英语畅谈中国文化(1)

四级新要求：中国文化段落翻译模拟翻译实践题集1.TheimportanceofChopsticks筷子的重要性A.说到中国筷子的起源，有人认为中国是农耕民族，食物以植物为主，用筷子适宜取食。而西方人是游牧民族，以肉食为主，刀叉就来得方便。也有人认为中国是农业社会，工业发展晚，木筷正是这种情形的产物。而西方是工业化社会，金属制品做餐具是必然的。AstotheoriginofChina’schopsticks,onetheoryisthatChinawasanagriculturalsocietyandreliesonvegetablesforfood.Chopstickswereveryconvenienttoolsforeating.TheWesterners,ontheotherhand,werenomadsandlivedonmeat.Theknifeandforkweremorepractical.OthersbelievethatChinadidnothavemuchindustryandtherefore,peopleusedchopsticks.TheWestwasanindustrialsociety,sotheireatingutensilsweremadeofmetal.B.中国文化推崇集体主义，崇尚共有，融合；西方文化崇尚个体。体现在吃饭的方式上就是筷子和刀叉的不同。中国人实行合餐制，用餐的人在用一个盘中取食，用筷子可以限制个别人大量取食。如此一来，既保留了集体主义的形态，个人利益又不会受太大影响。Chinesecultureisdevelopedaroundcollectivismwhichstressescommunionandharmony.Westerncultureemphasizesindividualism.Intermsofeatingcustoms,chopsticksandknivesandforksaretwodisparateexpressionsofthisculturedifference.TheChineseliketohavecommunalmealswhereeverybodyeatsoutofthesamebowloffood.Chopstickswereusedinordertodiscouragepeoplefromeatingmorethanothers.Thiswasnotonlyawaytopreservecollectivenessbutalsotolimitindividualism..C.很多古代用筷的禁忌沿用至今，成为普遍认可的餐桌礼仪。上菜时要由尊者或长者先食。用餐者要尽量坐得靠前，以免掉落食物弄脏衣服。喝汤不可过快，咀嚼时不可发出声响。忌将筷子竖直插入碗盘中，因为这代表为死人上坟。取食时不要用筷子敲打盘碗，或游离于盘碗之间，或把不喜欢的食物再放回去。Manyancientchopsticktaboosarevalidtothisdayandacceptedasanormintableetiquette.Eachdishservedshouldbecommencedbytheeldestorrespectableperson.Thedinersshouldsitclosetothetablesofoodwon’tdropontheirclothes.Oneshoulddrinksoupslowlyandnonoiseissupposedwhenchewing.Don’tplacechopsticksverticallyintoadish,asthiswasthewayofmakingsacrificestothedead.Whentakingfood,dinerscouldnottapdishwithchopsticks,ormovechopsticksbetweendishes,orsendfoodbacktothecommunalplateeveniftheydon’tlikeit.2.TheEleganceofTea-Drinking喝茶的格调A.开门七件事，柴米油盐酱醋茶。饮茶与吃饭的目的大不相同。吃饭是为了果腹，饮茶却能提升精神境界。茶的流传据说与佛教有关。僧侣们喝茶为了提神醒脑。世俗社会模仿这种清净脱俗的举动，所以品茶被看做是清雅之事。在古典小说中，用大杯喝茶解渴被称为“饮”，而雅士用精致的茶具喝茶被称为“品”。Firewood,rice.oil,salt,soysauce,vinegarandteaarethesevendailynecessities.Thepurposeofteaandfoodistotallydifferentthough.Peopleeattofilltheirstomach,whiletea-drinkingcanhelpapersonachieveanelevatedstateofmind.Tea-drinkingissaidtohaveoriginatedwiththeadventofBuddhism.Monksdrankteatokeepthemselvesawakeandhelptheirconcentration.Ordinarypeopleweretemptedbythetranquilityofthemonasteriesandbegantoimitatethemonks.Sotea-drinkingisconsideredanelegantpastime.Inclassicalnovels,thewordusedtoillustratetea-drinkingfromabigcuptoquenchone’sthirstis“drink”.Scholarswouldusefinecupstodrinkteaandthewordtouseis“savour”.B.喝茶是一种很讲究格调的消遣。首先是环境。古人在竹间月下品茶论道。如今格调被商业化了。人们在装修豪华的茶馆谈生意，真是大异其趣。茶不仅有经济功能，还有社会功能。平民百姓常常光顾小茶馆打牌，闲谈。格调当然谈不上，气氛却是轻松随意，多了几份趣味。Teadrinkingisaverysophisticatedpastime.Itstartswiththeenvironment.Ancientscholarsenjoyedthemselvesbysavouringteaamongbamboosorinthemoonlight.Itiscommercializednow.Peopletalkbusinessinexpensivelydecoratedteahouses.Tea,notonlyserveseconomicalpurposes,butalsosocialpurposesaswell.Ordinarypeoplegototheinexpensiveteahouseswheretheycanplaygamesorsimplychatwithfriends.Althoughsuchteahousesmaynotlookelegant,theycertainlyhavearelaxedatmosphereandaregoodfun.C.古人用铁壶烧水，用纸袋装茶，用瓷杯或陶器饮茶。茶大概分为这样几种：红茶，绿茶，乌龙茶和普洱茶。人们认为绿茶有延年益寿和抗癌的作用，红茶有暖胃的作用，普洱茶可以减肥和降血压。茶搭配奶和糖的饮用方式，比如台湾芋头味珍珠奶茶，在中国城市的年轻人中很流行。Intheolddays,peopleusedironkettlestoboilwater,Teawasplacedinapaperbag.PorcelainteasetsorYixingteapotswereusedfordrinking.Teahasseveralcategories:redtea,greentea,WulongteaandPu’ertea.Peoplethinkgreenteaisgoodforlongevity,andcombatingcancer,redteaforkeepingthestomachwarmandthatPu’erteacanhelpthemloseweightandcontroltheirbloodpressure.Teawithmilkandsugar,likeTaiwanmilkteawithchewyballsoftaroflour,hasbeenpopularamongyoung,urbanChinese.3.PhilosophicalsignificanceofChinesemedicine中医的哲理内涵A.中医是不是科学有待论证，但中医有着深厚的哲学内涵却毋庸置疑。中医通常从宏观角度认识问题，强调整体性和辩证施治。中医通过望闻问切来诊病，西医注重症状，如体温和化验结果。中医通过看人的气色，舌质等外部症状来分析脏器病变，并选用天然药物或针灸等疗法，西医多用化学合成药物或手术。AlthoughitisdebatablewhetherChinesemedicineisscientificallysound,youcannotdenythatithasrichphilosophicalsignificance.UsuallyaChinesemedicinepractitionerapproachestheillnessfromabroaderperspective,emphasizingitsentiretyanddialecticalimplications.AChinesedoctorexamineshispatientbyusingmethodslikeobserving,smelling,askingandfeeling.Hiswesterncounterpartreliesonsymptomslikebodytemperatureandlabtests.TheChinesedoctordeterminestheproblemsofthepatient’sinternalorgansbyinferencethroughobservingvariousexteriorsigns,suchascomplexionorthetongue.Hereliesonherbalmedicinesandacupuncturefortreatment,whileawesterndoctoruseschemical-basedmedicineandsurgery.B.根据古代理论，身体是个有机的整体。如果一个部位出现问题，整个身体状况都会失去平衡，人就会生病。针对疾病的药物治疗，其目的就是使人体达到平衡。人们相信治疗疾病有三个步骤。第一是药膳，第二是引导，即身体的运动，第三才是药剂。这是在前两种办法都不奏效的情况下才会采用的最终方式。Accordingtoancienttheory,thebodyisanorganicwhole.Ifanypartofitdoesnotworkproperlywithintheoverallregime,thebodybecomesunbalancedandthepersonfallssick.Medicalremediesoppositeinnaturetotheillnessbeingtreatedshouldbeprescribedinordertoreturnthebodytoabalancedstate.TheChinesebelievedthattreatmentofanydiseaseconsistsofthreestages.Thefirstismedicalfood,thesecondphysicalexercises.Thethird,drugs,wereconside