中国和美国餐桌礼仪文化的对比分析

若云軒

论文英文题目: Comparative Analysis on the Culture of Table

Manners between China and America

论文中文题目:中国和美国餐桌礼仪文化的对比分析

本科毕业论文（设计）目录

Abstract-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 摘要------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

I . Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------------------------3

II. Characteristics of Chinese and American Table Manners ----------------------4

1. Characteristics of Chinese table manners

2. Characteristics of American table manners

III . Different Table Manners between China and America---------------------------6

1. Different arrangement of seat

2. Different table wares

3. Different atmosphere of the table

4. Different ways of drinking

IV . Analysis of the Cause on Table Manners between China and America------10

1. Geography Environment

2. Traditional culture

3. Customs

V . Conclusion---------------------------------------------------------------------------------12

Bibliography-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------13

Comparative Analysis on the Culture of Table Manners between

China and America

Abstract

As everyone knows, food is very important for people, food is the most basic conditions for survival. Healthy diet is very necessary for people in each country. However, due to the influence of different social and historical culture, food culture is very different between China and Western countries. In our modern society, the cross-culture communication between China and Western countries becomes a hot issue and the international communication become closely day by day, which causes many foreigners begin to learn Chinese culture, especially the food culture. Table manners belong to a kind of food culture, it plays an important role in cross-cultural communication and international communication.

In this paper, some similarities and differences between China and America on table manners are analyzed. It attaches more importance to the difference by comparing the seating arrangement, atmosphere of the table, different table wares during the meal and the ways of drinking. Also, the paper analyzed some reasons of different table manners of the two countries. People must have a good knowledge of table manners because learning some table manners can help people have a good communication and integration with other countries. Therefore, mastering good table manners can work easily and live properly during the communication.

Keywords: table manners different culture communication and integration

摘要

众所周知，民以食为天，食物是人们生存最基本的条件，健康饮食对任何一个国家来说都非常重要。然而，由于不同社会文化，历史文化等因素的影响，导致中西方产生不同的饮食文化。在当今社会，随着中西方跨文化交流的平凡以及国际化交流的日益密切，引起越来越多的外国人开始学习中国文化，尤其是饮食

文化。餐桌礼仪作为饮食文化的一部分，在跨文化交流和国际化交流中扮演重要角色。

本篇论文分析了中国和美国餐桌礼仪文化的相同点和不同点，并且着重分析了不同之处通过对比座次安排，餐桌的氛围，就餐使用的餐具和喝酒的方式等。本文也阐述了一些不同文化形成的原因。人们应该学习和运用正确的餐桌礼仪，不仅有利于国家间的交流融合，除此之外，掌握正确餐桌礼仪可以使工作和交流更方便。

【关键词】餐桌礼仪文化差异交流和融合

I. Introduction

With the rapid development of global economy, cross-cultural communication has become more and more frequent and the differences between China and American culture have become obvious, especially the differences of table manners. Having dinner is more than the basic necessity of life. Instead, having dinner is an important part in social. Table manner is a kind of food culture and it is the reflection of culture and customs of each country. For us, to learn different kind of culture can increase communication with each-other and have a very important practical significance. Due to the different history, customs, culture and country’s characteristics, there are numberless differences of food culture between China and America and those differences cause the differences of table manners of the two countries.

China is one of the four earliest civilizations in the world and it has a long history. Western countries went through the darkness of middle ages and then came to Renaissance, gave birth to modern civilization. Today, international communication activities have become more and more frequently and cross-culture communication has come into every nation’s daily life. Chinese people might have dinner with foreigners, while in daily life we might be invited to dinners by foreign friends, so we should know the manners.

This paper will mainly analyze the different table manners between China and America and it was divided into three main parts to analyze. At first, it introduced the characteristics of Chinese and American table manners. Secondly, some differences are analyzed by comparing the differences of seat, table wares, atmosphere and ways of drinking. Third, it also analyzed the causes of different table manners and the communication of the two countries. People should use the right attitude to face the different culture of table manners and understand the main contents to achieve cross-culture communication more successfully.

II. Characteristics of Chinese and American Table Manners Every country has its own characteristics in food culture. China has a long history of food culture and American also has its special culture of food. So it has a big difference between China and American on food culture. These two countries have their own characteristics on table manners.

1. Characteristics of Chinese table manner

In China, there are many characteristics when eating, first, people always keep their eyes on the meal when they eating, especially at the beginning of the meal and keep their bodies forward. Second, it is allowed to make some rhythmical noisy of chewing. Third, when Chinese people have dinner together, normally they would like to take the style of sharing, whether at home with family members or outside the home with friends. In addition, there are many other examples of such kind of collectivistic orientation. When dinning out, a host always shows a menu to guests, asking them to order the dishes they like before making the final decision. Good table manners require each participant take equally from the different dishes, so that all will have an equal chance at all the dishes (Levi, 2003).

Sometimes a certain dish is deliberately avoided simply because someone does not like it. When a dinner comes to an end, participants are likely to strive to pay the bill unless someone has claimed in advance. In short, from the moment the dinner starts to the time when it is over, the “truth of sharing” reflects almost everywhere.

In China, the host is very worm and modest to their guests. There are some characteristics in a whole meal. Before the beginning of the meal, the host would prepare a sumptuous feast. There are varieties of delicious food preparing on the table. The rich usually eat shellfish and crabs, while the common people eat chicken, duck, and fish and so on. The host will prepare food according to the guest. During the meal, first, the host often urges the guests to drink and eat more.

In the views of the host, the purpose is entertainment. When the host urged their guests to drink and eat more, they always said: “These dishes are not so good, enjoy yourself”or “There are few to eat, please eat more.”This means that people are very modest. Second, the hosts often use their own chopsticks to pick

up food in the same plate. What’s more, the host often picks up food for guests with his own chopsticks. This is truly a symbol of friendship and politeness. After the eating, the host will invite their guests to drink tea and talk about daily life. It has been a long custom in China.

2. Characteristics of American table manners

Most people who know the table manners better will quickly find the totally differences of manners and styles. In America, there are also some characteristics of table manners. First, interpersonal communication need eyes contact, that is, gaze at the people on the table when eating and occasionally look the food. Second, people should keep their bodies straight and use forks to eat in America table manners. Third, the belief of the western-style food, no one can spit anything in public. If you have to spit something, you can spit it to the towel quietly. They always keep their mouth closed and keep quiet in America.

Broadly speaking, American emphasize individualism, in individualistic culture, an “I”stands for prevails, and it is placed on an individual’s goals. In other words, the individual is treated as the most important element in any social setting. This value orientation stresses individual initiative and achievement, and individual decision-making is highly appreciated. From the cowboys in the west

to the heroes in the action film, one thing in common is that they are all portrayed

as an independent agent, who accomplishes the goal with little assistance. The reason is that they believe that “God helps those who help themselves.”

Greatly influenced by the individualistic orientation, American table manner

is characterized by the “separated” style, which is contrary to the “sharing” style

in western table manner (Ma, 2007). For example, instead of taking the dishes from the “public”plate, American people are more used to separating one dish

into several parts and then sending one part to each one’s bowl or plate before eating.

As for the order of dishes, unlike Chinese people usually do, Americans seem to have more freedom and rights. That is to say, whoever they are, a host or

a guest, what they should do is just order the dishes they like, with little consideration of others’ tastes or others’ like or dislike. American people like “go Dutch”, it is widely taken by people when they are eating, “go Dutch”means everyone pays his own share.

In the formal dinner, everything at the table should be symmetrically and evenly spaced. As for the table wares, they should be placed about two feet from plate center to plate center is ideal, particularly when chair backs are high. The napkins are placed in the center of the service plate with the monogram, if any, facing the diner. As for the fork and knife, the right hand should hold with a knife, fork in left-handed, at this time of the dorsal fork should be up. As for the person, men do not sit down until the hostess is sealed. When there is more than one table, the host should sit at one table and the hostess at another. There are fewer courses served, so fewer pieces are set out. In addition to meat, other dishes to eat as much as possible should not vertical the position appears to be beautiful.

III. Different Table Manners between China and America Table manners are very important in the communication between China and America. There are some similarities of table manners. Such as, eating loudly is not polite, the meal should open when everyone arrived. Of course, the differences are more than similarities. Next, some differences will be discussed as followed.

1. Different arrangement of seat

China is one of the largest countries in the world. China is very particularly about seating, also the seating arrangement at the table still different. People prefer to

the round table in the Chinese banquets. If there is just a round table in the family dinner, it has no table order. But if the banquets are held in a restaurant or a hall and s, then the table in the middle is senior, the right is next and the left is second. There are two or over two round tables, it must have the table setting order. In one aspect, the top table is the round table. In another aspect, if there are three rounds table. People should know that the right is honor and the left is low, whatever how many the tables are.

Setting arrangement should follow four rules. First of all, host should sit facing the main door, guest of honor sit on the right of the host. Second, every table should have a representative of host and the setting is on the same way of the host, third, the guest on its right is honor and the left is low. Fourth, the host can ask guest to sit where the host should have seated and the host sit on his right. All above is the arrangement of seat in China.

In America, there are four basic ways of setting arrangement. First, people usually use long table; second, in the banquet, host and hostess sit from each other, and the guests of honor sit beside them. The ordinary guests sit along with them. That is to say, more nearer to the host and hostess, more important he/she is; Third, in the informal party, it follows that women are first; Besides, men should remove the chairs and let women sit first; Finally, what should pay attention to is that seat arrangement should treat the hostess as benchmark, guest of honor sitting at the upper right of the hostess and the wife of him sitting at the upper right of the host.

2. Different table wares

As is known to all, the culture of each country is abundant. Table manners are very different in each country. There are so many differences on table manners between China and America. In this paper, the writer will list some other aspects

to show its differences between China and America.

In China, the meal should begin when the host and all his guests are seated. When people begin to eat food, all dishes should be eaten with chopsticks. But people use of chopsticks may be noticed, do not stick your chopsticks upright in

the rice bowl. On the contrary, lay them on your dish. This is because that when somebody dies, the shrine to them contains a bowl of rice with two stick of incense stick upright in it. So if stick your chopsticks in the rice bowl, it looks like this shrine and is equivalent to wishing death upon a person at the table.In table, people should do not make the teapot spout look to the people and the one who sit closet to the teapot or wine bottle should pour them for other from the senior and superior to the junior and inferior (Zhang, 2005).

In America, people use so much table wares in different occasion. The main table wares are knives, forks, spoons, glass and napkin. People should use the fork in the right hand and use the knife in the left hand. The knife is used to cut the food into small pieces and the fork is used to fork the food into the mouth. There are different spoons, the bigger for soup, and the smaller for dessert. Soup spoon is always putting on the outermost right side, together with the knife（King, 2009). There are three glasses, one for white wine, one for red wine and one for water. There are some napkins for everyone on the table, when people sit down on the table, could unfold the napkin and put it on the lap. During the dinner, you should put knife and fork on both sides of the plate. When the eating finished, someone should put the knives and forks tougher on the plate.

3. Different atmosphere of the table

Atmosphere of the table is a part of the table manners. It is also a big difference between China and America. As college students, the writer considers

it is important to learn about more and more knowledge about table manners. A Culture Approach to Discourse Macmillan and Mouton press (Shi, 2001).

The atmosphere of China dining table is lively, people like chatting over while eating, meanwhile people like to have a dinner among a lot of people such

as their family members or their colleagues and closely friends. Sometimes people are very noisy in the restaurant. When people eat dinner, they always talk about things and keep talking during the whole dinner. Everybody can enjoy the exciting atmosphere. The lively atmosphere can reflect happiness from their

hearts. Chinese people are very modest, even though delicious foods are enough, the host will also say: there is not enough delicious food, enjoy yourself. During the dinner, sometimes the host will use their chopsticks to put food in your bowl

or plate. This is a sign of politeness. If people do not feel well with this behavior, they can just be polite to say thank you and leave the food there (Duan, 2007). In China, the host will always ask you to eat the food all the way. All of these behaviors can reflect the modest of the host, the host always keep the atmosphere lively and enthusiasts.

Different from Chinese table manners, American table atmosphere is quiet. American people tend to respect the guests own ideas and prefer freedom. When they drink soups, everybody should not make any noise because it is impolite. If the soup is overheating, do not blow it with your mouse, it is impolite, too. If you want to talk with someone, the candidate is better to be someone around, because

if someone is in a distance, you may make noise when you are talking. If somebody is speaking, do not cut in. If you are chewing, do not speak. They prefer a quiet, enjoyable and peaceful environment.

4. Different ways of drinking

China is a hospitable nation; drinking culture has a long history in China. Many people like drink, such as LiBai who were famous for drinking and he was one of the most famous poets during the history. For one aspect, some people think that he is a drunkard completely, though he could write many beautiful poems after drinking. It is not a good habit to drink. But for another aspect some people think that drink is a good thing, most people choose to praise him instead of debasing him. People can draw the conclusion to drink is become a part of table manners in daily life. In China, people like to sit around a big table together and dine together, then they eat, talk, and drink, people can drink with many people at the same time. People can drink at most occasions; it seems that drinking wine is more popular than drinking tea. In China eating always occur to people when refer to drinking. People think a lot of “personal

loyalty”even they believe loyalty can be reflected through drinking.

This idea has been around for a long time. People thought that the character of one’s drinking can reflect one’s character. So in modern society, it can be clearly seen everywhere that Chinese people always drink while eating with others, even classmates’party or college classmates’party. During these parties, girls can only drink juice or a little beer, but boys must drink wine. And people like make friends with others through to drink in the table, especially for men. The men need a form to show that they were friends, so they thought of drinking. In their hearts, the more you drank, the better you were, and the more deserve to make friends with you.

In China, there is a famous proverb called “If you not drunk, you cannot go back”through this sentence people can imagine how much wine in table would drink while eating. As far as the writer concerned, this drinking way is meaningful.

In America, wine culture is also a richly historical culture. Wine culture refers to grape wine in America. It has a long history since wine appeared and much longer than the liquor history in China. In America, wine is a special kind of art and has its glamour. When people feel sad or have some troubles, they usually drink some wine to comfort themselves. So we can know that wine culture is not only a kind of material culture but also a kind of a spiritual culture. Wine culture is the reflection of culture in history and it is the witness of history. American people drinking habits and drinking etiquette are showing a personal feeling or their focus on self-performances. This is exactly opposite to Chinese people and our values.

IV. Analysis of the Causes on Table Manners between China and America

Table manners have a long history in each country. It is the symbol of its history. Based on the differences of table manners discussed above, the reasons of differences on table manners will be illustrated in the following part.

1. Geography Environment

We all know that different areas have different cultures and customs. Because of different natural conditions and geographical environment, there are many differences on table manners between Chinese and American. China is rich in natural resources, custom, economic, and cultural development, people’s lifestyle, and general local conditions. There is a large number of bamboo in south China and a lot of wood in north China, this is why Chinese people use chopsticks. Our ancestors make use of local materials to make chopsticks. As to America, knife and fork originated in Nomadic Europe, who always study habits and the origin of the knife along their life on horseback. They cut it off, as long as it cooked meat. Since then, American people use forks and knives for their own utensils. Knives and forks can reflect the independent of Americans.

2. Traditional culture

The historical development of different peoples and countries may lead to a different history and tradition. Chinese Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism can reflect Chinese traditional culture. Taoism advocated “pure”. Buddhist advocated “compassion all living beings”, “harmony”and “continued”. In America, people believe that God created human beings; they are not allowed to interfere with each other. This individual culture led to American table manners without sharing a plate of food.

3. Customs

Culture is closely connected with people’s life, the custom of China and America are very different so that the table manners are different, too. Custom is the culture of formation in daily life and interpersonal activities. Customs exist in many aspects, such as greeting, thanks, flattery, apology or phone call. When the Chinese invited guests for dinner, they prepared so many dishes already on the table, but the host repeatedly said “there is nothing for you”. Westerners often suspect this phenomenon. It is unrealistic behavior that the host said there is nothing when there are so many

dishes on the table. Westerners pursue freedom life and they live a rapid lifestyle, also, they have a strong sense of time, so fast food is very popular in America.

V. Conclusion

As a communicative strategy, table manners become more and more important. With the development of society and globalization, people should realize the ultimate goal of learning table manners from persuasion to action. Therefore, being aware of the importance of table manners is not only for the people who always attend the formal parties or have frequent contact with the foreigners, but also for the entire nation so as to improve the cultural awareness, condense the information, and create communicative effects of table manners.

Table manners are a concrete manifestation of culture. Learning culture can help us understand table manners clearly. Mastering good table manners can make you look polite when eating with foreigners. You do not need to worry too much while having dinner with your friends and family. The comparison of table manners embraces many aspects, such as seat arrangement, tableware, order of dish, ways of drinking. Knowing this will help us to master the communicative function, and improve the ability of communication. And by analyzing the reason of the differences between Chinese and American table manners, we can learn more culture, custom, behavior and ways of thinking of American, we can also make Chinese culture spreading and developing in the worldwide.

People should respect others on table and in social life. And people cannot use their cultures to judge other cultures. When people go abroad, they should follow the foreign customers. Respect is the most precious treasure. In summary, the table manners of China and America not only have many differences but also have many influences for each other. In face of these differences, people should remember that every culture is equal and there is no one prior to the other. If people can understand the manners better, they will have a good communication with each other.

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