Differences-of-Table-Manners-between-China-and-the

西南大学本科生课程论文论文题目：TheComparisonofTableMannersbetweenChinaandtheWest课程名称：跨文化交际导论任课教师：杨杰专业：英语师范班级：师范2班学号：222013310011202姓名：赵雅洁2016年1月2日西南大学外国语学院制成绩TheComparisonofTableMannersbetweenChinaandtheWestZHAOYajieAbstract:Difficultcountrieshavedifferenttablemanners,whichcanreflectacountry’scustomsandcultures.Chinahasalonghistoryoftablemanners.Withthedevelopmentofeconomy,therearemoreandmoreattentiontomannersbetweenChinaandtheWest.Especiallytheimportanceoftablemannersismorehighlighted.SothispapertalksaboutdifferencesoftablemannersbetweenChinaandtheWestanditsreasons.ThedifferencesbetweenChineseandwesterncultureishistoricalratherthannatural,suchasusageoftableware,seatingarrangement,thediningatmosphereandtablelanguage.AndInterculturalcomparativestudyisthebasicmethodtostudytablemanners.Thispaperiswritteninordertoprotectourexcellenttablemannersandcommunicateandabsorbthoseinwesterncountries.Keywords:tablemanners;culture;differences;China;westerncountriesI.IntroductionTablemannerisanimportantpartofcross-culturalcommunication.ChineseandWesternpeoplehavebeendeeplyinfluencedbydifferentsocialcultures,historicalculturesandvarioussocialbackgrounds,sotwodifferentculturesbetweenChinaandWesterncountriesgenerate,andthentableculturearisessofastatthehistoricmoment.Tablemannercultureisapartofthedietculture,andthedifferencesofdietculturecomposedthesignificantpartofdifferencesbetweenChinaandwesterncultures.Forforeignlanguagelearners,learningthedifferencesoftablemannersbetweenChinaandtheWest,notonlycanweenhancetheunderstandingofthetargetlanguageculture,butalsocanperformwellduringcross-culturalcommunication.WiththedevelopmentofChina,moreandmoreWesternculturesgetintooursight.Aswefacewithunfamiliarculturesandcountries,someinevitableculturalconflictsmighthappeninthecommunication,whichwillseriouslyaffectthecontactsbeingcarriedoutsmoothly.TablemannerhasadecisivepositioninthecommunicationbetweenChinaandWesterncountries.Duringcommunicationwewillshowourbestimagesandavoidculturalconflicts.II.DifferencesoftablemannersTablemannerplaysanimportantroleincross-culturalcommunication,soIwillpaymoreattentiontodifferences.Then,IwillintroducedifferenttablemannersbetweenChinaandwesterncountriesinfouraspects:usageoftableware,seatingarrangement,thediningatmosphereandtablelanguage.A.UsageoftablewareAsweallknow,Chinesepeopleuseknives,forks,scoopsandchopsticksandwealmostusechopsticksinmostoftime.Butwesternpeopleuseknivesandforksmore.Sowecansaythatknives,forksandchopsticksarebasicdifferenttablemanners.Accordingtosomeresearches,thisdifferencereferstodifferentcircumstances.InancientChina,therearelotsofwoodsinthenorthandsomebamboosinthesouth,soChinesepeopleinventedchopsticksbyuseofwoodsandbamboos.Knivesandforksemergedlaterthanchopsticks.Inwesterncountries,ancientpeoplewerenomads,whichmeanstheymustroamedaboutandbroughtknivestofeedandprotectthemselves.Sotheybegantoeatbyuseofknives.Afterthat,theyinventeddifferentkindsofknivestohelpthemselvestoeatfoodconveniently.Differentusagesoftablewareleadtodifferenteatinghabits.Andtheyalsoaffectdifferentconceptsoflife.InChina,peopleusechopsticksandsharefoodwithotherpeople,whichmakesChinesepeopleattachimportancetotheirfamilymembersandfriends.Inwesterncountries,theyuseknivesandforkstoeatontheirown,whichcanfostertheirsensesofindependence.Childreninthewestwanttobeindependentandstayawayfromtheirparents.Therearealsosomerestrictions.Forexample,peopleareprohibitedtoplaywithchopsticks,andpeopleshouldputtheirknivesandforksonthetablewhentheywanttotalk.B.SeatingarrangementBothChinaandwesterncountriestakeseatsarrangementseriously.SquaretablesarenecessaryonatraditionalChinesedinner.Theplacewhichisfacetodoorisconsideredtobelongtonoblepeopleoroldpeople,andtherestofseatsbelongtolowpeople.Westernpeopleoftenuselongtablestotreattheirguests.Thehostssitontwoendsofthetable,andguestssitontwolongsidesoftable.InChina,left,upperandmiddleseatsarehonorableandright,downandremoteseatsarelow.Inwesterncountries,rightseatsarehonorable.Therearesomeetiquetteyoushouldnotice.First,youshouldreachyourseatfromtheleft.Whenyousit,youshouldn’tputyourelbowsonthetable.Second,youhadbetternotleaveduringthedinner.Ifyouhaveto,youshouldtellthepeoplebesideyou.Third,whenyouareeating,youmustsitstraightlyandelongateyourneck.Putyourtheupperarmsandbackleanonthechair.Andrememberkeepingyourabdomenawayfromtheding-table.Lastbutnoleast,don’tbendyourwaisttogetfood.Thatistosay,youshouldputfoodintoyourmouth.C.ThediningatmosphereThemostdifferenttablemannerbetweenChinaandwesterncountriesisthediningatmosphere.Chinesepeoplelikeboisterousatmospherewhilewesternpeoplelikequietatmosphere.Chinesepeoplethinkeatingisveryimportant,sotheyoftendevoteparticularcaretoeatingatmosphereandpurseostentationandextravagance.Theywillmakedifferentkindsoffoodwithsomewineonthetable.Andhostswillforceguestseatmoretoshowtheirenthusiasm.Theeatingatmospherewithnoiseandexcitementcanreflecthosts’andguests’happiness.Thishappinessstandsforaphenomenonofhappyfamilies,goodrelationshipswithsurroundingpeopleandcommonfaiths.What’smore,peoplemay