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1、A big difference between Chinese and American culturesi have long since noticed a big difference between chinese culture and american culture. many chinese athletes choose toput the country first when a family memeber falls ill or passes away. even family members would keepbad news from athletes unt
2、il they have performed their duties. i remember reading about a chinese soldier whose father or mother died but everyone else lied to him and kept him in the dark about the death until he carried out the task. well, in america, it is often another story. i dont very much about people in other fields
3、, but american athletes, for example, nba players, often decline to play for the nation. teams would willingly let players go home if a family member falls ill. everyone thinks it natural.i have never heard anyone complain about a players absence even though the absence led to a defeat in a key game
4、. for chinese athletes,putting the nation before the family and individuals is understandable. a moment ago i watched a chinese olympic player said in a television interview that chinais my everything when i wear the national jersey. yeah. you represent the country. it is a great honor torepresent t
5、he country and you need to do everything possible to honor the honor. nothing else matters. no one has ever said your mother or your father does not matter. but fathers and mothers are heard saying we dont matter.audience may not be in a position to say anything if a chinese athlete chooses to go ho
6、me and give up an international game, but many in the audience would probablywonder whythe player disregards his or her duty to the country. the idea of putting the nation first is deeply rooted in our mind. loyalty to the nationand dedication to the nation is the most important thing. well, it is p
7、robably hard to judgewhether such a choice is morally good or not. well, we chinese have suffered a lot in the past five thousand years. thevalue we chinese peopleattach to the nation is somethingthat came into being in this long history. our survival depends on everyonesselfless dedication and loya
8、lty to the nation. we need to stand together and sacrifice for the nation. thats the only way to survive. it may sound cruel. but we have had thisvaluefromthe only choice we could make in the past. and this value may become very important in the future. it seems that family matters in americamore th
9、an family matters in china. there may not be big difference in family value. but there is some difference. what i see in chinese athletes choice and american athletes choice in face of family misfortune may not be representative or at least may not be as big a differenceas it suggests. but it does p
10、oint to a difference. and this difference is interesting. 黄圆芬Differences between Chinese and American CultureChinaAmericaIndividual conceptscollectivism modestindividualism directSocial relationsofficial hierarchicalunofficial equalFriendshipa few but permanentmuch but changefulRelation and rulerely
11、 on interpersonal relationshiprely on black and whiteTime conceptnostalgic focus on the futurelay stress on nowStatussuccessivedepend on individual effort As the internationalization goes on, more and more cultures are mixed together. Despite the fact, the major characters of them still persist. Now
12、 lets see something different between Chinese culture and American culture. Individual concepts Collectivism is more popular in China while individualism in America. Chinese often owe a success to a group. Facing praise, they appear very modest and say a lot of formulae. Under the similar circumstan
13、ce, Americans are more likely to tend to individualism and will accept the praise directly.Social relations Chinese social relations are more official. Chinese people seem to get used to the relations that they often decide their behavior pattern according to their own position and routine. On the c
14、ontrary, Americans prefer unofficial and equal relations. They like to stay with people of the same generation and dont attach too much importance to social class.Friendship In China, many people usually have a few friends though their life, but the friendship between them may last long. Friends are
15、 willing to help each other even anywhere anytime. In America, people may have many friends and acquaintances while their relations are not deep and they are changeful. Relation and rule To Chinese people, a well-connected network is very important. When faced with difficulty, they often think that
16、they should ask someone not remote and powerful for help. That is to say, Chinese, to a certain extent, often rely on interpersonal friendship to achieve success. Americans usually pay more attention to written contracts and agreements, such as all kinds of laws. Time concept Relatively speaking, Ch
17、inese are more nostalgic and focus on the future. It seems that the bygone can bring them courage and hope and what they are doing today is just for a better life in the future. Oppositely, people in America lay stress on now rather than on past or future. They are more interested on present life, s
18、o they often enjoy it by means of parities, which is most common. Status As for status, the successive system still has a significant impact on it in China. People often inherit not only property but also identity from their parents and other seniorities，but this phenomenon is changing now. However,
19、 to most of the Americans, their individual status largely depend on their own achievements, including the achievements on educational attainment： 教育程度；教育取得；学历；受教育比率 and career. From the above aspects, we can find many differences between Chinese culture and American culture. We should respect cultural diversity; at the same time, we need to protect our own culture and language because they are a vital part of a nation.
