December 2013
打开加东 • Dakai Maritimes
10
文化
How we eat defines who we are BY YONGMEI WANG 作者：王咏梅 What we eat and how we eat says a lot about our culture. The world’s countries celebrate different occasions — from birthdays to national holidays — and eating is always an important part of celebrations. However, when it comes to sharing food, the Chinese stand out as a people who gain satisfaction from treating others to a delicious meal. Two significant differences between Chinese and Western dining habits are sharing and paying for a meal. When Chinese people dine together, the food is ordered to share amongst all diners. Dishes are served in the centre of the table for the purpose of sharing. In the West, food is served individually, and people eat from their own plates. When it’s time to pay for the meal, Chinese take a long time to settle the dispute of who has the honour to pay for the group. The culture of “treating the group” is common in China whereas in the Western countries, it is rare and would depend on the occasion. Dining together means having company to share the joy of food. In early civilizations, sharing food was limited to family and trusted tribal members related by kinship. Thousands of years have passed, but those traditions remain. Seeking friendship or business partners outside of kinship is not easy. However, sharing food simulates a kinship, and has become a testimony of
24 Solar terms CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 leaf in their hair to welcome the Start of Autumn. Those who had measured their weight during the Start of Summer would measure their weight again to observe whether they had suffered weight loss caused by the summer heat. Nowadays, people eat special foods and take herbed baths. The Start of Winter was when people held sacrificial rites to honour the
trust. It has become a universal model for people to socialize and gain trust through dining together. In this way, paying for the whole group has become a special custom for the Chinese. China entered into the agricultural era about four thousand years ago. Farming was the primary industry until only about two hundred years ago. The long-term, stationary farming system created a stable society. The nature of agriculture restricted labour mobility, so people had to remain in one place and later form a stable community. Crops take time to grow and mature before a harvest. This process came to be a model of Chinese social life. Sustainability and reciprocity are the fundamental principles for social interactions in China. The rationalization behind paying for other people’s meals is that sometime in the future I shall be rewarded. However, Chinese don’t necessarily expect rewards in forms of future meals: the reward might come as a piece of useful information, assistance in solving a problem, or a networking opportunity with an important contact. Eating with potential business partners before or after professional meetings is not only important but strategic. It provides an opportunity to analyze the personalities of business contacts. Who finally gets to pay the bill? The answer could run pages after pages. Long story short, giving is receiving. For people who treat others, not only do they win respect by being generous,
deceased. During the rites, people ingeniously prepare everyday necessities made with paper and burn them in fire for the deceased. In south-eastern China, villagers held ceremonies to thank the gods by making rice wine. Many people would take a special bath, wishing for good health during the harsh winter season. Centuries ago when people had no Internet, TV or adequate scientific knowledge, commoners particularly enjoyed celebrating festivals. They participated in celebration with great enthusiasm and earnestness. They
they stand in a position to ask future favours. Conversely, receiving is usually giving. Those who enjoy free meals will eventually repay the favour in one way or another. Having said that, there are some guidelines to follow. If you were a guest, your host would be expected to take care of the bill, but guests should offer to pay nonetheless. When a group of people eat out together, the person who suggests eating out should nor-
• Culture
mally pay. On an occasion where people celebrate, the person being honoured by the celebration usually pays. Getting to know some of the unwritten rules of the eating culture in China is important for those who seek to form personal and professional relationships with their Chinese counterparts. It is safe to say that, in China, people who never share a meal together are not likely to form a significant relationship.
就餐方式彰显文化差别 吃什么和如何吃都是文化。每个民族 的庆典小到生日，大到全民的节日都 和吃分不开。但是这个世界上没有哪 个民族像中国人那样热衷于请客吃 饭。 对比中西式就餐方式，明显的差别有 两个：合餐/分餐，付账/拆账。 中国人 聚餐时一人点菜大家吃，菜肴都放在 餐桌中间，供就餐者共享。西餐桌 上，就餐者为自己点餐。虽也有分 享，基本上每人主要吃自己盘中食 物。用餐完毕，中国人一桌一份账 单，众人争相做东；西方人通常各自 付账。 文明初期，共食往往限于家庭或部族 成员之间，因为血缘象征信任。千年 过去，传统依旧。不论是商业伙伴还 是私人交情，在无血缘的人群中找到 信任困难重重。然而，共食却可以摸 拟血亲关系人们之间的联系，使原来 陌生的人成为朋友和商业伙伴。通过 共食获得了解信任，几乎是东西方文 化都认同的社交模式。但是，中国人
believed that the festivals were gifts of gods, or more accurately, the gods of nature. They believed that harvest was a result of the gods being happy and disaster was brought by displeased gods. Today, although many customs have been replaced by science and technology, the Chinese people continue to pay respects to nature and the twenty-four solar terms traditions inherited from their ancestors. In the next issue, we will introduce food and diet associated with the twenty-four terms.
争先恐后为所有人付账却颇为独特。 中国的农耕文明历经千年。土地的不 可流动使劳动力相对固定，社会人员 也因此相对固定不变。同时，农业耕 作是长期产业，播下种子需待谷物成 熟才能收获。这样的生产模式影响了 中国人社交的模式。长期性和互惠互 利是中国人的社交理念。相较而言， 游牧民族情况不尽相同，人们逐水草 而居，社会成员不断变动，长期互助 关系难以建立。人们固然聚餐，但是 一般不期待此餐之后的回报。 中国人争相买单，谁最终获得买单的 权力，规则复杂。给予乃获得。买单 的人获得被回报的机会，即便有求于 就餐者，也显得顺理成章。有时候， 买单者不期回报，就图个好名声。反 之亦然，获得也是给予。接受招待， 给足主人面子，并心存回报之念。 了解就餐的规则有助于建立个人交 情，发展良好商业合作关系。直到今 天，在中国，吃不到一起的人，很难 成为朋友或合作伙伴。
二十四节气之民俗活动 上接第9页 数千年的农业社会，没有网络，没有 电视，农业技术落后，节气的仪式和 活动是与自然、与神交信的大事；丰 收还是歉收都由大自然，或他们心中 的水神、土地神以及掌管牲畜的神们 决定，因而人们非常热情、虔诚地进 行这些活动。当今科技发展了，虽然 不再像过去那样依赖各路神灵，崇 尚、尊重自然的中国人依然重视二十 四节气。特别是关系到衣食等于健康 和生命相关的事项时，很多人还是要 讲究一番的。鉴于此，下一期将介绍 二十四节气食俗。