A Comparative Study of Chinese and Western Taboo Cultures 1
Abstract: Taboo is a cultural phenomenon of all nationalities in the world, and it is also a major obstacle to cross-cultural communication. This paper aims to improve people's cultural awareness, avoid communication conflicts and failures, and improve cross-cultural communication ability through the comparative study of cultural taboos between China and the West.
Keywords: taboo; Cultural differences; Cross-cultural communicative competence
Taboo originated from Togan (Tongan) in Pacific tonga islands, which is a universal cultural phenomenon. Taboo refers to the norms that prohibit people from doing certain behaviors or avoiding certain words to express their reverence for the gods or achieve the purpose of eliminating disasters. Due to different cultures, taboo customs vary from country to country.
Taboo is a cultural phenomenon all over the world, but its content and form are different. Taboos are almost everywhere. According to the categories of taboos, they can be divided into religious taboos and life taboos. Among them, life taboos include diet taboos, clothing taboos, marriage taboos and funeral taboos. This paper mainly discusses the similarities and differences of cultures in different countries from two aspects: religious taboos and life taboos.
First, religious taboos
People all over the world have different beliefs. People in English-speaking countries mainly believe in Christianity, as well as Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodox Christianity. The religions in China are Buddhism, Taoism and Islam. Different religions have different taboos.
1. Christian taboo
Christianity forbids the worship of idols other than God. When you enter the church, you should be serious and keep quiet to show your respect for God. Avoid bloody food, untidy clothes and smoking at parties or services. At the same time, in western Christian countries, people remember the story of Jesus being betrayed by traitors and crucified. Therefore, on Good Friday, you must never engage in anything symbolic of Jesus' crucifixion, such as cutting your hair, nailing horseshoes, nailing nails, etc.
2. Catholic taboos
Catholicism is one of the three major Christian sects. In addition to some taboos of Christianity, Catholicism also has its own unique taboos. For example, Catholic bishops, nuns and priests can't get married, so their related privacy, such as children, can't be asked. Avoid wearing colorful clothes and joking when attending funerals; Relatives of the deceased are prohibited from seeing guests for two or three weeks after the funeral and from attending large banquets or dances for one year.
3. Buddhist taboos
Buddhist taboos include body taboos, such as not killing, stealing and immorality; Taboos in language, such as not swearing, not swearing; Conscious taboos, such as not being greedy. Therefore, people who believe in Buddhism do not eat meat, marry or save money. Monks and Christians pay great attention to their heads, fearing that others will pass by with something, and they should not touch children's heads casually. Avoid killing, drinking and eating meat in front of monks. Ladies are forbidden to wear exposed clothes when facing monks; For female believers, it is not allowed to enter the temple to worship during the physiological period, so as not to desecrate idols.
4. Islamic taboos
Islam is one of the three major religions in the world, with followers all over the world. In terms of diet, believers should avoid eating animals that died by themselves or died abnormally and drinking alcohol. Women should avoid going out to work and watching each other with men. A woman should wear a veil in front of strangers. (China Practical Taboos, 199 1) They think that women can't show their body parts to men other than their husbands except their hands, feet and face. In terms of hygiene, it is forbidden to handle dirty things with your right hand, such as defecating with your left hand, and it is forbidden to pass things with your left hand, especially things to people.
Second, life taboos
There are many taboos in life. For example, in Britain, you should avoid asking personal questions, cutting in line and bargaining when shopping. The following focuses on the taboos of diet and drinking.
1. Dietary taboos
Diet is an important part of life, and dietary taboos include two aspects: diet content and diet style. China people's dietary taboos are mainly manifested in the dietary rules, not the dietary content. People in China eat almost everything, including the heads, feet and internal organs of animals. People in English-speaking countries should avoid eating fat and bones, and avoid eating food made from animal heads, feet or internal organs. Avoid eating food made from special animals such as dog meat and snake meat. Do not eat garlic and other foods with hot and sour taste. They also have some taboos in eating rules, such as not making any noise when eating soup, not wolfing down when eating, and not making a jingling sound when eating with a knife and fork. Don't put the knife and fork anywhere after dinner. Avoid picking your teeth in public and talking with food in your mouth.
2. Drinking taboos
China and English-speaking countries have great differences in drinking taboos. There are many kinds of wines in the west, paying attention to different occasions and using different wines for different meals. For example, drink aperitif before meals, drink wine during meals, and drink cocktails or whisky after meals. At a grand banquet, they will change a dish into one kind of wine, and sometimes they will mix several kinds of wine together. China people advocate drinking only one kind of wine on important occasions, and the phenomenon of mixed drinking is even rarer. Westerners avoid drinking too much and get drunk before they get drunk, while China people avoid drinking too much or drinking too fast. The host should always pour the wine for the guests, but avoid being too shallow and overflowing.
Third, social taboos.
In English-speaking countries, it is necessary to make an appointment in advance to visit someone, otherwise it will disrupt others' arrangements and cause inconvenience. A sudden visit is considered rude. In the past, China people didn't have the habit of making an appointment to visit except for large-scale activities, but with the fast pace of society, making an appointment to visit gradually began to be implemented, but it was not so strict. There are also differences in the scheduled arrival times between China and the West. In the west, it is considered normal to be ten minutes late. Americans are used to being three to five minutes late, because under normal circumstances, the hostess is busy eating and has time to change clothes five minutes before meals, which will make the host feel embarrassed. In China, people are used to arriving 4-5 minutes early to show their respect.
In western countries, privacy is the biggest taboo. When talking with westerners, never talk about personal privacy issues such as age, income and marriage. In China, these issues are discussed as a topic of concern. China people also have things that they avoid talking about, such as personal dignity, shortcomings and deficiencies.
In English-speaking countries, there is a taboo that a fire cannot light three cigarettes. In other words, only two people can be lit in a row. If you light a cigarette for a third person, you need to rekindle it, otherwise it will bring inconvenience to one of them.
It is common for people in English-speaking countries to exchange small gifts on traditional festivals, but it is considered as a bribe to avoid giving heavy gifts. In the United States, it is forbidden to give gifts in public places or during business contacts, and it is forbidden to send things with company logo (as if advertising for the company). In English-speaking countries, the gift-giving party for no reason makes the recipient feel puzzled, which is similar to China.
Fourth, other taboos.
Taboo about color. In Europe and America, try to use black as little as possible. Belgians are afraid of blue and Brazilians are afraid of yellow. In China, don't write your name and letters in red ink.
Taboo about numbers. Westerners? Thirteen? As an unlucky number, try to avoid using this number in public. ? Friday? In the west, it is considered as Black Friday. It is said that Jesus was crucified on this day, Adam and Eve stole the forbidden fruit, and the great flood broke out on this day.
China people taboo to use? Four? And then what? Three? Avoid using these numbers on festive occasions.
It can be seen that different countries and nations have different taboos. Failure to understand the taboos of the other country will lead to serious problems such as friendship breakdown, communication failure and ethnic conflicts. In the process of cross-cultural communication, in order to achieve communication success and avoid cultural conflicts, we must understand each other's cultural taboos. Through in-depth comparative study, we can improve cultural awareness, reduce cultural conflicts and promote cross-cultural communication smoothly.
References:
[1] Yang Zong, Nie Jiaen, Guo Quansheng, China Practical Taboo, 199 1, Shanghai: Shanghai Culture Publishing House.
[2] Hu Wenzhong, Du Xuezeng, Comparison of Chinese and English Cultural Customs, 1998, Beijing: Beijing Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
[3] Li Jianjun, Li Guicang, Intercultural Communication, 20 1 1, Wuhan: Wuhan University Press.
Comparison of Chinese and Western Cultures Part II Comparison of Chinese and Western Table Etiquette and Cultural Taboos
Abstract: With the increasingly close communication between countries, it is very important to understand the western table manners culture. This paper mainly introduces the differences of table manners and culture between China and the West from the aspects of the placement and use of tableware, compares the differences of table manners and taboos between China and the West, and analyzes the background of these differences, so as to deepen our understanding.
Keywords: taboo; Dining table; Etiquette; China and the West
I. Introduction
Table manners play an important role in daily life, and their role in cultural exchanges between China and the West cannot be underestimated. Chinese and western table manners culture mainly consists of four aspects: leaving the table, using and placing tableware, serving and ordering food, and tasting wine. This paper aims to introduce the differences between Chinese and western table manners and cultural taboos, mainly from the aspects of the placement and use of tableware, and analyze the background of these differences in order to deepen the understanding of western culture.
Second, the questionnaire data analysis
By issuing questionnaires and interviewing respondents, we know that people's understanding of table manners taboos in China and the West is very limited, and few people have analyzed the subsequent cultural background. The following is our detailed analysis of the questionnaire. The following is our detailed analysis of the questionnaire. Through the analysis of the questionnaire, it can be concluded that there are more sophomores among the respondents, accounting for 44.7% of the effective percentage; Freshmen account for 22.9%, juniors for 2 1.3%, and seniors are the least, accounting for 1 1.2%. Among the respondents, the proportion of English classes is 52.4%, and the proportion of non-English classes is 47.6%. The proportion of English classes and non-English classes is almost the same. The results of these questionnaires show that the respondents have a general understanding of table manners and cultural taboos in China and the West, but quite a few people do not.
The detailed analysis of the questionnaire shows that people have a deep understanding of a few taboos, but few people know their cultural origins, and their understanding of table manners taboos in other Chinese and western cultures is limited, which needs to be strengthened. Therefore, we will mainly analyze the table manners of Chinese and western cultures from the comparison and background of the use and placement of tableware on the table, systematically analyze the table manners of Chinese and western cultures, and investigate its roots.
Third, the text
Table manners play an important role in daily life and also reflect the differences between Chinese and western cultures.
Placement and use of tableware
(1) Placement, use and taboo of chopsticks (taboo, note)
Usually, before eating in China, chopsticks should be placed on the right side of the rice bowl, and both ends should be aligned neatly. If you eat with chopsticks, but don't eat continuously, chopsticks should stand neatly in the middle of the rice bowl.
On the dining table in China, you will see some such scenes. When guests pick up chopsticks to pick up food, they will be indecisive and don't know what to pick up. This phenomenon is called. Doubt chopsticks? It is taboo to doubt this in formal occasions, but it is not very strict in informal occasions. When picking vegetables, some guests will use chopsticks to pull back and forth in the dish plate to find out what to pick up. This phenomenon is called. Dirty chopsticks? . In a shallow sense, dirty chopsticks are impolite. Sometimes people will see two people accidentally bump into each other's chopsticks at the dinner table in China. This phenomenon is called. Grab chopsticks? . To avoid embarrassment, people will subtly say:? Let me help you clip it, or one side will show humility and let the other side clip it first. Generally, when eating continuously, chopsticks and the residue of eating a dish are picked up. What's it called? Sticking chopsticks? This is taboo, so when you are going to pick up vegetables, you should lick your chopsticks gently to avoid sticking things on your chopsticks when you pick up other dishes.
What is a big taboo of chopsticks when chatting between meals? Finger chopsticks? Pointing at people with chopsticks. What is the most taboo when eating? Chopsticks? That is, put chopsticks in the middle of a meal or in your own rice bowl. In the tradition of China, people usually pay tribute to the dead. If chopsticks are inserted in the middle of food, the situation is similar. Therefore, in China, whether it is a formal or informal table, giving chopsticks is one of the biggest taboos.
Besides the above description, what are the taboos for using chopsticks in Chinese food? Stab chopsticks? That is, when you can't afford to pick up food, use chopsticks as a fork and tie it up; Avoid? No chopsticks? Is to use chopsticks as knives and tear meat and vegetables with chopsticks; Avoid? Tears chopsticks? It is when the food is caught, the soup on the food drenches the table; Avoid? Knock chopsticks? . When waiting for a meal, you can't sit at the table with chopsticks in one hand and tap the bowl lamp or teacup with chopsticks at will. Avoid? Chopsticks? . Chopsticks should not be placed horizontally and vertically, with a big head and a small head. After eating, chopsticks should be neatly placed on the table on the right side of the bowl.
(2) Placement, use and taboo of western-style tableware.
Compared with Chinese food, the tableware of western food is more complicated. In a narrow sense, western tableware includes three parts: knife, fork and spoon. Knives are divided into edible knives, fish knives and meat knives (with serrated blades, used to cut steaks, pork chops, etc. ), butter knife, fruit knife. Forks are divided into edible forks, fish forks, meat forks and shrimp forks. Spoons include spoons, dessert spoons and teaspoons. The specifications of public knives and forks are obviously larger than those of table knives and forks. Western tableware in a broad sense includes knives, forks, spoons, plates, cups, napkins and so on. There are dish plates, pudding plates, milk plates and butter plates.
In the arrangement of tableware, western countries follow the same rules when placing western-style tableware: Center saucer, fork to the left, knife to the right, up, edge inward? . The specific rules are: the horizontal spoon is in front of the plate, the staple food is on the left and the tableware is on the right? , the rest of the appliances are placed as appropriate; The number of wine glasses is equal to the type of wine, arranged from left to right, followed by strong wine glasses, grape wine glasses, champagne wine glasses and beer glasses; In western food, napkins are put on a plate. If you need to put something on the plate before the guests sit down, the napkin is next to the plate.
Western tableware is arranged in a figure of eight. If you have a short break in the middle of eating, you can divide the knife and fork into plates, and the cutter head is opposite to the fork tip. One? Glyph or? Eight? Glyph, knife and fork facing yourself, indicating that you are still eating. There are two ways to place the meal tail: in the middle of the meal, the lower surface of the fork can face upwards, and the blade side of the knife is inward close to the fork and placed in parallel on the plate. At the banquet, each dish uses a pair of knives and forks, and the knives and forks placed in front of you are taken from the outside in turn, because the order in which the knives and forks are placed is exactly the order in which each dish is served. When the knife and fork are used up, the serving is over. Knife and fork have a very important function besides cutting vegetables into the mouth: how to convey the knife and fork? Eat? Or? End the meal? The waiter uses this method to judge the dining situation of the guests. The knife and fork handles are placed side by side on the plate, indicating that the dish has been used, and the waiter will take the plate away.
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