中西方龙文化差异对比研究.docx

中西方龙文化差异对比研究.docx

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中西方龙文化差异对比研究

中西方龙文化差异对比研究

AContrastiveStudyontheDifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternDragonCulture

摘要

上下数千年，龙已渗透了中国社会的各个方面，成为一种文化的凝聚和积淀。

现如今，龙文化已是中华民族文化的象征，中国人也因身为“龙的传人”而骄傲。

龙文化在中国传统文化中占有重要的地位，每一个致力于学习和传播中国文化的人都要对中国龙文化有一定的了解。

然而，在西方的文化中，龙却是邪恶的代表，是撒旦的化身。

尤其在二十世纪九十年代，西方人对于龙形象的误解。

但是由于中国的国际地位的提升，中西方文化的交流变得更多，使得西方人对于中国龙的形象有了更加深入的认识。

随着时间的变化，通过对于文学甚至电影中龙形象的了解，对于西方龙的认识也发生了改变。

因此本文从东西方龙的起源、形象及其象征意义入手，对东西方龙文化进行对比。

加强东西方文化的深入了解和探讨。

关键词：

龙;起源;形象;象征意义

Abstract

Upanddownforthousandsofyears,theChinesedragonwhichpenetratedallaspectsofsocietyhasbecomeacultureofaccumulationandcohesion.Andnowadays,dragoncultureisasymbolofChineseculture,what`smore,Chinesearoundtheworld,proudlyproclaimthemselves“theoffspringofthedragon”.Onthecontrary,dragoninwesterncultureistherepresentativeofevilandtheincarnationofSatan.What`sworse,westernerthinksthatdefeatingthedragonistheirmission.However,duetothepromotionofChina’sinternationalstatus,therearemoreandmorecommunicationbetweenChineseandwesternculture.TheseinteractionsgivewesternpeopleopportunitiestodeeplyunderstandingimagesofChinesedragon.Withthetimegoesby,Chinesepeoplealsohavenewrecognitionofwesterndragonthroughliteratureandmovies.Becauseofthesedifferences,thisthesistriestomakeacontrastivestudyonthedifferencesbetweenChineseandwesterndragonculturefromtheirorigins,imagesandsymbolicmeanings.Italsointroducesthedifferentrecognitionofdifferentdragoncultures.

Keywords:

Dragon;Origin;Image;SymbolicMeaning

Outline

I.Introduction

II.OriginsofDragon

A.TheDefinition

B.TheImage

C.DifferentSymbolicMeaningsofDragon

III.Differentsymbolizemeaningsofdragon

A.DragoninProverbsandidioms

1.Chinesedragon

2.Westerndragon

B.DragoninMythsandLegends

1. Chinese dragon

2. Western dragon 

C.DragoninMovies

1. Dragon in Chinese Movies

2. Dragon in western Movies

D.Thereasonsfordifferentdragoncultures

Ⅳ.Differentrecognitionofdragonculture

A.ThewesternrecognitionofChinesedragon

B.TherecognitionofwesterndragoninChina

Ⅴ.Conclusion

AContrastiveStudyontheDifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternDragonCulture

I.Introduction

Forthousandsofyears,thedragonhasinfiltratedallaspectsofChinesesocietyandbecomeakindofcultureandheritage.DragoncultureasanimportantpartofChinesetraditionalculturehasdeeplyrootsinChineseculture.IntheentirehistoryofChinesecivilization,Dragonculturehasbeenanintegralpartofitscontinuousdevelopmentandimprovement.Dragon,involvedintheprocessofaccumulationofwesterncivilization,however,formedadistinctivedragonculture.

Becauseofculturaldifferences,westernpeoplearedifferentfromChinesepeopleinunderstandingandusingdragonimages.Therefore,thisthesistriestocompareandcontrastthedifferencesbetweenwesternandChinesedragonculturewithanaimtoallowpeopletotrulyunderstandthemeaningofdragoncultureincross-culturecommunication.

What’smore,thedragonculturestillinfluencesmanyaspectsofwesternandChinesesociety,suchasliterature,filmandtelevisionworks,clothing.Therefore,understandingthedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesterndragonculturecontributestounderstandingthedifferentculturalbackgroundsandknowingmoreimpliedmeaningofthedragon.Inaddition,it’sbettertoexchangeandcommunicateincross-culturecommunication.

II.OriginsofDragon

Asthemostcommonanimalinthelegends,dragondoesnotactuallyexist,evennoneeverdidexist;itisanimaginaryanimal.However,fewpeopleknowtheoriginsofbothChineseandwesterndragonaccurately.Thisparttriestointroducethedifferentoriginsofdragonthroughtheirdifferentdefinitionsandimages.

A.TheDefinition

Adragonisalegendarycreature,typicallywithserpentineorreptiliantraits,thatfeaturesinthemythsofmanycultures.Therearetwodistinctculturaltraditionsofdragons:

theEuropeandragonsandChinesedragon.

TheworddragonenteredtheEnglishlanguageintheearly13thcenturyfromOldFrenchdragon,whichinturncomesfromLatindraconem（nominativedraco）meaning“hugeserpent,dragon”fromtheGreekword,drakon（genitivedrakontos）“serpent,giantseafish”.Westerndragonalsomeansafiercelyvigilantorintractablepersonorsomethingdangerous.

InChineseculture,thedragonisthecombinationofmanyanimals,asymbolofthetotemworshipintheprimitivesociety.Inancienttimes,peoplecouldnothaveareasonableexplanationofmostnaturalphenomenasotheyusenaturalanimalsastotems.AndChinesedragonstraditionallysymbolizepotentandauspiciouspowers,particularlycontrolwater,rainfall,hurricane,andfloods.Thedragonisalsoasymbolofpower,strength,andgoodluckforpeoplewhoareworthyofit.Withthis,theEmperorofChinausuallyusedthedragonasasymbolofhisimperialpowerandstrength.

B.TheImage

ForChinesedragonsorwesterndragons,theyhavevariedappearances.Thepaperwillshowtheirmostrepresentativeimages.Asforwesterndragon,amythicalmonstertraditionallyrepresentedasagiganticreptilehavingalionclawsandthetailofaserpent,wings,andascalyskin.TheearliestrecordofwesterndragonisWilliamTyndale’sTheNewTestament.Itisagreatreddragonwiththeimageasthatithassevenheadsandtenhornsandonitsheadssevendiadems;anditstaildrewthethirdpartofthestarsofheaven;andcastthemtotheearth.Ithasastrongpowerthatcanbreatheoutfire.However,dragonintheChinesehistoryisatotemimage.InBeijing,BeihaiPark,thereisawallcalled“Nine-dragonWall”.Thedragonhas27meterslong,5metershigh,1.2metersthick.TheChinesedragon’simagecombinecamel’sorhorse’shead,deer’shorns,rabbit’seyes,bull’sears,snake’sneck,clam’sbelly,fish’sscales,hawk’sclawsandtiger’spalmstogether.Inaddition,itsmouthlookslikeanalligator’smouth,horse’smanesandfish’stail.Allinall,itsimagemostlikeasnakebuthasfourclaws.Dragon,anomnipotentanimal,bothintheairandundergroundcanmakecloudsandbringthemrain.ThegreatestdifferencebetweenChineseandwesterndragonimageisthatonehaswings,buttheotherdoesnot.

III.DifferencesbetweenChineseandWesterndragonculture

Thousandsyearsago,westernandChineseancestorsrespectivelygavethedragondifferentsymbolicmeanings.Thedifferentsymbolicmeaningscausedalotofmisunderstandings.Chineseintroducedthemselves“thedescendantsofthedragon”,however,thewesterndragonhasdifferentunderstandingofChinesedragonandtheirowndragonimages.Therefore,thispartwilldescribethedifferencesbetweenChineseandwesterndragonculturefromproverbs,idioms,mythsandlegendsandmovies.Also,Iwillanalysisthecausesofdifferentdragoncultures.

A.DragoninProverbsandIdioms

1.Chinese dragon

TherearevariedproverbsandidiomsaboutChinesedragonandwesterndragon.InChina,mostofdragon`smeaningsarepositiveandinspiring.Ifacouplegetmarried,Chinesewillsay“lóngfèngchéngxiáng（龙凤呈祥）”toblessthem.Lóngfèngchéngxiángisaphrasewhichmeansdragonandphoenixcouldbringblissandauspiciousness.Itcanalsobeusedasanadjectivetodescribethelovebetweencouples.Iftheyhavebaby,peoplewouldliketoblessthebaby“shēnglónghuóhǔ（生龙活虎）”and“lóngmǎjīngshén（龙马精神）”.Thesetwophrasesexhibitthatbabywillbelikethedragonandtigerfullofenergyandvigor.Also,inourcountry,mostparentslookforwardtheirchildrentohavingsuccessfulcareerandlife.Thissituationshouldbecalled“wàngzǐchénglóng（望子成龙）”.What`smore,iftheirchildrenfindagoodjoborpassinuniversityentranceexamination,peoplecallthissituation“lǐyǘtiàolóngmén（鲤鱼跳龙门）”.Itmeansacarpcouldfinallybeadragonafteritsinsistenteffortsofleapingintothedragongate.Aftertheirdaughtergrowsup,theyhopetofindason-in-lawofhighrank.Todescribearespectableson-in-law,peopleusuallyuse“chénglóngkuaìxǜ（乘龙快婿）”whoseliteralmeaningisthatawell-contentson-in-lawisjustlikeridingadragonandbringinghappiness.Iftheson-in-lawhasaneleganthandwriting,thentheeleganthandwritingcanbecalled“Lóngfēifèngwǔ（龙飞凤舞）”.Thisphrasealsomeansthegenerousmountains.AlthoughthedragonalwaysmeansauspiciousandblissfulthingsinChineseculture,sometimesitisstillnotamiableandapproachabletocivilians.Forexample,whenpeopleencounterahazardousplacesorsituation,theyoftenusethephrase“lóngtánhǔxuè（龙潭虎穴）”whichmeansthedeeppondandcavewhereadragonandatigerlivecanbeeasilyusedtodescribe.

2. Western dragon

Onthecontrary,westerndragonisregardedasevil,anditssymbolicmeaningareallderogativeandnegative.Forexample,ifsomeonehasgotthe“dragon”,heneedstobrushhisteeth,becausehere“dragon”justmeansbadbreath.Inanothercase,whenyoufindamanwearingapinkskirtandblueheelswithpurplehighs,youmaywantto“dragon”hisoutfit,orsay,“Thatguy’soutfitisso‘dragon’.”whichmeanstheoutfitmakesyoufeelsick.Itissodisgusting.Dragoncanrefertothoseimpenetrablewomenvividly.Forinstance,“Sheisarealdragon.You`dbetterkeepawayfromher.”“Dragon”inthissentencehasametaphormeaningofshrew.Ifyoucallawoman“dragon”,youmeanthatsheisunpleasantandfierce.Forexample,“Sheisabitofdragonaroundthisplace.”A“dragonlady”canbeparaphrasedasawomanbehindtheruler.Itmeansawomanwhoseidentityisthewifeoftheruler,andshehasmuchgreatpowerjustlikeafemaledictator.InChinesehistory,therearemanydescrip