonsfortheSinoAmericanrelationship?AcenturyagoitwastheascentofGermanyunderKaiserWilhelmIthatunsettledtheworld;todayarisingChinaisroilingeastAsia.Then,asnow,domesticpoliticsonbothsidesplayedarole;onethatistooeasilyneglected. 导致一战爆发的事件对中美关系有什么启发意义?一个世纪以前德国在威廉一世(KaiserWilhelmI)领导下的崛起让世界感到不安;如今中国的崛起让东亚感到不安当时和现在一样对立双方的国内政治都发挥了作用这是一个太容易被人们忽视的因素 WhydidBritainandGermanylinkedbytrade,dynasticties,cultureandreligionfindthemselvesatwarinAugust1914?Inpart,ashistorianPaulKennedyhasargued,itwasbecauseLondonsliberalideologycontributedtoitsperceptionofagrowingGermanthreat. 1914年8月存在贸易、王朝纽带、文化和宗教联系的英国和德国为何开战?从某种程度上来说正如历史学家保罗肯尼迪(PaulKennedy)所指出的那是因为伦敦的自由主义意识形态强化了其关于德国威胁日益加剧的认识 Filteredthroughliberalismslens,Germanylookedmilitarist,autocratic,mercantilistandstatistandcontemptforthecountryspoliticalcultureaddedtoLondonsdisquiet.Whenthewarbegan,itquicklycametobeseenasaliberalcrusadeagainst“Prussianism”. 透过自由主义“棱镜”德国给人看到的是军国主义、独裁、重商主义和计划经济而对该国政治文化的鄙视也增加了伦敦的不安当战争爆发时人们立刻将之视为一场讨伐“普鲁士主义”的自由主义战争 Inthisrespect,todaysSinoAmericanrivalryresemblesthepre1914AngloGermanantagonism.ThespeedofChinasgrowthworriesUSpolicymakers,asdothegeopoliticalimplicationsofitseconomictransformation. 从这个方面来说当今的中美对抗类似于1914年以前的英德对抗中国的发展速度让美国政策制定者感到担忧其经济改革对地缘政治的影响同样让美国不安 AcrosstheAmericanpoliticalspectrum,Chinassuccessisattributedtoitsfailuretoplaybytherulesoffreetradeforinstance,itshabitofmanipulatingthevalueofitscurrencyandengaginginindustrialespionage.MarketorientedliberalismisthedominantideologyintheUSand,asinpre1914Britain,itshapespolicymakersimageoftheirsupposedadversary. 在美国政界上下看来中国的成功得益于其没有遵守自由贸易规则例如惯于操纵汇率以及从事工业间谍活动以市场为导向的自由主义是美国的主要意识形态而正如1914年前的英国一样它决定了政策制定者对他们所以为的对手的印象 AmericanleadersviewChinaasanationwhoseundemocraticpoliticalsystemraisesdoubtsaboutboththescopeofitsforeignpolicyambitionsanditstrustworthinessasadiplomaticpartner.Moreover,ChinasbinationofpoliticalauthoritarianismandstatedirectedcapitalismcausesuneasebecauseitchallengesthesupposeduniversalityoftheAmericanmodelofliberaldemocracyandfreemarketcapitalism. 在美国领导人的眼里中国不民主的政治体制令人怀疑其外交政策雄心的范围以及其作为外交合作伙伴的可信赖性此外中国政治威权主义与国家资本主义的结合令人不安原因是它挑战了美国模式的自由主义民主和自由市场资本主义的所谓普适性 AaronFriedberg,aPrincetonUniversityprofessor,saysthatforAmericans,“thesuccessofamainlandChineseregimethatblendsauthoritarianrulewithmarketdriveneconomicsisanaffront.”FormembersoftheUSforeignpolicyelite,theChinesethreatisnotsomuchgeopoliticalasideological. 普林斯顿大学(PrincetonUniversity)的阿龙弗里德伯格(AaronFriedberg)教授表示在美国人看来“中国大陆政权将威权统治和市场导向的经济学结合在一起所取得的成功是一种侮辱”对美国上层外交政策制定者来说中国威胁更多是意识形态层面的而不是地缘政治上的 PowerfulexternalanddomesticforcesareputtingtheUSandChinaontheroadtoconfrontation.Chinaaspirestobetheregionalhegemonineast(andsoutheast)Asia.TheUStheincumbenthegemon,havingdominatedtheregionsince1945isblockingitspath. 各种强有力的内外因素正把美中推上对抗之路中国渴望成为东亚(以及东南亚)地区的霸主而自1945年以来主导该地区的现任霸主美国则拦在路上 YetAmericaspredominanceineastAsiacontributeslittletothesecurityofanationwhosegeographyandunsurpassedmilitarycapabilitieswouldanywaymakeitclosetoinvulnerable.TheUSisthemostsecuregreatpowerinhistoryevenmoresoifyoufactorinthedeterrenteffectofnuclearweapons.ThetruecauseofAmericaninsecurityisnotanimminentencroachmentonitsterritorybuttheriskthatUSalliancesespeciallywithJapanwilldrawitintoaregionalconflict. 然而在东亚地区的主导地位并不会让美国更安全不管怎样美国所处的地理位置和拥有的无可匹敌的军事能力让其处于一种近乎无懈可击的状态美国是历史上最安全的大国如果你考虑到核武器的威慑作用就会更肯定这一点美国真正的不安全因素不是其疆域会遭到入侵而是同盟关系尤其是美日同盟将其拖入地区冲突的风险 TheUSwantstomaintainitseastAsiandominancetokeeptheregionsmarketsopentoAmericangoodsanditspeopleopentoliberalideas.Chinathreatensthisopenness,onwhichAmericassecurityiswronglybelievedtodepend. 美国希望保持在东亚地区的主导地位以让该地区的市场继续向美国商品开放其民众继续接受自由主义思想的熏陶中国威胁到了这种开放而美国的安全被错误地以为依赖于这种开放 TheliberalassumptionsembeddedinAmericanforeignpolicyputtheUSatoddswithChina,andalsoheightenBeijingsmistrustofWashingtonsintentionsandambitions.ThespiralofanimositythatthreatenstoculminateinaconfrontationbetweenthetwocountriesisinlargepartacreationofAmericanpolicy. 美国外交政策中蕴含的自由主义思想导致美国与中国立场不一致也加深了北京方面对华盛顿意图和抱负的不信任感这种不断增长的、有可能在两国对抗中达到顶峰的敌意在很大程度上是美国政策导致的 AsChinasrises,WashingtonhasalastclearchancetoavoidtheloomingSinoAmericanconflict. 在中国的崛起过程中美国有最后的避让机会可以避免不断迫近眼前的中美冲突真正爆发 ThiswouldentailmakingrealconcessionsonTaiwanandonChinasterritorialclaimsintheEastandSouthChinaSeas.ItwouldalsoinvolveamitmentthatWashingtonwouldnotinterfereinChinasinternalaffairs. 这需要美国在台湾xx以及中国涉及东中国海和南中国海的领土主张上做出真正的妥协此外美国也需承诺不干预中国内部事务 Americaspoliticalculturebasedonexceptionalism,liberalideology,andopennessisabigobstacletoingtotermswitharesurgentChina.SoisthefactthattheforeignpolicyeliteremainsweddedtoAmericanprimacy,andrefusestoacceptthatthiswillinevitablyslipawaybecauseoftherelativedeclineofUSpower. 美国建立在例外主义、自由主义思想和开放观念等基础之上的政治文化是影响美国接受复兴的中国的一大障碍另一个障碍是美国外交政策圈子中的精英们依然痴迷于“美国主导地位”并拒绝接受这种地位随着美国实力相对衰落必将丧失的观点 Historyisalsoaproblem. 历史也是一个问题 USpolicymakersarequicktoinvokewhattheytaketobethelessonsofthe1930swhileoverlookingthecausesofthefirstworldwar.DavidCalleo,aprofessoratJohnsHopkins,hasobservedthatwhatweshouldlearnfromtheearlierconflict“isnotsomuchtheneedforvigilanceagainstaggressors,buttheruinousconsequencesofrefusingreasonableacmodationtoupstarts”. 美国政策制定者迅速摆出他们从上世纪30年代事件中归纳的教训却无视一战的起因约翰斯霍普金斯大学(JohnsHopkinsUniversity)的戴维卡莱奥(DavidCalleo)教授指出我们应该从更早那场冲突中学到的主要教训“不是必须警惕侵略者而是拒绝合理包容新崛起者将带来破坏性后果” IftheUSwantstoavoidafutureconflictwithChina,itcannotallowliberalideologytoobstructareconciliationwithanevermorepowerfulChina.Thatisthereallessonof1914. 如果美国想要避免未来与中国发生冲突就不能让自由主义意识形态妨碍它与越来越强大的中国修好这是1914年带给我们的真正教训 Thedifferencebetweenchineseandwesternculture Withtherapidlychallgingword,peoplethroughouttheworldhavefounditincreasinglynecessarytominimizetherateofmisunderstandingduetomismunicationintheircontactswithanother.Intheoastmosthumanbeingswereborn,lived,anddiedwithinalimitedgeoographicalarea,neverencounteringpeopleofotherculturalbackgrounds.Itmightbesaidthattechnologicaladvanceshavebeenmosteffectiveincreatingtheborderlessword,theglobalmunity.Asourworldshrinksanditsinhabitantsbeeinterdependent,peoplefromremotculturesincreasinglyeintocontactonadailybasis.Itisnolongerhardtofindsituationsinwhichmembesofinceisolaredgroupsofpeople.Nowthesepeoplemaylivethousandsofmilesawayorrightnextdoortoeachother.Soallthepeoplearefacedwiththechallengeofunderstandthisworld.Sowhentheeastmeetwest,therearemanyproblems.Someproblemsarelistedasfollows. Firstofall,thewayofeating.Allhuamanbeingshavecertainbasicneeds.Ourfundamentalneedsforthingsthatkeepusalive.Thisisthephysioligicalneed.Allindividualsmusteatinordertosurvive.Butwhatpeopleeat,whentheyeat,andthemannersinwhichtheyeatareallpatternedbyculture.Nosocietyviewseverythinginitsenvironmentthatisedibleandmightprovidenurishmentasfood.Americanseatoystersbutnotsnail.TheFrencheatsnailsbutnotlocusts.TheJewseatfishbutnotpork.TheHinduseatporkbutnotbeef.TheRussiandeatbeefbutnotsnake.Weallhaveideasaboutwhatkindsoffoodaregoodtoeat.Wealsohaveideasaboutwhatkindsoffoodarebadtoeat.Asaresult,peoplefromonecultureoftenthinkthefoodthatpeoplefromanothercultureeataredisgustingornauseating.Dislikeisnottheonlyreasonwhysomeculturewillnoteatacertainfood.Insomeclture,certainfoodsaretaboo.Sometimesthefoodtaboosmaybesostrongthratjustthethoughtofeatingforbiddenfoodscancauseanindivdualtofeelill.Wecanalsofindculturedifferenceinwayofbringupchildrentreatingtheearly,greetingeachother,sayingandspendingmoneybeforeotherpeopledoineveryday,butinsomeEnglishspeakingcountries,peopledonotagreewithus.WechinesemayenjoysomethingthatisnotusuallyconsiderasediblebytheEnglishspeakingpeople.Generallyweperfertohavethinghotandmuchemphasisonthetaste.Weeatfromoneplatewhenweareeatingwithothers,andweliketoseatonebyone,andintheshapeofaround.Ontheopposite,someEnglishspeakingcontries,mostofthepeopleliketoseatintworows,twopeoplefacetoface.Theyhavetheirownplate.Ontheaspectoftablemanners,therearemanydifferencesbetweenchineseandEnglishspeakingpeople.Forexample,insomeEnglishispeakingcountries,Breadplatesaretotheleftofthemainplate,beverageglassesaretotheright.Saladfork,knifeandsoupspoonarefurtherfromthe mainplatethanthemaincourseknife,forkandspoon.Wheneatingbreadrolls,breakoffapiecebeforebuttering.Usetheknifeonlytobutterthebread,nottocutit.Theyshouldnotstarteatingbeforeyourhostdoesorinstructstodoso.Atlargermeals,itisconsideredokaytostarteatingonceothershavebeenserved.Whenfinished,placetheknifeandforktogetheratfiveoclockwiththeforkontheleft.Itisconsideredrudetoanswerthetelephoneatthetable.Ifneedtotakeanurgentcall,excuseselfandgooutside.Trytoeatallthefoodyouareserved.ButinChina,thetablemannersaredifferent.Chinesetraditionallyeatricefromasmallbowlheldinthelefthand.Thericebowlisraisedtothemouthandthericepushedintothemouthusingthechopsticks.SomeChinesefinditoffensivetoscoopricefromthebowlusingaspoon.Ifriceisservedonaplate,asismoremonintheWest,itisacceptableandmorepracticaltoeatitwithaforkorspoon.Thethumbmustalwaysbeabovetheedgeofthebowl.Thehostshouldalwaysmakesuretheguestsdrinksaresufficientlyfull.Oneshouldnotpourforonesself,butshouldoffertopourforaneighbor.Whenyourdrinkisbeingpoured,youshouldsaythankyouandtapfingersonthetabletoshowappreciation.Whenpeoplewishtoclinkdrinkstogetherintheformofacheer,itisimportanttoobservethatyoungermembersshouldclinktheedgeoftheirdrinkbelowtheedgeofaneldertoshowrespect. Secondly,thewayofmunication.Formbirthtodeath,municationplaysanintegralpartinourlife.Therearesomelanguageproblems,includingthedifferentstylesofusinglanguagesuchasdirect,indirect;expansive,succinct;argumentative,conciliatory;instrumental,harmonnizing;andsoon.Thesedifferentstylescanleadtowronginterpretationsofintentandevaluationofinsincerity,aggreeiveness,deviousness,orarrogance,amongother.Themisinterpretationnonverbalsignsandsymbolssuchasgestures,postures,andotherbodymovements.Itisadefinitemunicationbarrier.Butitispossibletolearnthemeaningsoftheseobservablemessage,usuallyininformalratherways.Itismoredifficulttounderstandthelessobviousunspokencodesoftheothercultures.Language,asthecarrierofculture,iscreatedduringtheprocessofhumanbeingsproductivelaborandservesasthetoolofmunicationtoconveythemessagebetweenpeople.However,ithasbeenendowedwithmagicandpowerinparticularlanguageacts.Astheoldsayinggoes,troubleseoutofthetongue.Superstitiouspeoplethinkthatthelanguageitselfcanbringaboutfortuneormisfortunesothattaboostorestricttheuseoflanguagearecreated.Anyonewhoviolatesthemwillgetpunishment,whereasthosewhofaithfullyobeytherestrictionsoflanguagetaboowillgetprotection.Furthermore,linguistictabooschangewiththedevelopmentofsociety.Thepaperfirstlyanalyzestheevolutionoflinguistictaboo.ItisindicatedinthepaperthatlinguistictabooexistsinalmosteveryaspectofpeopleslifeandisauniversalsocialphenomenoninChinaandBritain.BothChineseand Englishculturesareinagreementaboutlinguistictaboossuchaspronunciationtaboo,andvocabularytaboo.However,influencedbydifferentculturalbackgrounds,ideologiesandtheconceptsofvalue,ChineseandEnglishlinguistictaboosalsohavedifferences,asisdiscussedinthepaperfromtheaspectsoftaboosubjects,taboonumbersandnames.Atlast,thispaperputsforwardtwoeffectivewaysofavoidingtaboo,thatis,usingeuphemismandhavingagoodknowledgeofthetabooculture.AndthisdiscussionwouldhelpEnglishlearnersimprovetheirabilityofcrossculturalmunicationandachievebettermunicationaleffects.Forexample,Duringthefeudaltimes,peoplewerenotequaltotherulersandweresuppressedbytheirsuperiors.Thedistinctionbetweentheupperandthelowerclasseswasalsoreflectedintheevaluationofthelanguageusedbythemrespectively.Thewordsofupperclassusedwereconsideredgoodandelegantwhilethoseusedbythelowerclasswereregardedasvulgarandindecentandshouldbeavoidedinthespeechofladiesandgentlemen.Inmodernsociety,asaresultofthedevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,manynaturalphenomenaarenolongermysterious.Humanbeingsnotonlyconstantlyimprovetheirabilitiestoexploittheworldwheretheyarelivingthroughtheirgreatwisdomandknowledge,butalsomakeeffortstoexploretheextraterrestrialworld.Sciencehasmuchmoresayintodayssociety.Thereby,thesuperstitiouselementsinlinguistictaboosdecreasewhilethosereflectingspiritualcivilizationincrease. Inshort,byparison,wecanfindthatbothChineseandEnglishmunicationreflectpeoplespsychologyforgoodwill,forsafetyandfortuneandpleasantness.TheChineseandEnglishpeoplerestricttheirwordsanddeedsthroughtaboos,tryingtokeepaharmoniousrelationshipbetweenhumanandnature,orbetweenpeopleandsociety.Theyareareflectionofpeoplespursuitoffreedomandequality. Themostimportant,thedifferentwayoffamilystructure,familyvaluesandfamilyeducation.Familystructureisthebigdifferencebetweeneastandwest,traditionalchinese,amonymanyotherAsians,repecttheireldersandfeeladeepsenseofdutytowardthem.Childrenrepaytheirparentssacrificesbybeingsuccessfulandsupportingtheminoldage.ThisisacceptedasanaturalpartoflifeinChina.Incontrast,takingcareofagedparentsisoftenviewedasatremendousburdenintheEnglishspeakingcountries,whereagingandfamilysupportarenothonoredhighly.InsomeEnglishspeakingcountriesarestillextrmelyfamilyoriented.Theyarededicatedtohelpingtheirchildrenandwillsacrificegreatlyfortheirchildrentogetanedcuation.Inturn,thechildrenaredevotedtotheirparents,whooftenlivenearby.Grownchildrenwhogoawayandleavethecountryfortheeconomicreasonstypicallysendlargepartsoftheirsalaryhometotheirparentsandtherestofthefamily.OrinsomeAsia,anydecisionsoractionsaredonefromfamilyconsideration,notindividualdesires.Peopesbehaviorisjudgedonwhetherit bringsshameorpridetothefamily.Thechildrenaretrainedtorelyontheirfamilies,tohonorelderlypeople,andtofearforeigners.Andmanyofthemthinkthattheiractionsinthislifewillinfluencetheirstatusinthenextlife. Thewayoffamilyedcationisalsothedifferent.Weallknowthefamilyeducationistheelementaryeducationforchildren.Manyseriousproblemshaveappearedinoureducationsysteminrecentyears.Almosteveryonehasrealizedtheimportanceofsolvingtheseproblemsandmanypeoplehavepresentedalotofvaluablesuggestions.Therearemanytypesoffamilyeducationintheworldandeachofthemshowsdistinctivefeaturesandiscloselyresponsivetoitsculture.AndAmericanfamilyeducationisthemostfamousoneamongthem.Therearegreatdifferencesintheconceptsofeducation,methodsofeducationandresultsofeducationbetweenEastfamilyeducationandWestfamilyeducation.InsomeEnglishspeakingcountries,parentsaimsaretotraintheirchildrentohavetheabilityofadaptingtoenvironmentalvarietyandtheabilityoflivingindependently.Basedonthisconcept,mostAmericanparentsemphasizemoretotraintheirchildrensabilityofindependenceoncetheyareborn.Theygenerallybelievethatchildrensgrowthmustrelyontheirownexperiences,becausetheythinkthatchildrenshouldformaselfsupportingwillandthecapacitytoliveindependentlysincetheirchildhood.Andthecapacityesfromthetrainingintheearlyage.Thesocalledtrainingcontainsmanyaspects,suchaswork,temperwill,patience,thespiritofhardwork,etc.However,themostfundamentaltrainingistheabilityofadaptingtohardconditions.Throughtheprocessofwork,childrenwillformthelaborsense,learnsomeworkskillsandformahabitoflabor.Besides,childrencanlearnhowtooveredifficulties,tempertheirwillpower,developtheirtalentsandskills,richtheirknowledge,andformahabitofhardworkandthriftybyworkinginhardconditions.Itisjustintheunconsciouslyprocessthatchildrenwillobtaintheindependentsurvivabilityandtaketheresponsibilitiesforthesociety.ComparedwithsomeEnglishspeakingcountries,Chineseparentshaveaverydifferentconceptofchildrenseducation.SomeparentsinChinaonlycareaboutwhetherthechildrenhaveapromisingfuture,agoodjob,agoodlifeornot.Basedontheseexpectations,themajorityofparentsfeelthattheirresponsibilityfortheirchildrenistocreateasgoodconditionsaspossibletheycansothatthechildrenwillnotworryaboutanythinginthefuture.Chineseparentswouldliketoprovideeverythingwhattheycanfortheirchildrenintheprocessofchildrensgrowth.Inshort,theywouldliketosacrificeanythingiftheirchildrencanlivebetterwiththeirhelp.Therefore,intheprocessofchildrensgrowth,themostimportantthingtheparentsconcerningistodevelopingtheirchildrensintellect,exceptforcaringchildrensdailylife.Inordertomaketheirchildrenhaveagoodperformanceinstudy,beeoutstanding,orevenbeeafamouspersoninthefuture,theywouldnotletchildrendoanythingexceptstudying.Asforthechildrensindependence,civicawarenessandtheirabilityadaptingtothe societyinthefuture,theyconsiderlittleornotatall.FromtheseaspectswecanfindtheobviousdifferencesoffamilyeducationbetweenAmericaandChina. WhenwefacedwiththosedifferencebetweenWestandEast,weshouldgivesomeadvicetosolvetheseproblems.Accordingtothethreebigdifferencethatpointed,weshouldfindsomewaytodealwiththeseproblems. Wecanstudyotherlanguagesandlearntoexpectinnonvwebalformsandotherculturalaspects.Wecantrainourselvestomeetinterculturalencounterswithmoreattentiontosituationdetails.Wecanuseaninvestigativeapproachratherthanstereotypesandpreconceptions.Wecangraduallyexposeourselvestodifferencessothattheybeelessthreatening.Wecanevenlearntolowerourtensionlevelwhenneededtoadvoidtriggeringdefensivereactions.Theoverallgoalshouldbetoachieveinterculturalmunicationpetence. Sotheidealsolutiontoreducetheproblemsaretoshareknowledgewithothersinmunication.Thisiswhyitiseasiesttomunicatewithothermembersofthesamegroup.Thisiswhypeoplesooftengathertogethersociallywithotherswhoareverymuchlikethem.Sinceinterculturalmunicationismunicationwithmembersofdifferentcultualgroups,andtherefore,becausewedonotshareknowledge,assumptions,values,andformsofdiscoursewiththem,wemustexpecttheretobeproblemsofinterpretation.Wemustlookfortheseproblems,anticipatewheretheywillariseoutofourdifferences,andthenplanouraommunicationstobeaseffectiveaspossible. However,wehavetorememberthat,mostofthetime,thedifferentwaysthatarethec