中西方婚俗文化差异毕业论文.docx

中西方婚俗文化差异毕业论文.docx

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中西方婚俗文化差异毕业论文

【标题】中西方婚俗文化差异

【作者】

【关键词】

【指导老师】

【专业】英语

【正文】

I.Introduction

Marriageisthebasicsystemandformthatbothsexescombineinsociety.Themarriagecultureisproducedwiththedevelopmentofmarriage,whichreflectsacertainmarriageconception.Marriagecustomnotonlyincarnatesthesocialappearanceinsometimes,butalsoshowsvalues,waysofthinking,andreligiousbeliefsofonenation.1

InancientChina,peoplethoughthighlyofmarriageculture.Ancientpeopleregardedmarriageastheprimaryandincipienceofalldecorum.Chineselonghistoryandabundanceculturehavepenetratedintomarriageculture,soitisthecohesionofChineseculture.Whilebecauseofgeography,nationality,history,religiousbeliefsandotheraspects,themarriagecultureinwesterncountriesisdifferentfromChinese.Therefore,thispaperhasdiscussedthedifferencesofmarriagecultureamongChinese,BritishandAmerican.Firstly,ithasintroducedsomesimilaritiesofmarriageculturebetweenChinaandWesternCountries.Secondly,ithasdescribedancientandmodernChinesemarriageculture,theBritishandAmericanmarriageculture.Besides,ithasintroducedsomemaindifferences,suchastheweddingprocess,theweddingdress,theweddingcarandotherdetails.Finally,itanalyzedthecausesofdifferences,includingreligiousbeliefs,thewaysofthinking.

II.SimilaritiesofMarriageCulturebetweenChinaandWesternCountries

Everycountryhashernationality,buttheyhavesomesimilarities.NomatterinChinaorWesternCountries,marriageisagreatturningpointinlife.Bothofpeopleallpaygreatattentiononit,andtheyalwayschooseaniceday,whichissunnyandpropitioustime,soweddingdateisveryimportantineverycountry.InancientChina,peoplewouldliketochooseanauspiciousdaybasedonlunarcalendar,whichmeantthecouplewouldloveeachotherandliveagoodlifeinthefuture.Similarly,theforeignersalsochooseaperfectdaytoholdwedding.Forexample,inEnglandmenhatetoholdweddinginMay.BecauseMayhasbeenconsideredanunluckymonthtomarryin.Inaddition,FridayswereconsideredunluckyparticularlyFridaythe13th.Therehasafamousoldrhymeadvisesaweddingoftheweek. “Mondayforwealth,Tuesdayforhealth,Wednesdaythebestdayofall,Thursdayforlosses,Fridayforcrosses,Saturdayfornoluckatall.2 

Atpresent,westerncultureshavemadegreatinfluencesonChinesewedding,sotheyalsohavesomesimilarities.Wecanseethatmanyyoungpeoplewouldliketoholdtheirweddingsinchurch.Moreover,inwedding,thebridewearsweddingveil,thegroomdressessuitandnecktie,theirrelativesandfriendsareallsittheretomakeblessforthem.Afterthewedding,thebridewillstandbacktheotherpeopleandthenthrowaredballtotheunmarriedfemale.Asthestorysays,nomatterwhogottheball,shewouldbemarriedsoonorlater.Soalltheunmarriedfemalesstandtogetherandtrytheirbesttogainit.Besides,manynewlywedswouldliketotaketheirhoneymoon,aone-to-twoweekvacationtrip,tocelebratetheirnewmarriage.

III.DifferencesofMarriageCulturebetweenChinaandWesternCountries

A.MarriageCultureofChina 

1.TraditionalMarriageCulture

InancientChina,themodeloftraditionalmarriagecultureincludingsixetiquettes.Thefirststepwasproposing,whichwasveryimportantinancientChina.Becauseitwasthefirsttimetomeetwitheachotherforthetwofamilies.Ifamale’sparentslikedsomeone’sdaughterandthoughtshehadsomequalitiestobecometheirdaughter-in-law,theywouldappointamatchmakercarriedwithsomepresentstotheidentifiedgirl’sfamily.Ifthegirl’sparentswouldliketoagreethisproposal,theywouldsendsomeonewhocarriedwithsomepresentstotheboy’sfamilyinreturn.

Thesecondstepwasaskingname.Inancienttimes,thegirl’snamedidnottellothersuntilshechosenhusband.Infact,itwasnotonlytoknowthegirl’sname,butalsotowritedownthegirl’sbirthdayandbirth-houronpaper,whichusedtomakeadivination.Inthisstep,matchmakerplayedanimportantroleincommunication.WeknewinChinesetraditionalmarriage,peoplequalifiedavaliditymarriageforparentsandmatchmaker.Inancient,aboywantedtomakeaproposalwithagirl,andthegirlalsoenjoyedhim,butsherefusedhisrequirement.Shesaidthatshecouldnotaccepthismindbecausehenothadmatchmaker.3Todaywewillbeconfusedforherwords.Whileinancienttimes,withoutamatchmaker,theirmarriagewouldbeimmorality.

Thenextstepwasbirthdaymatching.Afteraskingthename,male’sparentswouldappointthematchmakertoaskforthegirl’sbirthdayandbirthhourtoassurethecompatibilityofthepotentialbrideandgroom.Thedivinationincludedtwoaspects:

thefirstwasaskingwomen’squality.Inancients’view,amanalwayshadseveralwives.Inordertoletthemgetwellwitheachother,healwaysconsideredhiswife’squalityasanimportantfactor.Thesecondwastoseewhetherthegirlcouldmatchupwithherhusband.Ifherbirthdayandbirthhourdidnotconflictwithherhusbandaccordingtoastrology,themarriagewouldstepintothenextstage. 

Thefourthstepwaspresentingbetrothalgifts.Afterbirthdaysmatching,thegroom’sfamilyarrangedthematchmakertopresentbetrothalgifts,enclosingthebetrothallettertothebride’sfamily.Thisstageincludingtwomeanings:

onesidewastoshowtheirthanksforthegirl’sparents,theothersidewastopurchasedowriesforBride.Ifthegirl’sparentsacceptedthebetrothalgifts,theirmarriagecouldbeadeal,andcouldnotbechangedontheirownopinion.

Thefifthstepwaspickingaweddingdate.Whentheychosenagoodday,theywouldtellthegirl’sfamilyandgivethemtimetopreparedowries.Theancientswouldliketochoosethemarriagetimeonspringorautumn.Becausepeoplethoughtspringwasthebeginningofayearandgoodforeverything,andautumnwasaharvestseason,sotheyhadenoughmoneytoholdawedding. 

Thelaststepwasweddingceremony,whichwasthemostlivelinessandbesttimeofthetraditionalmarriageculture.Atthatday,groomwhoworehatandsafflowerdeparturedwithatroopofescortsandmusicians,playinghappymusicallthewaytomeethisbride.However,beforehemethisbride,thebride’srelativesandgoodfriendswouldsettlesomeobstaclestogroomuntiltheysatisfiedwithhim.Whileatthesametime,thebrideputonnewclothesinherroom.Then,shegotinsedan,andescortedbyagroupofpeopletohernewhome.Aftertheyreachedthedestination,thebride’sfeetcouldnottouchthethresholdwhenenteringhernewhome,soneedherhusbandtocarryheroverit.Whenthegroom’sparentsandalltherelativesgatheredinthehall,thenewlywedsbegantodosomeobeisance,suchaskowtowstotheHeavenandEarth,thefamilyancestorsandparents,bowtoeachotherandsoon.Undertheapplausesoftheaudience,thebridewastakentoherchamber.Thiswastheendofthewedding. 

2.ModernMarriageCulture

  Nowadays,modernmarriageculturehassomeinnovationsbasedontraditionalmarriageculture.Tosumup,modernmarriageculturehastwocharacteristics:

firstlymodernmarriageculturestilldependsonthepast.Nowadaysmanyyoungpeopleenjoytopursuitanoriginalandunusualwedding,butitiseasytofindsomereflectionsofthetraditionalculture,especiallyinsomecountriesandminorities.Secondly,westernmarriagecultureinfluencedmodernmarriageculture.WiththeopenandreformofChina,moreandmoreforeignerscometoourcountry,expectingforincreasingoureconomy,theyalsoinfluenceourtraditionalculture,religiousbeliefsandwaysofthinking.Therefore,modernmarriagecultureconsistsofamativeness,engagementandmarriage.

Thefirstisamativeness.Wehavelearnedthatparentsandmatchmakerplayedimportantrolesintraditionalmarriageculture.Whileforthetwoactors,theyhavenochoicebuttoacceptthisengagement.However,atpresent,matchmakerisnotimportantinmarriage.Evenmanyyoungpeopledonotconsidertheirparents’feelinganylonger,mosttimestheywouldliketochoosetheircompanionsbythemselves.Theyalwayshopethattheircompanionshavethesimilarhobbies,characteristicsandambitionwiththem.Besides,theyhopetheyshouldhaveequalrightsintheirlife.Whentheymeetsomedifficultproblems,theywilltelleachotheratfirstandthendiscusshowtodealwiththem.Oncetheythinkthattheyhavefindperfectcompanions,theywillclearawayalltroublestolivetogether.Aftertheygetalongwitheachotherseveralmonthsorseveralyears,theybegintodiscussmatrimony.Thiscalledengagement.

Inurban,thetraditionalengagementisweakerthanbefore.Theman’sparentscarryingwithsomepresentstocallatwoman’shome.Duringthismeeting,bothofthemarefamiliarwitheachotheranddiscusstheweddingdate,thebridalchamber,andothernecessarythings.Oncetheyreachanagreement,themanwillbuyagoldenringforhisfiancée.Aftertheengagement,thisthingcan’tbecancelledatwill.Whileinruralitisasignificantevent.First,thewoman’smotherinvitesherrelativestocallattheman’shome.Iftheysatisfywithallthings,theybegintodiscusssomedetailsaboutthemarriage.Besides,theman’sparentsstillpreparesomepreciousgiftsandalotofmoneyfortheirdaughter-in-lawtopurchasedowries.Insomeundevelopedcountry,theycan’tofferenoughmoneyfordowry,somanygrownmencan’tgetmarried.Evenifinsomewealthycountries,manymarriageshavetobecancelledbecausebothofthemcan’tmakeanagreementonmoney.Therefore,moneyistobeanobstacletoahappymarriageinrural,whichneedsustochangeit.4