中西时间观念的对比分析

Quotations from Poets
“Tim时e 间is 是the一d切evo事ur物er的of 吞ev食er者yth。ing—.” 奥—维O特vid
Roman Poet 43 B. C.
时间是窃走青春的神秘
“盗T贼ime。is the subtle thief of
youth.” — 弥-尔- M顿ilton
Guy Pentreath (1902 - 1985)
May Christ have saved my soul, by then,
Amen.
Time is like a circle
日月光华，旦复旦兮。 (《尚书大传》上卷）
The sun alternates with the moon;
Days come one after another soon.
慢慢商量
慢走
慢用
慢慢来
慢慢做 慢慢看
慢慢欣赏
American future orientation
• the westerners (especially the Americans) were influenced by the Christian “original sin”, tending to believe “men at their birth, are naturally evil. So most of them choose the futuristic time orientation.
春与秋其代序。 （屈原：《离骚》） Spring alternates
with autumn.
失之东隅，收之桑榆。 What is lost at sunrise can be regained at sunset. — 冯异
Idiom: 时来运转 The favor of the time cycle brings good luck.
枯木逢春犹再发 A withered tree comes to life again After extreme bad luck, comes good luck
Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to conserve and manage it. People do all they can to squeeze more life out of their time.
Chinese past orientation
• China as the representative of Asians choose to look back in the time orientation
• Cultural factors: Asians (especially the Chinese) was influenced by traditional Confucian culture, so tending to believe “Men at their birth are naturally good”. And social guidance incline to tradition.
• Expressions : • A. considering whether this matter has been done over the past and
what the successful experience and lessons from failures is. • B. worshipping of ancestors, respecting the elderly and teachers,
attaching importance to experience, age, which has relation with the past.
The word “Lao” in China used to show respect to those who are more experienced and usually older, like “Lao Li”, “Lao Wang”. In this way we show respect and amity to the old people, which indicates a past time orientation.
Time is compared to water
Time is a river, a torrent, a waterfall. Time is marching, flying and flowing.
Time and tide wait for no man
Time lost is never found again
Time crept;
When I was a boy and laughed and talked,
Time walked.
Then when the years saw me a man,
Time ran.
But as I older grew,
Time flew.
Soon, as I journey on, I'll find time gone.
Cause and Effect
• Linear time concept • Time is marching forward • Lost time is never found again • Time is a limited resource
• Time is money, value it • Punctuality • Respect • Lifestyle
To outsiders, Americans seem tied to the clock. People in other cultures value relationships more than schedules. In these societies, people don't try to control time, but to experience it. Chinese, for example, view time as a cycle. They find it easier to "go with the flow" than Americans, who like plans to be fixed and unchangeable.
everybody, insignificance in history. If they work hard, it will be successful; Change means progress, and new things are always better than the old things.
pocket planners
time tables
on time
agendas
appointments
in time
deadlines time managements
plans
schedules
calendars
accountings
Americans seem tied to the clock.
“T时im间e步is伐m如os此t 迅bri疾sk，a令nd人 g眼id花dy缭-p乱ac。ed--.—”Sh莎ak士es比pe亚are
English Playwright (1564 – 1616)
English Poet (1608 – 1674)
Time’s Paces
When I was a babe and wept and slept,
Chinese sense of time abundance
The Chinese nation’s concept of time is rooted in the culture of farming time; time has a close relation with the nature. Time is really fleeting, but it also circle like the constantly changing of four seasons, and the sun and the moon cycle alternately, it will come back soon; so people usually think that the lost time could be back. This kind of view of time shaped people a sense that time is rich, and also nurtured a habit of leisure and slow living habit.
• Such as: • A.“跟上时代”(keeping up with the time) • B.“关注未来”(keeping an eye on the future) as the action
guidance. • C. It was widely believed that equality in opportunities for
Chinese belong to the “past time orientation”, and the Chinese nation have a long history for five thousand years, so people in China attach great importance to history and tradition. Although contemporary Chinese people also pay attention to look forward, “past” also take an important role in people’s deep heart.
Reflections of Time Concept
Linear extension and circular rotation 线伸环旋
Western: extension, sense of time shortage, future valued Chinese: rotation, sense of time abundance, past cherished
The Blockbuster
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• American lifestyles show how much people respect the time of others. When people plan an event, they often set the time days or weeks in advance. Once the time is fixed, it takes almost an emergency to change it. If people want to come to your house for a friendly visit, they will usually call first to make sure it is convenient.
Cases
Time for Chinese is more flexible and more human-centered. A. They usually schedule several activities at the same time B. They usually put interpersonal relations above the schedule C. The big shot usually is late
Do you love life? Then do not waste time, for that is the stuff life is made of.
American sense of time shortage
Subjective time and objective time
Americans see time as a valuable resource. Maybe that's why they are fond of the expression, "Time is money."