浅谈中英文化差异
新教学大纲规定，九年义务教育初中英语教学的目的是培养学生运用英语进行交际的初步能力。英语考试也逐渐向这个方向靠拢。每种语言都背负着其民族的历史、文化。要谈到英语教学就不能回避中英文化的差异问题。
（一）中英文化存在的一些差异
一、从词汇的文化负载中看差异
词汇中往往负载着许多文化内涵。如在中国虎代表的是百兽之王，词汇中常常出现将门虎子、虎踞龙蟠、虎虎生威等词语。但在英语中虎的地位被狮子所代替。如英国的别称以及前段时间播映的动画片《狮子王》。又如狗在中文中多含贬义：狗腿子、狗奴才等；而在英国文化中狗是人类最忠实的朋友。再如力大如牛（译成：as strong as horse）、a busybody并非大忙人而是“好管闲事的人”、black tea并非黑茶而是红茶、黄色书刊不是yellow book而是dirty book……；因而如果根据字面直译就会闹出大笑话。
二、从姓名及称谓中看差异
1、结构形式上的差异
我们知道，姓名由姓（Family name）与名（Given name）组成。英国人的排列方式是名（Given name）＋姓（Family name）而中国人的却与之相反是姓（Family name）＋名（Given name）。为什么会存在着这种差异呢？这与两个国家人民的价值观念有关。由于相较而言英国封建制度存在的时间较短，资本主义发展得较早，尤其是文艺复兴时期宣扬个人主义至上的思想，崇尚以个人为中心深深地影响了英国人。因此这个国家的国民具有强烈的个体本位主义，反映在名字上就出现了名在前的形式。
而我们中国具有漫长的封建历史，儒家思想根深蒂固。强调中庸之道，反对个人主义。最重视的是家族的传承，体现的是一种群体本位主义。由此出现了将家族标识－姓放在前面而代表个人的名放在后的形式。
2、姓氏使用的差异
由于我国早在远古姓氏出于图腾，进入封建社会后常以出生地、封地、官职、封号等作为姓氏的来源，将姓作为一种荣誉。因此在姓氏的选择和使用上显得极为谨慎和谦恭。
而英国人却在姓名的使用上充分显示了其自我、自由的特征。有人以职业为名，如：Cook库克（厨师）；有人以家庭关系为名，如：Johnson约翰逊Jackson杰克逊；有人以天气、季节为名：Snow斯诺（雪）Frost梅弗罗斯特（霜）、Summer萨默（夏天）；有人以圣经人物为名：Bible拜布尔（圣经）；以长相为名：Strong斯特朗（强壮的）、Longfellow朗费罗（大个子）；以神话人物为名：Apllo阿波罗（太阳神）、Hymen海门（婚姻之神）、Mars马尔斯（战神）；以动、植物名称为名：Bull布尔（公牛）、Wolf沃尔夫（狼）Rose罗斯（玫瑰花）；有的以日期为名：May梅（五月）、Sunday森迪（星期日）；以物体名称为名：Stone斯通（石头）、House豪斯（房屋）等林林总总，形形色色，不论美丑。有姓驼背的、有姓坏蛋的、有姓胖、姓瘦的、有叫教堂，有叫灌木（Bush）的……因而我们在翻译英国人姓名时往往用音译而不用直译法。
而在取名时又存在着一个更大的差异，那就是在中国社会中子孙及其他位卑者要避尊者讳，不能直呼长辈及位尊者的名讳。例如：唐太宗名李世民，结果观世音菩萨也被改名为观音菩萨；唐朝诗人白居易一生不咏海棠只是因为他的母亲名为海棠。而在英语国家长辈则以子孙使用自己的名字为荣，于是出现了类似查理一世、查理二世的称谓，以及爷孙同名的事来。
3、称呼上的差异
在非正式场合、平辈人中英两国人都喜欢相互以名字来称呼以示亲密。但在上下辈中的称呼上，就存在着较大的差异。在中国人中需要严守上下辈分的差别，对长辈要用尊称不能直呼其名；在英语国家中则不一定严格照此实行，在非正式场合中或双方关系较为密切的情况下，则常以名字来相互称呼，对父母、师长、领导、长辈等均是如此。常常出现对父母直呼其名的情况。
在对亲戚的称呼中，中国人分得很细而英语国家则是较为粗略。例如：uncle一词的中文含义就有伯伯、叔叔、舅舅既有有血缘关系的也有无血缘关系的，是个统称。这与两个国家人民的家族观念有着很深的关系。
此外，中国人喜欢以职务和身份来称呼，如王老师、老王等；而英语国家则不会如此，如王老师－Mr./Miss/Mrs Wang 而不叫Teacher Wang（但在我们初中人教版教材中就曾出现这种错误）。
语言是一种工具，由于社会的发展必然出现一些新的词汇，而留心身边日常生活中出现的英语词汇是十分必要的。
如：E-mail(电子邮件) teletext(图文电视)
homepage(主页) mobile telephone(移动电话)……
三、日常交谈规则习惯
由于我们日常对语言的听说能力注重得还是不够，尤其是对某些词句在具体语境中如何运用仍没有引起足够的重视。故而在实际运用中常常出现使用了一些句子无论是从语法角度来说还是从语言角度来说并没什么问题的句子但却与英语国家的风俗习惯不相符或是想当然地套用一些母语的语言形式即通常所说的Chinese English，犯一些令人啼笑皆非的错误来。举几个例子来说明。
例如：1、对赞扬和感谢的反应就存在着有趣的差异。中国人将自谦当作一种美德，因而在遇到外国人的赞扬与感谢时，外国人说：You did so well. 中国人的第一反应就是：Oh,no.或是Well,just so so.而这一反应将引来赞美者的不快。正确的回答应是：Thank you.
2、电话的开场白上的差异
Hello, this is May speaking. Is that Mary?这是英语中一个简单的电话开场白。中文意义为：您好，我是梅。你是玛丽吗？这里就不能简单地运用中文想当然地用上I am和Are you的句式。
3、其他差异
对于中国人来说纯粹属于自己的隐私似乎没有，而英国人却极为重视个人隐私。中国人见面喜欢问的年龄、收入、婚姻家庭状况等问题在英国人看来是让人极其恼火的事情。对于这种问题的答案往往是：It’s none of your business.(这不关你的事。)
还有一些习惯用法。如：圣诞快乐应为Merry Christmas而不是Happy Christmas同样是快乐不能通用仅仅是因为习惯而已（初中英语沿海版教材中就曾出现这一错误）。
当然，作为分析性语言的中文与作为综合性语言的英语在语法上还存在着相当大的差别。在这里就不详细说明了。
（二）如何在教学中解决这些问题
浅谈中英文化的差异的意义在于：由于存在差异，我们的母语－中文势必对我们学习英语产生一些负迁移作用，如何通过了解差异，在教学中 避免母语产生的负面影响提高学习效率？主要做好以下两点工作：
首先，在搞好英语日常教学的基础上，有目的地在教学中渗透一些交际文化背景。可以让学生进行一些辅助性的课外阅读，或组织英语原声电影、录像、VCD的观看，运用网络，通过一些有声的无声的，有形的无形的，字面的形象的社会文化内涵渗透到学生心中，让学生尽可能地触摸到最原汁原味的英语世界。
其次，为学生提供尽可能多的练习机会。在课堂上用纯英语教学，创造一些英语听说氛围。通过创造模拟情景，鼓励学生大胆开口实践，使学生身临其境反复练习，形成良好的英语语感，增强学生在实践中的应对能力。
总之，在英语教学中忽视中英文化差异的教学将会直接影响到教学质量，影响学生交际应用能力的提高。唯有注重提高学生对语言背后所蕴含的文化背景、社会知识的了解，才能真正让学生在语言学习运用中立于不败之地。最终达到学习的目的。
中英饮食差异中文
中西方的饮食方式有很大不同，这种差异对民族性格也有影响。在中国，任何一个宴席，不管是什么目的，都只会有一种形式，就是大家团团围坐，共享一席。筵席要用圆桌，这就从形式上造成了一种团结、礼貌、共趣的气氛。美味佳肴放在一桌人的中心，它既是一桌人欣赏、品尝的对象，又是一桌人感情交流的媒介物。人们相互敬酒、相互让菜、劝菜，在美好的事物面前，体现了人们之间相互尊重、礼让的美德。虽然从卫生的角度看，这种饮食方式有明显的不足之处，但它符合我们民族“大团圆”的普遍心态，反映了中国古典哲学中“和”这个范畴对后代思想的影响，便于集体的情感交流，因而至今难以改革。
西式饮宴上，食品和酒尽管非常重要，但实际上那是作为陪衬。宴会的核心在于交谊，通过与邻座客人之间的交谈，达到交谊的目的。如果将宴会的交谊性与舞蹈相类比，那么可以说，中式宴席好比是集体舞，而西式宴会好比是男女的交谊舞。由此可见，中式宴会和西式宴会交谊的目的都很明显，只不过中式宴会更多地体现在全席的交谊，而西式宴会多体现于相邻宾客之间的交谊。与中国饮食方式的差异更为明显的是西方流行的自助餐。此法是：将所有食物一一陈列出来，大家各取所需，不必固定在位子上吃，走动自由，这种方式便于个人之间的情感交流，不必将所有的话摆在桌面上，也表现了西方人对个性、对自我的尊重。但各吃各的，互不相扰，缺少了一些中国人聊欢共乐的情调。
所以，归根结底还是感性与理性之间的差异。但是，这种差异似乎在随着科学的发展而变的模糊。越来越多的中国人以不再只注重菜的色、香、味，而更注重它的卫生与营养了。尤其是在经历了非典以后。还有，人们因为越来越繁忙的工作，觉得中餐做起来太麻烦，不如来个汉堡方便等。这样一来在饮食上差异也就不太分明了。
ENGLISH
Center the western diet way has very greatly differently, thiskind of difference is also influential to the national disposition. InChina, any banquet, no matter is any goal, all only can have one kindof form, is everybody sits in a circle all round, shares. The banquetmust use the round table, this formally has created one kind ofunity, politeness, altogether the interest atmosphere. The delicacydelicacies put on table of people's centers, it not only is the objectwhich table of people appreciates, tastes, also is a table of peoplesentiments exchange intermedium. The people mutually propose a toast,mutually offer food to a guest, urge the vegetable, in front of thehappy thing, has manifested the moral excellence which between thepeople mutually respects, gives precedence out of courtesy. Althoughlooked from the hygienic angle, this diet way has the obviousdeficiency, but it conforms to our nationality "the happy ending" theuniversal point of view, had reflected in the Chinese classicalphilosophy "and" this category to the descendant thought influence, isadvantageous for the collective emotion exchange, thus until now withdifficulty reforms.
Western-style banquets, food and liquor although count for much, butin fact that takes the set-off. The banquet core lies in thefriendship, through with the adjacent seat visitor's betweenconversation, achieves the friendship the goal. If and the danceresembles the banquet friendship compared to, then may say, theChinese type banquet is just like is a group dance, but thewestern-style banquet is just like is men's and women's socialdancing. Thus it can be seen, the Chinese type banquet and thewestern-style banquet friendship goal very is all obvious, onlyChinese type banquet more terrains now complete meal friendship, butthe western-style banquet manifests much between the neighboringguest's friendship. Is the western popular buffet is more obviouswhich with the Chinese diet way difference. This law is: Will possessfood 11 to exhibit, everybody 各取所需, will not need to fix onthe seat eats, takes a walk the freedom, this way will be advantageousfor between individual emotion exchange, will not will certainly allspeeches to suspend on the tabletop, also has displayed the westernperson to the individuality, to the self- respect. But respectivelyeats each, mutually did not harass, lacks some Chinese to chat thehappy altogether happy affective tone.
Therefore, in the final analysis or between perceptual and rationaldifference. But, this kind of difference as if in the fuzziness whichchanges along with the science development. More and more many Chineseby no longer only pay great attention to the vegetable the color, thefragrance, the taste, but paid great attention to its health and thenutrition. In has experienced after in particular the non- standard.Also, the people because of the more and more busy work, thought theChinese meal starts too troubles, was inferior to Hamburg facilitatesand so on. Then the difference not too was also distinct in the diet. 论文
隐喻的中西方文化差异
Abstract: Metaphor is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also a way of thinking, which is one of the basic methods for human survival and cognition. It is rooted in language, thought and culture. Through the analysis and comparison of the use and concept of metaphor in different countries, we find that its universality and commonality of the metaphor as a basic human cognitive activities. However, metaphor in different languages reflects a different way of thinking and behavior and different cultural patterns. Owing to the different two modes of thinking and culture, there are some differences in understanding and formation that can not be ignored. Therefore, this paper will discuss the questions above.
Keywords: metaphor, cross-cultural differences, translation.
1. Preamble
Metaphor is a common phenomenon, a large number of people use metaphor to express his feelings and ideas. British scientists rhetoric Richards (IARichards) once said, "We have day-to-day in almost every conversation in three sentences may be a metaphor." According to statistics, life around the use of 4,700,000 new metaphor, 2,140,000 stereotypes of metaphor. Research in recent years, there is a great metaphor. This article introduced in the definition of metaphor on the basis of summing up the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western metaphor, and that its culture, precisely because of the prevalence of metaphor, how to translate metaphor has become a very important issue in the latter part of the article is aimed at The translation of metaphor put forward a translation of the three strategies. This paper studies aimed at trying to comparative analysis of English and Chinese in a large number of day-to-day language of metaphor to express, find out the differences and similarities, in order to be able to accurately translate the article in good metaphor to explore a little. This article is about the metaphor from the point of view to explore the differences in the way Thinking allows us to a deeper understanding of language, culture, the relationship between thinking and can more clearly understand the different ethnic language, culture, way of thinking, and so on On the nature of translation.
2. Metaphors in Chinese and Western studies
In 1980, Lakoff & Johnson (George Lakoff & Mark Johnson) made a "living metaphor" (Metaphors We Live By) of the book, a modern metaphor to open a new chapter in the school. Domestic academia on the "metaphor" This is also a review of the system, such as Lin Wu's book "Study abroad metaphor Looking at the" beam-setting "metaphor research," Li of China and India "The main subjects Metaphor" and so on. However, the Chinese metaphor for the academic study of rare. "Chinese scholars on the study of metaphor, I am afraid the real contribution should be through the metaphor of the Chinese characteristics of research and study, through the metaphor of the Chinese and other languages in the comparative study of metaphor, metaphor for the establishment of a more general theory of the strong, and even unique The basis. "Lin Wu in the book" metaphor of the basic research the status quo, and the focus of the trend "in the main text, put forward a model of cultural metaphors with the relationship:" The language of metaphor is the emergence of expression into the system, which not only reflects the psychological Structure, but also reflect the different cultural models also play a role. "
2.1 metaphor in the relationship between Chinese and Western cultures
2.1.1 relationship
Correspond to (corresponding) refers to the relationship between the two languages, English and Chinese in the meaning and metaphor in the use of the same meaning in the culture and image, and so on and-one mapping. This is because the survival of mankind itself, as well as all the external conditions, including the geographical environment, climate change, and the whole of human society and cultural background are certain there is a common, which formed a common humanity of their own and the outside world on many issues. In the "angry" mood, the English are angry that physiological responses, such as: grind one's teeth. (Teeth), bare one's teeth. (Ziyaliezui) an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. (an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth), reflecting the Chinese culture on the basis of common experience.
2.1.2 non-correspondence
English-Chinese metaphor, after all, rooted in two different languages on the soil, resulting in very different cultural backgrounds, fully corresponds to the few metaphors, the vast majority do not have common cultural identity in order to form the corresponding non-(non-corresponding ) Relations. Non-relationship metaphor can be roughly divided into three categories:
2.1.2.1 Vehicle counterpart, Yu Yi does not correspond to
English and Chinese in some cases there is the same as a metaphor, but in their own language and culture in the meaning of the metaphor means is different, even different. Peacock in the Chinese culture is auspicious, a symbol of beauty, especially the Dai people to express jumped Pavaner desire to better their own. If the Chinese people will be likened to a peacock, it means that beautiful light. However, in English, peacock (Peacock) is a symbol of pride, often interpreted as arrogance, love to show off. For example, They were eager to take the young peacock down a peg. (They want to pressure a pressure that the arrogant young guy's momentum).
2.1.2.2 counterpart Yu Yi, the vehicle does not correspond to
English-Chinese two nations due to their differences, from different angles to look at things the same, it will be a different analogy. As a result both English and Chinese language there is a different vehicle, but Yu was referring to was basically the same as the meaning of the case, that is the same kind of non-correspondence. Such as: a person described as the hearts of anxious, restless, Chinese is "ants on the hot pan" and English is "a cat on the bricks". There are similar: To kick down the ladder. Guohechaiqiao.
2.1.2.3 Yu Yu Yi and do not correspond to
Some of the metaphors Yu-Yu has a meaning and it refers to the language and culture are closely related, in another culture often can not find corresponding Yu and Yu Yi, which resulted in a culture known as the default Phenomenon. For example: in English "my rib" I am referring to Yu's wife, it comes from the "Bible" story, that is, Adam (Adam)'s wife Eve (Eve) God is with a piece of Adam's rib made. The Chinese did not, "the Bible" cultural background, and there was no analogy with rib habit, so the formation of a corresponding gap. Similarly, "ugly duckling" (Ugly Duckling) refers to the metaphor will get ahead of Little, "early bird" refers to the diligent Yu, in the words into Chinese language, culture, as a result of the default, can not find a corresponding relationship between metaphor .
2.2 Chinese and Western cultures in the common metaphor
Metaphor and culture to a large extent, human beings have a common understanding, rooted in the people's own day-to-day experience. In this connection, often between different ethnic groups are the same. Both English and Chinese language in a lot of abstract thinking that the metaphorical expression is the same. For example: the human child in the period to form a position on the concept of input in that direction in the form of many of them easily understood, including the position expressed by metaphor, which has become a fixed pattern of thinking. For example: The term direction (up, down) to describe people's social status, physical, emotional, and other abstract concepts to the case when the good is up; Sad is down. We Chinese are also not difficult to find a similar sentence: "Gas Prices "," enhance the social status "and" vision "and" depressed. " Since the objective laws of nature with the relative unity of different cultures to understand the nature of the course is similar to the cognitive experience.
2.3 in the metaphor of the difference between Chinese and Western cultures
As the English-Chinese geographical and cultural differences, living in two different cultures in practice there are a lot of differences, and different life experiences and let people understand the objective world, a different language carries different nationalities Cultural characteristics and cultural information. Understanding of metaphor is not out of socio-cultural backgrounds. For example, social and cultural impact of the color words is deep-rooted, some color words in different cultures in an entirely different meaning, has a distinctive feature of our national culture. Such as: English, said in green "inexperienced" and "shallow knowledge", such as: "a green hand", "I was very green when I started working there." The Chinese like to express the meaning of the word is "yellow" Such as: "Huangmaoyatou" and "flower girl". Cultural background knowledge is the metaphor to create a rich source of thinking, as the Eastern and Western cultures are different, metaphors in English and Chinese applications there are also significant differences.
2.4 The metaphor of the cross-cultural differences between Chinese and Western influence
Language is a cultural change in the development of the complex, subject to political, economic, historical, environmental and other factors. Chinese and Western styles are different, but in many ways to infiltrate interaction and integration, language differences and cultural metaphor for the inevitable impact is complex and diverse.
2.4.1 metaphorical expression of cultural conflict
Different nationalities in the world to observe a different perspective and ideas, different cultures there are a lot of conflict or inconsistency metaphor. If the animal metaphors, in English Long (dragon) is a kind of evil, will belch out smoke monster. "Bible", the dragon is the devil, is a symbol of evil and terror, there is a terrible vicious meaning. The Chinese dragon is in power, the auspicious symbol of Chinese traditional culture, the Chinese have "Wangzichenglong", "descendants of the Dragon." The same analogy in different cultures, different meaning, of two cultures
"Dragon" to give a different connotation.
2.4.2 differences in living conditions caused by differences in metaphor
In English is a lot of metaphor and marine-related, such as: all at sea (at a loss what to do); drink like a fish (drinking cow); fish in the air (Shuizhonglaoyue); give up the ship (give up). In Chinese, there are a lot of the horse or cattle pose a metaphor, such as: "a willing ox" (a willing horse) Gan means to serve the community; "old ox" (a working horse) refers to the hard work; "bragging "(Talk horse), and so on. This is due to different geographical location and natural environment caused by different cultural metaphor. Britain is an island, ultimately, dependent on the sea, and China is a large agricultural country, farming culture deeply feudal society.
2.4.3 different religious and cultural differences arising from the metaphor
Religious culture of human culture is an important part of it by referring to the nation's religious beliefs, such as the formation of the sense of culture, "the Bible" in the story, with its language and meaning has become a feature of daily life in the West in terms of . For example, power of the keys (the keys to the kingdom of heaven; the rights of the Pope), in the right church, but in the wrong pew (in general is right, but not the details), and so on. Chinese culture and Buddhism, Taoism and more affected by the impact of Confucianism, the Chinese, there are a lot of related argot. "Jiehuaxianfo"; "临时抱佛脚"; "做一天和尚撞一天钟" and so on.
It is due to the diversity of culture, resulting in the differences between English and Chinese metaphor. This difference to the cross-cultural communication has brought the impact. As a foreign language students, do not understand the difference between metaphor and language will make mistakes, sometimes mistakenly made good as pleasant, caused by either one or both of the conversation unpleasant; also sometimes mocked as a praise. When a native language other operators do not understand the language contained in the cultural differences, it is often difficult for such language to accurately convey the meaning of the understanding, difficulty to the cross-cultural exchange.
3. Metaphor of the three methods of translation
The translation of metaphor not only accurately and effectively convey the original language, but also loyal, accessible, complete reproduction of the original language and cultural connotation and significance. But in the West because of cultural differences and different, so the translation of metaphor in English on the need to consider not only its literal sense, and so on, but also in the West should pay attention to their cultural differences.
American Eugene Nida said: "Translation is the exchange between the two cultures. The real success of the translation, even more familiar with the two cultures is more important to master two languages. Because only in terms of its role in the culture In the background will only be meaningful. "Therefore, the translation of metaphor to combining Chinese and Western cultures, and cultural backgrounds to leave the translation, can not be achieved between the two languages of the real exchange.
3.1 Literal Translation
The so-called "literal" is asked in the language when conditions permit, in the translation to maintain the original content, but also to maintain the original form, in particular, to maintain the original metaphor, the image of the nation, and other local color. In the literal translation method to maintain the original expression of the culture and at the same time, target enriched the vocabulary and expression, such as: "a Pandora's box" (Pandora's Box); "chain reaction" (chain reaction). In the original text and asked the information contained in the same culture, we should adopt the literal translation method.
(1) You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
: You are my sun, my only sunshine.
In Chinese and English, the sun is warm, beautiful, in both languages, they disseminate information on culture are the same. As a rule, and asked in the original text in the form of grammatical structure, similar to the style or color on basically the same, the law should adopt the literal translation.
(1) He is another Shylock.
: He is also a Shylock. (Note: Shakespeare's Shylock is "The Merchant of Venice" in a very harsh mean business
People. )
(2) To carry coals to Newcastle.
: Coal to Newcastle. (Note: "Newcastle" is a British coal, coal is superfluous here.)
4. Conclusion
Metaphor as a way to figures of speech or skills, a unique feature of grammar, which features make the sentence more flexible and constructive, but the United States. Is a metaphor to express more complex ideas and things, a powerful tool. Wherever and whenever people in their daily lives are often used metaphor. As Mr. Lin Zhuang said: "The metaphor is no longer expanding his knowledge and understanding of a passive process. To help us in the form of new knowledge, the metaphor has played an active role so that we can better a better understanding of the objective world." In English and Chinese Metaphorical significance of the difference is due to cultural differences between East and West, that mode of thinking, moral values and sense of difference. However, different cultural impact of what is the concept of metaphor, it is still a need to examine and address the problem. At the same time, in the metaphor of the process of translation must pay special attention to cultural differences. The best translation is to be able to accurately reflect the true meaning of the author, as well as its cultural and stylistic characteristics of the translation, that is, the translation of metaphor to make as much as possible the original language and to achieve the target language culture, and so on.
中西方存在着很大的文化差异，以下由YJBYS我为大家提供的中西文化差异作文，供大家参考借鉴，希望可以帮助到大家。
饮食观念
欧洲人都说世界上有三大美食，每一个版本里都有中国和法国的，只有关于第三家却说法不一，有说是意大利的，也有说是土耳其、突尼斯或摩洛哥等国的。尽管相持不下，但大家都有个共识，饮食常能反映出不同民族的生活习惯和文化思维等方面的差异。
一次在中餐馆举行宴会，饭店菜上得很慢，不知不觉中过去了近两个小时，但菜似乎才上了一半。临座的一位女士是第一次参加中餐宴会，忍不住问我，你们中国人请客都上这么多菜吗?我说，在中国还要多，通常是10道以上。她很惊讶，连说中国的宴会实在太丰富了，难怪中国的美食很有名。但过了一会儿，她又问我，有个现象很奇怪：中国人吃饭每次都上那么多菜，可为什么都长得那么瘦。而法国入每次菜很少，但为什么都比中国人胖呢?
我一时语塞，但又觉得她问得多少有点道理，因为那天同桌的几个中国人都显得比较瘦弱，而几个法国人个个人高马大。想了想，和她讲了自己的一点想法：中国是个好客的民族，只有上了一桌子菜才觉得没怠慢客人。另外中国人有时候更注重形式，所以在中国的烹调里，菜的样式千变万化，具体到每一道菜又非常讲究色香味的搭配。而欧洲人似乎更实际一些，在菜的花色变化上下的工夫显然不如中国，但讲究的是其营养的搭配和保护。这是中、法饮食观念的重要差异，多少也反映出了中法文化性格的不同。
对色彩的认识
每个人都有自己喜欢的颜色，一个国家和民族也一样，对不同颜色的喜好从整体上可以反映出一个民族或者国家的审美情趣与好恶倾向。
有一次碰到欧盟委员会的一对教授夫妇，谈起上海APEC会议上各国领导人穿的中国民族服装，他们都说非常好看，但有一点不太明白，为什么亚洲领导人大多穿红色，而西方领导人则多选择了蓝色。我说颜色都是领导人自己选定的。大概亚洲国家有着相同的文化背景，红色在中国文化里，也可能在整个亚洲文化中都代表着幸运、财富和吉祥如意，所以亚洲领导人都不约而同地选择了红色。我反问他们，蓝色在西方文化里代表什么?他们说西方人认为，蓝色代表冷静和沉着。
想了想，我又补充说东西方文化差异实在是太大了，比如说龙在中国是民族的象征，而在比利时的蒙斯市则有一个打龙节，龙被视作恶魔，被传说中的保护神圣·米歇尔杀掉了，因此特意搞打龙节来庆贺除灾弊感谢米歇尔。教授夫妇也非常认同东西方文化差异的巨大，并认可文化需要交流。
思维方式
中西方的文化差异还表现在诸多方面，但简单加以概括其实并不复杂：反映到思维方式上是抽象和具象的差别，反映到生活态度上则似乎可以理解为西方人更加实用，而中国人则多少更偏重一些精神感受。比如把法语单词和中文文字加以比较，这一点就很明显。中国文字造词多注重形象，而法文里更多地注重考虑的`是实用价值。像中文里的名片，法文里直译就是访问用的卡片，而航天母舰在法文里叫载飞机的军舰等等，都是从实际用途出发来造词的。而像压照片用的玻璃板，我们也是从其使用价值角度来造的词，但法国人就更加直观了，直译就是“放在照片上面的”。
反映到绘画上更是如此。大家都知道中国画的大开大阖、泼墨写意和欧洲油画讲究的人体比例和光学原理等完全是属于两个风马牛不相及的技术范畴，似乎很难有共同语言。欧洲人有时不太能够理解我们过于抽象的艺术表现手法，我们有时也会认为欧洲人的艺术技巧过于写实本分，缺乏灵气。看多了欧洲绘画史上被奉为经典的宗教题材画作，中国人有时在感叹其技法写实细腻的同时，也会感慨欧洲大师们想象力的贫乏：为了说明天使在飞，就非得给那些可爱的小精灵们加上一双翅膀。而我们的祖先不也画了几千年了吗，在那些美丽的仙女旁边加上几朵白云，她们不就飞起来了吗?多有意境，多有想象空间啊。
这就是文化的差异。但是，差异带来的并不总是分歧，它恰恰给文化艺术大师们留下了广阔的创作空间，如能从中找到一个准确的结合点，那不仅会给两个民族，而且也会给整个世界带来一种更具包涵意义的和谐与美丽，比如赵无极的画作就体现出了文化交融的无尽魅力。
