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【标题】浅谈中西方饮食文化的差异【作者】杜吉瑞【关键词】中西方；饮食文化；差异；跨文化交际【指导老师】王露陈慧【专业】英语【正文】I.IntroductionWiththedevelopmentofthesociety,scienceandtechnology,theinterculturalcontactbecomesmorefrequent.Itseemstheworldisbecomingsmaller,butpeoplefromdifferentculturalbackgroundsoftenfeelthathabitsandcustomskeepthemapartinthecommunication.Theremaybesomeconflictsandmisunderstandingsbecauseofthedifferentculturesininterculturalcommunication.Culture,inabroadsense,includesbeliefs,customs,habits,institutions,techniques,andlanguages.Inanarrowsense,itmayrefertolocalbeliefsorcustomsthatarerelatedtoourdailylife,whichcanbefoundinfolkculture,enterprisecultureorfoodcultureetc.Itissoinclusivethatitpermeateseveryaspectofhumanlifeandaffectspeople’sbehavior.Foodisoneofthemostimportantpartsinfolkculture.Itisthefirstnecessityinmen’slife,alsoisoneofthefundamentalforminsocialexistent.Butdifferentbackgroundshavedifferentfoodperspectivesandhabits,andthentakeshapeofdifferentfoodculture1.Itinvolveswhattoeat,howtoeat,whytoeatetc.Thehabitofdietineachnationisoneofthemostimportantpartsintheircultures.Becauseoftheimpactofdifferentcultures,suchasbelief,custom,valueandreligion,therearedifferentperspectivestowardsfoodandeating,contentsandeatingmannersbetweenChinaandthewest,whichshowstheirownfoodculture.Everynationhasitsownfoodcultureaseveryonehashisowninterest.Thereisaproverbthat“one’sbearpawisone’sarsenic”inChinese;andthereisalsoaproverbthat“oneman’smeatisanotherman’spoison”2inEnglish.TheChineseusechopstickswhilewesternpeopleuseknifeandforkwheneating,Chineseeatriceandvegetableswhilewesternerseatmeatandbreadintheirdailylife.TheyallreflectthedifferencesbetweenChineseandwesternfoodcultures.ThispapertendstostudythedifferencesbetweenChineseandwesternfoodculturesfromtheperspectivetowardsfood,thecontentsoffoodandeatingmanners,andalsotoexploretheculturalaspectscausingthesedifferencestohelpusdevelopculturalawarenessandimproveinterculturalcommunicationcompetence.II.TheDifferentPerspectivetowardsFoodFirstly,thedifferencebetweenChineseandwesternfoodcultureisthedifferentperspectivetowardsfood.Itformsintheprocessofpreparingandeatingfood.Itinvolvessomeproblems,suchas:whytoeat,howtoeat,andhowtotreateating?Becauseofbeinginfluencedbydifferentphilosophicalthoughts,valueandthinkingpatterns,theperspectivetowardsfoodbetweenChinaandthewestdiffersalot.A.TheChinese’sAestheticPerspectivetowardsFoodAsthesayinggoes“Foodistheessentialstopeople”and“Manisironandfoodissteel”,wecanseethatfoodisveryimportantforourChinesepeople.Exceptforavoidinghunger,thepurposeforChinesepeopleistoseekforthedeliciousfood.AndinChinesecooking,color,aromaandflavorshareequalimportanceinthepreparationofeverydish.Chinesefoodisfullofaestheticfeeling,andthuseverydishontheChinesemealtablelookslikeapieceofart,goodlookinganddelicious.ThesearethecrucialpointsforgoodChinesecooking,thesmellofthecookedfoodmustconformtotheexpectantleveloftenderness,crispnessorevenchewiness.Ofthesecharacteristics,tasteisthefirstimportancetomostChinesepeople.“Flavors”,aretheenchantmentofChinesefood.Theyadvocate“民以食为天(peopleregardfoodasoffundamentalimportance),食以味为先”3(tasteispreferred),andendeavortomakedeliciousfood.Aslongasthetasteisagreeabletopeople,akindoffoodmaybecookedvariouslyaccordingtodiversegeography,climateandsoon.Thisleadstotheevolutionofwhatiscalled‘eightcuisines’,whichreflectlocalpreferencesandalsohaveownspecialstyleofcooking.TheseekforaestheticofChinesedietobviouslyoverwhelmtherationalones,anditisinlinewiththetraditionalphilosophicalthought.Chinesefoodreflectthedialecticthoughtofit:lightinsummerandautumn,stronginspringandwinter.Whenpeopletasteonedish,theyalwayssaythisdishisdeliciousornot.Itisclearthatpeopleregardthetasteoffoodasfirstimportance.Butifyouwanttoknowwhereandwhythedishisdelicious,I’mafraidit’sverydifficulttosayclearly.Itisprovedthatthepursingofdelicioustasteistheartisticmoodthatcan’texpressbywords.Thisconformstothevisual,ambiguousfeaturesofChinesephilosophicalthoughtandthinkingpattern.Chinesepeoplearemoresubjectiveinthinkingandtendtovalueintuitionalot,throughwhichtheygetaninsightintothingsaroundus.Thisthinkingpatternliesinperceivingdirectlythroughthesense,notinthelogicanalysis,andisalsodifficulttoexpressbywordsexactly.Chinesepeopleespeciallypursuethetasteoffood,butpaylessattentiontothenutrition.Itakefishasanexample.InChina,peopleusuallycookbraisedfishwithmanypepperandotherseasonings,whichsuitsmostChinesepeople’staste.Whileinthewest,peopleusuallycooksteamingfish,whichcankeepthefishfresh.Andintheprocessofcookingsteamingfish,thenutritionoffishmayretainmaximally.Additionally,evenifsometimesChinesepeopleareoverfull,theywouldcontinueeatingbecausetheycan’tbearattractionofdelicioustaste.SooneChinesepoetsaid:“肠满诚好事，余者皆奢侈。”4Buttowesterners,itiswastefulandharmfulforhealth.B.TheWesterners’RationalandScientificPerspectivetowardsFoodChinesepeopleingeneralarenotconcernedaboutnutritionaswesterners.Thewesternculture’sinterpretationoffoodistherationalandscientificperspective.Westernpeopleaccustomtolabelingfoodas“good”or“bad”basedonthesupposedhealthy