Abstract Diet, as a cultural phenomenon, plays an irreplaceable role during the progress of human society, whether in China or in the West. It remains close relationship with cross-cultural communication. However, there are great disparities in dietetic cultures between China and Western countries，which could be the obstacles to the process of cultural exchange. Eat Drink Man Woman and Julie and Julia are the two distinctive films which reflect each country’s characteristics of dietetic culture. Through the description of movie scenes that related to dietetic cultures, the thesis endeavors to make an analysis of the similarities, the differences and the rooted causes between Chinese and Western dietetic cultures in terms of eating objects, dietetic habits, cooking methods, and dietetic attitudes. In this way, misunderstandings and communication barriers caused by cultural differences could be avoided to a great degree and intercultural communication between China and Western countries will be improved.59918

Keywords: Chinese and Western dietetic culture; comparison; cause      analysis; films                                

摘要饮食作为一种文化现象，无论在中国还是在西方，都在人类社会的发展进程中起着不可替代的作用。饮食与跨文化交际密不可分。但是中西的饮食文化又有很大的差异,这种差异会对交际产生一定的影响。《饮食男女》和《朱莉与茱莉亚》是两部能各自体现本国饮食文化特点的电影。通过电影中有关饮食文化特点的情节描写，本文在饮食对象、烹饪方式、饮食习惯、饮食态度等方面归纳出了中西饮食文化方面的异同，并尝试对这些差异进行原因分析。通过对比与总结，我们能有效地避免因双方文化差异带来的误解，从而促进中西方国家的跨文化交流。

毕业论文关键词：中西饮食文化；对比；原因分析；电影

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

3. Brief Introduction of the Two Films 2

4. Similarities between Chinese and Western Diets 3

5. Differences between Chinese and Western Diets 3

5.1 Differences in Eating Objects 3

5.2 Differences in Dietetic Habits 4

5.3 Differences in the Ways of Cooking 5

5.4 Differences in the Attitudes to Diets 7

6. Causes of the Differences 9

6.1 Different Geographical Conditions 9

6.2 Different Philosophy Thoughts 10

7. Impacts on Language Learners and the Solutions 11

8. Conclusion 12

Works Cited 13

1. Introduction 

Different climate and geographical characteristics, as well as different ideology between Chinese and Western countries have led to two different types of cultures. In turn, the differences between Chinese and Western cultures have also resulted in two different dietetic cultures. Nowadays, the development of globalization makes the communication of dietetic culture become more and more frequent in the international exchange. However, due to different cultural backgrounds, confusions and communication barriers sometimes occur at the dinner tables. The aim of communication “is to help increase people’s cross-cultural awareness so that fewer problems arise in their interaction with people of another culture. To do this, it is necessary to compare cultures to establish similarities and differences”(Hu Wenzhong, 1988:7). Based on the analysis of the two films, this thesis mainly deals with the features of Chinese and Western dietetic cultures. By means of the comparison and cause analysis, it would be helpful for both Chinese and Western people to enhance understanding and avoid misunderstanding caused by cultural differences. Thus international communication and integration would be further promoted.