DifferencesbetweentheChineseandAmericancultures中美文化比较

1、摘要：中美文化有其共通之处，但也有很多的差异。中国有着悠久的历史，经过 长时间的文化积淀逐渐形成具有中国特色的传统文化。美国虽然历史不长，但是美国文化已经成为世界的主流文化之一。今天我们将从教育、宗教、饮食等方面 来对比中美文化之间的异同，提高我们跨文化交际的能力。关键字：中国，美国，文化异同，教育，宗教，饮食AbstractThere are some similarities between Chinese and American culture, but also kinds of differences 0 China is a country that has a long his

2、tory , in the long period cultural accumulation， the traditional culture with Chinese characteristics came into being。 Although the United States don t have such a long histoAynerican culture has become one of the mainstream culture in the world。Today we llCompare the similarities and differences be

3、tween Chinese and American cultures from three aspects:religion, education and food。 In this way , we can improve our ability of cross-culture communicationKey words： China,America,similarities,differences,education,religion,foodDifferences between the Chinese and American culturesAs we know ,there

4、are many differences between Chinese and American cultures. If we desire to learn about U.S or communicate with Americans in proper way ,it is necessary for us to know about cross-cultural communication. Cross-cultural communication (also referred to as intercultural communication) is a field of stu

5、dy that focus on how people from different cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavor to communicate across cultures. Only if we are familiar with the similarities and differences can we avoid cultural conflicts and get along well with for

6、eign friends. When you are concerned about what you can do and what you can t, your foreign friends will show respect for your national culture and there is no doubt that you can enhance the level of cross-culture communication .In the essay,I ,talik about similarities and differences in three aspec

7、ts between Chinese and American culture :religion ,food and festival.1.religionAmerica is remarkable now, as in the past,for its attachment to the principle of freedom of belief or disbelief . -The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States indicates that Congress shall make no law est

8、ablishing religion, or prohibit the free exercise thereof.So you can choose your indivisual relision.According to the research, The largest religion in the US is Christianity, practiced by the majority of the population (76% in 2008); Speaking in general terms, the contemporary American is a Christi

9、an country. A research indicates that most Americans believe the existence of Santa Clous, Christ Jesusand angel even after they have received education and become adults. It s easy to see the ingrained status of Christianity in the United States of America. Christianity has the idea that people hav

10、e original sin, becausehuman ancestors, Adam and eva had sinned, corrupt moral invaded their body, and transmitted to their descendants,the result is that all mankind have sin. Obviously, Christianity preached that man and God, the separation of man and nature. China is a multi-religious country, an

11、d Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Christian are the main religions in the country.Incomplete statistics show that there are more than 100 million religious followers in China with over 85 000 religious sites, over 3000 religious groups and some 74 religious colleges. Chinese people also enj

12、oy the freedom of religious belief according to law, and regular religious activities are protected by the Constitution. All religious believers and non-religious people in the country respect for each other in beliefs and customs and live together in harmonies. While Chinese religion would emphasiz

13、e that the harmony between man and nature, issues of life within a confined themselves, to solve problems with people-oriented. It s quite different fronChTistianity.2.foodGenerally speaking, we Chinese think food is very important to man. People often associate food with important holidays and the

14、chance to meet distinguished guests. The Chinese food not only is very delicious and tasty but also very pleasing to your senses and many of dishes have very beautiful and fancy names. The Chinese have the food culture of our own which are quite different from westerners.In the west, people pay more

15、 attention to the nutrition of food rather than the looks of it. The cuisine and table manners are quite different from ours in a great extent.It is a very common practice we Chinese people say Have you had your meal? when they meet each other around the time before or after meals. In fact, it is a

16、kind of greeting to communicate with each other. But foreigners cannot understand that becausethey think why you ask me this. They tend to think you want to invite me to dinner or I am not rich enough to feed myself regularly but that is my business not yours. Chinese think food is very important an

17、d essential to people so it shows some care and concern about you. Very often it puzzles foreigners a lot that we ask and talk so much when we order our food in the restaurant. One reason is we ask what the food or the dish is and try to clarify it because you sometimes never know what the food is j

18、ust according the name of the food until it is put on your table in the restaurant just. While most of western food has a simple and clear name and you know what it is when you hear the name. For instance, there is a traditional food call fish and chips in the UK. You see it is very obvious it is fr

19、ied fish and potato chips. The reason for this in China is on the one hand to try to tell you the way it cooks such as cook, fry, grill and broil in the name and on the other it has beautiful good names so that you have a good imagination and association to let you have a good appetite.Generally spe

20、aking, we dont use much tableware when we have our meal in China. Mainly we have bowl, dishes, chopsticks and spoons, which we dont use very often. In serving English meals, they use so much tableware with different kinds and sizes. The Chinese do not know how to use them properly when they are invi

21、ted to dinner in English family. For example there are different kinds of names for glasses in English, such as wine glass, cherry glass, brandy glass, beer glass, snifter glass, champion flute and high bowl. You can see tableware also show the food culture of different cationUs s hig

22、her education was considered as the best education inwoeld. Comparing the elementary education between American and China, peoples universal view will be: Chinas elementary education aims to build the foundation of education with more study and less thought; while USs education aims to bulid such an

23、 education to raise the creativity with less study and more thought. the Chinesestudents study more, actually pay little attention to the practice, and cannot study for the purpose of application.USs education pays more attention to raise students self-confidence,independence,spirit of supporting on

24、eself, but Chinas education emphaseson training the students to be strict,rigorous spiritual. When American school inspects the result of student, they emphasize more on the ability to analyze and solve the question but not the ability of memory or description. The American students donot need the m

25、echanical memorizing, but display creative thought as far as possible; This can cultivate students study interest, raise the ability of doing it byself and make the study be one kind of creative action.Conclusion Chinese culure is broad and profound,but American culture also has its unique and style

26、.After learning this class,I have a general impression on American culture,there are quite differences between Chinese and American culture.I think that it s beneficial to be familiar to this differences for our ci-csstual communication.References1Luther S.LuedtkeAmerica:United States information Ag

27、ency,20032托马斯里克纳美式家庭一一品质教育家长对策 海南：海南出版社，2001 年3章创生美国爸爸中国爸爸一一向美国家长学教子重庆：重庆出版社，2011(6)4董小川美国文化概论.北京：人民出版社，20065中梅道教一一中国道家文化百科999问青海：青海人民出版社，2012(1)6赵林西方宗教文化武昌：武汉大学出版社，2011年(6)7学晏佛家与管理北京：社会科学文献出版社，2012年(6)8徐怀启古代基督教史上海：上海人民出版社，2012 (6)9(美)米拉德 丁 .艾利克森基督教神学导论上海：人民出版社，2012 (6)10李维冰中国饮食文化概论北京：中国商业出版社， 2006

28、(6)11美国饮食文化， HYPERLINK /view/2143412.htm /view/2143412.htm英语谚语警句100句精选Proverbs are the daughters of daily experience1是日常经验的结晶。Look before you leap./Second thoughts are best.三思而后行。/ 再想而后行。Great minds think alike; (heroes have similar views.)英雄所见略同。We shall never have friends if we expect to find them

29、 without fault.欲求完美无缺 的朋友必然成为孤家寡人。What you sow, you must mow.种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。A beggar can never be bankrup仄无绝人之路。A friend in need is a friend indeed 患难见真情。No news is good news.没有消息就是好消息。No cross, no crown.不经历风雨，怎么见彩虹。The more haste, the less speed. /Haste makes was跳速贝 U不达。Victory belongs to the most perse

30、vering.坚持就是胜禾！A young idler, an old beggar.少壮不努力,老大徒伤悲。Put one s foot in one说词outh体。It is no use crying over spilt milk覆水难收/悔恨已晚/木已成舟，回天乏力。Content is better than riches.知足常乐。No gains without pains.没有辛苦就没有收获。The more a man knows, the more he is inclined to be modest.大智若愚。All roads lead to Rome条条大路通罗马

31、。A snow year, a rich year.瑞雪兆丰年。Never say die!永不言败！The best mirror is a friend朋友峰眼ye是最好的镜子。Faith will move mountain.精诚所至，金石为开。A life without a friend is a life without a sun.人生没有朋友，犹如生活没有了太 阳。Great wits have short memories贵人多忘事。Do well and have well.善有善报。A bad thing never dies.坏事传千年。Four eyes see mo

32、re than two.人多识广 /集思广益。Diligence is the parent of success.勤劳是成功的根本。Water dropping day by day wears the hardest rock awa滴水穿石。Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.抱最好的愿望，做最坏的打算。While there is life, there is hope. /Debt is better than death.留得青山在，不怕 没柴烧。/有生命就有希望。Where there is a will, there is

33、a way.功夫不负有心人。/有志者事竟成。Where there is great love, there are always miracles.哪里有真爱存在，哪里就 有奇迹。Where there is smoke, there is fire.无风不起浪。One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boyr个和尚挑水喝，两个 和尚抬水喝，三个和尚没水喝。A stitch in time saves nine.及时缝一针能省九针。/小洞不补，大洞吃苦。Never too old to learn, never too lat

34、e to turn.亡羊补牢,为时不晚。Don t claim to know what you don不要 know封董。Do in Rome as Roman do 入乡随俗。Rome was not built in a day.冰冻三尺,非一日之寒。Sharpening your axe will not delay your job of cutting wood.磨刀不误砍柴工。Things of a kind come together, people a mind fall into a group. 物以类聚，人以 群分。One man s meat is another m

35、an 萝po囱曲.,各有所爱。like author like book.文如其人。Like for like.惺惺相惜。Like teacher like pupil.有其师必有其徒。Gods that run many hares kill none.f多必失。Practice makes perfect.熟能生巧。Actions speak louder than words.行胜于言。You cannot eat your cake and have it.鱼与熊掌，不可兼得。One loses by pride and gains by modesty涉招损，谦受益。Love me,

36、 love my dog. 爱屋及乌。An apple a day keeps the doctor away 每日一苹果远离医生。Time past cannot be called back again.时光不倒流。A drop of water cannot make a sea, and a tree cannot make a wood. 滴水不成 海，独木不成林。If you venture nothing, you will have nothing.不入虎穴，焉得虎子。The tree is known by its fruit.观其行知其人。All work no play

37、makes Jack a dull boy只会用功不玩耍，聪明的孩子也变傻。The pot calls the kettle black.五十步笑百步。Unkindness often reacts on the unkind person.恶有恶报。Today s work should never be left over till tomwr 今日事今日毕。Nothing so bad but might have been worse.塞翁失马，焉知非福。God helps those who help themselves.自助者大助。Complacency is the enemy of study.学习的敌人是自己的满足。A fox may grow gray, but never goodl山易改，本性难移。A friend without faults will never be found.没有十全十美的朋友。A good beginning is half done.良好的开端是成功的一半。A good book is the best of friends, the same tod