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中西方日常交际中的文化差异THECULTURALDIFFERENCESBETWEENCHINESEANDWESTERNDAILYCOMMUNICATION二零一一年十一月AbstractWitheconomicglobalization,theglobalizationofinformationera,ChinaandtheWestexchangesandcooperationbetweenthecountriesaregettingcloser.Yet,duetothelackofculturebackgroundofwesterncountries,thereexistssomebarriersandmisunderstandingsduringthecommunicationbetweenChineseandwesternpeople.Thisarticlefocusesontheeverydaycommunicationeasymisunderstandingofculturaldifferencesintheanalysisandcomparison.KeyWords:dailycommunication,culturaldifference,greeting,praiseandcomplimentsContentsPartⅠDifferencesintermsofcall…………………………………………3PartⅡHellodifferencesinterms……………………………………………4PartⅢDifferencesintermsoffarewell……………………………………5PartⅣDifferencesinpraiseandcomplimentsandtheresponse………6PartⅤDifferencesintablemanners………………………………………85.1Seatingarrangement………………………………………………………95.2Servingorder………………………………………………………………105.3Tableware…………………………………………………………………115.4Stopcookingmethod……………………………………………………12PartVITopicselectionanddifferencesinprivacy……………………………14References………………………………………………………………………15PartⅠDifferencesintermsofcallHelloisthedailylifeofmostordinarythings,butthatitisquitecommonforthingscanreflectintheWesternculturaldifferences.InChina,peopletouchingfaceeachotherandasked:haveyouhaddinneryet?wheretogo?noworktoday?ThisistheChinesemostfamiliaristhemostcommonwayofgreeting,butifyoutakethesewordsandWesternersgreet,foreignersmustbesurprised,orevenmisleading.Forexample,Chinesefriendaskedaforeignfriend:Haveyouhadyourmeal?Itwasjustaskingpleasantries,Westernersthinkyouasktoinvitehimfordinner!Whilehewaitsforyouinvitedhim,butyoutalkaboutsomethingelse,whichoftenmakeeachotherberatherbaffling.Theythink:don'taskmeouttodinner,whyaskIhadyourmeal?Forexample:youaskforeignfriends:whereareyougoing?Thisisacaringgreeting,butWesternersmisunderstandingandresentment,thinkyoutointerfereinothers'affairs.Inwesterncountriespeoplenotfamiliarwiththemeetingsayhello,justsay:Hi,HelloorGoodmorningcanbe;firstmetwithHowdoyoudohello?Anddonotsayhowyouare?Ifmetfamiliarfriend,cantalkabouttheweather,trafficetc.,butdonottalkaboutpersonalthings.PartⅡHellodifferencesintermsWhetherinChinaorabroad,toseefriendsoracquaintancessayhello,isacommoncourtesybehavior.Chinesepeopleliketousewhentheymeet,youeatit?Comeandgreeteachother,butthegreetingphraseactuallyhaslostitsliteralmeaning,nottoaskforinformation,butratherawayofgreeting.Therefore,theansweriseatingornoteatareirrelevant.However,ifdirectlytranslatedintoEnglishliterallyHaveyouhadyourdinner?TogreettheWest,accordingtotheirculturalpractices,meanstoinviteeachothertodinner;ifyouaskmenandwomenaresaidtobedatingeachotherorthedesiretomakefriends.AnothercommonlyusedinChineselanguagegreetingisWhereareyougoing?”ThissentenceishelloinChinese,ratherthanaskingpeoplereallywanttoknowwheretogo.So,anyotherpartycangiveananswer,alsonotfeelembarrassed.However,thesamewayWesternersgreetWhereareyougoing?,Wherehaveyoubeen?Westernersoftenunderstoodasamessageaskingthequestions,makethemfeelembarrassed,evenangrytheywillfeelthespeakerinterferewiththeirprivateaffairs.Althoughtheydonotsaylips,andmyheartmaythink:Whydoyouaskthesequestions?It'snoneofyourbusiness.PerhapsmoreattentiontohighBritishandAmericanpeopleforreasonsofefficiency,notbetweenpeopleastheChineseenthusiasm,thesameintheabovecase,thecommongreetingphraseisgenerallyrelativelysimple,suchasHi,Hello,Howareyou?orGoodmorning!,Goodafternoon!,Goodevening!Andsoon.PartⅢDifferencesintermsoffarewellAccordingtoChinesecustom,theguestsleave,theownerofthegueststothedoor,theguestsoftheownersaid,Pleasestay,thelastdirectortosaygo,walkingkindofcourtesy.IftheAmericanpeoplewehaveinaccordancewiththeChinesepeopleusedtosaygoslowly,walkslowlytheywillfeelangry,whyshouldIgoslowly?Iamstrongenough!Britain'setiquetteistotellthegueststothedoorBye,dropinagain.Kindofthing,theguestswillansweryes,Iwill.Orok,bye.Orseeyouandsoon.AlsosaygoodbyetotheChinesepeopleisgenerallyverysimply,isoftenthefirstlookatthewatch,andthenstandupandsaysomethingIamleavingnow.Anglo-Americancountriesinthiswaywillmakepeoplefeelveryabrupt,surprised.Generallyinaccordancewiththeirhabits,usuallysaidtobetenminutesaheadofhisintentiontoleave.AChinesestudenttotheteachertheretoaskquestionsoftheUnitedStates,Americanteachersreceivedhimwarmly,butalsopatientlyansweredallthequestionsofstudents.Leave,thestudentsaid:Iamsorrytohavewastedalotofyoutime,Iamleaving.“Thesyntaxofthesetwowordscompletelycorrect,theU.S.hascausedtheteacher'shardtounderstand,hedoesnotunderstandwhyheansweredthequestionandthestudentidentifiedasawasteoftime,dothestudentsthinkthatheactuallyspenttimenoharvest?AccordingtoWesterncustom,onsuchoccasionstoleave,firsttothankeachother'shelp,andthensaidgoodbye,andoftentofindanexcuse,itcanbesaid:Thanksalotforyourhelp.IamafraidImustbeleavingnow.PartⅣDifferencesinpraiseandcomplimentsandtheresponseTheAmericanpeople'smodeofthinkingislinear,likedirectexpression;Therefore,whencommunicationwiththeChinesepeople,foreignersareoftensurprisedtofindthat,whentheypraiseorcompliments,whentheChinesep