《中英文化对比2》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《中英文化对比2（5页珍藏版）》请在金锄头文库上搜索。
1、Differences Between Chinese Marriage Custom and Western Marriage Custom 中西方婚俗的差异 Abstract There are many procedures in Chinese marriage custom. The book propriety and ceremony, which records earliest wedding ceremony, says that marriage includes six etiquettes, 1 Namely 2 Proposing 3 Asking the name
2、, 4 Asking for fortune, 5 Sending betrothal presents to the girls family 6 Discussing the date of the marriage. But I only want to talk the first three points. In western marriage, there are four procedures. They are proposal, changing surnames, choosing the day and holding the wedding. As the diffe
3、rent religions, cultural origins, marriage concepts and geographies, there are many differences existing in the two kinds of marriage customs. In Chinese marriage custom, the matchmaker functions almost all the time and youths have no right to choose and women are not on an equal footing with men. B
4、y contrast, in western marriage custom, the priest functions and the youths have legal right to choose whom they want to marry and men and women are equal. Key Words Marriage custom; differences; reasons摘 要 中国婚俗有着许多的仪式。最早记载婚礼习俗的仪礼云：“婚有六礼，1 纳 采、2 问名、 3 纳吉、4 纳征、5 请期、6 亲迎。”但是在这我只想谈前三点。 而在西方国家主要有 4 个程序，
5、即建议，改姓，选期和举行婚礼。由于宗教、 文化根源、婚姻观念以及地理环境的不同在一定程度上导致了中西方婚俗的不 同。在中国婚俗中，媒人起着决定性的作用，而作为婚姻当事人的青年男女却 没有选择的自由和权力，而且男女在婚姻中的不平等现象也屡有出现。 在西方， 是牧师在婚姻中起作用，并且青年男女有合法的权力去选择自己的夫婿或妻子。 关键词 婚俗；差异；原因 Introduction Marriage is formed in a long historical evolution of the marriage custom in a nation. It is the regularity of
6、the activities that restrains peoples awareness of marriage and marriage. Marriage customs binding does not depend on the law, and it can not rely on science tests neither, but on the force of habit, traditional culture and national psychology. During the development of human history, the institutio
7、n of marriage and family system has experienced different processes of development. Human have experienced group marriage, the dual system of marriage and individual marriage system (monogamy). A. Proposing: Proposing is the first etiquette in marriage and is the first meet between the members in th
8、e two families. Thus, it is very important. Using a common expression, it is making an offer of marriage to another family on behalf of the son or daughter. B. Asking the NameIt aims to ask for girls name and pray. In ancient times the girls name would not be known by other people until the girl was
9、 in an age of marriage. C. Asking for Fortune After asking the name, the bridegrooms side had got the womans birthday and Eight-Characters and they went to consult a fortune-teller then which was called “asking for fortune”. It included two aspects of contents. One was consult the female virtues. II
10、. Western Marriage Custom In the middle ages children were married at a young age. Girls were as young as 12 when they got married, and boys as young as 14. The arrangement of the marriage was based on monetary worth. The family of the girl who was to be married gave a dowry, or donation, to the boy
11、 she was to marry. The dowry went with her when the marriage was held and stayed with the boy forever after the marriage. After the marriage was arranged, a wedding notice was posted on the door of the church. The notice was put up to ensure that there were no grounds for prohibiting the marriage. T
12、he notice stated who was to be married, and if anyone knew any reasons that the two could not marry, they were to come forward with the reason. If the reason was a valid one the wedding would be prohibited. A. Proposal When the prospective groom had obtained his fathers consent to marry, a formal ma
13、rriage proposal had to be made. The prospective groom did not propose in person but sent his friends or members of his family to represent his interest to the prospective bride and her family. If they saw a blind man, a monk or a pregnant woman during their journey, it was believed that the proposal
14、 would not be accepted as these signs were thought to bring bad luck. If, however, they saw nanny goats, pigeons or wolves, this was a good omen which would bring good fortune to the marriage.During Medieval times in western countries, the man proposed by leaving a hawthorn branch at the door of his
15、 beloved on the first of May. By leaving the branch at the door she accepted his proposal. She made known her refusal by replacing the hawthorn branch with a cauliflower. B. Changing Surnames It was thought unlucky for a woman to marry a man whose surname began with the same letter as hers. The sent
16、iment was summarized in the following thyme: To change the name and not the letter is to change for the worst and not the better The bride should not practice writing her new name before the wedding. This was thought to bring bad luck by tempting fate. IV. Reasons for the Differences Above A. Religions Among all the religion by which people seek to worship, Christianity is by far the most influential in the west. Every phase of mans life
