东西方龙差异比较--英语西方文化作业

1、Chinese DragonVSWestern DragonDesigned by 2016103318 张景乐 2016103320 刘慧慧 2016103322 康佳颖 2016103323 廉玉妍 2016103324 张艳姣 2016103329 王一姣 （数理经济试验班）origin East: dragon is one of the products of ancient totem worship in China. It was recorded that the Dragon originated in the early Neolithic age, at least e

2、ight thousand yea origin and shape rs ago. The ancients attributed some unexplained phenomena to the divine power, and the dragon was one of the things endowed by the ancients to this supernatural power. The earliest record of the dragon book is the book of changes, dragon flight and dragon in the a

3、byss records.West: there are many different opinions. They have appeared in the myths of northern Europe, Greece, Babylon, middle ages, Europe, and so on. Only the Bible has mentioned them many times.Round 1Round 2appearanceEast: a more common image of the dragon, characterized by nine, like: Deer h

4、orns, head like cattle, eyes like shrimp, mouth like donkey, belly like snakes, scales like fish, foot like Phoenix, must be like people, ears like.West: Dragon has strong body, long and thick neck, angular or frill head, sharp teeth, and a long tail. With four powerful steps, it flies with a pair o

5、f huge wings like a bat, whose body is covered with scales to protect the body. Its eyes have four eyelids, the three layer is transparent, can protect their eyes, ears can be opened, but not all have long ear. Teeth, usually inward, to rip.symbolic meaning In the OrientAuspiciousWisdomGood LuckStre

6、ngthRound 3In the OccidentAvariciousBloodthirstyEvilThe Symbolic Meanings of Dragons in the OrientFrom primitive times people have regarded the dragon as an auspicious creature with the power to bless and influence their lives. As tribes fought for domination and came to be united under a common ban

7、ner the dragon was adopted as a national icon. Such was the mysterious creatures power it was regarded as the god of rain, thunder, the rainbow, and the stars. In a society that was founded upon agriculture and animal husbandry totally reliant upon its natural environment and in particular the clima

8、te, the dragon was worshipped as the source of all that was beneficial to communal well being. This concept has been sustained for thousands of years as more and more deification was bestowed upon the dragon ranging from being a bringer of joy to prophecy and miracles. With the establishment of a fe

9、udal society, emperors compared themselves to the dragon thereby making it the exclusive symbol of imperial majesty. Anyone who subsequently used the dragon as a symbol either intentionally or erroneously could be regarded as offending their ruler and condemned to death.The Symbolic Meanings of Drag

10、ons in the OccidentWestern dragons are usually portrayed as evil, mean, and bloodthirsty. They were also known to have huge hoards of gold and jewels hidden in their lairs. The most famous dragons are portrayed as Western-type dragons: ST George and the Dragon, Beowulf and the Dragon, and Draco in t

11、he movie Dragon Heart. Some stories have the western dragon as the Devil in Christianity. Other stories in legend say that eating a dragons heart will give the consumer the power of understanding birds, eating the dragons tongue enables the person to win any argument, and rubbing the dragons blood o

12、n skin will protect against stab wounds. Another myth references Vlad Drakul to mean Son of the Dragon, or Devil. The end of the dragon came with Christianity, and knights that were eager to prove their faith. The knights quickly discovered that dragon hunting was very profitable, and soon most the

13、dragons in the world were destroyed in a very short time. Vikings had dragon figureheads on the prow of their ships. The dragons on the ships were believed to endow keen site and cunning to the Viking warriors. Today the Welsh flag still has a red dragon on a green/white background, and the red drag

14、on is their national symbol.Round 4The European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Balkans and Western Asian mythologies. Most are depicted as reptilian creatures with animal-level intelligence, and are uniquely six-limbed (four legs and a separate set of wings).

15、mythsEuropean dragons exist in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe. Dragons are generally depicted as living in rivers or having an underground lair or cave. They are commonly described as having hard or armoured hide, and are rarely described as flying, despite often bei

16、ng depicted with wings.To bring a painted dragon to life by drawing in the pupils of its eyesDuring the Southern and Northern Dynasties Period (420-589), there was a Chinese painter called Zhang Sengyao. Once, he visited a temple and painted four dragons on the wall, but he gave none of them eyes. o

17、nlookers thought this odd, and asked why he hadnt painted in the eyes. He answered: Eyes are crucial for dragons. With the eyes painted in, the dragons would fly away. Nobody believed this, so Zhang Sengyao took up his brush and added eyes to two of the dragons. No sooner had he finished than the tw

18、o dragons flew into the sky amid a thunderstorm. The two without eyes remained paintings on the wall.This idiom is used to describe how, when painting, writing or speaking, the addition of just one or two key brushstrokes, sentences, words or phrases could enhance the content.Round 5 The festivalsTh

19、e west doesnt have the festival concerning the dragon because the dragon means the evilWhile there aremany festivals about dragons in Chinathe Dragon Boat FestivalThe dragon boat festival descends from QuYuanIt has the relation with the boat because QuYuan died in the river and people want to look f

20、or and save himLater,people always hold a dragon boat race to commemorate QuYuanEveryone knows the shape of boat is dragon It was called “the festival of dragon”by WenYiduo It is a form of ritual prayer for blessing Dragon boat racing is the most important event of the Dragon Boat Festival The Royal

21、 dragon boats were very luxurious in ancient times Dragon - Head - Raising FestivalIt is in the second day of second lunar monthFolk customs think that the dragon who hibernate for a winter is on this day begin to revivePeople will do some things to Induce dragon to return to pray for favourable cli

22、matic weathersFolk think that the food is the section of dragonbody.Such as: The noodles are asparagus , flapjack is dragon scales , Dumplings are dragon ears and the rice is the son of dragonPeople always avoid to eat rice and women avoid to use needle in case to hurt the eyes of dragonFrom the pic

23、tures and comments above , you may catch the point of how dragons in different cultures are In China , dragon is mostly like this :And in Western countries and Japan :When it comes to the reasons of the differences between the western and eastern dragon, the different religions may be the superficia

24、l cause. In China , in most circumstances, dragon is considered as the totem , also ancestor worship is the main Chinese religion. While in western countries as Christianity was established ,dragon was thought of Pagan symbolism ,excepting the Vikings and Highlanders who think it of a mythical animal.When it comes to the root reason , it