通过电影《刮痧》来谈谈中美文化地差异性中英对照.docx

通过电影《刮痧》来谈谈中美文化地差异性中英对照.docx

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通过电影《刮痧》来谈谈中美文化地差异性中英对照

1Introduction

Thefilm“ScrapingTherapy”reflectsthedifferenceofvalueandcultureviewsbetweenwesternsocietyandorientsociety.ChinasocietyhasbeenreceivingimpactofConfucianismforthousandsyears.Confucianismisknownaspayingregardtohumanrelationshipandethic.Piety,courtesyandlocalismaremostimportantethic.ButinWesternculturewhichismoreemphasisonindividualism,independenceandequality.Soconflictsincultureandvalueareunavoidable.Theseconflictshaveshowninthestory.

InChineseculture,physicalpunishmentiscommonlyusedbyChinesefamily.Theythinkthiswillhelptogrowingup.Butinwesternsocietyitisabsolutelyforbidden.Anyabusingchildrenwereviewedasillegalconduct.Astoshowrespecttofriends,DaTongXupunishedhisownsonphysicallyinfrontoffriends.Butthiswasmisinterpretedasviolencebyhisforeignfriends.ThisisamisunderstandinginculturebetweenEastandWest.

Inthisfilm,grandpawhohadlivinginChinaformanyyearstreatedhisgrandsonwithawidespreadtreatmentinChinesefolknamed“ScrapingTherapy”.ThisisaveryancientChinesemedicinetherapy,andishandeddownfromonegenerationtoanotherwhichhasthousandsofyearsofhistoryinChina.IntheUnitedStates,thisisanunfoundedtreatment.Whenthechildgetssick,hospitalistheonlycorrectchoice.ScrapingTherapyinthestoryledtogreatconflictandmisunderstanding.Therearemanyothercultureandvalueconflictsperformedinthefilm,suchasconflictbetweenChinesetraditionalcultureandWesternindustrialcivilization,conflictoftheeducationoftheirchildren’sdailyhabitsandsoforth.

Howtoavoidthetragedyofthestory?

WemuststrengthentheEast-Westculturalexchangeandlearning,andonlywithrespecttodifferentculturesandinclusivewillitbepossibletoavoidthecultureandvaluesofconflict.

2ComparisonofChineseandAmericanvaluesbasedonthemovie

ChineseandAmericanspossessdifferentvaluesaboutsuccess.Atthebeginningofthemovie,XUDa-tongisrewardedasthebestdesignerofvideogamesbythecompany.Whenheisrequestedtomakeashortspeech,hementionsthathewouldespeciallyextendthankstohisbossandallofhiscolleagues.ThisisatypicalChinesespeechmadeafterbeingsuccessful.Theyattributetheirsuccesstoother’shelpandcooperation.ItiswhatChinesepeopleusuallydoonthatoccasion.InChina,relationshipplaysacriticalroleinpeople’slives.ManyChinesepeoplegetaheadwiththehelpoftheirfamilybackgroundandfriends.Therefore,theyareusedtoextendingtheirgratitudetootherpeopleeventhoughtheirsuccesshaslittletodowithsomeofthem.Theyseldomsaythattheysucceedbecauseoftheirownabilityandhardwork.Nevertheless,Americansholddifferentvaluesinthisaspect.Americansaremorelikelytoexpressprideinthemselvesandtheiraccomplishmentratherthantoexpressprideintheirgroup,company,familyorhometown.

3FamilyEducationConflict

3.1.ChineseFamilyEducationView

InChina,whenchildrendosomethingwrong,parentswillscoldandbeatchildrenasapunishment.Chinesefamilyeducationisfamousforstrictness.ThereareChineseoldsayingscanshowthestrictness,suchas “tofeedwithoutteachingisthefather’sfault”, “sparetherod,spoiltheson”,justasthewordsDatong’sfathersaid:

 “打是亲,骂是爱（toscoldandtobeatanaughtyboyisduetolove）”. Itisalsocommonforparents,especiallyparentsintheruralareas,toleavetheirchildrenaloneathome,Chineseparentsarealwaysbusywiththeirjobsorfarming,andthereisnotenoughtimeforthemtotakecareoftheirchildren,sotheyhavetoleavetheirchildrenathome.Itisnotsurprisingatallintheruralareastofindchildrenlyingonthefloorwithflyflyingaroundthem.Nowadays,withthepopularizationofthetelevision,itissaferandmoreconvenientforparentstoleavechildrenathome.

3.2AmericanFamilyEducationView

InAmerica,parentsneverhittheirchildrenfortheirmistakes .Theydonotthinkitwilldoanyhelptoscoldandbeatthem.Itwillbemoreusefultoencouragethemtostandupagainthantoscoldandbeatthem,whichwillonlydiscouragetheirconfidence.Andmostimportantly,itisillegaltobeatchildren. InAmerica,itisalsoillegaltoleavetheirchildrenaloneathome.

3.3TheReasonforTheirDifferentViews

ThereasonforthedifferencesbetweenChineseparentsandAmericanparentsisthattheyeachhavedifferentroleorientation.Chineseparentsconsidertheirchildrenastheirownproperty.Theythinkthechildrenareaffiliatedtothem.Thechildrencanonlygrowupundertheircontrol.MostoftheChineseparentsplaytheroleofarrangingchildren’sfate.Thiskindofrelationshipisobviouslyunfair.However,Americanparentsregardtheirchildrenasfreeandindependentindividualssincetheirchildrenareborn.Theyputtheirchildreninanequalposition.Theypaymuchattentiontotheequalcommunicationandrespectchildren’sideasandneeds.Intheprocessoftheirchildren’sgrowth,theygivethemguidanceandhelp.1Hence,Chineseparentshaverightstoscoldandbeatthechildrenwhentheydosomethingwrongandtoleavethemaloneathome,whileitisillegaltodosuchthingsinAmerica. 

3.4FamilyEducationConflictReflectedinGuaSha

InGuaSha,Datong’ssonDenishithisfriendKunlan’ssonPaul,DatongasksDenistoapologizetoPaul,butDenisrefusestosaysorrytoPaul,thenDatonghitDenisonthefaceinfrontofthepublic.InChineseeye,itisperfectlyjustifiedtodosobecausetheythinktheydothisforchildren’sgood,andtohitchildrenistolovethemandtomakethembecomeausefulperson.Chineseparentsisalwayseducatingtheirownchildrenfirstwhentheydealwiththequarrelorfightamongchildren,whileAmericanparentspayattentiontothetruth.That’swhyDatongfirstaskedDenistoapologizetoPaulwithoutfindingwhoiswrongorright.However,inAmerica,parentsarejustthechildren’skeepers.Theycan’tgotoofarscoldingtheirchildren,letalonebeatthem.That’swhyDatong’sfriendKunlanisstartledwhenheseesDatonghitDenisontheface.

ThereisanothertypicalplotcanembodythedifferentfamilyeducationviewsofChineseandAmerican.WhenDatong’sfatherstaysatthestation,andJaneisatwork,DatonghastoleaveDenisaloneathomeinordertopickhisfatherhome.WhenDatongisonhiswaytothepolicestation,hecallsJane.Hereistheconversation:

Jane:

Datong,whereareyou?

Icalledtwice,andnoanswer.

Datong:

Iwasatthepolicestation.

Jane:

What?

Whathappened?

Datong:

Dadhasa…

Jane:

Isheok?

Datong:

Yes,he’smetupwithanemergency.

Jane:

whereisDenis?

Ishewithyou?

Datong:

He’shome,Imeanhe’ssleep.

Jane:

YoumeanyouleftDenisathomeallbyhimself?

Datong:

Oh,Jesus!

Youcalledhome.

Datong’sfather:

Datong,youaredrivingtoofast.Isn’titbreakingthelaw?

Datong:

Dad,IleftDenisaloneathome.I’vealreadybrokenthelaw.

Fromtheconversation,itisknownthatitisillegaltoleavechildrenathome.

3.4.1DifferentViewsofInterpersonalRelationship

Dealingwiththeinterpersonalrelationship,Americanculturepaysattentiontoindividualism,whileChineseculturepaysattentiontocollectivism.ThefollowingstatementsbyTing-Toomeyareveryclear:

Individualismemphasizestheimportanceofindividualidentityovergroupidentity,individualrightsovergrouprightsandindividualneedsovergroupneeds,whichgivesprioritytoindividual,advocatesindividualbenefitsandindividualfreedom.Americansthinkthateveryonehasthefreedomtodoeverythinghewantsaslongaswhathedoeswillnotinterruptothers’benefit,andhewillberesponsibleforwhathedoes.Inthecontrast,collectivismattachesimportanceto “we”identityoverthe “I”identity,grouprightsoverindividualrightsandin-group-orientedneedsoverindividualwantanddesires.Collectivismpromotesrelationalinterdependence,in-groupharmony,andin-groupcollaborativespirit.

Notharmingcollectivebenefitisthepreconditionofwhatonedoesandwhatonesays.WhenChinesedealwiththerelationshipofindividualbenefitandcollectivebenefit,theythinkmoreofcollectivebenefit.Sometimes,theywilltrytheirbesttorealizecollectivebenefitattheexpenseofindividualbenefit.Chinesearealwaysrequiredtofollowrulesdocilelyandrepressthemselves.Thiskindofself-repressionmakesAmericanscholarsthinkthatChinesecultureasI-lessculture.Chinesecultureemphasizesthefulldevotiontothecollectivityandignoresindividuality,whileAmericanculturegivesalimiteddevotiontothecollectivity.

InGuaSha,whenJanegavebirthtoDenisatthehospital,Datongdidnotaccompanyheratthehospitalbecausehehadameetingatthecompany.ThiskindofchoiceisunderstandableinChina,wherecollectivityoutweighsindividuality,butisunacceptableandunforgivableinAmericansociety.Andthisisnotonlytheconflictbetweencollectivismandindividualism,butalsotheconflictininterpersonalrelationshipview.

3.4.2FamilyConflictReflectedinGuaSha

FamilyisthemostbasicelementandcarrierintheChineseculture.Chinesefamilystressestheloveoffamilyandtheloveofconsanguinity.Theythinkthatdogdoesn’teatdog（虎毒不食子）,sowhentheChildrenWelfareBureauaccusesDatongofchildabuse,hethinksitincredibleandridiculous.HesaystohiswifeJane, “Afatherloveshisson.That’sthewaywhereitworks.WhydoIhavetoprovemylove,makeupspeeches?

Whatthehellarewedoing,Jane?

It’sturningupsidedown.Everythingisturningupsidedown!

”However,itisacceptableinAmerica,whichisapla