德国法国文化比较(英文)

5、Comparison of culture between Germany and FranceWhen it comes to the culture model on the European continent, especially German and French culture model are the most representative.These two cultural patterns show: German culture presents geographic diversity;while French culture has the uniformity, outshine others in Paris,which is the cultural center of France.There is a joke says:A German rooster meet with a French rooster on the hillside. The moment they begin to fight up,they find there are a group of hens below the hillside .So they stop to discuss about it, the French rooster suggest : "Now we run down from the hill and each one get a beautiful hen, ok?" Unexpectedly, Germany cock rejects without hesitation : "No, first we need to make a plan, surround them and caught all of them! "French and German culture have a different nature: one kind is easy to impulse, the pursuit of enjoy and individualism is the highest of the Latin culture. Another is the pursuit of rational, pragmatic modesty of Germanic culture. Germans put reason above all, there is no law or contract confirmed is certainly not feasible; While the French on the contrary, they pay attention to feeling. As long as not prohibited by laws or not expressly stipulated in the contract is concluded for feasible.5.1LanguageThe official languages in France and Germany are definitely French and German. Apart from this, some people also speak French in Germany due to the relationship between the two countries of their geographical locations. German and French are the main languages in the world. French itself is the language of the United Nations, while German, though it is not, its status is still important and it is widely accepted in many European countries.The biggest difference between French and German is that people often regard French as an elegant and exquisite language. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, even in the early twentieth century, European diplomats speak French at large. The biggest advantage of French is exactitude. For centuries, French has remained one of the major languages in diplomatic field of the world, because French can accurately convey the subtle implications which the diplomats want to express. It is difficult to find careless mistakes in French written agreements, contracts, conventions, etc.The biggest feature of German is the reflection of the complexity and diversity of human thoughts. The reasons that there are so many philosophers and scientists in Germany has close relationship with the language which can be used to ponder complex theories or things and explore the ultimate mysteries of the universe. French and German have something in common. They do not have phonetic symbols like English, the pronunciations and lettercombinations are regular from which you can just master the pronunciation rules, and one of the features of pronunciation in both languages is uvular. 5.2 ReligionIn recent decades,the religious situation in France to a considerable extent,become more diversified, religious activities with rigidly fixed to the form of worship is reduced,and become more secular,more personalized.French main religion is Roman Catholicism,followed by Protestant,Orthodox Christianity,Islam and Judaism. The Catholic Church is still the most French belief,65% of French people claim they are Catholic.While in Germany, the main religions are Catholicism and Protestantism.Germany has 31.75% inhabitant believe in Christianity，32.06% of the people believe in the Catholic.5.3Customs cultureGeographically,Germany and France are neighboring countries, but in the humanities customs, including diet, meeting etiquette, festival custom has its own characteristics.5.3.1FoodFrench cuisine is extremely diverse, with only the Chinese having similar variety in their food. This variety is supported by the French passion for good food in all its forms, France's extraordinary range of different geographies and climates which support the local production of all types of ingredients, and France's long and varied history. In many ways, an understanding of the culture of French food is an understanding of France itself. Meals range from the very basic, such as the traditional baguette plus cheese plus inexpensive wine, to very elaborate affairs that can involve a dozen courses and different wines consumed over several hours.It is common in much of France to take a two hour break for lunch, with many working parents (particularly in villages and smaller towns) returning home for lunch. In some areas, mainly in the south of France, even longer lunch breaks are taken. Due to the long lunch break, businesses which close for this period typically reopen around 2PM or so and then stay open until about7PM.In all parts of France one will find a range of dishes, both in restaurants and in homes, which extends far beyond the regional specialities. However, in much of France the regional influences in terms of ingredients and cooking aremarked. The most available food and the best cooking tend to be those produced from local ingredients and using local recipes.The French Mediterranean uses olive oil, herbs and tomatoes in many of its dishes. The cuisine of northwest France uses butter, soured cream (crème fraiche) and apples. The cuisine of northeast France (Alsace, and to a lesser extent Lorraine) has a strong German influence which includes beer and sauerkraut. Throughout the south in general there tends to be more use of vegetables and fruit (in part due to the favourable climate). Near the Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean there is a greater consumption of sea food, while inland areas favoured by rivers (e.g. the Loire valley) use more fresh water fish.Germany is famous for the world …s widest variety of sausages. And German beer or white wine are essential for each meal.Features of German cuisine is sweets, sour food and dairy products are more diverse and varieties of lettuce, sour cabbage braised pork knuckle, Stout Braised Beef is the German representative dishes. Germans do not pay attention to diet,they prefer fruits, cheese, sausage, sour cabbage, potato salad, etc.. They do not seek flashy, just affordable nutrition..The fast food buffet firstly invented by German.Germans are fond of drink beer, Oktoberfest annually consume about one million liters of beer.AD 1516 the Duchy of Bavaria, Grand Duke William IV issued a "pure German beer order", the provisions of German beer can only barley malt, hops and water three kinds of raw material production, so the last five hundred years to become the so-called German beer that is pure beer synonymous. Today, Germany is the world's second largest beer producer, within a total of thirteen hundred breweries, beer production up to more than five thousand kinds of species, according to official statistics, an average of every German drank 138 liters of beer per year, the World could not find a more loving than the German nation of beer! Especially in the annual Oktoberfest (Oktoberfest) period could be as high as six million liters consumed beer. For many years the formation of the German culture of beer is unique in the world.German think bread is natural food that is nutritious and conducive to a health. Bread must match with sausage .In the production of bread Germany can also be regarded as the quality and quantity of world champion. German bread is made of flour , rye, oats, flour and grains blended together to do the mixed bread. German daily baked bread have more than 1500 kinds of varieties. Bread is a German meals indispensable food. According to statistics, the average annual per capita have bread of 81.5 kg, ranking first in the EU member states.5.3.2FestivalsFrance is one of the most festivals of the world, including weekends, paid vacation, holidays plus other holidays.Around the year, French people about150 days a year don‟t need to work. French holidays include National Day, St. wax Festival, Imperial Festival 11 Festival, January 6, Catholic "Three Kings to the DPRK." In "Three Kings to the DPRK."day Frenchman eat three kings to the DPRK cake, and has a small beans on bread, symbolizing people have good luck; National Day on July 14, and during the day there are parade,and fireworks at night. Some villages will be organized torchlight procession, dancing and so on.Holy week is public holiday.Palm Sunday (the celebration of Jesus' solemn entrance into Jerusalem), Holy Thursday (the celebration of Jesus' Last Supper commemorating the institution of the Holy Eucharist and Sacrament of the Priesthood) and Good Friday (the celebration of the Passion of Christ and his death on the cross) ends with the Easter Vigil (or Paschal Vigil), between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day (Christ's victory over death). Easter Sunday is the day of Christ's Resurrection. The date changes from year to year, but always occurs between 22 March and 25 April.Commemorating the storming of the Bastille on 14th July 1789, Bastille Day takes place on the same date each year. The main event is a grand military parade along the Champs-Élysées, attended by the President of the Republic and other political leaders. It is accompanied by fireworks and publics dances in towns throughout the whole of France.As its name indicates, All Saints' Day, the first day of November, is the festival of “all the saints” honored by the Catholic Church. It is not the commemoration of the dead - that is 2 November. However, because All Saints' Day is a public holiday, families are able to go to the cemeteries and lay chrysanthemums on the graves of their nearest and dearest.German folk and religious festivals are about more than a thousand, to celebrate the range from small villages to the country, ranging from twelve days to more than two weeks. On the average three festivals one day. For decades, people are constantly on the run in order to make money, but forgotten a lot of folk festivals. 80 years later, people gradually tired of rampant materialism, the memory of humanity innocence, recover a lot of the local culture and customs of the festival. Comparison of the major festival of the German New Year, Trinity Festival, Carnival, Christmas, etc.To celebrate the New Year ,German present in the moments before the New Year's Eve midnight and climb on a chair, when the bell ring, they jump off a chair and throw some weight back to show their rejection to the scourge,jumping into the New Year.On October 3, 1990 the former Federal Republic of Germany (former West Germany) and the former German Democratic Republic (former East Germany) officially announced the unification of them. And German reunification, the symbol of the Brandenburg gate in Berlin: downtown lindens street and June 17th street, is the famous tourist attractions in Berlin, Germanyand the symbol of unity.5.3.3Meeting etiquetteIn interpersonal relationships, the French people take the meet etiquette, for example mainly handshake, hug ceremony and a gift. A kiss on the cheek not only the most frequently and widely used, but in its most specific practices also have certain characteristics. A kiss is intended to represent a cordial and friendly, they tend to be the same association objects to each other in the other one‟s cheeks alternately kissed three or four times, but we must also pay attention to beep when kissing. In fact, they do not necessarily kiss each other, just a show.Strict German also pay more attention to etiquette form. At social occasions to meet with the guests, usually shake hands. When friends 、acquaintances and relatives meet with each other,generally present hugging ceremony.Familiar friends when they meet each other often have kiss in the cheek . In the daily life, kiss on the hand has rarely happened.ReferencesChenQiang:《The decline of soft power in French culture and the reflections of French president's , scholars》,from《Economic and Social Development》，12th,2008 DengXianchao:《The cultural soft power of upgrading and revelation in Developed Countries》,from《Theoretical Exploration》，4th,2009DuMei:《The cultural history of Germany》[M].Beijing:Peking University Publication,2000。