The Influence That English Culture Brought to Chinese Culture
I. Introduction:
The English culture, which is abundant and influential, has giant impact on other cultures in the world, especially Chinese culture. Since the First Opium War, English culture has been influencing Chinese culture on various aspects like customs, language, festivals, etc. Without doubt, English culture contributed to the development and variety of Chinese culture. However, it also produced lots of negative influences which are still harmful to Chinese culture.
II. The Positive Effects:
Firstly, the British expansion policy promoted the awakening of Chinese people. Before the First Opium War, the Chinese people were benighted and backward for they had been dominated by feudal society nearly two thousand years. Living in a miserable and autocratic world, they never owned their own thoughts and the right to pursue the full measure of their happiness. At that time, China was locked by the Qing dynasty and cut off from the outside world. However, the Opium War broke the closed door of China and brought the English advanced culture to China included capitalism thoughts and industrial technologies. After losing the First Opium War, more and more farsighted Chinese
intellectuals realized the backwardness of China and began to learn and propaganda the British advanced values. In addition to the advanced thoughts and, English missionaries and industrialists brought progressive technologies to China, which promoted the productivity of China. The advanced English culture urged Chinese average people to fight against the feudal rule and the fading of feudalism.
Secondly, after signing the Nanjing Treaty, the Qing government had to open the gate of China and then more and more English people arrived at China. Since then, some advanced English thoughts spread to China and accelerated the enlightenment of Chinese thoughts. For instance, the constitutional monarchy theory raised by John Locke guided the Hundreds of day’s reform of China. At the beginning of 20th century, Y anFu, who was the famous bourgeois enlightenment thinker and educator of China, actively advocated the advanced British education in China. He also translated the Theory of Nature Selection into a Chinese book in which he expounded his opinions of saving China from extinction by introducing the theory of survival of the fittest. At that time, the theories of English classical economics, politics, natural science and philosophy were systematically introduced to China, and the Chinese generation of that age benefited a lot from them. Moreover, since the 1870s, the economic theories of Adam Smith were introduced to China and generally accepted by national capitalists. Also his book Wealths of
Nations was translated into Chinese by YanFu. Adam’s economic theories changed the traditional Chinese value that agriculture was important than commerce. Chinese people realized that the only way to make China cut of extinction and backwardness was developing commerce. In a word, many advanced English thoughts integrated into Chinese culture system and guided the improvement of China since 1850s.
Thirdly, the English language contributed to the communication between China and the outside world. As we all know, Chinese is a very difficult language for foreigners because of its writing and tone. But English is easy to learn and speak. So English provided a tool for Chinese to communicate with people nearly all over the world. With English Chinese people could learn advanced theories and technologies from the outside world and so did advocate Chinese culture. With the development of China, more and more foreigners would come to China and lots of international meetings would be held in China. In this case, English can function as an intermediate language, if there does not exit a direct translation for two different languages. Also, English enriched Chinese culture for that there are so many English words in China society. With English, Chinese products could export to overseas and Chinese people could travel nearly around the world. English language brought many functional words like GDP to Chinese culture, which enriches the means of expression of Chinese. In short, English had positive impact on
communication between China and the outside world.
III. The Negative Effects:
Firstly, everything has two sides and so does the British expansion policy. Except advanced English thoughts, the expansion policy also brought serious disaster to the Chinese people and culture. After the First Opium War, the Qing government signed the Nanjing Treaty which provided that China must open its gate and compensated English millions of pounds and also lost the sovereignty of Hong Kong. Being short of money, the Qing government had to plus tax on average people, which heavily increased the people ’s burden. Losing the sovereignty of Hong Kong caused it separated from China for more than a hundred years. After the First Opium War, abundant of British industrial products were dumped in China, which led to bankruptcy of Chinese handicraftsmen. In addition, the Chinese culture suffered havoc. During the Second Opium War, the Ango-French Aied Forces invaded the Summer Palace of China and robbed nearly all of the invaluable assets in China’s history, which caused great loss to Chinese culture.
Secondly, the English festivals and holidays have threatened the status of Chinese traditional festivals and holidays. With British culture spreading to China, British Festivals and holidays also spread to China and accepted by Chinese people especially the young generation. For
instance, the New Y ear ’s Day, Saint V alentine's Day, Christmas Day, Ausaint’s Day,etc. were very popular in China. However, idolizing these British festivals and holidays caused some Chinese people to hate or even refuse traditional Chinese festivals. Today, most young Chinese enjoy Saint V alentine's Day but even do not know the traditional Tanabata Festival which is a historical Chinese romantic day. In the long run, the influence of traditional Chines festivals will be weakened. And the Chinese national identity will be declining if British festivals still blindly pursued by Chinese people.
Thirdly, the education of English has threatened the inheritance of Chinese. Since English is so popular around the world, it is called as the English Hegemony. The hegemony of English generates and reproduces a number of adverse effects, to the disadvantages of non-English-speaking people like Chinese. In most international communication, English is used dominantly, preventing the use of Chinese, and representing the voices. Whenever English is used as a common language in international communication, the non-English-speakers become deaf and mute, unless they master English or interpreters translate for them. This phenomenon caused the ignorance of Chinese education and led to an illusion that English is important than Chinese. According to the existed Chinese education system, English is one of the major courses and tested in nearly all the important examinations. Some Chinese kids even learn English at
the age of two but never have interested in Chinese. As a result, they have high level English but awful Chinese. As we all know that a nation ’s language is the carrier of the inheritance of its culture. So the education of English in China today has threatened the inheritance of Chinese and Chinese culture.
IV . Conclusion:
In a word, English culture has brought positive and negative influence to China. The positive effects promoted the improvement and variety of Chinese culture. But the negative effects brought disasters and threaten to Chinese culture either. What the Chinese people need to do is absorbing the quintessence of the English culture and abandoning its dregs, and also trying their best to propagate traditional Chinese culture. Words: 1290
Reference:http:www.baidu.com
The Influence That English Culture Brought to Chinese Culture
Class number:100802 Student number:100802104
The Influence That English Culture Brought to Chinese Culture
I. Introduction:
The English culture, which is abundant and influential, has giant impact on other cultures in the world, especially Chinese culture. Since the First Opium War, English culture has been influencing Chinese culture on various aspects like customs, language, festivals, etc. Without doubt, English culture contributed to the development and variety of Chinese culture. However, it also produced lots of negative influences which are still harmful to Chinese culture.
II. The Positive Effects:
Firstly, the British expansion policy promoted the awakening of Chinese people. Before the First Opium War, the Chinese people were benighted and backward for they had been dominated by feudal society nearly two thousand years. Living in a miserable and autocratic world, they never owned their own thoughts and the right to pursue the full measure of their happiness. At that time, China was locked by the Qing dynasty and cut off from the outside world. However, the Opium War broke the closed door of China and brought the English advanced culture to China included capitalism thoughts and industrial technologies. After losing the First Opium War, more and more farsighted Chinese
intellectuals realized the backwardness of China and began to learn and propaganda the British advanced values. In addition to the advanced thoughts and, English missionaries and industrialists brought progressive technologies to China, which promoted the productivity of China. The advanced English culture urged Chinese average people to fight against the feudal rule and the fading of feudalism.
Secondly, after signing the Nanjing Treaty, the Qing government had to open the gate of China and then more and more English people arrived at China. Since then, some advanced English thoughts spread to China and accelerated the enlightenment of Chinese thoughts. For instance, the constitutional monarchy theory raised by John Locke guided the Hundreds of day’s reform of China. At the beginning of 20th century, Y anFu, who was the famous bourgeois enlightenment thinker and educator of China, actively advocated the advanced British education in China. He also translated the Theory of Nature Selection into a Chinese book in which he expounded his opinions of saving China from extinction by introducing the theory of survival of the fittest. At that time, the theories of English classical economics, politics, natural science and philosophy were systematically introduced to China, and the Chinese generation of that age benefited a lot from them. Moreover, since the 1870s, the economic theories of Adam Smith were introduced to China and generally accepted by national capitalists. Also his book Wealths of
Nations was translated into Chinese by YanFu. Adam’s economic theories changed the traditional Chinese value that agriculture was important than commerce. Chinese people realized that the only way to make China cut of extinction and backwardness was developing commerce. In a word, many advanced English thoughts integrated into Chinese culture system and guided the improvement of China since 1850s.
Thirdly, the English language contributed to the communication between China and the outside world. As we all know, Chinese is a very difficult language for foreigners because of its writing and tone. But English is easy to learn and speak. So English provided a tool for Chinese to communicate with people nearly all over the world. With English Chinese people could learn advanced theories and technologies from the outside world and so did advocate Chinese culture. With the development of China, more and more foreigners would come to China and lots of international meetings would be held in China. In this case, English can function as an intermediate language, if there does not exit a direct translation for two different languages. Also, English enriched Chinese culture for that there are so many English words in China society. With English, Chinese products could export to overseas and Chinese people could travel nearly around the world. English language brought many functional words like GDP to Chinese culture, which enriches the means of expression of Chinese. In short, English had positive impact on
communication between China and the outside world.
III. The Negative Effects:
Firstly, everything has two sides and so does the British expansion policy. Except advanced English thoughts, the expansion policy also brought serious disaster to the Chinese people and culture. After the First Opium War, the Qing government signed the Nanjing Treaty which provided that China must open its gate and compensated English millions of pounds and also lost the sovereignty of Hong Kong. Being short of money, the Qing government had to plus tax on average people, which heavily increased the people ’s burden. Losing the sovereignty of Hong Kong caused it separated from China for more than a hundred years. After the First Opium War, abundant of British industrial products were dumped in China, which led to bankruptcy of Chinese handicraftsmen. In addition, the Chinese culture suffered havoc. During the Second Opium War, the Ango-French Aied Forces invaded the Summer Palace of China and robbed nearly all of the invaluable assets in China’s history, which caused great loss to Chinese culture.
Secondly, the English festivals and holidays have threatened the status of Chinese traditional festivals and holidays. With British culture spreading to China, British Festivals and holidays also spread to China and accepted by Chinese people especially the young generation. For
instance, the New Y ear ’s Day, Saint V alentine's Day, Christmas Day, Ausaint’s Day,etc. were very popular in China. However, idolizing these British festivals and holidays caused some Chinese people to hate or even refuse traditional Chinese festivals. Today, most young Chinese enjoy Saint V alentine's Day but even do not know the traditional Tanabata Festival which is a historical Chinese romantic day. In the long run, the influence of traditional Chines festivals will be weakened. And the Chinese national identity will be declining if British festivals still blindly pursued by Chinese people.
Thirdly, the education of English has threatened the inheritance of Chinese. Since English is so popular around the world, it is called as the English Hegemony. The hegemony of English generates and reproduces a number of adverse effects, to the disadvantages of non-English-speaking people like Chinese. In most international communication, English is used dominantly, preventing the use of Chinese, and representing the voices. Whenever English is used as a common language in international communication, the non-English-speakers become deaf and mute, unless they master English or interpreters translate for them. This phenomenon caused the ignorance of Chinese education and led to an illusion that English is important than Chinese. According to the existed Chinese education system, English is one of the major courses and tested in nearly all the important examinations. Some Chinese kids even learn English at
the age of two but never have interested in Chinese. As a result, they have high level English but awful Chinese. As we all know that a nation ’s language is the carrier of the inheritance of its culture. So the education of English in China today has threatened the inheritance of Chinese and Chinese culture.
IV . Conclusion:
In a word, English culture has brought positive and negative influence to China. The positive effects promoted the improvement and variety of Chinese culture. But the negative effects brought disasters and threaten to Chinese culture either. What the Chinese people need to do is absorbing the quintessence of the English culture and abandoning its dregs, and also trying their best to propagate traditional Chinese culture. Words: 1290
Reference:http:www.baidu.com
The Influence That English Culture Brought to Chinese Culture
Class number:100802 Student number:100802104