中西方禮儀文化差異(ENGLISH)

1、中西方禮儀文化差異-生活百科With China entry the WTO and will hold the Olympic games in 2008, the relationship betweenChina and Western in politics, economy, culture will become more and more close. It is undoubtedly that the etiquette will play an important role in this process. To the definition of etiquette, C

2、hina and Western have a different understanding. As Chinese thinks that the etiquette is the common behavior standards that all the members must obey, and its purpose is to keep the normal living order of the society. In ancient China, a famous philosopher thinks that etiquette is a principal to dea

3、l with the relationship between man and supernatural beings, man and ghosts, man and men. There are also many words about etiquette in English. For example, courtesy which means courteous behavior, good manners protocol which means system of rules governing formal occasion, e .g, meetings, between g

4、overnments, diplomats, etc. And these words are all from the same French word etiquette. Of course, more spread and more profound cultural comment ofthe western etiquette is fromthe Classical Period, i.e., old Athens and Roma culture. Today, etiquette become the reflection and manifestation of one c

5、ountrys politics, economy, culture in peoples social contact. And it include the principal and moral that people should obey in daily life.Etiquette formed in the process of the deposition of culture and social contact. So every nation have their own etiquette standard which created with the spirit

6、of this their nation. Because of this formed the cultural difference between different nations. As languages is the carrier of the human culture. This difference must reflect in the language of different nations. So in the following, we will take china, British and America as the representation of W

7、estern, to look at some cultural difference in etiquette, and then analyze the reasons. Furthermore, we will discuss how to learn western culture.Cultural differences on politeness between western and Chinese can be found in many aspects of daily communication, including addressing, greeting and par

8、ting, compliments, apologies, thanks, etc. In the following, we will look at some cultural different between China and western. b5E2RGbCAP1.Greeting and PartingWhen people meet acquaintances or friends, people usually greet each other. The purpose of greeting is to establish or maintain social conta

9、ct. So formulaic expressions are often used, but such formulaic expressions often causes conflict because of the great cultural differences between Chinese and native English speakers. In English, people often employ the following expressions to greet each otherp1EanqFDPwGood morning/evening/afterno

10、on.Fine day, isnt it?How is everything going?Have you eaten yet?What are you going to do?Where have you been? etc. DXDiTa9E3dWesterners treat them as real question. While in Chinese, we always say 你吃了嗎？” 你上哪里去？” 你干什么去？ to show our consideration. Parting may be divided into two steps.Before the final

11、 prating, there is usual a leave-taking. Western and Chinese cultures have diverse ways to deal with leave-takings.RTCrpUDGiTFirstly, in English society, during the closing phase of an encounter, from I perspective, reasons for terminating the encounter are presented in mitigatory comments. Typical

12、comments are associated with expressions of apology,such as I am afraid I must be off, I have to relieve the baby-sitter etc.5PCzVD7HxAWestern people believe that to be willing to visit and converse with someone is to haverespect for him. 。 to terminate the visiting is not of ones own free will, but

13、 because of some other arrangements, therefore they always try to make their leaving sound reluctant by finding some reasons and apologize for it to make the leaving acceptable for both parties.English speakers often signal several times before leaving.jLBHrnAlLgWell, its been nice to see you again.

14、 I do enjoy our talk and the lovely dinner, but Imust be going soon. Thank you very much for asking me over. I hope well be able to gettoge ther again before long xHAQX74J0XConsolidation in a wider range of common acquaintances also occurs, in expressions such asSay hello to Jack for me or Remember

15、me to John. In Chinese society, during the closing phase of and encounter, usually, from a you perspective, reasons for ending the encounter are set forth in mitigatory expressions.LDAYtRyKfESuch expressions include你挺忙地，我就不多打擾了 .你一定累了，早點休息吧，我要告辭了 ., etc.With these words, they may stand up from their

16、 seats. Chineseleave-taking is very short and quick. Western people think it so abrupt that they have not prepare for it.Zzz6ZB2LtkWhile moving to the door, Chinese employ expressions of apology like對不起沒,打擾了 . 對不起,占用你不少時間 .It should be noted that these expressions employed by Chinese guests to show

17、concern for their hosts can only be appropriate for Business visits in the English environment dvzfvkwMI12.AddressingBoth western and Chinese people have two kinds of personal names-a surname and a given name. But the order and the use of these names in the two languages are somewhat different.In Ch

18、inese, the surname comes first and then the given name. And people like add小beforetheir family name. Such as 小王、小鄭、小李、小徐and so on. While westerners names are written and spoken withthe given name first and the family name last. So John Smiths family name is Smith, not John.rqyn14ZNXIIn a formal sett

19、ing, address men as Mister (abbreviated as Mr., married women as Misses (abbreviated as Mrs., and unmarried women as Miss (abbreviated as Ms. These days many women prefer to be addressed using the abbreviations Ms. or M., pronounced miz. If the person has an M.D. or Ph.D., they will often be address

20、ed as Doctor (abbreviated as Dr. Faculty are addressed as Professor (abbreviated as Prof. .In an informal situation, westerners will introduce each other by first name, without titles, and occasionally by just the last name. If you are introduced to somebody by first name, you can address him or her

21、 by first name the next time you meet. The only exception would be for someone who holds an important position, such as the university president or provost. Unless they tell you otherwise, faculty should be addressed using their title and last name (e.g., Professor Smith. When in doubt, use the form

22、al manner of address, since it is better to err on the side of formalit yt is also appropriate to ask how they prefer to be addressed. Children should always address adults in the formal fashion, using their title and last name.EmxvxOtOcoAnother difference is about the form of addressing. From the v

23、iewpoint of sociolinguistics, forms of addressing can serve as an indication of the relationship of power and solidarity in the society. In calling their superiors or elders, theChinese are accustomed to the nonreciprocal or asymmetrical addressing, in other words. They use title +surname to address

24、 their superior or elders rather than call them surnames, while the superior or elders call the addressers their names. The Chinese tend to abide by the polite principle of depreciating oneself and respecting others to show appropriate respects towards the persons being addressed, otherwise, the add

25、resser may be considered as ill mannered, ill educated or rude. But in English speaking countries, people have a tendency to follow the reciprocal or symmetrical addressing. Although they are different in age and status, they can call the other directly, namely, their names, even first names except

26、when they call the doctors, not arousing offence between them, but demonstrating the sense of intimacy and the conception of Everyone is created equal. Chinese people feel unnatural addressing a westerner by his given name, feeling that it indicates too close a relationship, and westerners, on the o

27、ther hand,may feel that if a Chinese insists on using his surname, it indicates an unwillingness to be friendly and maintains a gap between them. So the use of forms like Miss Mary or Mr. Smith may be a Chinese forms of compromise. With Miss Mary, the use of the given name indicates friendliness, bu

28、t the addition of the title indicates the respect they feel they ought to show. And with Smith, the lack of a title indicates friendliness, but the use of the surname prevents if sounding too intimate. However, both addressing used by the Chinese sound very strange and uncomfortable to the westerner

29、. SixE2yXPq53. Compliments and ResponseTo compliment is to praise the addressees virtues, ability, behavior, appearance, clothing, personality and belongs. Appropriate compliments can serve as effective supplementary means in inter-personal communication. Western and Chinese culture are at polar opp

30、osites about compliment. An western hostess, if she is complimented for her cooking skill, is likely to say, Oh, I am so glad that you liked it. I cook it especially for you. Not so is a Chinesehostess, who will instead apologize for giving you Nothing. They will say隨便作幾個菜 ,不好吃.If translate this int

31、o Englishl just made some dishes casually and they are not very tasty. Perhaps the foreigner will think why you invite me to you family and have the untasty food. You arent respect me. The English-speaking people are more active to praise others and to be praise than Chinese people. For example, the

32、 Americans are straight forwardness, the Chinese take pride in modesty. That modesty has left many a Chinese hungry at an Americans table, for Chinese politeness calls for three refusals before one accepts an offer and the Americans hosts take no to mean no , whether it is the first, second or third

33、 time. Still bigger differences exist in peoples attitude towards compliments, i.e., in the response to compliments. Chinese are tend to efface themselves in words or refuse it, although they do feel comfortable about the compliments. So many westerners simply feel puzzled or even upset when their C

34、hinese friends refused their compliments. The Chinese people are not intending to be modest with the sacrifice of friendship in so doing, but it is rather due to the traditional Chinese philosophy, that of modesty. The Chinese people regard modesty as a most valuable virtue, so they seldom agree to

35、the compliment on their own.6ewMyirQFL4. Apologies and ResponsesIf wrong things are done, there must be apologies .As to how to offer apologies,both westernand Chinese people may I am sorry .,1 apologize for .Etc. But Chinese would like to apologize for the crowded state of their dwellings and for s

36、mall numbers of dishes, although the room is big enough and there are many dishes. Chinese stay these to express selfdepreciation only out of courtesy, not having other implication. But the westerners would wonder, since the room is so large and there are so many dishes, why do they say so. May be t

37、hey do not welcome our visit, they dont like us to eat more. When Chinese contact with westerners, if they do not know these differences, if will lead to isunderstanding. The ways to respond to apologies are different, too.kavU42VRUsA: Oh, Im sorry. I forget it.B1: It doesnt matter.B2: Thats all rig

38、ht.B2 is westerners. B1 is a Chinese person. It doesnt matter is a translation of 沒關(guān)系from Chinese, which is a common pattern in Chinese to respond to apologies. If a Chinese uses this to respond to apologies, westerners will think that he is a sharp person, who simply cannot forgive a very little wr

39、ong thing.y6v3ALoS895. Thanks and ResponsesThank you is widely used in English to show gratitude in such cases as being invited, helped, given a gift, etc. Cultural differences exist between Chinese and western in how to express thanks and responses. In fact, Thank you is uttered in English for more

40、 than acknowledging favor or gratitude, and it is often a means to show politeness. On many occasions, the English use this utterance while the Chinese may say 有勞您了 .or do not saya word at all but just smile or nod. As a matter of fact, Thank you is used more widely by westerners than Chinese use 謝謝

41、, for minor favors like borrowing pencil , asking directions, requesting someone to pass on a message , receiving a telephone, etc. Thank you not only shows politeness but also carries a persons grateful feeling for those who offer help. Without using expressions of gratitude, misunderstandings may

42、arise because the help seems to be taken for granted and is mot appreciated, For westerners, each person is an equal individual, whether he is a family member of not. In Chinese,謝謝is not frequentlyused between intimate friends and family members because it may imply a certain distance between the ad

43、dresser and the addressee. Native speakers may respond to Thank you by saying:You are welcome /Its a /my pleasure/ Not at all/ Dont mention it/Thats all right. WhileChinese people may say: 這是我應(yīng)該做地 , which may convey to westerners the message that theChinese did not really want to do it, or that he/s

44、he did it only because it wall his/her duty. This message is quite different from what theChinese speaker intended to express.M2ub6vSTnP6. Asking Personal AffairsPeople from China do not regard it as asking personal affairs when they ask others name、year、 marital status 、 wages、 personal life 、 beli

45、ef and political points. It is regard as concerns. While the westerns will think you侵犯 their rightof privacy. when we talk to the westerns, we must avoid asking some questions like this: OYujCfmUCwHow old are you? 、Are you married ？ 、How many children do you have ？ 、How much do you make？ 、Whats your

46、 weight? 、Do you go to the church ？ eUts8ZQVRd7n vitation and Saying Good-ByeIn the culture of British and America, it is very important to consult a time before you invite somebody to attend a banquet or take part in social activities.Esp. in America, invite somebody means you are borrow times of o

47、thers. So they respect time very much. While in China, people are prefer to an uninvited guest.And otherwise, You will be thought unfriendly if you cannot receive an uninvited guest verywell. sQsAEJkW5T8.關(guān)切語In China, we always say 你辛苦了！、你一定累了吧！to show our consideration when somebodyfrom far place. W

48、hile the westerners do it in a different way.They will say How is your trip? You must be very interesting. These sentences are all express in psychological aspect. Concerning the old people is the virtue of human race. But different cultures have different styles. In China, people will say 您年紀(jì)大了 ,你坐

49、吧！ when they 讓座 to a old man. But this is regarded as taboo. GMsIasNXkADifferent cultural factors may result in cultural differences, and consequently,the acknowledgment of the factors that affect the cultural differences will facilitate the understanding of such differences, part of which will vie

50、discuss in the followings. Since it is impossible to cover all of the factors in this thesis, the factors discussed here are some important ones.TlrRGchYzgFactors affect cultural differences1. Cultural BackgroundOne of the cultural different reasons between China and western is cultural background.

51、In Spring and Autumn and Warring s periods of China emerged Confucianism, Taoism and other ideologies .As different ideologies developed and combated each other, the basic framework of Chinese civilization was established. And then Confucianism became the foundation stone of Chinese philosophy syste

52、m. Confucianisms central doctrine is that of the virtue of Ren. What is Ren? Ren is translated variously as goodness, benevolence, humanity and human- heartedness. In short, Ren means affection and love. For more than 2 thousand years it has molded and shaped the civilization of China and exerted a

53、profound influence upon almost one fourth of human race. Just as DR. Sun-Yat-Sen said: Therefore the old morals of loyalty and piety, affection, and love, faithfulness and righteousness, are superior to those of the foreign countries Let alone that peace and harmony. These high standards of morals a

54、re our national spirit.Different from China, Christianity plays an important role in western. The English speaking countries are generally considered as Christian countries where many people believe in Christianity. Christianity is the region based on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. He is the

55、 founder of Christianity. According to the doctrine of Christianity, the Trinity is the union of the three forms of God, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ the son of the God, and the holy book of Christianity is the Bible, which consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament. However, t

56、he power of the church cannot compare with the past time, it still influence many aspects of people s daily life. For example, there are a few important festivals in the western is concern with Jesus Christ. Christmas day is a festival in celebration of the birth of the Jesus Christ on Dec.25.Virgin

57、 Birth refers to the birth of Christ, which Christians believe to have been caused by God rather than by ordinary sexual union. 7EqZcWLZNX2. Different valuesAnother cultural different reasons between China and western is different value lzq7IGf02EThe concept of Chinese values is often consciously or

58、 unconsciously placed in opposition with Western values. Therefore, it is necessary to determine how people define Western values. Some have stated that the modern Western value system originated in Victorian England, and describe it as social norms and behaviors common in European peopleduring that time. The core of Western values is individualism. David Hitchcock described Western values from a Chinese perspective. He said that, from the Chinese viewpoint, Western values have three levels: 1 physical level- science, technology, Business, publicad